PC Minimum requirements

[dannopelli]

I'd like to start doing some home recording on PC. First things first, is I need a PC, and would like to use a laptop. My wife and I converted one of our barns into a reception/meeting hall, and it is a very quiet place to do work.

So any thoughts as to what to buy. My current laptop has no soundcard. I am not interested in model as much as requirements.

[mbrown3]

Go Mac. My Power Book works great for recording.

[bud]

Audio is not too taxing for a PC. I have a very old (5 years) PC with one gig of RAM that I am able to mix 24 tracks on without issue. Almost anything with a current processor and one gig of RAM would work for most home stuff (unless you are running Vista, then make sure you have 2 gigs). There are so many audio interfaces available, on a lap top you'll either have to get a PCMCIA sound card or use a Firewire interface (my personal recommendation FWIW) I have had good luck with Edirol's firewire interfaces. Solid drivers, good preamps, Roland quality. There are things that are better and cost more (RME being some of the nicer stuff, PreSonus's quality is solid as well) Poking around on Cakewalks Sonar Forum will get you some good info on what is working and what isn't.

There are certain tweaks that you need to consider (disabling network services and other non-audio-essential things that can eat up bandwidth) should you run into drop-outs, stuttering, etc.

[Suriel Zayas]

and digidesign mbox 2.

[dannopelli]

So my one year old PC with no sound card will work just fine? And I can just buy the mbox 2? firewire. I have like 15 mic's although no really good studio quality vocal mics. All SHURE and EV for PA stuff. Any thing else?

[StudioRat]

I've been a recording engineer for almost 30 years. I've seen it all from analog 1" 8 tracks, to multiple locked 24's, to 32 & 48 digitals machines to where it is now - Pro Tools. The one thing I haven't seen in a professional recording studio is a PC. It's always a Mac. So what's that tell you? Sure they're more expensive, but THAT's what they're made to do. Save youself some aggrevation and get a Mac. It'ill work and you'll spend more time recording and less time futzing.

First, I would start experimenting with Garageband, which it comes with.
It's a very cool program I use all the time to do down and dirty demos and create practice tracks. I even prefer it for some things. (Used it just today on a track for Sears as a matter of fact) Then when you've grown beyond GB, get either an M Box or an 003. If you're looking to do a bunch of sequencing/Midi it's a coin toss between Logic and Digital Preformer. They will both record live tracks, but having used all 3, I prefer Logic for sequencing, and Pro Tools for recording.

Good luck to you.

Michael.

My studio:
http://www.chicagorecording.com/newcrc/studio3.html

[mbrown3]

I've been a recording engineer for almost 30 years. I've seen it all from analog 1" 8 tracks, to multiple locked 24's, to 32 & 48 digitals machines to where it is now - Pro Tools. The one thing I haven't seen in a professional recording studio is a PC. It's always a Mac. So what's that tell you? Sure they're more expensive, but THAT's what they're made to do. Save youself some aggrevation and get a Mac. It'ill work and you'll spend more time recording and less time futzing.

First, I would start experimenting with Garageband, which it comes with.
It's a very cool program I use all the time to do down and dirty demos and create practice tracks. I even prefer it for some things. (Used it just today on a track for Sears as a matter of fact) Then when you've grown beyond GB, get either an M Box or an 003. If you're looking to do a bunch of sequencing/Midi it's a coin toss between Logic and Digital Preformer. They will both record live tracks, but having used all 3, I prefer Logic for sequencing, and Pro Tools for recording.

Good luck to you.

Michael.

My studio:
http://www.chicagorecording.com/newcrc/studio3.html

Couldn't agree more. However, if you already have a PC that's only a year old, it will work just fine for audio, but just doesn't do it as well, as gracefully, as pleasantly, as easily, as reliably, as *anything* as it would on a Mac.

[John Price]

I'm doing it on a mac! and couldn't be happier!>....;)

[dannopelli]

Well, my wife has a laptop that is kind of beat. Maybe I'll give her mine, and get myself a MAC!

See there IS a silver lining!