Hi - I am going to buy a new computer. It is likely that it will be a
bundled PC (ie Dell/HP etc) and come with Windows 7. I have Special Edition / Plus standard libraries, App. Strings, and various download instruments. Is there anything that I need to be aware
of (or concerned about) or take into consideration regarding this change
in operation systems?
PS - Any tips or advice on a new PC purchase is also welcome.
Patrick
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A new PC
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Hi pbourke,
No troubles with i7.
On your new computer, please make sure that you are using the latest eLCC and the latest VSL software.
Also, please connect your ViennaKey with your licenses.If you have your sample content still available, simply copy it to your new computer. Then open the Directory Manager and drag this folder onto it. Here is a video on how to use the Directory Manage.
Best,
Paul
Paul Kopf Product Manager VSL -
Is there any reason for you to buy a bundled / prefixed machine ?
In the company we also get computers form HP now, because the admins have a deal with the support center of HP, so they don´t care for hardware defects andf let HP do the job. Maybe O.K. in such a situation.
But if you buy it for yourself, i would definately go for a customized model. If you don´t want to break your fingers, give your local computer shop 30 Euros and they build it for you ( makes sense especially when it comes to bigger, fancy CPU coolers. They can sometimes be a PITA to install, so better let the shop deal with guarantee issues, if something goes wrong....).
In any case, especially for dedicated music PCs, I would personally choose the components and handpick what you really need. The processor most often is not the point. But when it comes to the things like motherboard, power supply, CPU coolers etc. most often the pre build packages are not constructed very well regarding these points, only concentrating on the obvious marketing things like "2TB harddisc !! , media bay with 10 iphone connectors included, comes with triple crossover ultra demolition NVIDIA card [read comes with Prat & Witney turbo cooling known from the Airbus A380], fancy pink flashing LEDs and FREE CRYSIS 2" .......) . [;)]
A component that you will never hear a word about from the big vendors for example is the chipset for the Firewire ports. For realtime applications like music production, go straight for Texas Instruments and save yourself from trouble, e.g. if you want to use Firewire audio interfaces, TC Powercore, UAD satellite etc.
Motherboards are typical components as well, where the dicounters save money and don´t let the customer know.
Do yourself a favour and don´t buy the cheapest models. You may not need the extremely expensive server style boards, or the special overclocking gaming mobos.
Just pick a solid one, especially when it comes to cooling for things like northbridge, southbridge etc. You don´t need to be an expert, just look at the pictures from Asus, Gigabyte, Foxconn etc. If you see cheap, plastic-like looking components on the boards ~50 Euro compared to big & solid heatpipe constructions on the models ~120 Euro -> that´s the way to go.
Of course there can be exceptions of this rule of thumb. For example Asus used to offer cheaper models ( without "deluxe" prefix), very popular in the music business, because they lacked some features which the bigger models had and which sometimes made problems eventually giving IRQ conflicts with audio interfaces etc.
But usually the bigger boards have the better build quality and superior cooling & stability performance.
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Thank you. You have given me a lot to think about.
We have a few local shops that can custom build and I will speak with them before I make any purchase. One note... I have found that in many cases these shops know very liitle about using a computer for music composition. Most have never heard of sample libraries or know what a DAW is. They think the best soundcard is always a 'Soundblaster'. Their largest group of customers are gamers.
If I had some examples of configurations used by composers / VSL users, it would help in my discussions with these folks.
Thanks again
Patrick
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"Most have never heard of sample libraries or know what a DAW is."
That´s true. But I think, building a PC für music application is not rocket science.
I. Know what application you want use and see what specification is needed. Usually when you buy a new computer, the performance should be high enough unless you speak about exceptional high end systems. For benchmarking you can easily use the typical test sources like Tom´s hardware etc. If they benchmark processors with number crunching based on a mixture of Adobe photoshop, Prime 95 and and some kind of video rendering, that´s not so much different from sequecer software etc.
II.There are a lot of forum sources regarding special components like motherboards, power supplies, coolers and fans. Here you can also trust in the "Gamer´s World". Or ask your computer shop for a silent system and plan ~100 Euro on top for better hardware in that regime compared to 2 Euro fans and "boxed" CPU coolers.
III. If you use audio hardware like the ones I mentioned before from UAD, Liquid Mix, TC etc. go to their user forum websites before buying anything. There are lots of postings about system configuration, which chipsets work nice and which don´t and so on.
IV When the computer shop finds out, that you are a customer for a system in the mid or higher price range, don´t let them sell you a gamer graphics card. You don´t need that. Instead go for a standard or even low end model ( only make sure, that it offers the monitor connections you need, eventuay dual head for 2 TFTs, HDMI or whatever you like). Make sure that it has PASSIVE cooling.
V. Buy a stable power supply. These days you find lots of garbage statements about 800W power etc. Usually it is not so much about how many Watts you get, but how solid the construction and voltage stability is layouted. If you have two models, on 700W for 40 Euro and one 550W for 80 Euro -> take the more expensive one.
Some vendors also offer power requirement calculations on their website, where you input all the devices, which you plan to connect ( mobo, CPU , fans, HDs, DVD, graphic cards etc) and the calculator lets you know how much power you need. Unless you talk about hardcore gaming with highend crossover double cards, you won´t need more than 600 W in most cases.
For example something like this :
http://www.be-quiet.net/be-quiet.net/index.php?StoryID=17&ProductID=219&websiteLang=de
They also have the "Dark power" series, even more highend, but maybe overkill. Depends on your budget,
In any case, don´t buy the dicount no name china supplies for 30 Euro.
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If building it yourself, make sure to do enough research to make sure that all the components play nicely with each other. Things that "should" work well together, in practice don't always do so.
As already mentioned, if you will be using a firewire interface, make sure to go with a TI chipset. Although I am fairly certain you are talking desktop, to be safe, it is worth mentioning that current laptops are pretty much a disaster with firewire interfaces.
Strongly consider getting either a custom built computer by a DAW maker or if skilled at it, building your own. The makers of "off-the-shelf" systems tend to cut corners and use cheap components, something you do not want in a computer that will be running VSL. It is not that an HP or Dell cannot be used or won't work, it is simply that you will have a real possibility of having ongoing trouble - trouble that will be avoided by getting a quality machine for the intended use in mind. One other consideration, if you do have trouble, the type of help you would need to resolve problems is far outside the realm of what HP or Dell, etc., could provide. The DAW world is a very demanding technical, but niche, market.
Another limitation with most HP's, Dell's, etc. is a limited number of hard drives. As a slave computer, two may be enough to start, but eventually, you will likely find a need for three or four.
If you need to go with HP, consider looking into a server or business class machine. IIRC, components might be a bit better than those used in the "home" type computer.
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Hi Patrick
Do you want the new PC be a Vienna Ensemble Pro Server or your main DAW?
If you speak german and want to build a Vienna Ensemble Pro Server, maybe my Blog could be interesting for you. It's about builiding a low Budget
VE Server from an old Computer and i discuss also everything about networking stuff needed.
Michael
