What are the ideal PC/Mac specs for a recording computer?

  • Just curious to know what everyone is using? The quality of the tracks on the forums are always really good, and I'm interested in knowing what everyone is using.


    I've been wanting to build a new PC after I sold my iMac and was just about to put together a Ryzen 5900X system until I stumbled upon the fact that Universal Audio devices do not play well with AMD chips.


    After a lot of cursing, I figured I would get a new iMac (and I am literally kicking myself for selling the old one, which was good enough).


    Let me know what you're using and how it works for you. Also, feel free to post any tracks you have recorded using your machine,

  • Brother AJ, I'd wait 'til the iMac receives the M1-chip update (Apple Silicon).


    It shouldn't be long before new models appear; new MacBook Air, MacBook and Mac mini models will hit the stores next week.


    The M1-equipped iMacs will destroy the current line performance-wise and in theory should also run more-quietly and cooler. As a bonus, they're likely to be cheaper too based upon the pricing of next week's new models.

  • Hi, nightlight.


    All my computers and laptops are Microsoft Surface. They have USB 3 but not Thunderbolt. This ruled out the Universal Audio. That's okay. I got the RME Babyface Pro FS.


    If you want to understand the RME - read this thread on their forum. The Official Babyface Pro Thread ? This covers five years of the product's history (predecessors to current FS model). It's a long thread, but you will understand and get answers to all your questions there.


    You'll find tonnes of comparison reviews online. Make sure you are comparing the RME Babyface Pro FS (the current, latest model).


    I haven't tried re-amping yet, BUT the RME representative said, "Use the analog inputs." (there are four of them). He said it would be simpler, and I would get just-as-good results as digital.


    I haven't gotten around to recording much yet, but from what I can see, the RME and accompanying software work well with my computers.


    ST

  • Brother AJ, I'd wait 'til the iMac receives the M1-chip update (Apple Silicon).


    It shouldn't be long before new models appear; new MacBook Air, MacBook and Mac mini models will hit the stores next week.


    The M1-equipped iMacs will destroy the current line performance-wise and in theory should also run more-quietly and cooler. As a bonus, they're likely to be cheaper too based upon the pricing of next week's new models.

    Yeah all true but what Plug Ins will work and what other software than apples ?

    could take long time before get a running system with M1

  • It won't take long, mate.


    1) The PPC -> Intel switch was quick and well-supported through Universal Binary apps and plugins. Apple learned from that transition, good as it was, and will make this one even-better.


    2) Rosetta worked back then and will work better now.


    3) Compiling for Apple Silicon Arm couldn't be easier and takes minutes, so 3rd-party support won't be delayed too-long.


    The only caveat IMHO is that Apple software will be the most-efficient from the get-go with most other authors behind the 8 ball... for a little while.


    Most plugin and DAW authors will be all over it, with one obvious, predictable exception IMHO - Digidesign / Avid. If you're on ProTools, I'd definitely wait. Could be a long one too.

  • 2) Rosetta worked back then and will work better now.

    To clarify 'cause I stated it as "fact" without qualification:


    Whereas Rosetta, during the PPC -> Intel transition, translated apps and plugins in real time, this time it'll do so during installation, writing the translated file/s transparently.


    So, while there'll likely still be a small CPU hit due to the inefficiencies of source-file coding (something 3rd parties will be working to improve as we speak in order to optimise for AS for running natively), the realtime translation of plugins and whatnot will not be necessary this time, so IMHO it's reasonable to expect that the hit will be much-smaller.


    It remains to be seen whether or not DAWs themselves perform (or even run) similarly under Rosetta translation to how they would when eventually coded for Big Suhr and AS.


    Of course, Logic and Final Cut Pro users will be spoiled from the get-go.



  • I thought about a silicon Mac, but right now, it seems like we won't see more professional models till sometime next year.


    I'll also prefer to let the technology mature and more developers to start programming for it.


    Leaning towards an Intel-based Mac at the moment, my last one was with me for five years and if I get that much life out of it, I'm okay. Don't really need the latest tech, just need a solid and dependable system for recording.


    What about specs? What do you guys have in your machines?

  • What about specs? What do you guys have in your machines?

    2012 12-core Cheese Grater with 3.3 GHz Intel Xeon 5680 processors, AJ. I swapped the chips out as-planned when I bought the tower as an 8-core 2.4 (or 2.8?) GHz baseline model once the CPU price had dropped to sub-$200 levels.


    Long-in-the-tooth and blown away by all and sundry in the last 5+ years, and yet many pros still rely on these beasties as they await something much-more-powerful that doesn't cost an arm and a leg like last year's Mac Pro. AS will deliver big-time on both fronts IMHO. The new and still-to-come laptops will blow it out of the water and desktop fans have high hopes for the Mac Pro when it drops based on what we've seen so far.


    Apple has knocked it out of the park with the M1. It'll be exciting to see what results from the inevitable scaling-up for the Mac Pro line.

    isnt rosetta slowing down performance very much ??

    Firstly, nobody knows for sure in an audio-production environment 'cause the units aren't in-store yet.


    Secondly, I outlined why it should perform better than the previous Rosetta. Pre-rendering apps and plugins should result in much-better performance than real-time translation 'cause the latter would add to the CPU hit every time you run anything in real-time, which is what we audio peeps do out of necessity.

  • While I see the point of Monkey_Man with the silicon chip thing, this market wants you to think you need to change your gear with their latest bells and whistle every year and it's aggravating to me. I'm still rocking a refurbished imac 2014 I got for quite cheap, it's nice and I love it. I do all my Logic work on it as well as video editing (Adobe After Effects and Final Cut), it's has been going strong for the most part (I keep it clean and avoid plugins/software that take up too much resources.) I also still have a trusty Macbook from somewhere between 2010-12 that I use as a backup or to travel. I don't think I'll even upgrade my dinosaurs anytime soon.