Computer for home recording- how much do I really need?

[W_R]

Is the computer going to be focused only/mostly on the music stuff?

Had Mac and Logic for a while and they are great... everything is well integrated. Assuming that Logic or Garage Band has all the features you want, a 4-5 year old Mac would work very well. A friend stayed with and thoroughly enjoyed Garage Band all the way, deliberately a minimalist approach (i.e. was not interested in spending $200 for Logic, and I think you could say that it minimized distractions by being simple), maybe check out what you can do with Garage Band on the Mac and an iPad (iRig...) if you use one, see where it takes you before investing in a bigger way if you even ever need to? For the computer side of it, I’d recommend an SSD drive (not the Apple fusion type), not just for recording performance, but I think it can make the computer seem more responsive and boot up the computer and your software quickly... particularly helpful with an older machine, and I think they are more reliable. 8-16GB of RAM—I have 32GB and never really see 8GB get used. For a Mac Mini, at least quad-core for the CPU and of course the SSD.

I switched to Windows for the other things I need, not just music. That took me away from Logic (which is Mac only) into Sonar which I was doing prior to the Mac. Comparable... more to tinker with in Sonar and less integrated out-of-the-box so you sort of need to tinker, but not better or worse, just different. I don’t have a lot of confidence in the cheapest Windows computers—they’re not all bad, but I think there are more problems with cheap hardware performance, reliability or odd driver or compatibility issues—Mac’s as a whole kind of skip that lowest tier.

 

[TFunkadelic]

I use a 2006 powerbook and a 2010 imac to track bass parts...you don't need much....

 

[StatesideRambler]

dude, please don't spread mis-information. Any current version of Windows 10, including Windows 10 Home, is installable as a 64bit OS. This gives users access to up to 128GB of RAM (and of course, most standard systems come with far less than that and work perfectly well). Windows 10 Home can be installed as 32bit, but for the life of me I'm not sure why anyone would do that on newly bought hardware.

I’ve worked strictly with nonprofits for the past 13 years and have, unfortunately, succumbed to the myopia that comes of having only donated (“old”) computers to work with. You’re right, Windows 10 Home will use up to 128GB. That said, I’ve not installed a 32-bit OS in six years so I surely should have been more aware. I do apologize for that careless reply.

 

[monsterthompson]

I’ve got a 2015 MacBook with 2.2ghz and 16 gig of RAM, plus 500 mb hard drive. It only does music production. No web surfing or personal stuff. Just music.

It’s a solid performer. I don’t want for much, running Ableton Live and various VST effects and soft synths. New software can slow it down, particularly with a small buffer size. If you think you’re going to be able to run Neural in real time, including the cab sim, with low latency setting at the higher audio quality, you’re going to be disappointed. That VST alone will chew up 20-25% of my CPU. Using it for post production treatment is much more reasonable.

Some software will handle multi core processing better than others. I find I can load up more plugins in Logic than I can in Ableton before I get processing artifacts (pops, pauses, and glitches).

As for the hard drive, definitely consider external drives for recording. The more I read the more I find people suggesting this. It has to do with the read+write processing working better with external drives than internal ones. Since you’re considering a desktop, I’d say having external drives to record to shouldn’t be as big of an issue as if you were on a laptop.

Just my experiences. Plenty of ways to skin this cat.


Edit - I’m looking at a Mac Mini. If you’re into the Apple thing, it might be worth considering one. You can then grab something like a Vizio smart TV for under $250. I snagged a 42” one for about that and it’s fantastic. The HDMI cable almost cost more than the TV.

 

[Matty Koff]

I picked up an 8th gen i5 rated for 1.6-1.8Ghz 13" Dell Inspiron last year for like purely for my recording setup and for tweaking my source audio pedals. 8GB of ddr4 2400Mhz, 256gb nvme ssd.

I have the option of taking it apart and adding more ram, or adding another NVME drive but frankly for home purposes it handles both Cubase, Reaper, and my M-Audio Air 192/14 without issue. I can always plug in a usb 3.0 drive for added storage without having to take anything apart. It has only one USB 3.0 type A port, and a single USB-C port, not a big deal, I bought a cheap powered usb 3.0 hub for more ports.

The chip right now is actually running at 3.8Ghz as I type, and that's just Intel's built in Turbo function, no overclocking on my end. It's as quiet as any macbook I've ever used, and rather lightweight and slim.

I got it on a black friday sale for like $650 + tax, and while the screen is small, it suits my recording needs.. and I can always plug a bigger monitor into it.

You could build a decent desktop for the purpose at this price, but, a laptop provides portability if you ever decide you want to take your recording setup somewhere with you.

My device doesn't have thunderbolt, but apparently, the lowlest latency interfaces out there these days use thunderbolt. Low latency isn't a huge issue for simple recording these days though, as most interfaces allow for direct monitoring as opposed to usb monitoring. For recording some latency isn't a big deal.

 

[pfschim]

I’ve worked strictly with nonprofits for the past 13 years and have, unfortunately, succumbed to the myopia that comes of having only donated (“old”) computers to work with. You’re right, Windows 10 Home will use up to 128GB. That said, I’ve not installed a 32-bit OS in six years so I surely should have been more aware. I do apologize for that careless reply.

no worries, just did not want anyone checking this thread, thinking about a new music recording computer, to think they were limited like that.
32bit OS's of course are limited to 4gb (a bit less really, but who's counting)

 

[DigitalMan]

I agree with the original baseline. Core i5 with 16GB RAM and large SSD. Frankly if you’re building, there’s no reason to go less than 1TB.

Macs are great. If you want to use Logic it’s the only way to go. As has been said, there is a price premium to be paid. But, if you go Mac I’d say buy new. The Mac you buy today will last 10 years. A used Mac will very quickly fall of the compatibility list for OS updates.

If you’re doing a Windows desktop, then you can probably get a prebuilt one from a PC vendor for cheaper than all the piece parts to build on your own.

Screen resolution is an important consideration - even more than just size. Figure out which DAW and how many tracks you’re likely to use on average. I’d consider 27” and 4Kish to be a minimum. Try to see what your DAW looks like at the monitors maximum resolution.

You can easily double the expected useful life of your computer as a recording powerhouse if you invest wisely now.

 

[pfschim]

I'm a PC guy but not a Mac basher (have used them as well over the years), but with Apple supposedly moving to ARM and away from Intel processors, I might seriously consider holding off on a Mac purchase until the folks in Cupertino sort all of that out. Could be some interesting support issues going forward with this expected and announced change.

just sayin'

 

[IvanBassist]

I’m looking to put together my first home recording setup and I need a computer. Based on what I’ve read so far, the suggested requirements seem to be:

-3.0 GHz quad-core i5 processor or better
-16 GB RAM or more
-500 GB hard drive or more

I’m just getting started and will just be learning the basics for a while. I will mainly be using it for practice, transcribing, etc. and for getting bass ideas down. Possibly some guitar and virtual instruments as well, along with some plugins (curious about the Neural DSP stuff). So I’m wondering if I can get by with less- a sub-3GHz processor and 8 GB RAM, for example. I know this depends in part on the DAW of choice. I’m leaning towards a Mac, with the intention of starting on GarageBand and moving to Logic Pro eventually. I haven’t completely ruled out PC though.

I would also prefer a desktop over laptop. So I’m considering a new iMac, with a 10th gen i5 or i7 processor, 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. I figure I can run programs and plugins on the SSD and use external hard drives for storing files.

This would cost roughly twice as much as I’d like to spend, ideally. I could swing it though, if it’s worth it. It certainly looks as though it would get the job done, but would it be overkill for my needs? Maybe a Mac mini with a ~$300 3rd party monitor, or a refurbished Mac would still get the job done and come more within my budget. Suggestions?

Mac Minis work great!

 

[TheLowDown33]

Most PCs will do the job just fine as far as simple recording with some light plugin usage. The problem I expect you to face is that once you start home recording, it's extremely addictive and you can go very quickly from "a couple of tracks with compression and EQ" to using multiple instances of a CPU-heavy VST synth, larger samples, etc. each with their own reverb and delay plugins. That's when you'll run up against your hardware limitations and wish you sprung for the 16GB instead of 8GB.

 

[brianrost]

make sure that any computer you buy has the appropriate hardware connectors for the external gear you might have (USB2, USB3, FireWire, Thunderbolt). Not all newer computers support the older hardware (e.g., Firewire).

Firewire over Thunderbolt (using an adapter cable) works fine on Macs. What's not going to be supported is the drivers. Many mfrs have stopped supporting FW for the latest OSes. For example, Focusrite announced that the newest driver for my Saffire Pro 40 FW interface (had it for 10 years) will work with Catalina but it's the final one. Once Big Sur arrives this fall, if it works great, if it doesn't too bad...stick with Catalina or buy a new interface.

 

[DirtDog]

Firewire over Thunderbolt (using an adapter cable) works fine on Macs. What's not going to be supported is the drivers. Many mfrs have stopped supporting FW for the latest OSes. For example, Focusrite announced that the newest driver for my Saffire Pro 40 FW interface (had it for 10 years) will work with Catalina but it's the final one. Once Big Sur arrives this fall, if it works great, if it doesn't too bad...stick with Catalina or buy a new interface.

Hmm, all the research I did about 8 months ago suggested that wasn’t possible. I couldn’t even find an adapter cable at the time! Did something change or did I just misinterpret what I found? I WAS heavily medicated when I was doing that research.....so....

 

[bbh]

I’ve worked strictly with nonprofits for the past 13 years and have, unfortunately, succumbed to the myopia that comes of having only donated (“old”) computers to work with. You’re right, Windows 10 Home will use up to 128GB. That said, I’ve not installed a 32-bit OS in six years so I surely should have been more aware. I do apologize for that careless reply.

I’d like to add that in Windows, flash player is a known memory hog as well as a security risk. No issues with that one on a Mac.

 

[CATFISHMcC0Y]

An AMD Ryzen CPU will give you a lot more bang for your buck than an Intel CPU. I’m running my DAW on a Ryzen based mobo. Zero compatibility issues.

which DAW do you use? i recently built a ryzen system for gaming but definitely interested in using it to record also.

 

[monsterthompson]

There’s also the hackintosh route if you’re willing to try making one. The NUC is supposedly quite decent at running the MacOS.
My “NUCintosh” Journey

PC prices. Mac software, like Logic.

 

[Rabidhamster]

I’m looking to put together my first home recording setup and I need a computer. Based on what I’ve read so far, the suggested requirements seem to be:

-3.0 GHz quad-core i5 processor or better
-16 GB RAM or more
-500 GB hard drive or more

I’m just getting started and will just be learning the basics for a while. I will mainly be using it for practice, transcribing, etc. and for getting bass ideas down. Possibly some guitar and virtual instruments as well, along with some plugins (curious about the Neural DSP stuff). So I’m wondering if I can get by with less- a sub-3GHz processor and 8 GB RAM, for example. I know this depends in part on the DAW of choice. I’m leaning towards a Mac, with the intention of starting on GarageBand and moving to Logic Pro eventually. I haven’t completely ruled out PC though.

I would also prefer a desktop over laptop. So I’m considering a new iMac, with a 10th gen i5 or i7 processor, 16GB RAM and 512 GB SSD. I figure I can run programs and plugins on the SSD and use external hard drives for storing files.

This would cost roughly twice as much as I’d like to spend, ideally. I could swing it though, if it’s worth it. It certainly looks as though it would get the job done, but would it be overkill for my needs? Maybe a Mac mini with a ~$300 3rd party monitor, or a refurbished Mac would still get the job done and come more within my budget. Suggestions?

I don’t see your budget in there but given the cost of the parts to build what you describe I highly recommend a refurbished iMac from the Apple refurb site.
Apple JUST introduced their new iMac range, so the last 2019 models are at a fantastic price on the refurb site. You could find a 27 inch with Retina display and i5 for under $1600.
Don’t pay extra for more RAM, you can order it much cheaper from OWC and pop it in yourself.
The SSD is absolutely worth it over a fusion drive if you can swing it. It’s a pain to swap to an internal SSD on the aftermarket, and the SSD is so much faster it makes a huge difference to your everyday usage.

The cool thing about the iMacs vs the Mac mini is the processor isn’t soldered in, so if you say decide you need an i9 in a couple years you can have a technician install a new processor for you.

That said a refurbished Mac mini is a pretty powerful computer for the price. The downsides to me are the Mac mini built in graphics aren’t so good - they only use the on-board intel graphics. Upgrading RAM is something the average person might pay a technician for because you have to take it all apart.
They’re not bad if you only want to do recording and won’t use a DAW that makes use of a good graphics card. Protools, for example, really does make use of a good graphics card.

For me, when I consider an LG 5k monitor with the same display as the imacs is $1300, and it has an anti glare coating that doesn’t look anywhere near as good as the glass-front iMac, the iMac is a no brainer.

fwiw as someone who went Mac mini - hackintosh - 2019 iMac - and now just received the 2020 iMac, feature for feature there is currently no monetary incentive to build a hackintosh in the feature range you’re considering. And if you do go hackintosh you can’t just upgrade, there is always maintenance to get things to work correctly, as updates tend to break things that had been working, and some things genuinely just work better on a genuine Mac. For a recording machine I don’t have patience to deal with a machine with that kind of maintenance quirks.

 

[wattsman]

I've been working on computer recording since the late 90s.
If you are just starting you don't need to spend much. My recommendation is to start as cheap as possible and once you understand what you really need, you can then upgrade. There are a ton of options to chose form depending on your budget, but you need to know the trade to be able to decide. Do not believe that buying something expensive equals getting great results. You can even run Garage band on an ipad and get good results. Macs or PCs doesn't really matter, what matters is you learning to use the DAW and getting the hang of recording. So to make things simple I would do 3 options.
1. Garage band on an ipad
2. Ableton live on a windows laptop
3. Logic Pro x on a macbook
any of those devices that are a recent model should do.

 

[Willy B]

I don’t see your budget in there but given the cost of the parts to build what you describe I highly recommend a refurbished iMac from the Apple refurb site.
Apple JUST introduced their new iMac range, so the last 2019 models are at a fantastic price on the refurb site. You could find a 27 inch with Retina display and i5 for under $1600.
Don’t pay extra for more RAM, you can order it much cheaper from OWC and pop it in yourself.
The SSD is absolutely worth it over a fusion drive if you can swing it. It’s a pain to swap to an internal SSD on the aftermarket, and the SSD is so much faster it makes a huge difference to your everyday usage.

The cool thing about the iMacs vs the Mac mini is the processor isn’t soldered in, so if you say decide you need an i9 in a couple years you can have a technician install a new processor for you.

That said a refurbished Mac mini is a pretty powerful computer for the price. The downsides to me are the Mac mini built in graphics aren’t so good - they only use the on-board intel graphics. Upgrading RAM is something the average person might pay a technician for because you have to take it all apart.
They’re not bad if you only want to do recording and won’t use a DAW that makes use of a good graphics card. Protools, for example, really does make use of a good graphics card.

For me, when I consider an LG 5k monitor with the same display as the imacs is $1300, and it has an anti glare coating that doesn’t look anywhere near as good as the glass-front iMac, the iMac is a no brainer.

fwiw as someone who went Mac mini - hackintosh - 2019 iMac - and now just received the 2020 iMac, feature for feature there is currently no monetary incentive to build a hackintosh in the feature range you’re considering. And if you do go hackintosh you can’t just upgrade, there is always maintenance to get things to work correctly, as updates tend to break things that had been working, and some things genuinely just work better on a genuine Mac. For a recording machine I don’t have patience to deal with a machine with that kind of maintenance quirks.

My budget is flexible, though $1k-ish is more what I had in mind. If I was going to go past $1.5k for a refurbished iMac, at that point, why not just go ahead and get the new 2020, is how I look at it. But it seems that this would be overkill.
I’ll keep the refurb option in mind though.
What about pairing a less expensive monitor with the Mac mini?

 

[Hummergeist]

This is such a minefield I'm only going to put my little toe in. I use and teach Ableton Live, but GB/Logic are great also. Computer: are you really really really 100% sure you won't want to take it to a studio or gig, or on the road, either for recording or processing? Because a portable-plus-external display might be a good compromise.

 

[garp]

I'm a PC guy but not a Mac basher (have used them as well over the years), but with Apple supposedly moving to ARM and away from Intel processors, I might seriously consider holding off on a Mac purchase until the folks in Cupertino sort all of that out. Could be some interesting support issues going forward with this expected and announced change.

just sayin'

That's a valid point – thanks for bringing it up. Apple has long proclaimed that it doesn't practice "planned obsolescence" as a business strategy, but it's just a matter of time before "no longer supported on Intel-based products" becomes a standard disclaimer.

Macs or PCs doesn't really matter, what matters is you learning to use the DAW and getting the hang of recording.

+1. There's definitely a learning curve involved with any DAW. It can be frustrating at times, but thanks to the Innerwebz, there are tons of resources for assistance from various user groups. I was absolutely elated when I first learned how to record in ProTools. Becoming competent at editing took another six months.