building a computer...

i want to build a computer that i can use w/ my mpc. any suggestions on what i should go for? (what sound card....interface....programs...etc..) or would it be easier to just buy a computer thats popular for mpc users. i dont wanna make a decision ill regret.

Well their is a lot to mention when comes to building or buying a computer

1st off, at this point the majority of the people out their got 32 Bit processing but now for the 1st time in 13 years their is a new machine
called the 64 Bit processor (Athlon 64 Processor 3200)

64 Bit processing machines will give you at least 122% performance increase in Video rendering and Audio Production compared to lets say a Pentium 4 machine (was the latest thing on the shelf last month)

In a nutshell, if you want to be on the cutting edge with technology then you would be investing in a 64 Bit processing instead of a Pentium 4 machine.

The price tag on a Athlon 64 processor machine will set you back $1,100
(thats not including a Audiophile Sound Card which can purchase at Guitar Center)

If you want to get a basic machine without the latest processor you can cop a Pentium 4 computer for as little as $400.00 brand new at www.tigerdirect.com

I know i am using a lot of computer jargon but thats what you need to know to make an intelligent purchase

To run todays Music Software such as REASON, Fruity Loops, Cubase, Acid Pro, Cool Edit to name a few

your computer should have the following basic specs at a minimum

Pentium 4 Processor (If you get another processor it may not be compatiable with recording hardware such as PRO TOOLS)
256 MB Ram
40 Gig Hard Drive (those beatz take up a lot of space, i got a 120 Gig Drive)
Sound Card with ASIO drivers (Audiophile makes excellent sound cards)

The above is just some basic stuff to get you going
hollar back once you soak this up

one thing I'd like to add is that you should not take less than 512MB of RAM

256 ain't enough for Windows XP to really run well

512MB is a minimum
(I'm not saying it does not run with 256MB but it's not enough to be really "comfortable")

thanks cashstill for pointing me in the right direction and taking the time to break it down barney style.

misterv as you pointed out you can always have more RAM it wouldn't hurt

Actually, Win XP can run half way decent on 128 MB at a min.
when you add REASON and other music software packages
the machine performance drastically drops.

256 is a bare min amount of RAM to get i would say on a XP box when doing music.

512 is a more comfortable amount to enable you to multi task on different projects at one time.

1 Gig of RAM (if your machine can handle it) is the way to go if money is not a factor.

I know i spent a lot of money for the holidays so even cheap azz RAM can be difficult to cop this time of year. Brother pockets hurtin

The bottom line is cop as much RAM "you" can afford mane.

www.pricewatch.com have the cheapest sellers listed

I'd suggest looking into exactly what software/hardware you're going to want to use before building a computer. If you build the computer first you could end up being limited as to what hardware/software will work with the components you chose for your computer. If you know what music programs and hardware you want you can nose around in different forums and find out what's working and what's makin' everyone pull out their hair, you'll save yourself a lot of time, money and agrivation.

If all you want to do is work with software that will manipulate audio for importing into the MPC and recording stereo audio files then you can disregard most of what I just said and I would suggest software like ReCycle and Sound Forge w/ the Audiophile 24/96.

If you plan on doing serious audio work like multi-tracking just make sure all the parts you want to use(motherboard/chipset/processor/audio interface/software) will work together. Good luck!

hey coo, thats a good point

that's like Pro Tools is not compatiable with Celeron processors
always do your research before you start buying hardware / software

aiight heres what i suggest...the best way is ALWAYS to build your own computer from scratch...because that way you can optimize your computer for whatever you plan to use it for. i Just built a computer for about 1200 and it is GREAT
heres what i bought:
a
3.2GHZ pentium 4 processor with HT(Hyper Threading)

2 512MB DDR-RAM Chips which i run in a dual channel(D-RAM or RAMBUS
is also good)

a ASUS mother board with nothing onboard(no LAN card,sound card..etc its better to buy the seperate)

120GB Maxtor 7200 RPM Harddrive

ATI RAEDON 9600 128MB 8xAGP Video Card

Pioneer DVD +/- DVD RECORDER

Creative SOUND BLASTER CARD with MIDI

Its not the BEST possible computer money can buy..but it deffinatley can handle everything ive been using it for..from producing(with reason,fruity loops, cakewalk,cubase..etc) to Graphic editing, picture editing(photshop..etc),to web design with programs such as DREAMWEAVER MX, and even the latest PC games...when buying a computer here is what you will need

1.a CPU or Processor...you basically should chose between and AMD athlon or a Pentium 4...the 2 best available..HT)hyper threading) is also a good feature w the p4

2.a Mother Board.... Intel makes good mother boards and so does asus...just make sure the mother board is compatible with the processor u buy

3.a hard drive get as much as you can cause it fills up fast..id recommend atealst 80-120GB maxtor,baracuda both make good hardrives..make sure its atleast 7200 RPM

4.RAM just like with an MPC more ram the better...512MB will do but if you want a really strong machin i reccomend getting 2 512mb Ram sticks and running them in dual channel...or another more costly option is rd-ram or RAMBUS. I reccomend Samsung chipset ram..beacuse ive heard kingston doesnt function well in dual channel.

5.Video Card ...i recomend the ATI RAEDON series...they are the best...if the 9600 128mb should be fine..but if you will be doing alot of graphic realted stuff..get the 9800 pro..

6.DVD recorder or CD BURNER i recomend getting a DVD recorder beacsue you can store over 4GB on 1 DVD so its a great way to store music..samples...whatever u need...Pioneer is a very reliable brand and so is tdk..jus make sure it supports all 4 formats of recordable DVD,s DVD +,DVD-, DVD RW+,DVD RW-

7.Sound card if you will be using your computer for music alot get a GOOD one...creative has some ok ones..but theres alot better..research a little and youll find one thats good for you

8.Ethere net/LAN car..this is the card that gives you an input to plug into hig speed interene such as dsl just get a 10/100

finally you will need the CASE/HOUSE for the computer itself..comp usa has a nice selection..just choose one you like and make sure it has a POWER supply and enough USB ports...and if your CPU sisnt come with a fan you will need on of these..
well hope this helped u.
any more questions..jus get at me
1

I was in the same boat as you...best website to figure this out is www.audioforums.com. A whole bunch of DAW builders on that site, real helpful. People usually post working setups and what not. That said...remember you don't always need to go with the fastest possible configuration. The newest processors always look impressive but I'd recommend going with something that's been tested and proven...kind of like the "second" newest stuff. I'm running a P4 2.6ghz processesor with an Asus P4P mobo running logic, and let me tell ya, I haven't run into one problem even when running tons of tracks and plugins. It's all about matching up components properly, so make sure you do the research.