Windows 7 RC

[JDC]

I dunno how much CPU power recording and mixing uses but I don't see the point in spending a billion pounds on an i7, and then a 2nd billion on ddr3

the only thing I do that bothers a CPU is play the odd game and a top gaming rig without going silly is about £800 if you build it yourself, and that's more about graphics card power unless your still in 1999 and play games at 800x600

but idle computers still use tons of power and I'm really curious if one of those atom based PCs would pay itself off for browsing without too much of a performance hit through the savings made on the electric bill

[MDV]

I dunno how much CPU power recording and mixing uses but I don't see the point in spending a billion pounds on an i7, and then a 2nd billion on ddr3

the only thing I do that bothers a CPU is play the odd game and a top gaming rig without going silly is about £800 if you build it yourself, and that's more about graphics card power unless your still in 1999 and play games at 800x600

but idle computers still use tons of power and I'm really curious if one of those atom based PCs would pay itself off for browsing without too much of a performance hit through the savings made on the electric bill

Depends what youre recording and mixing. The recieved wisdom is that lots of tracks + lots of VSTs needs lots of power. However, I've run into significant reproduction problems with just 8 guitar tracks and a sinlge midi of moderately dense drums on 7 and 8 minute songs, such that I've had to alter the latency to get rid of popping and crackling while it tries to retrieve all the samples and play the guitar wavs. Thats part soundcard (EMU and then fireface, so no problem with either of those) but significantly affected by the speed of the computer.

Given that, I'd rather use something way too powerfull than something thats not powerfull enough.

Also, one needs to keep ones audio PC clean and clear, so one for that and one for games and internet.

[indysmith]

It's worth thinking about a UAD card in an audio PC; they're great, and take a lot of the processing away from the CPU.

[MDV]

It's worth thinking about a UAD card in an audio PC; they're great, and take a lot of the processing away from the CPU.

Interesting. How so?

[sgmypod]

or freezing tracks that you not recording on

[MDV]

or freezing tracks that you not recording on

No good for playback!

[JDC]

can't you record a new track of each track with VSTs, then the sound is all recorded and you can mute the original track so there is no processing

or do you need all the VSTs going at once to fiddle with the mix or something?

[MDV]

can't you record a new track of each track with VSTs, then the sound is all recorded and you can mute the original track so there is no processing

or do you need all the VSTs going at once to fiddle with the mix or something?

Well varies, obviously sometimes you have one on, or combinations or all. You cant avoid significant time listening to all the tracks at once, on account of it being, y'know, mixing.

[indysmith]

It's worth thinking about a UAD card in an audio PC; they're great, and take a lot of the processing away from the CPU.

Interesting. How so?

It is digital signal processing hardware, connected via PCI-E. It comes with a bunch of really really nice sounding plug-ins that it processes itself. The new one has just come out and has vastly improved amounts of processing power. It's one of those things that once you've used, you feel like you can't live without.
I know I sound a bit vague, as I don't own one - I've just used them at uni, but they really are great, and do the only convincing impression of an 1176LN that I've heard.
Check the UAD website for more in-depth info.
http://www.uaudio.com/products/uad/index.html