How To Buy A PC for Recording

by Jason Johnston Note: this article was written May, 2007, so some information may have changed. Please contact us with any questions.

So many ask this question, we thought we would make a page dedicated to buying a computer for the home studio. So in this article we will focus on what to look for in purchasing a windows PC for recording. (Yes Macintoshes work too, but we're not going to focus on them here). We will look at the basic PC requirements, including motherboard and processor, RAM, hard drive considerations and operating system options. We hope you find it helpful and it gets you recording at home very soon!

Revolution Audio Canada is an underground retail movement sparking the home studio uprising by selling cool recording technology (mics, software, new and used recording gear), giving helpful one on one studio consultations and hosting affordable and accessible local education. The revolution starts here. The revolution is now.

Basic PC Requirements

Most of the software/hardware will run on slower computers (check on the software boxes for minimum requirements). If you are purchasing a new computer, in order to run the majority of programs - this is type of PC I would recommend:

Motherboard / Processor

A Processor that's fast enough for the software you want to run (check specs online at our store or at the software developer's page) - Pentium IV 2.8 ghz or Athlon 3200 + is plenty for most programs. A dual processor is recommended. Either the intel Core 2 or AMD Dual 64 bit processors. This will give you a lot of cpu room and get you ready for the inevitable Windows Vista upgrade sometime in the next year (more on Vista later).

Some audio programs like Pro Tools have certain motherboards and video cards that are incompatible, so you need to check with the pro tools website especially before going out and spending a lot of money (only if you are using Pro Tools - here's the current link concerning Pro Tools compatibility for Windows XP and Vista PC's). Don't be the guy who just got a great deal on a "Dell" or Future Shop special, just to get it home to find out it doesn't work with the program!

RAM - 512 MB RAM minimum. 1 gig is probably better, especially if you are using a lot of software instruments - especially at current prices it is the least of your worries. 2 gig is probably max for using XP operating system. 4 gig is plenty on Windows Vista.

Hard Drives - 2 hard drives installed, one for your applications as a "boot drive" the second for data. (Some software has specific ways in which you need to format the second drive - check with the user manuals). IDE 7200rpm drives are okay, but you'll notice a big increase in speed if you switch to SATA drives (serial ATA). My research has shown that setting up in RAID format does not help much with speed when it comes to audio, but might save you in terms of back up. The top drive manufacturers for reliability are Seagate and Hitachi and offer longer warranties.

Video Cards - most audio programs have modest video card needs. I personally recommend a video card that will be pretty fast, fanless and have the possibility of supporting two monitors. If you can afford two, it's so great when it comes to working your sequencer. (one monitor for the virtual mixer, one for the virtual tracks!) Don't go overboard here - you're making music, not wasting your time playing Warcraft 3! (right???)

LCD monitors are easier on the eyes, as well as they don't interfere with electric guitars like the older CRT monitors. Space is always an issue in home studios, and so LCD's are ideal. They can even be mounted on a wall if needed.

Fan Noise. There are many quiet solutions for CPU, hard drive and case fans out there. If you go quiet, just make sure they are strong enough so it keeps the temperatures cool enough. We like the company Bigfoot Computers in Toronto for quiet fan options.

External ports - Firewire 400 and USB ports are a must. Because so many programs now need USB dongles to work, I would recommend adding a couple more onto the stock system.

Audio Card - Don't leave the most important function of your computer (converting analogue audio information into digital) to a consumer level sound card! I would NOT recommend using any of the sound blaster audigy series for recording. From a hardware standpoint, they are great for games but not well suited for recording audio (no matter what the box or the Best Buy guy says.) Spend your money on a well suited Professional level sound card, or better a USB or Firewire interface, by companies like Yamaha, Presonus, M-Audio, Edirol and Digidesign. These are computer music companies. Trust them! With these companies, you'll probably spend less and certainly end up with a better result. Here is a link to Revolution Audio's full line of audio cards and interfaces.

DVD Writer - Even if you are not burning DVD's to be used in your DVD player, these can be very handy for backing up data in an inexpensive way. They all double as CD-writers too, which is pretty important when it comes to recording audio! We would recommend a recognized brand name when possible.

Operating System - XP home or pro, my understanding does not make a huge difference. Pro is optimized for multiple processors (which tells me it probably is the better choice).

Regarding Windows Vista - this operating system is not recommended at this time. Hopefully by the end of the summer 2007 all the audio companies will catch up with the changes and offer compatible interfaces and software. Revolution Audio will be testing Windows Vista Home Premium 64 bit with various software and devices this Summer and we'll put up another report on how it goes. Click here for our growing Windows Vista Compatibility Page for the computer based studio.

In the end, the computer you should use is the one that works and and fits into your budget! If you want to leave the building of the computer and selecting the components to the experts, at Revolution Audio we sell MusicXPC computers and are currently developing Revolution Audio Recording PC's, custom built for your needs and budget.

Our Current Computer Setups around Revolution Audio FYI:

The Bunker Studio:
Revolution Rack computer - Intel Core 2, 4GB RAM, 1 X 250 GB HD, 1 X 500 GB SATA II Hard drives, dual booting Windows Vista Home Premium and XP Pro
Apple G5 2.0 Dual 2GB RAM, 1 X 250 GB HD, 1 X 150 GB HD - OS 10.4.9

The Front of Store:
Teaching/Demo Computer: Revolution Rack Computer - AMD Dual X2 4200+, 2 GB RAM, 2 X 250 GB and 1 X 350 GB SATA II HD, Windows XP PRo

MIDI - It's not just an acronym from the 80's

by Jason Johnston Although it was developed in the 80's as a way for keyboards to talk to each other, MIDI is alive an well in today's home studio. In fact it is showing up everywhere from websites to cell phones. What is MIDI? MIDI is an acronym for "Music Instrument Digital Interface". It was developed in the 80's as a computer music language that electronic instruments could use to communicate to one another using a MIDI cable. Here's the KEY: MIDI only sends INFORMATION it does not send AUDIO. Basically computer instructions - Ones and Zeros, that's it. Today, USB devices still use MIDI instructions to tell the computer what to do. What can it do? MIDI is extremely flexible. With it you can: - Change tempo without affecting sound quality - Edit individual notes and sounds easily - Edit groups of notes (like transposing, shifting by a beat, etc) - Edit dynamic elements (velocity, hold, expression) - Quantize pushing the MIDI notes into time - Change sounds at the click of a button What can't it do? - It cannot be exported without first changing to a audio file - most sequencers will do this automatically for you at mixdown. - It (still) cannot replicate some sounds well (human voice, acoustic guitar) although it is getting closer Did you Know? Did you know that you can import MIDI files into most audio recording sequencers (Cubase, Sonar, Reason, etc.). All you need to do is search for a MIDI file to download in Google, download it (it should have .mid on the end) and import it into your application of choice. Next step is to assign MIDI instruments onto each track, and then you can have your own Karaoke night with the family to the latest Britney tune. And that reminds me: MIDI is a powerful tool in the hands of the Rebellion...so use it wisely...

How to Build a Floating Room for your Home Recording Studio Part 3 : The Weakest Links - Windows and Doors

by Jason Johnston
A few months ago we looked at various aspects of the physical construction of a home studio including how to build a floating floor and walls / ceilings. There are a couple of weak links in any studio construction. Windows, Doors and Ventilation are the key problems. This month we will look briefly at Window and door construction for the home recording studio.

Doors - Hard to have Room Without them!
Recording rooms would be so much more sound proof if we didn't need a way to get people into them! Maybe there is a way we could build the room around the artist and then feed them through tubes in the wall.... Short of that, recording rooms need doors and these seemingly small details tend to ruin an otherwise quiet room.
The one main problem is that you cannot completely seal off doors from any cracks that would allow air, and subsequently audio waves, to seep through. But you can prevent this as much as possible. One quick and easy solution is to purchase pre-hung, exterior doors instead of interior doors to use for your studio. These are made to stop outside drafts from coming inside, and will help you in the same way for your studio. The prehung doors come complete on the frame with seals, frame and threshold. The overhang between the door and frame helps with the STC rating and then the weather stripping helps to achieve air tightness.
The second problem with doors is the construction of the doors themselves. As we discussed before, more mass is typically better for sound attenuation. Layers are typically better. Decoupling is always better. The typical construction grade interior door is hollow and made out of some sort of light, pressed wood product.
One final note on doors: Typically wider is better, not from a sonic standpoint, but from a "how the heck are we going to get that piano in there" standpoint.

Windows - Line of sight, not just sound
So you have built your air tight studio with a zillion layers to your walls, and all the right materials: Now cut big gaping holes in them for windows! That is the cruel joke of building an isolation room. But they are necessary (although I have seen a couple of interesting designs using closed circuit cameras that are interesting). First let's talk materials:
- Plexiglass - scratches too easily, you want to be able to see inside after a couple of years....
- Float glass - can be up to 1 inch in thickness - readily available and can be cut on site at most local glass places but not as effective in isolation as other types
- Heat Strengthen or Tempered glass - often found in sliding doors for it's durability, but cannot be cut once it is made - better isolation than float glass
- Laminate Glass - Made with an inner plastic layer (the laminate) between two pieces of glass which significantly reduces sound transmission - lab test have shown this to be the best glass for sound isolation

Before this article turns into a book, I will get to the point. A typical studio will use two of these pieces of glass, suspended each in their own frames, without touch one another. Creating an air tight frame is important. The more density and stiffness to the glass, the more it will be like an extension of the wall and create good isolation. In my study, angling one piece of glass may help reduce the sound transmission between having parallel pieces on one hand, but may actually increase sound transmission by decreasing the air spring between the pieces of glass. Before going out and having glass cut, which can get quite expensive, consider these options:
1. Sliding doors between the studios: If they are made with tempered glass and you double the doors up, this might double as an entrance as well a line of sight - better than cutting an extra whole in your airtight room since you will need a door anyway
2. Double pre-framed exterior windows. I was trying to finish my studio within a reasonable budget and so I found six foot long exterior house windows that were being recycled. They used laminate glass have seemed to do the trick. See the picture below. We framed each window into each wall and used black material between them to keep the dust out and give it a nice finish. You'll want to make sure the inside windows are very clean before installing them! A friend told me about a studio that had a fly sitting dead between the panes of glass...I won't tell you the new nick name for the studio.

 

Conclusion: Hopefully that helped as a quick overview. Do your best. You can always do more, but don't let the size of this project keep you from doing at least SOMETHING!