Building my own computer for my own little home studio?

**davexo** · 10-18-2006, 01:15 AM

ive been advised to build my own computer to use for the home studio im setting up.
im sure theres a few of you in here that are building your own computer, or want to build your own computer, so this thread can help you!

ive got a few questions

what do you actually need for it?
and how is it done?

any tutorials on it anywhere on the net?

thanks

**richiebee** · 10-18-2006, 05:09 AM

Unless you're on a tight budget or really know what you're doing, I'd advise against it. Making sure parts are compatible and have no known issues with certain software is harder than buying a good computer off the shelf.

Making a computer (or fixing one) is not really particularly difficult, and it will certainly save you a lot of money, but making it run like a dream is not so easy and may well cause you a lot more grief.

Getting good reliable advice isn't always easy. Might be where you live, but I certainly wouldn't trust any computer stores in my city to provide me with advice on good compatible hardware. People on forums are always quick to help, but they won't be there for you when you start having problems.

I've always bought good quality, off the shelf PC's then done some trimming of the bundled software so that its optimized for audio. I haven't had any issues with compatibilies or failures. All of my computers have been replaced because they were several years old and their specification had outlived usefulness.

Do you want to tinker, or do you want to make music?

R.

**brandondrury** · 10-18-2006, 11:28 AM

I agree with Richiebee a majority of the time. However, my experiences have lead me in different directions.

For me personally, my experience with every name brand computer (Dell, HP, Compaq, Gateway, etc) has been horrible. Most people buy the $400 computer, which often leaves you a small cache, proprietary RAM, a ton of bullshit installed on the computer that is a total waste of time to take off, etc.

I have not owned a name brand computer since 1999. I don't expect to ever again.

While you will save a lot of money, the biggest reason to build your own computer is so you know how to work on it. All computers screw up! I've been called by friends and family to fix every computer brand under the sun. At least, when I work on computers that I've put together, I know the case is big enough to fit my hand in there to swap out RAM. (I once spent 45 minutes putting RAM into an HP. I could swap out RAM is about 7 seconds on my home computer.

As far as getting everything compatible, I find that to be incredibly easy. All you need to do is check out your soundcard manufacturer's specifications. For example, my Delta 1010's don't get along well with Via chipsets. No big deal. Just pick up a motherboard with a different chipset. The motherboard will will tell you what kind of RAM, processor, video card, and hard drives you can get.

When I think about the whole studio situation from acoustics, to dealing with bands, to scheduling, to audio engineering, to midi sequencing, to mastering, to marketing I find the computer to be one of the simplest of them all for me, personally.

With all this being said, if I had a million bucks, I'd buy one of those $2500 recording computers and be done with it. Since I don't have every mic I want or every plugin, the best alternative seams to be building.

As was mentioned in another thread, when you upgrade, you can often keep many of the components from the last computer, if you so choose and use those old parts on your home PC. (I built my current home PC in 2003. It runs just fine).

Brandon

**brandondrury** · 10-18-2006, 11:32 AM

One other thing. It's not like I'm educated in computers at all! I decided one day that I was going to build a computer, so I ordered the parts and did it. I had very little trouble. The second one got easier. The third compute I had built in about 15 minutes. I wasn't like I was rushing. It just doesn't take that long. (Installing Windows does however, which is a totally different story).

Brandon

**stuv** · 10-19-2006, 07:03 AM

I disagree with richiebee too...

I personally have built my computer, as have i built computers for many other people. In-fact, i will be starting my own buisness next year including computer support amoungst other services...

Building your own computer is really not that dificult. It has many upsides including a better knoledge of how your PC works, you are able to get all the parts that you need and you will know exactly what is in your computer, and you also save money (usually).

My advice would be to do some research and look into the parts/components that you think you want. If you need any advice or are unsure of any compadibility, just PM or e-mail me and i can help you. I would strongly encourage you to build your own PC as it is also a usefull skill ot have under your belt.

And for the rest of you i also encourage you to build your next computer, or atleast do your own upgrades...

also, @richiebee: i am sorry to hear about your lack of support over forums but if you ever feel you need technical support please feel free to e-mail me at stuvss@gmail.com. Honestly i think that it is a shame that you have been discouraged form working inside your computer, and if there is anything that i can do to regain your confidence i think that it would be worth it...

**richiebee** · 10-19-2006, 10:16 AM

Originally Posted by stuv

Honestly i think that it is a shame that you have been discouraged form working inside your computer,

I didn't say that. I know how to do many things with computers. I know what's inside mine. I've done repairs on PC's from 386's up - I even repaired the screen on a laptop (something I hope never to have to do again!). It's part of my job.

and if there is anything that i can do to regain your confidence i think that it would be worth it...

...and what kind of guarantee do I get? I mean, if I go out and buy a certain PSU because you say its the best, and it fries my new motherboard, who's going to pay for the replacement? I can tell you one thing... it won't be the motherboard manufacturer or the PSU manufacturer! I'm pretty sure it won't be you either.

You built your own computer. Great. You're starting a company which tells me that not only do you have an interest, but also an aptitude for it. To blindly tell people they should build their own regardless of their background is ridiculous. If someone comes onto a forum and says "someone told me to build my own computer... what do I need?", something tells me they know a little bit less than you do about it.

Did you build your own car too? Lots of people do. If you went out to get a vacuum cleaner, would you go to the service centre, buy all the parts and put it together yourself? I bet you could save money if you did.

I know that building a computer is not rocket science. There are some clear advantages to doing it yourself. There are also some clear advantages to buying off the shelf. Do your research and all will be well.

I've not regretted the purchase of my current PC ever. It runs fast, quiet and is very stable. I put a lot of thought into the model that I bought. I did research and got a good deal. Could I have made it for less? Sure, but I wouldn't have the same peace of mind. I wouldn't have the same confidence in its stability. I'm a musician. I want to make music, not computers.

**brandondrury** · 10-19-2006, 11:51 AM

I'm glad that Richiebee is here to present the other side to the argument. There are people who probably shouldn't build their own computer. Of course, if a person is not capable of building a computer (from sheer lack of intelligence, aptitude, etc) I don't know how they are going to setup their own studio.

Setting up a home studio is fairly technical. You have to understand how to install drivers, uninstall drivers, contact tech support, install PCI devices, know how to backup your audio data, etc. This is stuff you have to deal with no matter if you are using a Dell or something you put together yourself. So if a person can not handle these sorts of technical issues, they probably will never get to the music part without paying someone else a premium to do it.

Walking into a pro studio and just producing generally requires very little technical knowledge. A pro producer can simply focus on music (and a pro producer is damn good at that!). The reason a pro producer can do this is because he, the label, or the band are paying $1,000 per day or more to use the facility and the facility already has techs, engineers, and guys who know how to do the technical stuff in order to get to the creative stuff. However, with specialization, requires enough talent to get the $$. So if you are not a good enough producer to convince a band to pay $1,000-5,000 per day for the room and then pay your wage on top of it, you are going to need to do a lot of "specialized' things yourself that maybe you could pay someone else to do.

Sweeping Floors
Booking Clients
Wrapping Cables
Dealing With Computer Issues, Drives, Harware, etc
Troubleshooting Hardware
Fixing Shockmounts
Promoting Your Studio
Reminding Your Clients Of A Date Beforehand
Answering Email Leads

Your situation will dictate if all of these things are necessary, but none of them involve music. In most cases, someone has to do these if you are recording more than just yourself in a home studio until you prove yourself enough to charge enough to have someone else do at least some of these things.

Normally, I don't buy the argument that "It would be good for you learn how to do this". I hear that a lot from computer programmers when I need a web script. No, I don't to learn php. I need to pay you to do it. I need to focus on building up my site, (which is kind of like focusing on the music). The only problem is that web software generally either works or it doesn't. Computers have problems sometimes. What do you do in the middle of a session when the computer doesn't detech your soundcard? If you can't work your way out of that one, you are screwed. I think that building a computer is a necessary part of the job for many people who are knew to recording. Someone more experienced may decide to pay more money for their computer, but they also understand how to use it.

I've not regretted the purchase of my current PC ever. It runs fast, quiet and is very stable. I put a lot of thought into the model that I bought. I did research and got a good deal. Could I have made it for less? Sure, but I wouldn't have the same peace of mind. I wouldn't have the same confidence in its stability.

This is the difference in Richiebee and myself. Personally, I've never seen a shred of evidence that would even begin to convince me that a Dell, Gateway, Compaq, HP, Emachines, etc is anywhere near "stable" especially when you start pushing them with audio.

I feel you get inferior components for subpar support. You pay double or more and most of that money is going to pay for some Superbowl commercial.

I would also argue that you'd have to spend about the same amount of time researching which piece of shit name brand computer to buy as you would selecting the components to build the computer yourself.

Again, there is no right or wrong here. But, in closing, if a person can not handle plugging 3 components into a circuit board, they probably aren't going to figure out how to plug a mic into a preamp, into a compressor either. They are pretty much the same difficulty.

Brandon

**davexo** · 10-19-2006, 12:15 PM

Tbh i think i can handle plugging 3 components into a circuit board
and with regards to researching, i spend all my time on the internet researching things anyways

now i just need to know what i need
so i can get researching what works best with the eachother, and the hardware and software im going to be using..

thanks

**brandondrury** · 10-19-2006, 12:39 PM

Step #1 is picking the soundcard you want. The soundcard may possibly have specific requirements for the Motherboard Chipset (I really don't even know what a Chipset is or does. I just know that soundcards have special requirements sometimes). Also, look to see if they are require a certain # of pins in the Firewire card.

In other words, research the soundcard to see what it likes and what it does. Some soundcard manufacturers will recommend certain motherboards.

Step #2 is figuring out your budget.

Brandon

**davexo** · 10-19-2006, 01:35 PM

does the presonus firepod act as a soundcard ?

**brandondrury** · 10-19-2006, 02:24 PM

Yes, a computer interface and a souncard as essentially the same thing.

Brandon

**davexo** · 10-19-2006, 02:26 PM

right
thats the soundcard i want then
so now im gonna research what mother boards work well together with that!

thanks

**stuv** · 10-19-2006, 04:27 PM

yes, but it operated off firewire... Thiis is fine, but it just means that you will need a firewire port at the back of your computer to plug it into... Some motherboards have a firewire port (also called 1394) but otherwise you will need to buy a PCI firewire card (not much probably about $20)...

Also @ richiebee: there are not too many dificulties with building a computer, and i agree with brandon that if someone can't work that out there gonna have a hard time setting up the rest of a studio... an ATX PSU plugs into an ATX motherboard... it's not that hard... all you have to check is that u have enoutgh wattage (or just buy a big one to be safe)... All modern parts have form factors and sockett sizes that make it reasonable easy to pick parts that match... As long as you just check up especially on the sound card for a recording interface that it doesn't have any special requirements or you have covered them then you should be fine...

And my 2 cents: ALL PREBUILDS ARE CRAP AND NOT STABLE! doing houscall tech support (parttime as i am still a Yr 12) i have to deal with more problems due to crappy prebuilds than any custom or home built computer... This is probably due to the people who make their own computer being able to fix it too, but i have still seen lots of problems with PreBuilds just being used for notrmal applications... Let alone trying to use them for audio...

Anyway, i dont see myself persuding your view, but i think your siding with a prebuild is wrong. If anything i would recomend that if you wern't going to build your computer that you atleast find a store where under their recomendations you can choose components and they will build a custom computer for you..

**brandondrury** · 10-19-2006, 04:42 PM

I don't think you really need to convince Richiebee. Richiebee is not a spring chicken. He knows what is going on. He's posted some impressive music. If he has a stable and reliable system, than why would he switch?

Building computers is not a religion that you have to impose on somebody. It's just a means to an end. I do personally believe that it's a good thing for a studio guy to understand the inside of a computer for a million reasons. I also believe that a young recording guy will do better by spending the money extra money on studio gear of some type. I mean, a Brandon Drury special with a MXL V69 condenser is going to romp a Dell with one of those computer mics.

To each his own.

One other argument. If you know enough to argue about whether you should build your own computer or not, you are knowledgable to make the right decision for yourself.

Brandon

**davexo** · 10-19-2006, 05:05 PM

i really want to build my own
it seems the better option and it cant be that hard
plus if i get stuck, or need advice then ive always got you guys here

so im gonna start building one

i need a list of everything i need to build one

thanks

**stuv** · 10-19-2006, 08:52 PM

Components you (normally) will need:

>Soundcard
>Motherboard
>CPU
>Hard Drive(s)
>RAM (one or more dimms that suit the motherboard)
>Optical drive(s) IRE: CD/DVD burner
>Floppy drive if desired
>PC case and PSU
>Video card if desired / if not included on motherboard

Have a look for some parts and post the models and/or links up and we can make some comments... If you can only find some parts post them up and we can make some suggestions about others...

**guitar junkie** · 10-19-2006, 09:41 PM

Ya know I used to deal with all the stress of a machine like that too....

Then I dumped Windows based recordings and headed over to Macs....

Never had any of the problems Brandon brings up in his posts.

**richiebee** · 10-20-2006, 06:44 AM

Originally Posted by stuv

ALL PREBUILDS ARE CRAP AND NOT STABLE!

This is an interesting statement. You claim that its incredibly easy to build a stable computer, and yet apparently no major manufacturer can do it. Hmmm.

I have my opinion which has not changed, and you have yours. Everything's cool. I know how stable, how quiet and how fast my computer is - those to me are the necessary factors in running an audio computer. I can't prove it to you, so you can either believe me, or not. It's not going to change my life either way.

R.

**richiebee** · 10-20-2006, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by guitar junkie

Ya know I used to deal with all the stress of a machine like that too....

Then I dumped Windows based recordings and headed over to Macs....

Never had any of the problems Brandon brings up in his posts.

Never had kernel panics? Lucky you. My G5 loves to barf in the middle of a session on the odd occasion. More regularly it barfs with offline editing which is not so annoying, but it's way less stable than my HP PC. My Powerbook is defiant of its own identity - power is one thing this baby don't got!

As for the new Intels... we're still waiting to be able to use all of our software, and frankly, I don't think this is completely the fault of the software manufacturers. I don't think its any co-incidence that Apple was the only major audio software manufacturer to be timely in the release of Intel compatible software. Microsoft may be no saint, but Apple surely is the devil.

**Retronut** · 10-25-2006, 10:08 AM

I am new to the forum and like what I see here. Anyway perhaps some one can assist.

Ok, so I am getting prepared to build my first dedicated studio Pc. No more sharing the DAW with email, IE, you get the idea. I have been researching, gathering components, doing all the homework. There is this major point that is always mentioned on every forum I have searched regarding a windows studio. One should never connect this computer to the internet!!!!!

So here is an obvious question that I am fumbling with in my fried brain. How do you update windows xp? How do update board drivers? How do you update DAW? Oh, it is these types of questions that kept me from being a Rhodes Scholar.

**richiebee** · 10-25-2006, 10:21 AM

So here is an obvious question that I am fumbling with in my fried brain. How do you update windows xp? How do update board drivers? How do you update DAW? Oh, it is these types of questions that kept me from being a Rhodes Scholar.

Some would say you don't need to update it. If it works, why bother? It's not going to suddenly not work because it can't get its meds.

Others would say get a good antivirus app that you can turn on and off as you need. Leave it off for audio stuff, turn it on to do updates.

Personally, I think if you practice safe internet surfing, an internet computer doesn't have to be the virus ridden thing that many turn out to be. To my knowledge, there has only ever been one virus that infects new computers as soon as they connect to the internet.

Most software (music included) requires some kind of registration, and while possible from another computer or by fax or whatever, it's a much less convoluted process if you do it with the computer you've installed the software on.

I've never had a virus on any PC I've ever owned. I don't go to porn sites, I don't download e-mail attachments that I'm not expecting and I don't click on every link that people send me. I visit the same 5-10 forums, Napster and web based e-mail clients. I have a small cache that clears every day so that my computer doesn't get clogged up with crap. That's it.

I should add that my need to be connected to the internet is mainly as a resource for creativity/inspiration/reference (ie, Napster) and to send audio files to the outside world. Yes, I have a USB flash drive. Putting it on the web site directly, or e-mailing it to whoever it needs to go to is quicker!

**brandondrury** · 10-25-2006, 10:23 AM

So here is an obvious question that I am fumbling with in my fried brain. How do you update windows xp? How do update board drivers? How do you update DAW? Oh, it is these types of questions that kept me from being a Rhodes Scholar.

#1 I never update anything unless I think to myself "This is a piece of shit! It needs to be updated!". I've never felt the need to ever update Windows. In my experience it usually makes things worse.

I don't look at my recording rig as a "computer" like your mom looks at her Dell. I look at it as a dedicated recording box. I don't feel the need to update it simply because I'm "supposed to".

#2 When I decide I need to update something, using my home computer I download what I need, burn it to a data cd-r and install it on my recording computer.

Most software companies are aware that many people refuse to use the internet on their recording PC and they make special concessions for this.

ALL PREBUILDS ARE CRAP AND NOT STABLE!

I really don't like this statement. I'm sure it's based more on emotion than fact. I do believe in building my own computer for a zillion reasons. However, I've got a feeling that there are many recording people who are happy with their Dells, HPs, etc.

When you get the $300-400 specials, you are almost always getting the cheap parts. (Processors with small cache, slow hard drives, cheap integrated video, motherboards with very little expansion capabilities). These cheap parts are generally great for email checking computers, but not so great on computers that render.

If I bought a $1,000-1,500 Dell, I'd probably be about where I am when I spend $300-400 on my next recording computer.

Never had any of the problems Brandon brings up in his posts.

Almost all the problems I have had are hard drive related. My C: drive is 4 years old. My E: and F: are 2-3years old. Hard drivesare mechanical parts and they will wear out. Hard drives are no better in a Mac, PC, Dell, or Custom built. They all wear out eventually.

I try to get the maximum amount of time out of my hard drives. If I put in new drives everytime I swapped PCs, I wouldn't expect to have any of the problems I've had.

With that said, I haven't had that many problems.

Brandon

Brandon

**brandondrury** · 10-25-2006, 10:35 AM

It is a pain in the ass to do updates. (Not that big of pain, but a pain none the less).

I personally get piece of mind knowing that I don't have the internet on my recording rig. I know it's safe, secure, etc.

Of course, for me it's also a personal thing. I'm on the internet 15 hours per day sometimes. It's what I do. When I record I want to record. I don't want to check email. I don't want to deal with it. If anything is THAT important, I'll download it, burn it, and then move it to my recording machine.

There is no wrong or right answer here. It's all personal. What works for one guy may not work for another, etc. It's just how you see things. Both Richiebee and I do fine with our recording setups. He uses a name brand PC and uses the internet, I build my own PCs and refuse to go online with my recording rig. In the end, it comes down to making the best music that each of us can. That' it! So it doesn't matter if you use Ford or Chevy, it matters if you win your personal race.

Note:
One time when I setup my recording computer years ago, I plugged it into the internet in my bedroom for registration and such. Then when I had it working, I put it in the studio and never brought it back out.

Brandon

**Retronut** · 10-25-2006, 12:24 PM

Thanks! Both of these responses are reasonable and logical. So Richiebee, do you have a network? Is the recording computer on the network? LOL, I don't surf the porno sites either but it is those dog gone emails I get from time to time that say "Sluts are waiting for me" that temp to venture off on a path I shouldn't go. You never know where your next creative inspiration is going to come from.

**richiebee** · 10-25-2006, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by Retronut

Thanks! Both of these responses are reasonable and logical. So Richiebee, do you have a network? Is the recording computer on the network? LOL, I don't surf the porno sites either but it is those dog gone emails I get from time to time that say "Sluts are waiting for me" that temp to venture off on a path I shouldn't go. You never know where your next creative inspiration is going to come from.

Much of my music has been compared to that found on porn movies, but that is not my inspiration... really!

Yes, I have a network at home. My wife has a PC connected all the time, I have my PC connected all the time and I have an Apple Powerbook which I connect with wireless whenever...

At work, my office PC (which also runs Cubase SX and Sound Forge) is connected to the university network. My Apple G5 is not connected to the internet - mostly because I use the network port to connect my mixing console, but it needs a more critically clean system than anything else I use, so its precaution more than anything. Ironically, its the least stable of the systems I use!

My home PC requires the most power (I use it almost exclusively to run softsynths and samplers, though I do sometimes do some mixing of live stuff on it too) and the G5 needs to handle the most simultaneous audio inputs.

I've never used my Powerbook for more than basic ProTools editing (less than 16 tracks total) and two track recording. It sucks.

R.