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Computer for home recording- how much do I really need?
- Thread starter Willy B
- Start date
I don’t plan on it but no, I suppose I’m not 100% sure. Will definitely consider this to have the option.
Hadn’t really considered iPad; what would be the pros and cons or other considerations for using one?
I’m running Logic 10.5 on a 2014 MacBook Air with a 1.7 GHz i7 and 8 MB of RAM. There are times when I max out the memory, even with a fairly small number of tracks. I think that mostly has to do with what other apps are open and sucking memory, and with use of processing plugins (reverb, compressors, EQs, delays, auto-tune, etc.). So far shutting down all other apps and doing a reboot have solved my problems.
There hasn’t been a lot of talk about audio interfaces in this thread, but it’s a critical component in the recording chain. I use a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 which I like a lot.
I haven’t used other DAWs extensively, but Logic is pretty amazing in its capabilities.
There hasn’t been a lot of talk about audio interfaces in this thread, but it’s a critical component in the recording chain. I use a Focusrite Scarlett 6i6 which I like a lot.
I haven’t used other DAWs extensively, but Logic is pretty amazing in its capabilities.
The Mac mini is a very good computer for the price, and you do have upgrade options there like adding an external GPU card if you find yourself needing something.
If you aren’t set on a “Retina display” -pixel density monitor then that opens things up a lot. If you want to stay all Apple you can get an older DVI Apple Cinema Display monitor for a shockingly good price used and with an adapter or two you’ll be good to go. I think I got my 20 inch Cinema Display for $50 out the door in a pawn shop, then I bought the power supply for $20. It still looks great, and goes with the current Apple hardware too. You can get deals on the aluminum Cinema Display monitors on eBay fairly regularly.
But you can find a lot of good non-Apple monitors these days, in fact LG has made most of Apples displays since the clear polycarbonate plastic days. I only recently retired my Apple polycarbonate 24” ADC Cinema Display monitor, I paid about $100 for it 15 years ago. If you can still find one they’re dirt cheap because the plastic case is so ugly now.
Besides LG, I really like Samsung for monitors, and if you’re looking at new Dell has some pretty compelling monitors. The smaller ultra wide monitors provide a ton of desktop real estate that I think would be ideal for recording.
The Mac mini has some great features, 4 thunderbolt 3 ports/ 2 thunderbolt 3 busses, and the t2 chip where the 2019 iMacs didn’t get it. That’s more audio IO bandwidth capability than you’ll use. The minis hold their resale well thanks to people who run server farms with them. You can rack mount it piece-of-cake.
If available I might allocate more money to the size of the internal SSD now, 1 tb will leave you more breathing room if you look at a 5-year use cycle in your machines.
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I just ordered a refurb Mini to replace the one I bought 10 years ago. The old one still works, but it can't be updated, so I need a new one.
I was a Windows user since 1993, but after decades of frustration trying to get something stable, I moved over to Mac & Logic.
Wish I had made the switch sooner!
Ever notice that reburb mini's don't come up that often on Apple's website? There's a reason for that - they are rarely returned
I was a Windows user since 1993, but after decades of frustration trying to get something stable, I moved over to Mac & Logic.
Wish I had made the switch sooner!
Ever notice that reburb mini's don't come up that often on Apple's website? There's a reason for that - they are rarely returned
Some good advice to look through here. I am considering setting up a DAW also, I have Ableton (light) and Audacity that I have fooled around with.
Couple points about PCs (Macs included). I wouldn't go less that 16 GB RAM (I have 32 GB but it was because I could I guess. The RAM cost more than the board lol). Make sure you have capability to add RAM if needed just in case. It's a bummer when you want to add RAM and find out you can't.
I use a SSD for the operating system and programs and back up to larger HDDs. I would get two HDDs, at least 2 TB, one of them for backups.
I backup my backups
, got burned bad a long time ago.
I build my own PCs, I have 3, but have a couple laptops also, I prefer Lenovo but it's what I've always used because a lot of companies I worked at used them. When you build you use parts that are interchangeable if you need to upgrade, whereas prebuilt PCs use proprietary parts, like power supplies, etc. Building isn't for everyone.
Bottom line is get as much as you can afford right off the bat to buffer obsolescence, PCs are always changing.
Thanks to everyone who contributed, I learned a lot.
Couple points about PCs (Macs included). I wouldn't go less that 16 GB RAM (I have 32 GB but it was because I could I guess. The RAM cost more than the board lol). Make sure you have capability to add RAM if needed just in case. It's a bummer when you want to add RAM and find out you can't.
I use a SSD for the operating system and programs and back up to larger HDDs. I would get two HDDs, at least 2 TB, one of them for backups.
I backup my backups
, got burned bad a long time ago.I build my own PCs, I have 3, but have a couple laptops also, I prefer Lenovo but it's what I've always used because a lot of companies I worked at used them. When you build you use parts that are interchangeable if you need to upgrade, whereas prebuilt PCs use proprietary parts, like power supplies, etc. Building isn't for everyone.
Bottom line is get as much as you can afford right off the bat to buffer obsolescence, PCs are always changing.
Thanks to everyone who contributed, I learned a lot.
One thing I've found is that for a newbie which I'm just moving beyond after a few years of playing around and now getting serious about recording. Learning to use your DAW is a critical step, I started with Audacity which is a free download and works on basically any level platform. It's a decent and inexpensive way to get a feel for the basics. From there I went to Cubase, which I found clunky after working with it a while. I used Audacity if I wanted to record a track, but only to review band practices. I was using a Tascam DR-O5 handheld digital recorder to record practices and then import the session to Audacity, primitive but a good way to learn. Anyway long story short, about 6 months ago I downloaded Cakewalk by Bandlab and really like the product (it's free and has a great assortment of YouTube tutorials). After going through a number of USB interfaces, the last small unit I had was a Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, really a nice entry level unit with very low latency. For a computer you are going to need good resources if you want to run plug in instruments (VST's). Headphones work well but having a decent set of powered monitors really improves you listening skills. I use a set of Presonus e3.5 and I really like them - about $125 a pair, you can find them for $99 on sale. So hope this helps. Btw: I use a Windows 10 PC for my recording, it was an Amazon refurb. and it's been very dependable (SSD drive). Good luck, making decent tracks is really enjoyable and the digital processing options are unlimited. A book I would recommend is: The Art of Digital Audio Recording by Steve Savage. Probably the last thing to consider is microphones, I've had a PA for long time and used Shure SM57's and 58's at first but eventually bought a couple of decent entry level recording mics - really makes a difference. Lot's of good suggestions here...
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Check with a local dealer, if there is one. I’ve got a local shop specializing in Apples (not an actual Apple store) and the sales guy indicated he could do a RAM upgrade if I bought the RAM aftermarket. The cost to buy and install it would be significantly less than going with the Apple pricing. Not gonna lie. 64 Gigs of RAM is tempting. Overkill but tempting.
I believe there is one near me. Will look into that, thanks.
Yeah when I got my 2019 I watched the refurb site a seriously unhealthy amount of time. The “Good deal“ refurb minis often sell out within an hour of being listed. You can sign up for refurb tracker alerts and get notified by email within about 10 minutes when something in your spec range is listed. The only sane way to do it. I took the not-sane route - refresh every hour, or every 30 minutes, and bought it before the tracker had even picked it up.
Tuesday and Friday after 6pm seems to be a good day for new arrivals on the refurb site, but I saw one added at about 4am one weekday morning - certainly not typical “business hours”
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I think one I saw earlier is gone now. There are three right now, an i3 with 8GB RAM, an i3 with 16 and an i5 with 8.
iPad(s) = very limited selection of interfaces (but getting better all the time), limited selection of applications (again, getting better), small screen, no easy expansion, one data port, and TOUCHSCREEN (ARG I HATE THEM).
However, I do use one. It hosts the only editor software I can get for my Roland AX Edge, also runs my Logic remote. I use it to display music, play Spotify, and check email. So - it makes a good accessory, but not a good substitute
Looks like the remaining i5 might have just sold I’m only seeing the two i3s now.
Here’s a video you may not care about - shows the process of doing a RAM upgrade yourself
Might help in deciding which amount of RAM is for you.
It's not hard to upgrade the RAM in a mini. Impossible for the end-user to upgrade the CPU; very difficut to upgrade the hard drive.
Also, I can tell you that 8GB is enough, until you start running multiple plugins & soft synths simultaneously.
I used a Dell 486 w/4GB RAM & 250 MB SCSI disk to record 8 concurrent tracks, then edit, mix, & master my band's first demo. It got us gigs.
