Q: Is an "audio only" pc still a good idea?
A: Yes, a VERY good idea.

bean,

You could also do what I've done. I run a dual-boot system. My recording system boots with only the internet (available but not active always) and my recording software. My other boot option is a fully configured computer.

You will notice a slowdown in your computer when recording if you leave everything running and enabled. A stripped down system is MUCH more stable.

How do you properly do a dual boot?
What do you mean by "everything running"?
I guess antivirus always runs. Do you mean disableing all unused ports, etc?
I thought that with a modern, fast pc means you can have a box that does it all??
Oh well it gives me an excuse to build another PC.
No complaints here! Lol.

if you have 1 HD, partition it, and install the os on both of the partition.
else, you can just install the os on each hard drive.

i'm not sure w/ everything running, but maybe it's the programs and services are fully running on startup.

if you know how to fully optimize your pc, and depending on your pc spec right now, you may not need a new one.

Just like fomoffu said, a dual boot is when you have the operating system (xp pro in my case) installed on two different hard drives or two different partitions of the same drive. When you turn on the computer (boot up) you have 2 options for which operating sytem you want.

My first one is the "normal" pc. By everything running, I mean that the typical programs and processes are running by default. After you have a computer for a little while, there are a ton of programs and processes that will run in the background to keep everything at an optimal state, or so the purpose is. This stuff really drags down the processing power for the computer, and can greatly decrease the performance of your DAW software. The only trouble is that when it is disabled you lose a little functionality for day to day operations.

With the dool boot, I am allowed to keep my other partition and OS pretty stripped down. I keep the internet available so that I can download updates and upload clients' songs to my server, but during recorded I keep my wireless card disabled. I manually have gone through and optimised the computer for recording by disabling all of the unecessary processes that run in the background.

If you want more info about how to dual boot, you should check out http://www.pcmech.com and go to their forums. You can also do a search here and on the internet on how to optimise your computer for recording. Just be safe and don't do just anything you see written. Try to either verify with someone on a forum that it is a safe action or make sure that it shows up in two different lists on how to optimise. It will take some work but can provide great benefits.

Sorry to almost spam, but why in the 2005 do you still believe that a computer works better if dedicated for audio only????????
Use an OSX computer and you can do audio/video/internet/files sharing/massive downloads/graphics/games and more at the same time

Yes computers will run more than audio apps, but my car will also run quite happily with loads of heavy boxes in the boot (trunk for you US guys 'n' gals). It runs better without them though. Its about performance and stability.

Your much less likely to encounter problems with just a few apps running than lots of different apps which may cause things to get a little screwy!

It's entirely up to you. If you want or need to run other apps, then do it. It's a trade off at the end of the day. How much do you really need to have on your machine. I once helped a friend who was having a problem with his workstation crashing and messing up generally. When i looked at his machine he had 129 processes running simultaneously!! His machine just didn't know what was going on :?

Dual Boot is an option, or for even more piece of mind, install a caddy for your main system drive. Set one up for Audio only and the other for 'general' use. When you boot your machine, just choose the drive that you want to use.

Someday wrote: Sorry to almost spam, but why in the 2005 do you still believe that a computer works better if dedicated for audio only????????
Use an OSX computer and you can do audio/video/internet/files sharing/massive downloads/graphics/games and more at the same time

Why in 2005 do you still believe that MAC's can do things that PC's can't? PC's can do all of that and more, but by dedicating your machine (regardless of platform) to a specific task you maximize it's performance for that task. In the case of audio, more tracks, more plugins, more samples etc. Contrary to your seriously misinformed views MAC's are not super computers capable of feats that mear mortal PC's cannot attain. Perhaps "Someday" you will understand this simple concept, maybe in 2006.

I will try a win xp on a second hard drive. I did install win xp on 2 partitions on the same drive. It did not work. Would not boot. I had to reformat and reinstal one one partition only.
I just thought maybe the audio only pc was a concern when cpu's were running @ 500 mhz.
I could build a new pc, fresh windows instal, instal cubase, reason, drivers, etc, and then "ghost " what I have.
Then let's sy every month or so reformat and "ghost" my image back.
Voila, a clean system every month.
Would that be ok?
Not gonna go mac. If I ever decide to go protools, an athlon 64 system will out do the mac.

Yes, XP can do everything... on the paper. In the real world XP and Microsoft is just a compilation of bugs

Someday wrote: Yes, XP can do everything... on the paper. In the real world XP and Microsoft is just a compilation of bugs

Ahhh - that must be why I have 6 computers in the house running 24-7 (for the most part) - all running XP - and I never have to mess with any of them.

:roll:

Get your head out of the sand, dewd.

I run both PC and Mac. G4 for PT and a custom built PC for Avid. I'll be upgrading PT soon. I'm not gonna get a Mac - I can get a machine just as capable for less than half the money - and trust me it'll work as well as any Mac.

Dual Boot rocks for multi-purpose DAWs! My main "Internet PC" has an XP-Pro install that is up-to-date will all of the MS updates, and Antivirus, Spybot Tea Timer, Networking, Firewall, MS Office, etc etc.

My second XP-Pro install is on a dedicated OS drive, and has the base XP-Pro SP-2 installed w/o ANY MS updates, and DAW optimized for maximum DAW horsepower (no networking, no Firewall, no Antivirus, no Spybot, no System Restore, no MS Office, etc etc).

I had an issue with Nuendo 2.1 crashing on my "multipurpose Internet install". This was shortly after I installed some MS security updates. I was just playing around, so nothing important was lost. But I have YET to have ANY issues with my DAW optimized OS's on 2 different PC's (no crashes yet - fingers crossed).

Someday, Someday will understand the power, flexibility & BRUTE POWER of a modern PC. If MAC would EVER get even 10% of the PC marketshare, you will see all kinds of Viruses popping up for Mac's. With a measely 2.7% of the market share, Mac's are not a worthwhile effort for Hackers and virus writers. Maybe the "affordable" Mac Mini (what, $700 with a monitor?) will be the start of a wonderful new virus ridden Mac platform :wink:. Sorry for the rant /end rant...

:cool:

Someday, Someday will understand the power, flexibility & BRUTE POWER of a modern PC. If MAC would EVER get even 10% of the PC marketshare, you will see all kinds of Viruses popping up for Mac's. With a measely 2.7% of the market share, Mac's are not a worthwhile effort for Hackers and virus writers. Maybe the "affordable" Mac Mini (what, $700 with a monitor?) will be the start of a wonderful new virus ridden Mac platform . Sorry for the rant /end rant...

Amen Brother! 8-) :D

Most of the people i know are switching to Mac, apart one who switched to XP.
He told me all that crap about XP and that is costs less.
This is an illusion. He wanted to build an XP Avid workstation.
Now he has 3 PCs (one for Avid, one for Graphics and one for Web) not because there are 3 people using it... in fact he is the only user, but because his Avid is already maxed and unstable, no internet due to virus attacks, and he has to hire a "nerd" to make his sistem work, at least one day a month.
So, even one Powermac G5 costs less money, fatigue and desperation than 3 XPs, and one or two nerds.
I'm happy that some of you are running XP flawlessy, exceptions are always allowed.

Could we please get back on topic?
I did not want a mac vs pc thread.

I always use a computer to do the job I ask

I just don't get why I'd want to use a computer that is sitting in the top of the rack in the equipment room to surf the net ?

or why I'd want to use a computer in the road case that is part of the mobile rig to do some Photoshop work ?

My Mac with PT HD loaded doesn't go on the net ... period
it is for work
and neither do the PC's with PT and the other audio softwares
... yes I have both and have done so since the start .. including Ataris with SoundTools

I try to have a spare unit nearby, fully loaded and ready to go just incase there is a failure and that's the way I run all my systems both here and at work. I guess I have the TV Broadcast BackUp mentality and can't shake it

just won't accept lost time

My Digi rep hates me cos I drive him hard and make him do what I want and not what Digidesign wants. Perhaps thats why I don't have trouble. Every thing is used in test BEFORE it goes into service and if it can't do the job ... it's out.

surfing the net is not on

I have net machines for that ...

ALL computers are cheap now so why bother with a multi machine ?
... unless it's your fun laptop toy.

I find your opinion "a frustrated Windows user opinion".
The strenght of a computer is it's capability to "serve" the owner.
So a real computer could be a DAW from 8 to 17, a Websurfer from 17 to 18, you could create some Logic icons with Photoshop (and post them at http://www.logicprofiles.com, thanks! ;) ) from 18 to 19, download some crap from 19 to 20 and use it as jukebox for your party from 20 to 21, editing your holyday's film from 21 to 23, and uploading to your remote webserver a new website done with Golive from 23 to 24.
What's wrong in using a computer as a computer????

Part of the issue, I'm sure, is what you expect your audio computer to do. I use mine for location recording. I choose to keep it extremely clean because I need to be able to count on recording 24 tracks for 2 1/2 hours straight without dropping a single sample - and I can do that with my XP-based DAW.

The other computer I use for burning disks, printing disks, email, web work, graphcis, video editing, gaming (if I ever have time for it), and all that other stuff. Having the second machine for everything else means I can install something silly to play with even if I have an important gig tomorrow night, and I know I'm not risking the reliablity of my recorder.

The other nice thing is that I can be running a lengthy mixdown or noise reduction on the DAW and be burning and labeling with the other machine.

Even Mac useres (I know a few) will dedicate ONE MACHINE to one application. One guy I know runs 3 Macs and 3 PC's, and he loves them all. But even his Mac's are DEDICATED to one app each (soft synths, etc). None of his "Professional" computers go online.

If you want to play with fire, using your main computer to do everything is risky at best (with Mac OR PC).

:cool:

Hahahah, funny, very funny. I'm sorry for your Mac switcher. Maybe the Mac seller didn't tell him that Mac are computers, real ones.
The myth that you shouldn't go online may stay with Micro$oft, but keep such idiocies out of the Mac world. THANKS!

Someday wrote: I find your opinion "a frustrated Windows user opinion".

funny
the assumption here is I don't use windows
I do have more windows machines that any other and yes they get used for all things including computing. Accounting and PCB manufacture and Speaker Modelling and design ... CAD packages etc ... and more
The Audiofile and Logic 3 don't use Windows and neither does the old LMS video systems.

If they get upgraded then they will use Windows BUT you wouldn't be able to see the computer contained within.

I guess I should point out that many of my computers are in specialist looking boxes and don't look like computers at all. If you need the net then use the net computer on the desk right next to you ... why use the Audio gear that is located in the equipment room ???

They are just tools to do a job.

simple answer to a simple question: a dedicated computer for audio work is in any situation, or plattform (even i am a hardcore mac head, but it doesn't really matter!!!) A VERY GOOD IDEA, for stability reasons and performance... of the overall system, it comes to count specially if you have work to do and need to get a job done in time...

audio only computer: YES in any case...
a.

Audio only?

I am thinking of combining video editing and audio on one machine, so it will effectively be a DAVW. If I keep the video-data on a seperate harddisk and just do one or the other (I can't imagine doing both at the same time) will it hurt either performance?

Someday wrote: Yes, XP can do everything... on the paper. In the real world XP and Microsoft is just a compilation of bugs

I run two computers - a 3Ghz PIV with WinXP and a Mac G5 dual 2Ghz. They were bought and installed at the same time.

The PC has yet to crash. Unfortunately, the Mac is into double digits... they run different software, but do basically the same tasks. They are both audio workstations. The Mac with ProTools (which admittedly hasn't crashed yet) and DSP Quattro, and the PC with Cubase SX and Sound Forge.

R.

Today's computers are faster and better, but they still can only do one thing at a time. When audio is being recorded or played back, NOTHING else can be running or interrupting - period. Thus, with any computer, one could go through the involved process of turning everything not needed off, everytime one wanted to do audio(Or video), or have a seperate, pre-prepared system, just for such "streaming" uses, or a dual-boot multi-partition system.

For me, instead of a dual-boot system or seperate computer boxes, I have 1 box, with seperate hard drives, on "drawers", for each use.

1. My "play" drive - with OS, internet, printer, scanner, word processing and "everything else" software/devices installed and tweeked.

2. My "work" drive - with OS, backup software, audio software, whatever else I need, all specifically tweeked specifically for audio(An on-going process.) - that's all. I DO have internet and VP/FW, but disable it as soon as it boots up, unless I need to go for updates or mods.

3. "Data " drive. Stays in most of the time as the second drive, holds all "finished" data and also serves as the "temp files" drive for my audio software.

4. "Backup" drive. Goes into the , generally, empty, 3rd. drawer, when I want to backup(Or restore) a drive.

5. "Test" drive(s) - One or more drives to test major new software/devices before installing into my other system drives. With backup software, like Norton Ghost, I can "prep" any number of test drives by copying over a saved version of either my work or play drives, in any saved configuration, depending only on how many backups my BU drive(s) will hold. Convenient!

I do, at the moment, have the 4th. EIDE position occupied by an internal CDRW, but, I have a new USB DVD/CD drive sitting here to be installed when I get around to it or when I need a 4th. HD, at the same time(It's been sitting here so long waiting that I will very likely upgrade this never-used drive before it ever even gets installed once..!). These days it's plenty cheap to have several HD's, certainly less confusing and complex than other seperation methods. A busy person could easily have seperate data drives "per customer/project"! Or even entire drive systems devoted only to one project.

Of course, the abiity to pull out at least the backup drive and put it elsewhere, out of the box, is obvious... Also obviously, when I do build a new or second machine for hardware backup, I'll have only to install drawers and I'm ready-to-go. For now though(For the last 8 years...) I can put ALL my attention, and money, into ONE box, without having to compromise quality due to trying to maintain multiple boxes. One box HAS left me hanging a time or two - in fact one machine literally BLEW-UP, but even that was quickly fixed! All that said, I would prefer to have a second machine available, no question......

Drawers are 15 or 20 bucks, with accessory drive "racks" available for even less. Easy to install and available at, among other places, CompUSA.

TG