Surely the point of buying a custom build DAW machine is to help ensure you get a set of components that are tried, tested and set up correctly thus eliminating many of the common causes of DAW software 'malfunction'. Also, if it doesn't work properly for intended purpose then you have a guarantee. Not so with a superstore PC.

> Surely the point of buying a custom build DAW machine is to help ensure you get a set of components that are tried, tested and set up correctly
 
Most PC's are nowadays. You generally have to remove some crappy software they bundle in (like McAfee) - but that's about it. And reinstalling Windows nowadays is hardly rocket science.
 
> thus eliminating many of the common causes of DAW software 'malfunction'. Also, if it doesn't work properly for intended purpose then you have a guarantee.
 
99% of the time it's software not hardware that's the issue assuming you buy the correct sound interface. Now if you want to buy a machine of the shelf and pay somebody to "tune it up" because you don't want to do it yourself, or your are not confident, I could see that (but that's lazy and is going to cost you $$$ in the future!).
 
Also, if it doesn't work properly for intended purpose then you have a guarantee.
 
Really? So if Windows update or a driver or sonar has a bug, you would take back your PC?
Nope your hardware is guaranteed, you also have similar guarantees with off the shelf PC's, and you are covered from all angles if you buy an onsite repair warranty for 4 years.

Firstly, what's the point of buying an over bloated PC and then going through the hassle of sorting it out so it (hopefully) runs your DAW without incident? You can of course call it lazy but most people have more exciting things to do.

So many hardware incompatibilities with recording audio etc I'm not sure what you mean.

Off the shelf machines generally come with at best, laughable support from people that know nothing apart from how to read the script they have in front of them, at least here in the UK. Why waste your money on an expensive warranty?

Of course you would be an idiot to take your PC back if sonar had a bug, who would do that?

It's actually cheaper to have a custom build than it is to build one yourself if you are any good at making deals and it's guaranteed to work straight out of the box for making music with the software of your choice. That's what I call a guarantee.

I don't see why a rational human being would not invest in a custom built daw by a reputable company if they wanted the best chance of a hassle free experience, especially give that a musician may not have much PC knowledge. Also i would say it depends on the type of music you are composing.

> So many hardware incompatibilities with recording audio etc I'm not sure what you mean.
 
Like what exactly? Get the right interface, find the right port to plug it into, do your research and you won't be left with a stinker. Actually it's quite hard to get things wrong nowadays if you keep your eye on the specs.
 
> It's actually cheaper to have a custom build than it is to build one yourself i
 
And it's even cheaper if you buy off the shelf. I wouldn't build my own box nowadays, buy it off the shelf... plug in the interface... Optimize windows... Done.
Hassle free.
 
> if they wanted the best chance of a hassle free experience
 
Says you.... :)
 
Half the issue I believe is not learning how to optimize the windows environment I suspect, in which case sure, pay somebody to do it if you haven't got the time and have got the $$$. But remember that you will need to keep optimizing it and paying somebody to optimize it.... or just learn how to do it... it really isn't that hard.
 
The end of the day it's all chips, software and stuff. Believe the hype if you must :).
And learn how to maintain your tools, if you get somebody else to do it for you.... they will never do as good a job as you will yourself. They don't live with your PC you do. Just like you live with your guitar, keyboard... whatever.... it's just a tool to make music.

BTW this reminders me of a very very very very very famous composer of musical theater. Every week he had an engineer to come around and look at his sound system. He would check his CD player, his amp, the wires and stuff.... Just like he was tuning a piano.
 
Nice little earner for that engineer (I knew him) and guess what, all he did was open the case and blow the dust off with his mouth. Otherwise he just played around with the screws to make him look busy. Once he had to change a fuse, that was it.
 
Our composer was safe in the knowledge that his HiFi was optimal even though he really had no idea what that meant.... but I'm sure it made him feel warm and fuzzy...

Thanks for the input from everybody...I like the 18 Grand thing ctfu...so if i stick with pc, which is really what i'd like to do and not build one, which way should I go?

Wipe and rebuild your PC if you like and rebuild it from scratch if you want. Nothing like that start from scratch feeling.
 
Should you choose to do this, or not to do this.... Here are some performance tweaks and this may even allow you to figure out what is happening.
http://forum.cakewalk.com/Todays-windows-optimization-tip-m2935172.aspx
 
 
10 grand then....
 

wizard71

I don't see why a rational human being would not invest in a custom built daw by a reputable company if they wanted the best chance of a hassle free experience, especially give that a musician may not have much PC knowledge. Also i would say it depends on the type of music you are composing.

Exactly. I work in the film and theater industry (composer myself), and it would be insane buying a pre built "run of the mill" PC in hopes of having a reliable system for professional level work. Anyone who thinks otherwise has never worked in such an environment. The last thing a musician has time for is fiddling around with tweaks and compatibility issues. With a specialized build from a reputable company, you're getting a machine specifically designed to meet your demands, plus the proper support. For example, I use multiple slave PC's with 64GB Ram (using VEPro), and require certain peripheral ports that CANNOT be found on consumer grade units.     

If you are talking about heavy duty that is a whole other subject. If you are talking about clustering multiple PC's together that's another.

I'm not talking about taking machines out on the road that need to be rugged. I suspect you are not using Sonar and you are probably using Pro Tools/lighting/video editing software (it would be fascinating to hear if you are using Sonar in this environment). The environment you are talking about is similar to how a server environment would be it seems, or power desktop, that's just overkill for most scenarios. If you are slaving and or clustering/networking machines that's probably because you are using it for video and perhaps lighting as well, again a totally different conversation. Nobody here is slaving machines for recording in Sonar.
 
I'm talking about desktop recording.  I notice that most of the conversation here is really to do with home recording. My experience is with professional recording studios but I have a home environment as well to manage. There isn't that much difference nowadays I notice.
 
You are not comparing eggs with eggs. I could start a server conversation if you like, I've got two of them upstairs. Wanna talk about SSL computers?

How are the custom builds from say like Guitar Ctr, Sam Ash, or Musician's Friend, or Sweetwater.  Would you recommend any of those places? Someone said something about studio cat previously building good quality daws...Or prolly better to go with the daws listed on cakes site?