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How To Build A Computer For Home Recording

By  Brandon Drury | Published  10/25/2006 | Recording Computers / DAW
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CD-Rom / Accessories

?CD-Rom

Do yourself a favor and pick up a cheap DVD burner. You'll want a DVD burner because you will probably want to backup important sessions to DVDs. Backing up to cd takes much much longer and is a total waste of time.

Many sample cds use DVDs. So if you don't have a DVD reader, you are screwed!

I'm using the same Toshiba DVD burner I bought 4 years ago. It does fine.


Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, Etc

Don't forget to pick up this kind of stuff too. Picking up a keyboard and a mouse is usually super cheap online. I think I paid $5 for my keyboard and $5 for my mouse from newegg.

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Comments
  • Comment #1 (Posted by Futant55)
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    I don't know if you thought about this or if I just missed it. What about an operating system, and or any other software that will be requred to get a computer running.
     
  • Comment #2 (Posted by Futant55)
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    This comment is to boost the rating, because I forgot to select it the first time. This did help me out a lot. Putting a computer seems scary from a distance, even though I've replaced my ram many times, and installed drives and pci cards. Thinking of building a whole computer sounds like a huge deal, but seeing it broken down like this and going and running the costs of building it piece by piece, it is cheaper and I know I could do it.
     
  • Comment #3 (Posted by spec55(Chip))
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    Excellent primer for getting started. Simple, step by step approach, without any biased opinions to brand names. Each builder needs to form his own opinions by doing his own presonal research. Only you know your needs and wants. Thanks Brandon.
     
  • Comment #4 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    This article is incomplete and poor
     
  • Comment #5 (Posted by AfaraWayland)
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    I found the article (11 pages) just what I needed to get started thinking about a new PC for Audio. In other words, it was great for getting my head straight, while informing me, a PC noob (i use Macs :P), of a few things I hadn't considered.
     
  • Comment #6 (Posted by calesco)
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    simple but informative I would've liked a little more detail.
     
  • Comment #7 (Posted by mario)
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    listen...in your rcording computer there are items which are called quiet itmes..such as h atx case but its thermadynamically designed to be quiet...such as aluminum..also in the processor the fan can be very noisy ..in quiet times we can substitute copper piping tubing to transfer the heat to the chasis..this makes it fanless ..this is very important in maintaining the quiet in a recording computer..also in the hard drive there are copper enclosurs which further silence the hard drive that is already a quiet hard drive..so sir....do your research...you dont just buy anything like you say...ok?
     
  • Comment #8 (Posted by Buz Tarlow)
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    Hi
    Love this site
    Not this article
    Lots to debate but mainly it will not serve a newbie well.
     
  • Comment #9 (Posted by cam)
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    well you are not even close to the problems that a recording computer can have.
    All the things that are in this article are related to a normal computer build.
    A recording computer is something that could deal with a whole band that is at least 3 inputs with vocals.
    Wich is not the case here.
    Even if it is for simple one guitar recording this article doesn't mention the direct output and real time effects, wich are alone ,the core of any recording.
    So as i said before this article is a very general view of how to build a computer and not a specific sound recording studio computer ( even home one).
    You can go to: geocities.com/bandpc to see how to build a more complete recording studio computer .

     
  • Comment #10 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    So, to summarize:
    Just buy whatever and put it together.

    ????

    No, there's alot more to it than that.
     
  • Comment #11 (Posted by Deodar)
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    The article is great for newbs.The comments are a joke.I say that
    as an A+ technician who builds & a soundfanatic.Interface is not the computer OK?Brandon acknowledges this elsewhere.Sound Card is all it needs apart from any build.&Firewire
     
  • Comment #12 (Posted by daniel bellemare)
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    Thanks
     
  • Comment #13 (Posted by joseph)
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    good explanation
     
  • Comment #14 (Posted by Tim)
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    Excellent overview of how to build a PC. The Devil is in the detail in my experience - but if anyone following this kind of guide got stuck they should know exactly what question to ask.
     
  • Comment #15 (Posted by an unknown user)
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    Ignore #15
     
  • Comment #16 (Posted by ssscientist)
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    Good solid info presented well and in plain English. Full marks!
     
  • Comment #17 (Posted by Brook)
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    Rid of those pesky bugs you pick when surfing the net.
    One of the first things that I learned when I got my new computer was that if you own a PC then you better have a good antispyware scanner to help get rid of those pesky bugs you pick when surfing the net. Otherwise, your computer won’t keep running like new for very long. It will begin to slow down and eventually get so sluggish you won’t even be able to use it. I tried a variety of different scans before I ran across Orbasoft Antispyware at http://www.orbasoft.com. So far I have been very happy with the antispyware solution from Orbasoft and very glad that I gave it a try.

     
  • Comment #18 (Posted by Nello)
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    This is a very usefull post. Its hard to find this kind of thing on the web, cuse they are always selling something.

    Thank a lot man!!

    But you should say something about software, speakers and micros.. ;)
     
  • Comment #19 (Posted by Yung Ryder)
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    Woooow! Dude thanks soo much! This helped out 100% im only 15, and made the fastest and best sound quality pc i've ever seen, if u follow these steps, mac isnt nothing compared 2 ur pc. IM ONLY 15 AND I BUILD MY OWN PC! You can do it pple!
     
  • Comment #20 (Posted by Erahgon)
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    Although some facts are outdated by now, it's still an awesome bunch of guidelines! Any thoughts about the 64-bit processors and their impact on recording?
     
  • Comment #21 (Posted by daniel)
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    This was a great article. I like that is was short but still said what needed to be said. good work
     
  • Comment #22 (Posted by Theo)
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    Brandon,

    Someday I will be ready to record my rocking riffs and I'll have to dedicate it all to you!!!
     
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