M

[HTH AMPS]

PS. Your pedals look the cats pajamas.

cheers, I'll be putting more pictures on there soon and also updating the site to show all the amp stuff I do too.

[HTH AMPS]

Why not just put some more RAM in the Laptop for now? RAM's pretty darned cheap. The laptop should be able to handle up to 2GB with 1GB in each RAM slot. It's probably got two sticks of 256mb in there at the moment.

At least then when you do get around to buying a new PC, you have a Laptop that can also run your DAW when needed, even if it isn't all that powerful at least it could run it.

Also, don't even think about buying a new PC yet. Wait for Windows 7 to come out.

Just to clarify, I'm looking at getting a desktop PC as I now have a fixed location for a PC and can get a better spec'd desktop than a laptop with my budget.

The quote I got to install 2Gb of RAM was £97.00.  My laptop has 8Gb HDD space left on my main C: partition after SERIOUS pruning and defragging, while my D: partition has 37Gb free.  Could I install ProTools on the D: partition without any problems?

The main reason I'm thinking it would be a waste of money upgrading my laptop is that it's already 4+ years old and it probably ain't got much useful life left.  I also think that ProTools will run really slow with this CPU and the fact that the HDD is WAY too close to being full.  I'm also getting 'Windows Virtual Memory Full' messages at the minute and the laptop vitually crawls to a halt.

Getting a new PC will bring me up to date, run ProTools faster, give me shiteloads of HDD space (though I have a USB drive for backups).

[_tom_]

Never. Ever. Buy into Digidesign/Protools. Never. Ever!

I agree, not worth the hassle. Our computers at uni use it and even the high end mac pros are so $%&#ing slow with pro tools, its ridiculous. I'm sounding like a broken record now but I dont think for home use that you can beat a good interface and reaper on a half decent machine.

[HTH AMPS]

not buying into ProTools isn't an option now - got the mbox2 mini already.  I wish I'd known the crazy amount of specific compatability criteria ProTools requires... http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?langid=1&navid=54&itemid=36859

I'm seriously pissed off with all this and am on the verge of returning the mbox as the sales guy said sweet FA about system requirements when I told him what laptop I was using. 

[MDV]

Why not just put some more RAM in the Laptop for now? RAM's pretty darned cheap. The laptop should be able to handle up to 2GB with 1GB in each RAM slot. It's probably got two sticks of 256mb in there at the moment.

At least then when you do get around to buying a new PC, you have a Laptop that can also run your DAW when needed, even if it isn't all that powerful at least it could run it.

Also, don't even think about buying a new PC yet. Wait for Windows 7 to come out.

Just to clarify, I'm looking at getting a desktop PC as I now have a fixed location for a PC and can get a better spec'd desktop than a laptop with my budget.

The quote I got to install 2Gb of RAM was £97.00.  My laptop has 8Gb HDD space left on my main C: partition after SERIOUS pruning and defragging, while my D: partition has 37Gb free.  Could I install ProTools on the D: partition without any problems?

The main reason I'm thinking it would be a waste of money upgrading my laptop is that it's already 4+ years old and it probably ain't got much useful life left.  I also think that ProTools will run really slow with this CPU and the fact that the HDD is WAY too close to being full.  I'm also getting 'Windows Virtual Memory Full' messages at the minute and the laptop vitually crawls to a halt.

Getting a new PC will bring me up to date, run ProTools faster, give me shiteeeloads of HDD space (though I have a USB drive for backups).

I'd have enough room around for plenty of wavs and drum samples at least. We're talking >100Gb min, 500 to be comfortable. One song with all the layering andsuch can easily be >500mb in your DAWs audio folders. Good drum sequencers (sup 2, BFD2) are 25 to 50gb of samples.

[HTH AMPS]

I've narrowed my search down to this desktop PC, seems like it will do the job BUT I'm not sure about the integrated graphics card - the digidesign website states that ProTools requires a dedicated AGP or PCIe card...

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1502705574.1242577242@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadehfelkljicflgceggdhhmdgmk.0&page=Product&fm=1&sm=3&tm=0&sku=507583&category_oid=-35432

What do you PC-techies think?

[ailean]

I stay "open source" and on the Mac

I don't want to pick a fight but Apple is about as closed as you can get.

I agree with your agruments, but sometimes a closed system isn't a bad thing, the only reason Apple have been able to make mac's the way they are is because it's a closed system.

[MDV]

I've narrowed my search down to this desktop PC, seems like it will do the job BUT I'm not sure about the integrated graphics card - the digidesign website states that ProTools requires a dedicated AGP or PCIe card...

http://www.currys.co.uk/martprd/store/cur_page.jsp?BV_SessionID=@@@@1502705574.1242577242@@@@&BV_EngineID=ccceadehfelkljicflgceggdhhmdgmk.0&page=Product&fm=1&sm=3&tm=0&sku=507583&category_oid=-35432

What do you PC-techies think?

I wouldnt get that. Reasons being it states the amount of ram but not the speed (very important - you need the cas latency and the clock speed to work out how long it takes it to process one bit of data to get the best approximation of its true speed), and its a small case, so it propably wont have room for much in the way of extra cards, it may well not have a PCIe slot at all, probably only a couple of PCI slots, I'll bet it comes with an underpowered PSU and will have zero room for upgrade on its likely stripped down to all hell and back mobo. I'll bet the HD is slow as hell as well.

The only thing thats certainly good about it, and suitable for audio, is the CPU.

Try
same CPU, or the now well tried and tested Q6600
4gb x 1333mhz CL8 ram
2x500gb (or better) seagate barracuda
Not sure about what mobos are good now - P45 chipsets a good bet, maybe a P5Q?

Just specced this out as a first draft for a bang-for-buck audio (i.e. cr@p graphics card, enough to render a DAW, and no soundcard or speakers)

Intel Core 2 Duo

   Computer Case    Black & Silver ATX Tower Case    
   CPU    Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 (4 x 2.66 GHZ) 1333FSB - 4 MB    
   Motherboard    ASUS P5Q 1600FSB (Intel P45)    
   Memory    Corsair XMS2 4GB PC-6400 800 MHZ (2 x 2 GB) - Lifetime Warranty (DDR2)    
   Graphics Card    NVIDIA GeForce 8400GS - 256 MB - VGA/DVI/HDMI (Palit)    
   Power Supply    600W PSU    
   Hard Drive 1    500 GB SATA-II HDD UDMA 300 7200 16MB    
   Hard Drive 2    500 GB SATA-II HDD UDMA 300 7200 16MB    
   Optical Drive 1    Samsung (SH-D162D) 16x DVD-ROM Black (IDE)    
   Optical Drive 2    Samsung (SH-D162D) 16x DVD-ROM Black (IDE)    
   Floppy Drive    Floppy Disk Drive 1.44 MB - Black    
   Sound Card    Motherboard Integrated 5.1 Sound    
   Networking    Motherboard Integrated Ethernet Lan (Broadband Ready)    
   USB Ports    4 X USB 2.0 Ports    
   CPU Heatsink    Speeze QuadroFlow VIII - Low Noise    
   Operating System    Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-BIT (Genuine DVD & COA Included)    
   Office Software    OpenOffice 3.0.1 (Unlimited PC License)    
   Backup Solution    Standard Operating System Backup    
   Monitor    Asus 19" (VW195S) Widescreen TFT Black - 5MS    
   Keyboard    Logitech Black Value Keyboard (PS/2)    
   Mouse    Logitech Optical Wheel Mouse (USB)    

http://www.computerplanet.co.uk/custom/core2duo/step6.html

Its about £750, a bit overbudget, but getting anything by the likes of HP is false economy - they skimp on mobo, RAM speed, PSU, HD speed and you end up having to upgrade with a whole new PC in short while. With a something like this you have room for expansion and upgrade, largely because of the good motherboard. Motherboards should never be skimped on. Ever. They're the key to upgradability and an expensive one now ultimately saves you money.

[Lew]

Get a Core 2 duo, the fastest you can afford, with 4Gb of the fastest RAM you can afford. in a 500£ budget I'd spend 100 on processor and 50 to 100 on ram. Mobo to match and a sturdy 500W PSU. Fast HDs are a big deal for audio, get some baracuda 11s or WD caviars. Use 2 - one for OS and one for all audio data. If youre feeling lucky get 4 and make 2 raid 0s.

Plus case, opticals, decent mobo that should bring you to 600 ish.

Oh, I'm talking base unit here, no monitor keyboard and mouse. If you really wanted to you could spend your whole budget on those, or if you look around you can get them all for very little.

Totally! I'm using a quad core 8200 

Never. Ever. Buy into Digidesign/Protools. Never. Ever!

Never. Ever. Buy into Digidesign/Protools. Never. Ever!

?

Because they (ab)use their market position of having been the studio standard for a long time, they aren't open and force you into using their software with their hardware. I don't agree with such tactics and rather get stuff that uses standards that leave it up to me which hardware/software to combine as I wish.

Morals are a great thing to have but for me it's not worth being unable to work with most people and studios. Logic is fine but underused. Besides PT8 pretty much just eclipsed the only advantages Logic8 had over PT :/

[jpmaxxy]

2x500gb (or better) seagate barracuda

I'd change the barracuda to the Spinpoint F1's they are much faster. The barracuda .10s were good but the Spinpoint F1's hold the current crown even outperforming the old 10k rpm raptors. Also iirc the .11's had bugged firmware and quickly replaced with .12's

[Bradock PI]

Faster dual cores are generally better than quad cores as most software is not fully parallel enabled, quad cores are generally better at doing a lot of tasks at once. Generally the dual core at the same price will be cloked faster and for a lot of apps will be faster. Many of the benchmarks use applications that do utillise the quad cores fully bit in RL most don't yet.

[MDV]

Faster dual cores are generally better than quad cores as most software is not fully parallel enabled, quad cores are generally better at doing a lot of tasks at once. Generally the dual core at the same price will be cloked faster and for a lot of apps will be faster. Many of the benchmarks use applications that do utillise the quad cores fully bit in RL most don't yet.

But they will, and its not true that dual cores are better - architecture for achitecture and clock speed for clock speed the quads are faster, moreso if you have a 64bit OS, which handles multithreading better (well, vista 64 does anyway - I wouldnt recommend XP 64, its got a lot of compatability problems).

Plus, you lose very very little with a quad. They are very similar prices to duals now. Pretty standard stuff.

[_tom_]

Is there any point to 2x500GB drives unless you have a huge music/film collection?!

[MDV]

Is there any point to 2x500GB drives unless you have a huge music/film collection?!

You could drop one to 200 or so for the installation drive, but:

- You should know by now how much space all the wavs in recordings take up, and the samples for drums

- Theres little point getting anything smaller when HDs that are both large and fast differ so little in price to ones that are small and slow. Youre talking 20 or 30 quid. May as well.

[Bradock PI]

But they will, and its not true that dual cores are better - architecture for achitecture and clock speed for clock speed the quads are faster, moreso if you have a 64bit OS, which handles multithreading better (well, vista 64 does anyway - I wouldnt recommend XP 64, its got a lot of compatability problems).

Plus, you lose very very little with a quad. They are very similar prices to duals now. Pretty standard stuff.

The E8400 is similar price to the Q8200 clock speeds 3Ghz vs 2.33GHz, and on level 2 cache 3Mb per core vs 1Mb per core although it is shared so most of the time would be 6 vs 4. I would agree with vista 64 I would prolly go quad core and 8Gb RAM but with 32 bit XP it would be dual core for me everytime. Running something like mote carlo code I would run 4 instances on the quad core and utillise all cores.

If you are video processing most of them use multiple cores really well but I am not sure about the software in use here.

Is there any point to 2x500GB drives unless you have a huge music/film collection?!

Larger drives are usually faster as well