Audio PC - same old dilema

John_BlackWolf

Overclockers offer a few audio systems now http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FS-190-OP&groupid=43&catid=2477&subcat=2499

Nerine

Last generation Mac mini with the 2.6 i7 and SSD with 16GB ram.

Perfect for audio. It also has Thunderbolt (which I use for my PT HD|Native Mix rig.

Snap

I have a new PC incoming from PC Specialist. I got one of their pro audio configurations. Once Ive got it up and running, no doubt I will notice a little difference, but nothing amazing. Always the way.

digitalscream

For what it's worth, I use a cheap i7 920 2.66GHz + Asus enthusiast board for my main desktop. I think I got the pair for about £80 second hand...and it'd be more than man enough for the job. You definitely don't need the latest and greatest.

spark240

Snap said:

I have a new PC incoming from PC Specialist. I got one of their pro audio configurations. Once Ive got it up and running, no doubt I will notice a little difference, but nothing amazing. Always the way.

What spec are you getting?

sweepy

The Firewire chipset Pci cards for PC's were notoriously finicky with certain hardware , Yamaha 01x and Digidesign 003 etc,, you had to do a lot of research to find one that was solid . I still think you'd be better off with a s/h Mac Pro tower, took me awhile to get the hang of the Mac way, but i'd never go back now.

digitalscream

I really don't understand this obsession with bandwidth for external connectivity. USB 2.0 has more than enough bandwidth (and low enough latency) for almost any audio application. In fact, there isn't a single situation I've seen described when USB 2.0 wouldn't be sufficient or solid enough. 

Thunderbolt is completely unnecessary. Worse, it's starting to look like FireWire all over again, because Intel made the bizarre decision to prevent anybody except Apple attaching the controller directly to the PCI-E lanes, thus completely crippling it on anything but a Mac. They've relaxed that restriction now, but the damage has already been done.