VO-BB - 20 YEARS OLD!

The Freshman · Guest

Building a new DAW and I'm just curious what others are using for their CPU requirements.
Are you using Intel or AMD, and why?
I guess I should also ask, who is using a Mac or Pc?
I understand the stability of Mac OS but is it worth the premium for the branding?

Sorry if I am requesting previously posted poll.

Bill Campbell · DC Joined: 09 Mar 2007 Posts: 621

A computer for "Branding"? Funny.

Don't get too caught up in equipment. It won't earn you a living. Just a tool.

In my studio and at home, I use four mid-priced Dells. Two in use, two for back-up. Never had a problem.

Even doing as much as 16 seperate track production, these Dells are quick and reliable. Adobe Audition, great software for audio production, runs
easily on modest computers.

As in many creative endeavors, it's the INDIAN not the ARROW.

Now, DROP AND GIVE ME TWENTY, FRESHMAN!!
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Hart · Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 8:23 am Post subject:

I've either used or setup somewhere around 30 DAWS I guess. I'm sure George and some others have done way more but I do have a little experience here.

For basic VO work you can load Audition on basically anything that meets the minimum requirements and be just fine. But in general I recommend and prefer using a true Intel Pentium chip (Audition can get funny with Celeron). I've set up maybe 5 machines with AMD chips and as far as I know they all did fine - never heard any complaints.

(one caveat - all were loaded with Audition 1.5 or earlier)

Like Bill I've now gotten to the point in my studio I say to heck with it and have a Dell desktop and a Dell laptop. They work fine. I use either Audtion 1.5 or 3.0 on these. Dropped 2.0 as soon as the 3.0 upgrade came out.
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georgethetech · Posted: Thu Nov 27, 2008 11:00 am Post subject:

Can I suggest we start making a FAQ Sticky for the GEAR section? I'd like this to be part of it. Not to toot my own horn, but I have many posts that if archived together might make an entire "home studio How To" FAQ. TOOOT!! There are other contributors like Frank Frederick who's sage advice has helped thousands. Let me know if you want help with that, Dierdre Smile

For VO, your requirements are as simple as you can get.
As long as your computer/OS is compatible with your software/audio interface, you are golden. I've been recording to computers for 15 years, trust me, anything you can buy today from any retailer will work for recording VO. Pick an audio interface and software you like, then pick a computer that is compatible.
When it comes down to it, the CPU is not the problem as much as it is the chipset. Some audio interface manufacturers will tell you specifically which chipsets are known NOT to work with their hardware. One of the prominent reasons I push non-tech heads (people that don't like fixing or maintaining their computers on a regular basis) to Mac is that when you buy one there are very few variables involved. You are GUARANTEED that everything will work together, and that audio interface you buy that is Mac compatible WILL WORK with your Mac, thanks to their Core Audio driver standard. Now that we are well into the Mac OS Leopard era (1 yr), every Mac recording software out there will run on it.
And when it comes to your software, especially when it comes to reliability and "snappyness", newer is often NOT better. Notice many on these forums like older versions of Audition, for example. There is a good reason for that. It's leaner, simpler, and more than fulfills the needs of a VO artist recording auditions at home. I have a client running an 8 year old Mac with the original OS and Digidesign interface because it is reliable and does the job. I upgraded almost his entire studio when he built a new one, but we left that system untouched.
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The Freshman · Guest

Thanks for the replies. I enjoy listening to experience and learning from ya's.

"Amen! to the sticky suggestion soundgun".

steveanthony · Posted: Sun Nov 30, 2008 7:52 am Post subject:

If you're recording and editing in the same room, keep in mind that fan noise can get picked up when recording. The MacMini is the quietest machine I've worked with. It's versatile, too, in that it can run Mac OS or Windows (or both at the same time with Parallels or VM Fusionware). If you go the MacMini route, get the memory upgrade.