building a computer for music production. need tips please :)

^ I agree, although I don't like the iPhone, even as an android user I see the benefits of iOS (for example the quality control on the app store in comparison to android is phenomanal, as there are too many apps on android that look like they've been designed in the 90's).

He didn't say that he wanted a hackintosh, I was just throwing the idea out there. You get the affordability of windows (plus the ability to dual boot, so no need for parallels or virtual environments), you get the upgradability without being locked to apple, but best of all you get operating system. The down side is you need to tinker, but it's a lot easer now than it's ever been. My first hackintosh was 5 years ago (lion, and AMD processor), and it was a nightmare, it took me weeks to get working. Installing mavericks on an intel system took a couple of hours.

Both OS's have music production software, Ableton supports both, Logic is mac only since '02. That's the extent of my knowledge on sound software though.

The main limitations of hackintosh is that you have to plan any non apple hardware carefully, unlike windows which works with pretty much everything. AMD does work with hackintosh's, but as the newer os's are built around Intel Chipsets, Intel is a better choice.

It's a weigh up, I still love windows 7 as IDE software for mac is somewhat limited in choice, so I use both operating systems. I use mac for design, and code in windows. Gaming is also pretty much a windows pursuit for me as well, although I don't often game anymore.
 
Nice one, this is really helpful. When I get round to it ill post on here what ill be buying. Depending on money ill just buy it peice by peice. Have a little project on the go.

How do you do hackintosh? I have heard of it but I've always presumed it would be a ball ache to do so never tried.
 
Have a read through these guides when you've got a little time http://www.hackintosh.com/

Any questions, just ask :)

One thing I will say, there are tons of pirated distro's of mac, but in all honesty I highly recommend purchasing a licence, future upgrades are free and you're not breaking any laws - but you are in breach of apple's EULA so you probably can't walk in to mac store and get help.

Nowa days, hackintosh's aren't that difficult once you've made the installation media. Once you've booted in for the first time there's an application from tonymac that pretty much allows you to check all the right boxes for your hardware and install all the missing kexts, restart and done.

However, you need to pick the right hardware to start with.

The only post installation issues you'll run into once you've loaded all the kexts is getting the app store to work, and probably iMessage and Facetime, but they're all fixable.

I'm gonna be honest, it shouldn't be too difficult but it is likely you will run into problems, it's a bit of trial and error and make good use of google so I would recommend it being a small project rather than something you need to work immediately. It's just a learning curve, and if you give up you can install windows and then try again at a later date - so you won't lose anything other than a little time.
 
were you planning on getting a pre-built system or building your own?
 
just to give an idea of how much it would cost. this is everything you would need outside of the monitor + mouse & keyboard. and would be extremely fast for what you are doing with it. I'm assuming you already have a DVD drive. Prices are always changing with sales and everything so this is just an estimate really, it could vary a bit in price / components if you wanted.

NSFW:


Case - Cooler Master Elite 430 Black ($39.99)

Motherboard - ASRock FM2A78M-HD+ ($52.99)

CPU - AMD A6-5400K Trinity Dual-Core 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket FM2 65W with Radeon HD 7540D ($59.99)

RAM - G.Skill Ripjaws X 4GB DDR3 1866 ($42.99) *double this price if you want 8GB of RAM

Power Supply (PSU) - Corsair CX430M 430W ATX12V v2.3 80 PLUS BRONZE ($49.99) can't recommend modular PSUs enough

Solid Sate Drive (SSD) - ADATA S510S3 120GB SATA III ($74.99)

that is a fully functioning computer right there actually, total cost (not including shipping which is usually like 5-10 dollars) comes out to: $320.94

now if you wanted to start adding some extras to it that you might be interested in...

Sound Card - ASUS Xonar DX7.1 ($84.99, would bring total to $405.93)

Hard Drive - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s ($59.99, total would be $465.92)
 
My phone is being shit and will not show what you posted...

Yeah I will most probably be building from scratch. I already have a monitor so mostly all money will go towards the computer itself. Depending on the money I could go for a full awesome build or it will be a small one for music. Either way I will be doing it myself. First time too but my brother built a sweet computer a few years ago and didn't seem too complicated.

I am thinking about going AMD. especially for a graphics card. Of you shop around you can find good ones for cheap but sometimes even stretching another 50-70 quid can give you a sweet model. I'm gonna go for 8 gig ram, possibly more so will need tge motherbourd space.

Fuck it, let's make this an ambitious setup. There's a case I know I can get and its sweet. It costs 100 quid but it can fit huge fans inside. It also has places to organise and sort wires inside keeping it all cosy and neat. I'll post a picture when I can.

So apart from those components I will need help with mother bourds and processor. I still don't understand GHz. Don't you need a good processor to use the ram?

So I guess I'm just undecided right now but let's just make an optimal balanced computer, a small one for music and a kick ads gaming computer. We may as well just create the computers on here and see which type is best for the money. No harm done plus it can show others.
 
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how much were you trying to spend tennant90? I posted a budget build but it's still fast
 
Possibly £500 but I can always save and add a little more to the budget.

Also guys, I was having a conversation with a couple of friends about building. Is now the best time? We have Xbox one and ps4 out at the minute. Isn't that going to make pc hardware jump? I could spend a fortune right now and it could be shit in a years time because of their influences.

What do you think?
 
To chime in on some advice given earlier headphones will save you money now but once you have learned a DAW or 2 and gotten your sequencing technique and workflow down you will want an external soundcard... Honestly one with a couple xlr and quarter inch outputs and a couple mic inputs is all you need. Low latency being the important part or you will end up being very annoyed at the playback. Do research on what is fast and cheap.

A couple self powered m audio bx8s or something and a sound card are an investment you won't regret down the line.

Referencing your tracks on headphones then monitors (and any other system) is so important.

Kind of Nerded out there but shit a 2.5 gig dual core processor and 4 gigs of ram will hold a DAW... Anything beyond that which is well within your price range and you are good. Plus a pair of pioneer or technics headphones(IMO)

You have a piano but maybe down the line again An m audio oxygen 8 or so would be good too.

I've used the computer keyboard to play notes out it's just nice being able to automate and assign knobs and sliders...
 
Those crackles and pops are within FLs itself I would bet. They come through on playback and aren't apparent in the track right?

I like live. I won't knock fruity loops though it's not bad at all.

Oh use a spectrum analyzer too OP. Remember that.

Just an FYI if you do use ableton and anything with it like reason....Setting up keyboards and mic inputs in live got me for a minute but set your input channels including master and individual rewire channels to external instruments and record them from that channel.

Just throwing that out there because it was tricky for me at first lol.
 
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I think subotai is spot on, no need to spend a shitload of money, especially if you're only at the beginning. I'd say, you should spend more money into hardware synths / tools ;D
 
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