Advice for purchasing a computer?

[Beat Cube]

Hello everybody! I need a computer for audio production, if possible a laptop would be preferable. My current computer has got to the point where it is preventing me from moving forward as a musician. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what I should get.

I know how computers work, but I don't know much about what is good for audio production specifically. My computer I am using is a Dell word processor from 2004 running on XP so in my eyes, anything is better. Because of this, I don't have any sort of view on what I need.

I'm also not exactly dripping with cash either, otherwise I would just get myself a high end computer. I just need something that will last through performances for the next couple of years

I run Fl Studio, NI Massive, and Ableton Live mainly. I would like to run multiple instances of VST plugins (currently I am exporting each synth as a layer, and then re-importing them into a track as a WAV, because my computer can only handle 2 medium end VSTis at a time).

So what should I look for? What sort of specs should I get? Is it possible for me to get a decent laptop, or do I need a desktop? My price range is around 600-700 dollars, and I only need it to last a few years.

Thanks everybody. If this is in the incorrect subforum, please forgive me.

[blinx]

This if you can handle not having FL
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC374LL/A

or if you wait apple is refreshing there macbook pro line entirley which will mean you could buy a refurb or older model for even cheaper.

I have a core 2 duo 15" mbp and i personally never hit a cpu bottleneck and i use a bunch of chunky AU/Vst.

[Beat Cube]

This if you can handle not having FL
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC374LL/A

or if you wait apple is refreshing there macbook pro line entirley which will mean you could buy a refurb or older model for even cheaper.

I have a core 2 duo 15" mbp and i personally never hit a cpu bottleneck and i use a bunch of chunky AU/Vst.

Hmm, never thought of using a Mac. I heard that they are good for sound design, but a bit of a pain to use. I guess I could just run Windows on a Mac, heard that it runs very well on mackintoshes.

Thanks for the reply. Im going to do a bit more research.

[Shum]

Where on earth did you hear that macs are a pain to use? They're the exact opposite.

Also, this topic has come up before and there are several threads around on particular components, soundcards and such.

[Beat Cube]

Where on earth did you hear that macs are a pain to use? They're the exact opposite.

Also, this topic has come up before and there are several threads around on particular components, soundcards and such.

Thanks for the link, I will surf through that topic.

I used to program video games (that's where I initially started writing music, for other peoples video games) and from what I heard, Macs are terrible for programming. But I heard a lot of good stuff about them for sound design.

Of course I am going to look around a bit to balance the options.

[Immerse]

refurbished mbp is prob the way to go, im really not a fan of any windows based laptops. for one reason or another. the 2 most reasonable options would be refurb mbp or build a pc. reddit.com/r/buildapc if you are interested in that.

[SoundNuisance]

Where I am (ontario, GTA) there is a store called tiger direct. You can buy parts and just make your own computer for fairly cheap. They also have barebone pc's for very cheap. I am pretty sure that you can find a store that sells barebone pc's. This is a good example. http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/ ... &CatId=332
If you want you still have room to upgrade. You even have money left to buy an amazing internal sound card.

[VirtualMark]

Sigh. Why on earth do mac fanboys always insist on recommending macs when someone asks for pc advice? That's like me asking for a synth and someone recommending a guitar.

Yes, macs are a pain to use if you're used to windows. Personally i neither desire nor require to learn a new operating system just to make music.

My computer I am using is a Dell word processor from 2004 running on XP so in my eyes, anything is better.

This is true, and to be honest this question gets asked at least twice a week. The advice given is that pretty much any computer you buy will be fine for making music, seeing as how people have been making good music on computers for years now. Anyhow, decide on your budget, don't get anything you don't need. Most important things to look for are processor, ram, storage, sound, decent screen resolution. A graphics card is a luxury and not essential.

Modern intel sandy bridge cpu's are currently the best performing, and they have built in graphics too. As they're the latest generation i'd go for them. Unless you want to wait for a few weeks, as ivy bridge is about to be released and has power savings over sandy bridge.

Go for at least 4gb of ram, and a decent sized hdd. You'll also be best off with a half decent audio interface over the onboard audio. You'll probably have to buy this separate, although there are some pcmcia interfaces that will slot into a laptop.

Screen resolution matters to me at least, as i like to have room to move around. My 15inch laptop is 1440x900 and is the lowest i'd like to go. Up to you really.

And lastly, graphics are really only needed if you want to play 3d games. A graphics card can help speed a system up overall, as the video now has separate memory to the cpu. But as i say its not essential.

[Shum]

reddit.com/r/buildapc if you are interested in that.

+1

[blinx]

bah moving from windows to mac took ZERO effort and created no pain for me man. I suggested a macbook because it is a PC (i.e. personal computer) that is very stable and capable of producing modern music in a modern DAW with very little pain. An application is an applicaiton the whole OS's are so different dogma is just not true these days.

And if you program you easily can dual boot or run VMs that integrate seamlessly with OSX/Lion best of both worlds. And there is WAY less virus shit to deal with. I have NO AV and have had 0 viruses/malware for the entire life of my mac. I run windows at work all day on 1000 machines but when i want to produce music or edit video i use my MBP and it does a very good job at those tasks.

[Immerse]

i got my monitor off of tiger direct, great site! also, subscribe to neweggs weekly newsletters for great deals on parts. the only reason i recommend mac is the lack of problems. all i see with windows based laptops are problems, and constant maintenance. i've had my mac for almost 3 years now and i have yet to ONCE.. not ONE SINGLE TIME, have to troubleshoot a single problem. this is specifically good for production because you can focus on your music, and not maintaining your workstation. as well as come to rely on your workstation to be in good shape every single time you flip open the monitor. as for learning a new os.. its literally the same exact thing, except change all the keyboard shortcuts youve ever known from ctrl + 'x' to command + 'x'. if you have any computer intelligence at all you can seamlessly swap over, as i did when i changed from a desktop. those are my reasons, i wont recommend you something if i dont have good reasons!

that said building a pc is cheaper more powerful, and upgradeable, and i strongly recommend it if you are willing to keep it in good shape, and pay for a good firewall . the only downside is lack of production on the move.
good luck in finding your next production machine!

[efence]

if you can build from a kit or get help

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... CatId=5294

[MassAphekt]

Sigh. Why on earth do mac fanboys always insist on recommending macs when someone asks for pc advice? That's like me asking for a synth and someone recommending a guitar.

LOL he said it

[ehbes]

Sigh. Why on earth do mac fanboys always insist on recommending macs when someone asks for pc advice? That's like me asking for a synth and someone recommending a guitar.

LOL he said it

tbf pc stand for personal computer doesn't specify which operating system...

[daeMTHAFKNkim]

Go buy your computer on newegg.com if it's a desktop(make a personal build, or buy a prebuilt one).

To be satisfied for producing...get a Quad Core 3.4Ghz Phenom II processor, 8 GB of ram, a motherboard for around $80, and you'll be set. Everything else isn't as important for producing. Do your research and look up what goes together for building a computer etc.

Or buy a mac laptop and throw some more RAM into it.

[Beat Cube]

Thanks everyone for the replies, I will keep this all in mind.

I think I am going to go with a PC, because this isn't a computer I am going to use forever, just for a few years.

Thank you VirtualMark and daeMTHAFKNkim, your posts were very helpful. It's all good to go to a store and look at specs, but when you don't know what specs you need, its pretty useless and your post helped a lot.

Thanks to everyone else as well, and I will definitely keep Macs in mind once I am older and more experienced. This is really just a stepping stone computer to get me away from my absolute crap pile I am working with now, so I'm probably not going to get anything too high end. But your advice was good, and when I am older and have the money, I will keep these in mind.

Thanks again everybody

[narrator]

Check this place out

http://www1.hardwareversand.de/home.jsp?lb

i just built my own computer, quad core 3.4GHz overclockable i7-2600k processor, 16GB RAM, 2HD's (128GB Solid State Drive & internal storage 1TB drive). all inside an acoustic tower case..

all for €900including assembly and P&P

[Immerse]

you only need to spend around $500 for a really solid budget tower build.

[narrator]

you only need to spend around $500 for a really solid budget tower build.

or just save that extra bit more and get a machine that would cut a hole in the floor.

[Beat Cube]

I would get a tower (assuming you mean desktop) but the problem is, I am looking to do some casual performances, and laptops are just more portable frankly.

If I ever get serious, then I would lug a custom computer around with me, but as it is, I am a casual teen musician, so Im not looking for anything super awesome, just something that will hold me off until I get a job and can actually buy decent tech.

Thanks for that link narrator, I have bookmarked it, for future reference.