Advice please

[HOLLOWMAN]

I have been looking at the intel Q9300 has anyone used this setup with the 003 ? I'm still thinking about the Dell XPS 420. It's just so much money to shell out I want to be sure I'm getting the best gear that I can for my limited money. I still need to get a few mics and stuff I suppose. Any thoughts ?

[ferguson66]

The processor should not be an issue, it is the motherboard chipset that can cause incompatibilities.

Here is the link to the Digidesign website that tells you what is compatible and what is not.

Digidesign | Support | Support & Downloads | Pro Tools LE 7.3 - Windows XP Desktop Systems

[HOLLOWMAN]

I thank you for that, Fergusson66. The real problem for me is they speak in a language that I simply don't understand - I am really quite computer illiterate. I have looked at the site and still don't really know what I should be thinking of buying. Something big and powerful, I would imagine. If money wasn't an issue this would all be much easier, I think, but trying to get something with enough power on a tight budget - and not knowing really what I need - isn't helping. The 003 is still sitting in the box unopened and so I'm dying to get started.

[ferguson66]

Post the specs or the model to the computer you can afford and I will compare it to the website to see if I can spot any incompatibilities. Or maybe tell me your budget and I will shop around for you.

You can look at the Dell Inspirons which are not as expensive as the Dell XPS series. You really don't need a big powerhouse computer unless you are going to do massive tracks and a ton of plug-in effects.

For example, a Dell inspiron 530 with the right upgrades on memory and Vista OS is around $700 if you already have your own monitor.

I was running mine on my 5 year old computer before I bought the XPS 420 and it was working fine.

[HOLLOWMAN]

I have roughly £600 - $1200 to spend. No, I don't have a monitor - I use a wee laptop to send e-mails and stuff and that's as far as my knowledge goes. Any more advice you could give me would be gratefully received.

[ferguson66]

How much is that in U.S. Dollars?

[HOLLOWMAN]

It's roughly double. I have £500 - this is about $1000

[ferguson66]

If I had a $1,000 budget I would do something like this. I upgraded to Vista Business (required for Pro Tools). Went to 3gb memory, added the firewire ports (to connect to the 003). If you had a little extra money I would upgrade the processor to the next level for $50.

This comes with one hard drive which will work but I would recommend you get a second drive in the future. It is best to run Vista and your applications on one server and store all of your audio and session files on a separate hard drive. I ran my system with everything on one drive for awhile and it works.

The Digidesign website does not specifically say this is compatible but I could not find any incompatibilities.

This is a Dell Inspiron 530 with 19" monitor for $989.00

In reality I would probably build my own computer to squeeze more bang for the buck at that budget. But there is something to be said about a new computer already put together and configured showing up on your doorstep


My Components
PROCESSOR Intel® Core™2 Duo Processor E4600 (2MB L2 Cache,2.4GHz,800 FSB) edit
OPERATING SYSTEM Genuine Windows Vista® Business edit
MONITOR 19 inch SE198WFP Widescreen Digital Flat Panel Monitor edit
MEMORY 3GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM at 667MHz - 4 DIMMs edit
HARD DRIVE 500GB Serial ATA Hard Drive (7200RPM) w/DataBurst Cache™ edit
OPTICAL DRIVE 16X DVD+/-RW Drive edit
VIDEO CARD nVidia GeForce 8300GS 128MB edit
SOUND Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio edit
KEYBOARD & MOUSE Dell USB Keyboard and Dell Optical USB Mouse edit
FLOPPY & MEDIA READER No Floppy Drive Included edit
MODEM No Modem Option edit
OPTIONAL PORTS IEEE 1394a Adapter edit
My Software & Accessories
SPEAKERS Dell A525 30 Watt 2.1 Stereo Speakers with Subwoofer edit
ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE McAfee SecurityCenter with anti-virus, anti-spyware, firewall, 30-Days edit
OFFICE SOFTWARE Microsoft Works 9.0 edit
My Service
WARRANTY AND SERVICE 1Yr In-Home Service, Parts + Labor, 24x7 Phone Support edit
DATASAFE ONLINE BACKUP Included 3 GB DataSafe Online Backup for 1Yr edit
ALSO INCLUDED WITH YOUR SYSTEM
Miscellaneous Award Winning Service and Support
Mouse Mouse included with Keyboard purchase
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® Reader 8.1
Network Interface Integrated 10/100 Ethernet
Labels Windows Vista™ Premium
PHOTO AND MUSIC SOFTWARE No Entertainment software pre-installed

[danheather]

The Dell will work fine. Another option that works well with my Rack 003 is an iMac. Any new iMac will cost you around $1200, will include a monitor and will be more than powerful enough for your needs. I really enjoy using my Digi003. Good luck to you!

[brandondrury]

I have looked at the site and still don't really know what I should be thinking of buying. Something big and powerful, I would imagine. If money wasn't an issue this would all be much easier, I think, but trying to get something with enough power on a tight budget - and not knowing really what I need - isn't helping.

Don't buy anything until you have an idea what is going on.

Go through the beginner section of the Home Recording Soundcard Wizard. It'll explain all the important feature and from there you can decide what you really need.

Brandon