Learn design a computer for professional digital audio production.
Home computers designed to be professional audio workstations have traditionally been many times more expensive than a standard home computer. Today, while a digital audio workstation (DAW) still costs a little more than a standard home computer, the gap between the two has closed dramatically. Additionally, today's PC designed for digital audio is generally a standard home computer with additional professional audio interfaces. The price of professional digital audio software has also dramatically fallen, with many pro-audio companies now offering scaled-down versions of their flagship software in an effort to make this technology more affordable.
Instructions
1. Acquire a compatible motherboard, CPU and memory. Choose the CPU first. The CPU needs to have multiple cores. Then choose a motherboard compatible with the CPU. Next, choose RAM compatible with the motherboard. 4 GB or more of DDR3 is recommended for a new build.
2. Install the CPU and RAM to the motherboard. Install the motherboard to the computer case.
3. Install the optical drive, such as a DVD burner, and the two hard drives to the computer case and connect them to the SATA ports on the motherboard.
4. Install the operating system to only one of the hard drives. The second hard drive is used exclusively for audio work, such as recording.
5. Install the audio interface. If the interface is internal, such as a PCI-E card, turn off the computer and unplug the power before proceeding. If the interface is external, such as USB or FireWire, plug the cable into the computer while the operating system is running.
Tags: digital audio, home computer, standard home, standard home computer, compatible with, computer case, hard drives