Building a cheap PC for recording

[Dr Bad Dude PHD]

What do I have to put in it? Doesn't have to be too fancy I'll probably just be using Live 8 but I want it to run like a fucking swiss watch.

[savyurrecords]

Dear Dr Bad Dude PHD,

Well, first you need to be more specific or you will get an answer like this.

You need to put in computer parts like a hard drive, RAM, CPU, motherboard, video card.

Telling us you want it cheap and you want it to run like a f%((^ing swiss watch? Isn't that an oxymoron?

I always tell my clients this...You can have it one of three ways; Good, Cheap, or Fast. You pick.

Rich

[smaucher]

cheap pc and recording is a prardox. period.

[BoddAH]

I don’t think “cheap” and recording is a paradox at all.

Pretty much any current PC + an acceptable sound card should be more than enough to run live just fine.

First, if price is really an issue and you don’t need portability, get a desktop. You’ll have more for less.

7200 rpm HDD is pretty much standard, you won’t get better anyway by spending more.

Intel i7 processors are sexy but even entry level dual core CPUs should be enough to run Live if you’re not a professional producer.
Just avoid netbooks, those are really low specs and get a solid audio interface with your computer which should start at $150.

[rosti]

^ yeah. Just google optimizing windows * for audio. Not having an internet connection and anti virus software helps a lot.

I have just 2ghz pentium mobile (1 core oldie) with 2gb ram for my travel setup and it runs decently. Just disabled/deleted bluetooth, wifi and all the stuff that i dont need when doing audio work. + made live launch on startup so it's really just portable Ableton Live . (I also installed linux mint for internet use which is really easy to use, stable and runs like a ferrari compared to windows XP on that machine. So i can just boot to linux when i want to surf on the internez etc)

[savyurrecords]

I agree Cheap PC and recording is not a paradox. It is all I have ever done.

[BlackMath]

I have a Asus Motherboard with a 775 Intel 2.+ and 2048mb of Dual Channel Corsair that I will sell you for $250 comes with a heatsink fan, just add a vid card, couple hdds and case/ps and you'll have a working computer.

pm if you are interested

[BlackMath]

.

7200 rpm HDD is pretty much standard, you won’t get better anyway by spending more.

not true...you can get an 128Gb SSD for around $290 that will be much faster than a platter HDD

[bosonHavoc]

ya here here for the cheep pc..
i do 90% of my production work on my 3ghz P4 running live 8
i even used it for live performances before my singer bought a mac book pro.

the main question you should ask is about the audio interface..
but only after you ask yourself if you need to record anything, what
you want to record (ie drums and live band recording need more inputs the single tracking instruments), or if you just want to have a little midi setup and not do any actual recording..

another thing to ask is if you want to take it to the stage..

[loquat]

I agree it can be done. BUT you will have to spend money on the soundcard. There is no getting around that. To get the most stability out of your expensive soundcard you'll also probably need to sacrifice networking and other sound devices (HDMI sound output on Video Card etc) depending on IRQ overlaps. But it's worth it. You can get a lot of power out of a cheap DIY intel box.

[crofter]

I used to build them, not anymore,my current machine is a Dell I got from Tesco for £199, fucking excellent.

[Akshara]

What do I have to put in it? Doesn't have to be too fancy I'll probably just be using Live 8 but I want it to run like a fucking swiss watch.

The ARS System Guide: September 2010 Edition - Budget Box

[jamos]

at the very least, dual core- 4 gb ram and I would run something like tinyxp on a minimal install and never connect it to the internet

Youll need an Audiophile 2496 aswell.