Pick a Computer for Your Recording Studio
The recording software is where you control the majority of the recording process. Here you can trigger recording and playback processes, manipulate recorded audio with effects, mix and master your songs and do many other things. Therefore, it is imperative that you purchase a computer that is good enough to comfortably run the program(s) you will be using to make music. In this article I will show you how choose an appropriate computer for your home studio.
Steps
- Take things into consideration. Preliminary considerations are as follows. Do you plan to record, say, a big band or a small acoustic act? This will determine how many tracks you need the program to be capable of processing. Some programs, such as the latest version of Steinberg's Cubase support unlimited tracks.
- Do you want access to lots of effects that you can apply to instruments and voices(e.g. reverb, echo, distortion)? Keep in mind that the more expensive software packages may come with better quality effects.
- Perhaps you will want to add some third party effects, plugins, or mixing tools; this will require VST support.
- Consider Price. How much are you willing to spend? If you are just starting out and are unsure about whether you will lose interest in recording, then perhaps it would be a good idea to invest in a basic version of (Cubase, for example) a recording software package. Or, better yet, you could try free software such as Audacity, Reaper, or Kristal. Free software is a wonderful way to get to grips with the basics of producing music.
- Once you have decided on your recording software, it's time to consider which operating system you would like to work on. The software you choose may dictate the operating system you must have. Or maybe even your preference or familiarity with one will be the deciding factor.
- In the recording industry, Macs are usually considered the standard on account of their reliability and stability. Unfortunately, you have to spend more to get a Mac of the same specification as a PC. If you're on a budget, a PC is most likely the wisest choice.
- Make sure you have a fast multi-cored CPU. For most home recordists, the majority of the processing goes on inside the computer. You can never have a processor that's too fast; adding more processes requires more power to ensure that everything runs smoothly.
- Have as much RAM as you can afford. The more RAM you have, the more your computer will be able to handle in the way of plugins, effects and so forth. It will also help your system run faster for reasons that I will not get into (see the computer information page if you would like to get into the details). Remember, 32bit operating systems cannot utilize more than 4gb of ram. This is a strong reason to go with a 64bit OS.
- Have multiple fast hard drive with lots of space. This is another important consideration. Recording music requires takes up a lot of space; one song can occupy a few gigabytes of hard drive space. Therefore, get the biggest hard drive you can afford, or keep in mind that you can always add an external hard drive or two later on. Also, a fast hard drive will reduce the chances of unwanted pops and clicks during recording and playback and somewhat speed up your computer's processes; at least a 7200 rpm hard drive with a 32mb cache is recommended. SSD hard drives are currently the ideal but can be very pricey.
Tips
- Close any background programs (Internet Explorer, Skype, Anti Virus programs and Internet connection off to run computer at its' optimum performance, always prevent "spiking" more RAM and faster CPU speed means smoother running.
- Base your computer purchase/build on the requirements of the software.
- Tally how much you are willing to spend with your enthusiasm.
- Do you have an aptitude for computers? Perhaps you could build your own.
Warnings
- If you choose to make your own computer, be careful of static electricity and wear a wristband.
- If choosing the PC route, it is wise to go with a 64bit operating system. 64bit Windows programs (XP, Vista, 7) allow for virtually an unlimited amount of RAM to be utilized for processing data. A 32bit OS maxes out at 4gb, roughly .75 of which are allocated to operating Windows itself.
