bobernaut Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 Hello all, and it has been awhile for me here so I hope everyone is doing well! Now, to the task at hand... I'm getting ready to do a serious PC upgrade for MP and I was wondering what some of you would recommend. Not only that, but WHO would you recommend? I surely would appreciate it if a few users would share their thoughts on this. Here is what I am looking for mostly: NO MORE WINDOWS applications than is absolutely necessary Power, speed and memory (of course) Proper connectivity as per what you suggest based on your home studio rig Does Windows 10 work alright with what you do (MP) or are there some problems? How high can you record and export at with your rig? What would you suggest on this matter? Did you have any difficulty transferring and using any plug-ins? (Waves and T-rackS for me) This is not an interface question unless you feel it is relevant at this point. Basically, I am trying to run as much as I want to with no pops, glitches or drags. If I want to have 100 tracks up and 200 plugs going at the same time I want to do so without any problems. What PC and PC maker(s) do you suggest whom you know are good and concerned about the customer? I look forward to hearing from those of you who have already transitioned to the heavier stuff and will strongly consider your bits of wisdom should you be so kind as to share them with me (us). Many Thanks! bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tezza Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) Is this for Electronic music, recording guitars and vocals/harmonies , using VST's, using sample libraries or loops etc. In short what are you going to do with it? Music Production can mean many things, maybe some sort of hierarchy of needs or priorities might help. This might help to determine what the best components are for your audio interface and computer, for example someone who's primary needs might be: Synths, outboard and VST instruments Drum and bass samples and loops Vocals (mainly for scratch) will record final vocals in professional studio Their computer and audio interface (and DAW) needs might differ to someone who might need: Vocals and harmonies recording Acoustic and Electric guitar recording (live and ampsims) Outboard keyboard And then it might be different again for someone who wants to set up a studio to record other bands and wants to mic a live drum kit. It's easier to recommend a system and components if we know how you want to make music, or if you are new to music making and just want a generic music production system. And is there a budget to work with? Edited March 1, 2019 by Tezza Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William W. Saunders, Jr. Posted March 1, 2019 Share Posted March 1, 2019 (edited) I love Windows 10 and Cakewalk for music production. I would get yourself a custom build configured specifically for music. One very good place to do that is from Jim Roseberry who is always knowledgeable and up to date on the latest developments in computer-based music production. He has also worked with Sonar and Cakewalk for many years. He can turn you on and tune you in to the optimal setup for your needs. You will learn a ton just from going to his website. https://studiocat.com/ Edited March 1, 2019 by BRainbow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobernaut Posted March 2, 2019 Author Share Posted March 2, 2019 Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it. Tezza, the reason I said music production is because that's what I do--a little bit of everything. I am mostly interested in replies from musicians who will share what they have currently and if they are happy with all their gear as well as who they would recommend. I don't use loops--I record everything myself using whatever I can find and have a small home studio that I work out of which seems just fine for me. I am not trying to record bands but sometimes I record primarily vocalists with me doing everything else including the mixing and light mastering. I am sort of a Graham Cochrane kind of guy. I hope this helps and thanks for your reply. BRainbow, thanks for your info--that's about what I was looking for. I did check out his place but of course, I am concerned about purchasing from someone I don't know even a little bit, as I am sure you can understand. Have you personally bought from him? Has anyone reading this reply? Who did you buy from if not Jim, if you don't mind me asking. And you're right--there's a lot of good info there. Also, what about Sweetwater and their custom PCs? Have you heard anything much about them? By the way, I see all your stuff there and thanks for sharing. Thanks for helping out and I welcome anyone else's input should they care to reply to this. Thanks, bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeeringAmps Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Two “Cats” here. #1, from 2010, is still rock solid. It’s now my “office rig”. Couldn’t run CbB on my old 32 bit rig. #2 I purchased in September, it’s a “monster”! Can’ say enough good about Jim. Buy with confidence, you can thank us all later. T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarTekh Posted March 2, 2019 Share Posted March 2, 2019 Someone Need A shoping List ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.L.I.P. Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Bought my studio cat in Oct. of 2013. Still purring..... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
newdreamstudio Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 FWIW, I've known Jim Roseberry for years and have bought probably 6 machines from him (3 for gifts to my best buddy).... Very Very knowledgeable / Great Support / Great machines... for me, I wouldn't look anywhere else.... Rusty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettelus Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Another endorsement for Jim. He has been a member of this community for a LONG time, and streamlining PCs for music production is his forte (all of the bullet points in the OP). He is great person to touch base with if not outright buy from, since he will cater a system to your specific needs. He ships his machines with the unnecessary Windows apps disabled and optimized for music production specifically. As far as "power, speed, memory"... an i7-8th generation CPU with 16GB of RAM is one of the more cost-effective builds these days. Just in case you have need for more RAM going forward, getting two 8-GB RAM sticks initially will allow you to double RAM to 32GB by only buying two more (i.e., you can still use the initial 2 purchased that way). In my experience, 32GB was overkill, and 8GB isn't enough once a project gets into the mixing stages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckebaby Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 On 3/1/2019 at 12:26 AM, bobernaut said: If I want to have 100 tracks up and 200 plugs going at the same time I want to do so without any problems. Im not even sure I've broke the 100 plug ins limit before and it was pushing my system pretty hard. Your talking double that. I would try to be realistic and frugal at the same time. If you have any experience building PC's than start getting that list going, if you don't, then talk to Jim from Studiocat. Everything I've ever heard about (people who own one) has always been great. That also includes his support to customers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starship Krupa Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Whatever happened to the comedy genius that was @Steev? Amidst all his SOUND AND FURY he had some good information, caused me to update my information on the price:performance ratio of AMD processors for audio and video work. That's my one tidbit: yes, an 8th generation i7 processor will haul your donkey around, but don't neglect the AMD Ryzen stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pathfinder Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 (edited) Many of us (myself included) build our own. But if you cannot do that Jim R. is respected and well known. His stuff is top notch. I base that on decades of forums and years of statements from those who have purchased from him. Edited March 3, 2019 by Pathfinder 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.L.I.P. Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 6 hours ago, Starship Krupa said: haul your donkey around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larry Jones Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 6 hours ago, Starship Krupa said: Whatever happened to the comedy genius that was @Steev? Steev went away a few weeks ago because he wrote something political in this forum. I guess he wasn't banned, but probably warned. I imagine he resented that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.L.I.P. Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 If I was to buy a new PC, this looks very tempting... https://studiocat.com/opencart2/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=76 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StarTekh Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 I built a 8700k system and It was real nice ..I gave it to my wife ! I built a 8086k system . it runs real smooth .. if I built to day it would be a 9900k <<TopDog>> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobernaut Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 Wonderful replies here, thanks! It would seem that there are two possibilities here... 1) Jim is a great guy who knows his stuff 2) Jim has agents who help him work a scam on musicians Joking, of course! Believe it or not, I trust the members here far more than I trust many other people. Is that sad? Whatever the reason, you all look out for each other here and that's awesome...man! Now, as for the topic, again, thanks for your help. Now, all I have to do is try and figure out which one to go for (at Studiocat's) and narrow down some things or maybe I should say figure out some things. I actually have good mechanical, building and electrical skills but can't see myself trying to build one even though I am certain that there is a great satisfaction in doing so. Can you really save that much money by building your own anyway? I don't know but you all probably do since you have already built a PC or two. I am afraid I shall have to go the purchase route on this one. I am thinking about the one s.l.i.p. suggested--it seems about right, or do I go higher for "future proofing"? Or, is it overkill as mettelus suggested? I guess I need to call Jim, that is, if he accepts calls. Did you guys just order yours by clicking through the parts or did you have a discussion with him first? Also, how does payment work? Do you pay in full prior to the build or some other way? I think that's probably fairly important... Also, not one taker on Sweetwater's builds. I'm surprised by that. I guess they just can't hang with Jim. Well, thanks so much everyone for your help on this. If anyone has more to say about any of this I would love to hear it many thanks bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mettelus Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 9 minutes ago, bobernaut said: I guess I need to call Jim [...] Best answer to your own question. ? Make a list of what you want/don't want and give Jim a call. You most certainly can build your own, but it is up to you if you want to deal with the research to find all the components, build, and tweak it. If you do go that route, steer clear of anything pre-fab from a big vendor (HP, DELL, etc.) and get Win 10 Pro. FWIW, Jim built Noel a machine a few years back and did trouble-shooting through one of the holidays IIRC. Noel posted a rather nice review of all that Jim did on the old forum, but I cannot find that post offhand. This forum has always been a trusted source of advice for me over the years. It is pretty common to see folks first ask "what are you trying to achieve?" rather than blindly sell you something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
William W. Saunders, Jr. Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 You can go on Jim's website and educate yourself about what he's offering, pick the things you want and then place an order. Alternatively, you can pay for a consultation and have Jim email you to schedule it. Its well worth it. I would have him build mine (like I have about 4 or 5 times before) but shipping to Hawaii adds several hundred $ to the cost. So I paid him for a half hour consultation and picked his brain and built my own. It was WELL worth it. Best thing is to be efficient and use your time well. Beforehand write down what you are trying to do and any questions you might have, familiarize yourself with the various component options that are out there and let Jim steer you in the right direction. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kev Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 3 hours ago, bobernaut said: ...Can you really save that much money by building your own anyway?... Building your own PC doesn't necessarily save you money. It might even cost you more. It's really about building the right PC for a specific and specialist purpose. You end up with one that you would never find in the shops. Most PCs are either for general use or for gaming. @mettelus is correct about research being important. I build a new one every few years and each time that I start thinking about a new build I find that the technology has changed so much since the last time that I need to do a lot of reading before I begin choosing components. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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