March 25, 2013 Top tips for building a reliable music production PC
For musicians, bands and project studio audio engineers there comes a time when their existing music pc is just not cutting it anymore. Eventually the software becomes more demanding and freezing music tracks gets tiresome. As plug ins become more CPU hungry there is a need every 4-7 years to buy or build a new music production PC. This is to keep things stable and capable of keeping up with todays demanding software. There is absolute merit in buying a ready built music production PC, no hassles and support is provided but there are many people still up for the challenge of doing a DIY music pc build.
We are going to discuss ways of minimizing the headaches that can come with DIY music production pc building. Firstly make sure you have a laptop or another computer that is internet enabled before commencing as you may need to research online during the build.
1) Research - A really sensible plan is to research the components with quality and reliability in mind and not just speed and performance. One of the best ways to do this is to go to some websites of known music pc builders and start making a list of parts that keep commonly recurring. This is a great way to ensure that you are putting decent quality components in your pc that are being used by people who do this for a living. Especially check out motherboard manufacturers and part numbers, the motherboard is an essential item of equipment in the PC and all peripheral components will rely on it to operate effectively.
One motherboard manufacturer has consistently appeared in music and audio pc builds both commercial and DIY, and that is ASUS. ASUS have a good reputation for high quality motherboards and this is what I have exclusively used over the last 10 years in my own DIY pc’s and in ready built systems. The more you research your old components requirements, your new components and your new operating system before you start building the pc the better. This will make the entire building process more stream lined.
2) CPU - The CPU is going to do all the number crunching, I recommend going for 1 or 2 CPU models down from the current fastest. This way you will get high performance without the often huge jump in price associated with having the fastest CPU that any given manufacturer has to offer. Currently my suggestion is to look into the Intel i7 processors. This is a very shrewd way of keeping the price of the machine down without sacrificing much in the way of performance.
3) Operating Systems, ok, currently there are a lot of Windows 7 machines out there and it is a great OS, check to see if this is still the case when you build your machine on the music pc builders sites as it will give you a gauge as to whether Windows 8 is working well yet or not. If you opt for Windows 8 it makes a lot of sense to check if your audio drivers and any new PC components and other equipment is going to be compatible with the Windows 8 OS. research every item individually to avoid any technical surprises.
If you you are moving from a 32 bit installation to a 64 bit installation check your DAW, audio interface and any DSP based cards (like UAD or Liquid Mix) are going to play nicely with the 64 bit OS environment.
4) Memory - If you are going to be using a lot of sample libraries it is going to mean you need a lot of memory, consider what you will be using the production machine for and if you have any memory hungry software or sample libraries then ensure you have installed sufficient RAM.
5) Power Supply - One of the least interesting parts of a pc in most people eyes, which is often overlooked or skimped on is the power supply. The power supply is somewhat akin to the heart of the PC. Every component will rely upon it and it is a false economy to not spend the right amount on a very high quality power supply.
The best power supplies are usually in the £70.00 - £110.00 (up to $200.00) price point and you should check out their efficiency, estimated reliability, warranty and noise levels. Stable and clean power can make a difference in the longevity of the machine. And in some instances where sound cards are driven from the internal power the sound quality that your system produces can be affected. Ensure you do plenty of research into this critical component.
6) Hard drives - Consider the SSD (Solid state) hard drives, these operate from flash memory and have no moving parts, they are produced from flash memory. They can be extremely fast. However this is still relatively new technology and care should be taken to understand any potential issues related to this technology. Check out the term “SSD write endurance” online. Research the best models available today for reliability. All SSD drives will be more than capable of playing back many audio tracks simultaneously.
7) Keep it quiet - Noise control is going to be a big consideration for a music pc, it goes without saying that you need the machine to be as quiet as possible. Check out what the best cases are for keeping the internals isolated, check out case fan noise levels, CPU fan noise levels and consider buying a graphics card that does not require a fan to force cool it.
Consider hard drives and install rubber/neoprene mounts and sleeves to reduce resonance and vibration. I also recommend a product known as Arctic Silver which is a highly efficient heat sink thermal compound which helps bond the heat sink to the CPU for optimal heat conductance.
8) Make time, have patience - It is always best to have a full and free day in order to construct your pc and install your software. If you have a lot of software to install focus on construction and installing the OS on day one and install the music related software the following day. Never force components into slots, they should all mate gently without requiring excessive force. Avoid the temptation to over tighten screws or bolts which risks cross threading them or graunching the tops. This should especially be the case when installing CPU’s on their mounting systems. If you cross thread something it can be a real headache to resolve the problem and/or remove the devices in the future. So take your time and be gentle.
Ensure that you observe electro static precautions as most PC parts are very sensitive to static discharges. One way to do this without a wrist tag is to install the power supply in the case, ensure the power supply is off at the PSU flip switch (on the PSU itself). Insert the mains lead and plug it into the mains with the mains power 100pct switched off. Make certain the power is definitely off and do not proceed to built until this is the case. This way the metal parts of the casing are earthed and you can discharge yourself by occasionally touching the chassis as you build.
It is always a good idea to have a separate laptop or another computer which has internet access and a spare USB2.0 stick, this way you can troubleshoot online, read forums and download software that may be needed to get the machine running in the event of teething problems. Be calm, methodical, patient and take your time, this will minimize frustrations and potential construction problems.
9) OS tweaks - Windows has numerous tweaks that can be found online, some tweaks have marginal benefit so check them with care. Install your operating system and search the internet for any audio/music specific operating system tweaks. Be diligent when applying any OS specific tweaks and do so with care. If you are unsure about any given tweak try and get a second opinion on a forum or other resources before proceeding. All of this can be done before you even order your PC parts, in fact the more ground work and research the more smoothly the entire build will go.
10) Keep it up and running - A couple of optional considerations for your your new build are to use an uninterruptable power supply which will protect your computer in the event of a power cut. Also consider using an Integral SATA copy station to clone your system drive once you have a fully working system. Should you encounter a hard drive failure this makes the process of getting back to a working system very quick and painless.
To summarize, plan well, research well, take your time and build the PC in a methodical and calm manner. Happy music pc building and music making.
Barry Gardner is the chief mastering engineer at SAS cd audio mastering a low cost, high end online mastering studio.
music production | tagged music pc, music production pc
Reader Comments (9)
Great post. It's such a good idea to have a machine dedicated to nothing but your music production work. PCs get clogged up so easily these days with all sorts of hidden bits of software or clashing drivers that can upset the running of your DAW.
What's your take on keeping your production PC off the internet at all times? I've heard arguments for and against it - it stops any dodgy software sneaking in, but then downloading and upgrading your programs can become a pain.
Great tips! I really appreciate your post. This really helps.
I found your article very interesting. However, I did not understand what you mean by a power supply (especially if it is something different than the battery (laptop) or power cord (desktop).
Hi there a PSU is a metal box which sits ina desktop machine which converts 110v or 240v (if in Europe) to 5 Volts and 12 V DC for the internal components of the computer. here is an example:
http://images.tweaktown.com/content/3/7/3776_01.jpg
All desktop machines have them it is where you plug in the IEC cable from your electrical mains.
cheers
Personally I keep it off the internet as then there is no ambiguities of getting the right AV software installed which can slow things down. Yes this does make updating a little awkward but personally I feel thats worth it cause a virus is more than a bit awkward. (especially if you operate a small business you cannot afford downtime from a virus)
Software is light and fast. System requirements is pretty fair too.
This is just recommending how to look for the pc parts of a decent computer for anything, and to use smart hardware and software maintenance. Without getting too specific to anyone wanting to do this for music production only or primarily.
It's important to keep all these things in mind for sure, but it's not really all someone looking to buy/create a music production workstation PC should be thinking of when looking to start.
It barely touched on things to look at besides researching what the professionals are using. That's smart but that almost defeats the point of a top tips list.
If price is no objection and you don't care all too much about what's going on under the hood so long as your music software is working well, then go for top of the line PCs and peripherals from manufacturers. It's not technically the best and most cost efficient way to go about things but you can't argue with results. Expensive new PCs with a lot of RAM, CPU power, capacity, and even graphics capability will get any job done in audio software.
Look into getting the most expensive and critically reliable and reputable recording and speaker equipment for your production environment that you can afford. Your audio controls, if you plan on using a virtual console and not analog, look into high end touchpads. They don't have to be huge or the most sensitive with the highest pressure levels like they would if you were doing digital paintings and drawing. A good keyboard and mouse are also a damn good idea to get, look at gaming options. Even if you don't play games, these options are useful for their many buttons and configurations and are built with the intent of heavy and comfortable use. This is how you will interact with your art form and if you don't have at least decently capable and reliable input, how can you expect do your absolute best.
Last tips on your production workstation
* Shop around the software market itself, at all price points from free to top of your budget. This is a tool, and it's as versatile and can be as complex as the art you wish to create. If you can't use your software, or you don't like using it, you're not going to progress very far. Find the one that clicks FOR YOU. Not what some professional said, or some review told you.
* You don't need the fastest CPU, that's cutting edge technology where you simply don't need the best money can buy because the software you're running wasn't programmed to even take full advantage of it, and the cost to performance ratio sucks at the most expensive end of the spectrum. Get a generation behind the latest one. To use Intel as an example, i7s just don't give enough of an advantage to justify their costs over the latest i5s. Put money saved here into your capacity for storage and RAM instead. Speaking of
* you don't need an enormous amount of RAM. Unless you're using 3D, CAD, or video software, you don't need 32 or 64 gigs of RAM. Not even the most power hungry games need that much. And you don't need an overclocking part with fancy heatsinks and high voltage capability because your music only needs so much speed out of this memory. You'll only waste money, and if you overclock, increase your risks of crashes and if you really don't know what you're doing, fried parts. 8 gigs of 1400 to 1600 Mghz DDR3 will do you just fine. 16 gigs is a bit of overkill, but there's a lot of overhead there to keep you safe if you use a lot of music samples at once.
*Check the motherboard you're using, if it has a good audio chip, you don't need a sound card.
*Same with a graphics card. If you don't game or use 3D or video software, it isn't HUGELY important to get an extremely powerful card.
*Power Supplies. Unless you're running a server, overclocking, using an 8-core CPU, running a powerful graphics card, using SLI configs, running way too many SSDS and HDDs and USB ports, even at the most stress you'll put on your system you are not going to hit 800watts, or 700, or 650 and you don't need gold efficiency.
400watts is plenty, 550watts is safe. Look for bronze ratings from reputable manufacturers.
*What the article said about SSDs is true, their storage isn't great, and you need a LOT. Music takes up room.
But an SSD is really good advantage to have, since it will make start up, read speeds, and interfacing with your software quick. The smart and cost effective thing to do, is get an SSD for your software, and the biggest HDD you can get at 7200rpm for storage.
and lastly
*Remember the music. This is just art, your tools are important, but if you're not passionate about your music, the most expensive and capable pc and software is wasted.
Its very light and perfect. I would love to go with it.
I actually do not agree with some of what AnonPC wrote. It is a guide regarding building your own PC with the highest chance of it working for a specific task, music and audio production. If you are purchasing a ready specced/built PC for music I actually suggest avoiding "top of the line PC's" unless those top line PC's are made by a company who specifically specializes in making music PC's.
Even though the power of a modern PC can easily deal with audio it is a sum of third party parts with many, many OS, software and hardware variables (often being updated weekly ! ). When you buy a ready built machine you are paying for knowledge in what parts work together to make a machine fit for a job + OS software optimizations. Not everyone wants to pay for this and with some time, information and patience you can build a machine yourself. It makes huge sense to start from known and used components. The downsides are that you need to be extremely careful about what parts "play ball" and figure in time to trace and resolve issues that may take some time. You need to be prepared for that being part of the job.