What computer should I buy for professional audio?
Customers frequently ask me this question. This is what I currently (October 2010) recommend:
PC or Mac?
Both platforms are excellent for multimedia.
Mac:
* The Mac is a complete solution with bundeled software and hardware.
* The Mac is less frequently attacked by viruses.
* Less compatibility problems with hardware.
* No good downward compatibility with older software.
* Restrictions in additional hardware upgrades.
PC:
* More flexible with hardware upgrades.
* More software available.
* Difficult to maintain a setup.
* A lot of cheap low quality hard- and software.
* Security problems.
Desktop or Laptop?
We do not recommend to buy cheap computer hardware from discounters. It's frequently unreliable and deficient.
Laptop:
* More easy to carry to a gig.
* Hardware mostly can't be upgraded.
* Weak processors, slow harddisks and slow graphic cards.
Desktop:
* More processor power.
* More flexible.
Barebone (= mini PC):
* Not recommended, since the fans of these systems are very loud.
What CPU?
The audio processing power raises with the number of cores. I recommend the Intel I7 family.
We also made good experiences with the Intel Core2Quad family. It is a cheaper, but also deprecated platform.
It's recommended to steer clear of the AMD Athlon X2 family. The processors contains a synchronisation bug, which occasionally can make multi-threaded applications freeze or crash.
What mainboard?
I currently recommend quality boards (Intel or Asus) with socket 1366 and the Intel I7 family. Make sure that the mainboard is capable of handling a six-core Intel CPU. These processors are still very expensive, but will get cheaper during the next years. This allows you to upgrade your hardware later without trouble. Don't be stingy with the mainboard. A cheap one can create crashes, loss of data or contaminate your audio network with noise.
What RAM?
We recommend at least 4gB of RAM.
note: if you use a mainboard with triple channel DDR3 interface you should also use triple channel compatible RAM.
What OS?
If you are on PC and planning to purchase a new system we recommend Windows7 64bit professional.
What computer casing?
A silent computer casing is essential for professional audio, since you want to hear your music and not the fans and harddisks. I recommend silentmaxx products.
What power supply?
NEVER be stingy with the power supply! Cheap Chinese products usually contaminate your audio network with noise, waste energy, create too much heat, have loud fans, can create crashes, damage your hardware or even inflame!
A good choice are 'bequiet!' products.
What harddisk?
Solid state discs are still expensive, but very fast and silent. I recommend a solid state disc for C: (OS partition). Take a look at the write performance.
Western digital Raptor discs are fast, but also loud.
Which screen?
I recommend a full HD compatible screen with DVI and HDMI input. A large screen is essential for professional audio editing. If you consider to buy a laptop keep an eye on the screen resolution. I do no recommend screens with a resolution lower than 1280 × 800.
If you still got questions about hardware feel free to ask us!
Best Regards,
Markus and Bastiaan
