There is always debate as to home much of your budget you should put toward your computer rig. Obviously, your computer is the center of your recording world, so it is very important to make sure that your computer seamlessly compliments the way you work. In a perfect world, we'd all have infinitely fast computers and they cost nothing. With that said, it does you absolutely no good to have a super computer if the rest of your recording chain is inadequate.

What Kind of Recording Person Are You?

Hardcore Recording Studio People – These people want to record full bands and are trying to do their best to run a real deal studio that serves other clients. They will probably be recording drum sets, and probably need an audio interface with quite a few inputs. While they may use MIDI from time to time, most of their work is going to consist of recording audio from a microphone to .wav files in the computer.

Songwriters – These people just want to capture their songs onto a disc that they can give/sell to others. Generally speaking, these are going to be fairly simple productions that probably aren't going to use 60 tracks. There may be drums on some songs, but maybe not on others. Generally speaking, I consider these types of musicians to be more on the “folky” side of things and simply want to capture what they do in a natural way. These people will be capturing most of their music with a microphone onto wav files.

Composers / Programmers – These types of people may not even need a microphone. They want to create music on their computers using MIDI sequencing. While techno is popular with this crowd, so is composing orchestra scores or even rap or pop music. These people will be using lots of midi tracks which trigger samples and synths.

Rappers, Karaoke, Etc – Then there are people who like to construct their own tracks using loops found in Fruity Loops, ACID, etc or use already recorded tracks to sing over. These people are usually going to be recording audio from a microphone to a wav file but the number of tracks is usually pretty low.

Wav Files

Recording audio from a microphone into the computer and onto a wav file is a fairly easy task for a computer these days. People have been recording audio seriously on computer for about 10 years now. I had a Pentium 3 550Mhz computer that I had recorded many bands. I was able to playback 20 or 30 tracks without much trouble.

So the recording and playback of wav files is not a big deal for any modern computer if my Pentium 3 550Mhz computer from 1999 could handle it. However, when you start using lots of processing, the demand on the computer begins to really increase. If you use a lot of plugins when you mix, you will put much greater demands on your computer's processor than simply playing back the wav files.

So maybe a folk musician isn't going to use much in the way of plugins except for maybe a few compressors and a few Eqs. However, a modern rock band may use drastically more plugins such as reverb, delay, compression, EQ, etc on 30, 40, or even 50 tracks. (I do have to say that if you record your tracks exactly the way that you want them, you usually need much less processing and therefore less computer power. Then again, if you are using plugins for creative purposes and not so much to “fix” tracks, you'll still use plenty of computer power).

A person recording vocals over previously made tracks is not going to use much in the way of plugins or wav files. So if you fall into the “karaoke” style, you are not demanding much at all from your computer unless you just have a handful of monstrously demanding plugins (which is probably not the case).

MIDI Files

Recording MIDI onto a computer is nothing new. This has been done since the days before computers were capable of displaying color. So, the actual recording of MIDI data is very simple for a modern computer to handle. However, back in those days, the MIDI data recorded into the computer was sent out of the computer into hardware synthesizers and samplers. So, the rackmount hardware was handling most of the audio processing.

Fast forward to to 2007. The demand for hardware synths is extremely low. The demand for hardware samplers is even lower. We are all now using virtual instruments inside the computer. So whether you are looking to use an 80s style synth lead or a real deal violin samples, this is all done within the computer these days.

Generally speaking, triggering samples and synths with MIDI is VERY demanding on the computer. My old Pentium 3 550Mhz computer would have been outmatched completely and wouldn't have stood a chance. To further generalize, synths tend to put more demand on the CPU processor of the computer while samples tend to put huge demands on RAM.

So, hardcore MIDI sequencing computers have their work cut out for them. It's totally recommended to max out RAM and CPU processing if a person is going to really be using lots and lots of synths and samples. With that said, how you work makes a big difference. I tend to compose “simple” music and it's rare to use more than 10 different synths / sampled instruments. Because of this, I still haven't maxed out my Athlon 64 2800 (which as of this writing is certainly nothing special). I'm pretty sure the guys writing entire movie scores in their sequencer (I've read that Hans Zimmer and notable others have used Cubase for writing their movie scores for years) are using WAY more CPU power than I have. So, it's up to you to figure out how much power you need.

Other Demands On Your Cash

As I stated originally, you really have to figure out how much of your budget you want to dedicated to a recording computer when there are many other things to buy. I personally come from the school of thought that a person should buy a modest, but adequate computer simply because the price of a computer grows exponentially the newer the technology. (It's always baffled me how 6 month old technology costs half (or even less than half) of the brand new processors, yet in a few years both of those processors will cost $60). Other's will argue that you should get a hardcore computer from the start and not have to worry about upgrading your computer for a while. I'd rather have microphones and other gear that doesn't depreciate at the super sonic rate that computers do.

So, it's my opinion that you should go for a modest and affordable (but adequate) computer,. Put the rest of that money into getting high quality microphones, high quality mic stands (I'm serious, you'll thank me later), more sample libraries, better plugins, better studio monitors, better acoustic treatments, etc.

I'm seriously trying to produce major label quality productions that can get record deals or be used in movies and such. My computer is an Athlon 64 2800 with 2GB of RAM. (I'm kind of a combination of the real deal studio guy and the hardcore midi composer type). There are certainly times when I could use a little more horsepower in my computer, but it wouldn't be worth trading in a microphone (which is basically what a person on a limited budget does when they put too much money into their computer). I can always work around the limits of the computer.

I'm not even sure if you can still buy the CPU processor I'm using, as crazy as that sounds. This tells me that computers have pretty much conquered the world of audio recording except in the most extreme cases.

So How Much Computer Power Do You Need?

To sum it up, if you are using samples, get 2GB of RAM if you are using Windows XP. Vista, as of this writing, is still not proven in the world of audio but when it is ready, will allow for a tremendous amount of RAM. If you are using lots of samples, buy lots of RAM. If you are using lots of synths, buy a high end processor. If you are using a medium amount of synths, you can get buy on a cheap processor by todays standards.

If you are recording modern rock or pop music and using lots and lots of tracks with lots and lots of plugins, you could probably get by with slightly less RAM, but you'll need a hefty processor. A lot of this depends on the audio recording software you use. Generally speaking, the more powerful the software, the faster it's going to chew right through your CPU (but there may be exceptions).

If you are recording just a handful of tracks, not using many synths or samples, and are using a limited number of plugins computer could handle this with ease 8 years ago. You don't have to spend a ton on a fancy computer. In fact, you could probably use an old computer. If you have an old computer laying around, I'd seriously give it a try. If you find that it's a little sluggish and it's worth your money to buy a new one go for it.

The Great Computer Power Problem

Calculating computer performance is pretty straight forward. You take the computers power and subtract the load you are placing on it (before opening your recording software). So maybe you have a 2Ghz processor, but after Windows starts, you are using 50% of your power. Well, as far as I'm concerned, you don't have a 2Ghz computer. You have a 1Ghz computer. If you try running a hardcore audio program using lots of synths, samples, tracks, or plugins you are going to have a hard time with a computer filled with junk.

Viruses, spybots, temporary internet files, background processes, and a trashed registry will put an ENORMOUS weight on your computer. It's very possible that your current computer is more than capable of handling all your recording needs if you would just clean it up. This process is outline in my article Format Windows XP On Your Dell, HP, Gateway, or other Name Brand Computer

Where To Get A Real Deal Recording Computer

This is the tricky part. Most name brand computers are garbage. They use sub par components that fit a given price point, include the price of Super Bowl commercials, and come from the factory completely trashed with junk. (Imagine your weird cousin's apartment...that's basically how a hard drive looks in a name brand computer when shipped from the factory).

Some people feel comfortable with their name brand computers and don't want to risk going elsewhere. This is your okay, I guess. Just make sure you have a real warranty. My buddy's Dell after 6.5 months. Dell said “Too bad! Your warranty expired 2 weeks ago”. Ironically, every computer component manufacturer I know comes with a 1 year warranty standard.

If you decide to go with a name brand computer, go with a high end model. Try to find a computer with a CPU with a large cache. High end processors tend to have bigger a bigger cache. 256K is considered small. Anything over 1MB is considered large.

Name brand computers tend to be less terrible if you go with the good stuff. If you buy a $400 name brand computer, you will have a hard time.

There are places that specialize in recording computers. You'll get extremely high quality, but it may come at a price.

The other route is to go with a custom built computer. This is not for everyone, but it's certainly the route I would take. If you want, I can build your computer for you. Contact me (see the link in the footer).

Conclusion

For most people, the computer has evolved to the point that it can handle audio without much problem except in the most extreme cases. With that said, your computer must be free and clean of junk (viruses, spybots, etc). The easiest way to keep a computer free from junk is to use a dedicated computer with no internet access (or VERY limited internet access).

If you are going to push your computer really hard with lots of tracks and a lot of synths / samples, prepare for it. Buy a powerful computer with lots of RAM and a powerful CPU (but don't forget there are a billion links in the chain for great sounding record).

While I'm not shy about the fact that I hate the name brand computer companies, for many this is a okay option. If you really want to maximize bang for your buck, shoot me an email (see the contact us link below).