New DAW build

[soundsfromsound]

Hi Rich,

I commented on a similar thread here:
Building a workstation - parts list!

That may help you, minus the slight difference in budgets between you two.

I'd say this: when building your own DAW workstation, always give yourself plenty of RAM, and fast drives. The HDD is so often the bottleneck for lots of machines, if not all - so it pays to not scrimp on those parts.

One question I'd ask is, what will you be recording often? For example, just guitar and vocals + VSTs? 16 tracks/large ensembles at the same time?

Think about those needs as you build because project size does add some strain on the machine, though I seriously doubt that Ivy will even break a sweat

Ben

[rick_p]

Hi Ben,

Thanks a lot for your reply. Does the HDD become the bottleneck when trying to record too many tracks simultaneously? I'll only need to record one guitar track, or one vocal at a time, then I'll layer things up.

I'll be adding vsts for amp modelling, drums and synths, but I'm happy to mix these tracks down to audio if the processor can't run everything simultaneously. I think the Ivy is possibly overkill for my purposes but I got greedy!

Rick

[soundsfromsound]

I use the HDD as a bottleneck more as an example than a scary warning. In my experience, I've known many PC builders who spend so much on RAM, dual GPUs, killer chipsets, whatever - and then skimp on a 5400 HDD - I mean, really?

So no, for the most part, just get any decent quality brand HDD (7200) and you'll be fine. I have an SSD for my OS and several HDDs for samples, projects, audio data, etc.

I've never had a problem with tracks, nor have I ever hit a wall where I couldn't add a track if I wanted to. And this was on my 3 year old machine.

Ivy is not overkill, it's just perfect kill

Trust me, go for it.

Originally Posted by rick_p

Hi Ben,


Thanks a lot for your reply. Does the HDD become the bottleneck when trying to record too many tracks simultaneously? I'll only need to record one guitar track, or one vocal at a time, then I'll layer things up.

I'll be adding vsts for amp modelling, drums and synths, but I'm happy to mix these tracks down to audio if the processor can't run everything simultaneously. I think the Ivy is possibly overkill for my purposes but I got greedy!

Rick

[rick_p]

Thanks, was never going to need too much persuading on this one!

[Goddard]

I'm assuming that the cpu onboard graphics will be used (as no discrete graphics card is listed)?

[soundsfromsound]

Shouldn't be a major factor unless he wants to do Photoshop or BF3

[JC Wolf]

Originally Posted by rick_p

RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) Corsair DDR3 Vengeance 1600

Thanks a lot, and let me know if there's something else I should include here
Rick

I'd like to throw a caution flag on the RAM. In order to future proof your system, I would suggest (if your budget allows for this) to start with 16GBs in a 2 x 8GBs configuration. RAM is cheap these days and probably one of the most important components when dealing with audio. This way, you allow yourself the option of adding another 2 x 8GBs down the line without having to recycle or even worst retire the 2 x 4GBs you're currently considering.

It's also recommended to check your motherboard manufacturer's "memory support list" to avoid surprises, if you haven't already.

Just a heads-up! Good luck with your build.

[soundsfromsound]

This is true, RAM is key. As I mentioned above, give yourself as much as you can for RAM (budget), but to be fair, 8GB is plenty for most project studios. I have a machine here that runs Kontakt 5, PLAY, and about 20 plugins (including IR and LP-EQ's) and it barely hits 65% usage.

Though, yes - 16GB RAM would be ideal - and quite killer if you could swing the extra budget. But know that there is nothing inherently wrong with your RAM selection, assuming it works with your mobo.

Also, I have had great builds with Ripjaws and those Corsair's alike - tight timings and killer performance. Both would be fine for you.

Good luck!