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Recommended software and computer for home recording

bassplayer9512

bassplayer9512

Sep 26, 2011
699
864
Pittsburgh
#1
With all the new goodies out at Namm does anyone have any inout on computers and software for a newbie to recording? I am pretty tech savvy but have never made the jump into recording and know my current computer can not handle modern recording software. I have been looking around and it seems like minimum 8GB Ram and an Intel i5 8th gen at the bare minimum will work for most software.

I have seen a few HP all in ones that are a good price but am unfamiliar with newer HP computers. Has used them years ago with great luck but am looking for anyone using a non Mac.

I will not buy apple products and refuse to buy one of their overpriced computers and I know they are the preferred computer for recording because of garageband but I want other options. Thanks in advance!
 
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#2
Well you have some decisions to make:
- First OS (Windows, Mac or Linux if you like it)
- Second what is your intention (Home recording, more professional application, etc..)

Taken these point into account for recording I would recommend a minimum of 16gb ram, a 1TB SSD drive and Core i5. This will ensure you won't have any hardware issues. As for OS just go for 64 bits (32 bits is not even worth it).

If you are new to recording and prefer simple applications I would give Tracktion T7 a try, it is free and has no limits (They are now upgrading the free version to their latest which has even more features). If simplicity is not your preference then Reaper is fantastic and for the price ($60) you can't go wrong. Another choice is CakeWalk by Bandlab (Free but only works in Windows 64bits), another great DAW with plenty of features and comes with tons of plugins.

I hope this helps.
 
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#4
I've recorded some stuff on a 1GHz subnotebook, so first give your existing computer a try with a nice audio interface.

if buying new, yeah 8GB RAM is minimum nowadays, but you won't regret getting 12 (as getting rid of swap improves things). my audio interface vendor recommends i7 over i5, but it may be a Thunderbolt thing.

as for software -- there's Cakewalk and it's free now. it can be a bit heavy, compared to Reaper though. if you want something more user-friendly, take a look at Studio One (Prime edition is a bit limited, but also free; not that limited in Cubase/Ableton way, you'll still get unlimited tracks).
 
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#5
And I said:
Recording and audio processing does not require huge amounts of processing power. An SSD hard drive is really the only thing you should look out for. Don't overspend on a computer. Brand doesn't matter. A basic mid-level PC will be fine. You'll need an audio interface as well.

I'd recommend Reaper for a DAW.
Click to expand...

Yes. I still use a 10 year old laptop (Dell Lat 6430) for recording.

Some plugins can use a lot of RAM and CPU. If you have those, a mid-level computer might be pushing your luck, but must plugins are pretty light on resources.
 
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#6
Frank Tuesday said:
Some plugins can use a lot of RAM and CPU. If you have those, a mid-level computer might be pushing your luck, but must plugins are pretty light on resources.
Click to expand...

This.
Basic audio recording is a fairly simple task for most machines. A decent interface and a free software DAW could be fine for recording.

If you want to get into mixing and sound design, or midi instruments, then you’ll want to get a bunch of RAM and CPU power. Depending on the software and plugins, multi-core processors may or may not be beneficial.

If you want to run certain plugins in real time you’ll need a machine that can handle low latency with small buffer sized. I’ve found I can’t use my 2015 MacBook Pro to run Neural DSP plugins in real time without blowing up my CPU, so I need to record a raw dry track then go back and apply the Neural (Darkglass) plugins. At first I thought I’d have a virtual B7K I could use for practicing. The reality is quite different, as running the plugin in real time is not an option.

I’m running a 2015 MBP with Ableton Live, and a Native Instruments Komplete interface. It sounds good and works fine. There are plenty of other options. Logic has a pretty handy built in drummer. Pro Tools is still fairly common. I’m sure plenty of other fine options will get suggested.
 
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#7
bassplayer9512 said:
... but am looking for anyone using a non Mac.

I will not buy apple products and refuse to buy one of their overpriced computers and I know they are the preferred computer for recording because of garageband but I want other options. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I'm with you there. As a windows user, I've been using the lesser-known 'Mixcraft' since version 5. It is now at version 9. I use the Pro Studio edition on a Dell G5 with i5 'desktop' processor and 16Gb of RAM. I opted for a dedicated graphics processor simply because I didn't want the integrated graphics stealing system memory. With all tjat said, I used versions 6-8 on an ageing HP laptop with 8Gb and integrated graphics for several years with only occassional playback glitches when using multiples of the more juicy plug-ins.
In the end, I think people get used to the 'workflow' of a particular DAW and tend to stick with, and recommend, them for that reason alone. I am no exception in that regard.
 
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#8
Depends so much on what you're going to do with it. If you're only going to be running a couple dozen tracks without a lot of plugin processing and/or more demanding modern virtual instruments, the PC's I was using 10 or 15 years ago could already handle that.

On the other hand, the 4790k running at 4.4GHz that I bought back in 2015 is already feeling barely adequate at times with what I do. But my sessions get fairly elaborate and I'm asking a lot of the computer.

For the DAW, I've been on Reaper for over a decade and don't anticipate switching. Gets things done for me as well as any other DAW I'd previously used (most of which were quite a bit more expensive than Reaper).
 
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#11
I just want to echo others' statements that you don't need a super powerful machine to do audio processing. I've been doing it in one form or another since Pentium chips came out. You really should only need a powerful machine if you are doing a lot of real-time effects processing with plugins and honestly you can simulate that by recording a basic signal and then doing off-line, looped processing (i.e. mixing). It's not real-time but achieves the same effect.
 
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#12
Any good name-brand audio interface will work. Reaper is good, although I found it was not as intuitive as some other DAWs. I'm currently using Studio One Prime (which is free to download from Presonus) and it's easy to use, and although it lacks plugins, others can be added if you want.
 
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#15
Reaper, Cakewalk and Cubase would be my DAW recommendations, all good packages. Even the entry level Cubase AI and UR22 interface package gives you a lot of bang for the buck.

Personally I would avoid HP computers, not the most reliable or long lived. Get a machine with as much RAM, drive space and multi core processor as you can afford, there ain't no such thing as too much of any of those. In my setup I also have an external 1TB drive to store my projects on while the main onboard drive just runs the DAW program.
 
#16
bassplayer9512 said:
With all the new goodies out at Namm does anyone have any inout on computers and software for a newbie to recording? I am pretty tech savvy but have never made the jump into recording and know my current computer can not handle modern recording software. I have been looking around and it seems like minimum 8GB Ram and an Intel i5 8th gen at the bare minimum will work for most software.

I have seen a few HP all in ones that are a good price but am unfamiliar with newer HP computers. Has used them years ago with great luck but am looking for anyone using a non Mac.

I will not buy apple products and refuse to buy one of their overpriced computers and I know they are the preferred computer for recording because of garageband but I want other options. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Anything that doesnt crash, and has a decent amount of storage space. My laptop is 12 years old and still does the job just fine. I use reaper and a focusrite scarlett 18i8
 
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#17
I would reconsider a Mac. Pricy compared to a windows box, but man, oh, man, do they makes things super simple that work together without competing drivers. I bit the bullet and bought a Mac a few years ago, now I’m a certifiable fan-boy.
 
#18
I do all our live recording on an ancient Dell (ex office clearance) laptop that has the first gen 15 dual core and 4gb ram. I swapped out the original 2gb for a a stick of 4 that I already had (computing is more my hobby than bass playing) and swapped the 80gb hard drive for a 240gb ssd. Partly because they're faster and more durable, but mostly because hard drives and the magnets in speakers don't mix. I run Ubuntu Studio and use Ardour 4, it records 16 tracks flawlessly. I bought it ridiculously cheap on ebay because I hated the idea of taking a nice machine to gigs for it get ruined/dropped/stolen.

I edit on my pc (debian, i76800k, 32gb ram) because it's much easier and faster, but I could edit on the laptop if I really had to.
 
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