Hi everyone, I am in the process of deciding on a PC for in studio only audio production, 3D, 2D graphics, video editing. In this forum I’ll ask only about the audio questions.
I will be working with the following music genres:
Beat-based: pop music, progressive, drum n’ bass, jungle, techno, electronic that sounds instrumental, classical baroque.
Non-beat based: atmospheric ambient, drone, experimental and jazzy
I have past experience with Pro Tools (basic version), and I’ve tested Acid’s loop libraries of loops and they were extremely easy to use, and the different sounds synced automatically. I can also do basic audio file editing in Audacity.
So, I am looking for PC, hardware, and software advice. And this is what I have so far:
PC: I’ve been reading several articles on the web for PC builds for audio. Keep in mind mine will not only be for audio, but also for 4k video editing, 2d, and 3d work as well. I will probably load it with tons of RAM and HD space.
I will likely go with high end processor and Windows 10. I wanted to go with Linux, but my knowledge of resolving issues isn’t high enough, and I’m afraid I’d run into trouble with it. Also, there are programs that I want to use that have no compatibility with Linux.
Software: I was thinking of Live, but not for the purpose of live recording. But I will be blending the songs with one another as DJ sets made in studio. Some sets may be hours long, so that’s why I was thinking that Live might be more suitable as a DAW. I was also thinking of a combo with audio and video editing, such as Vegas Video, but I don’t know if it has all the features of a DAW… Anyway, I don’t know which one to chose. I need non-destructive editing sound filters too. I also need something that has tons of premade libraries of loops/samples that can sync together with each other, just like Acid used to have. But then as they are synced I want to be able to unchain certain sounds and be able to move them around so they are deliberately off sync. The libraries of sounds I would need are orchestral, choral, atmospheric effects, and also all kinds of beat based libraries. At this point, since I will be a beginner I will probably not be interested in making the beats myself, but to rather choose them from premade libraries. For example, I don’t want to try to make a samba or jazz beat from scratch, but to rather get it premade from a library of samba or jazz beats. Also, very important: as I lay out the MIDI I want to be able to gradually shift BPM from let’s say 125 BPM to 120, and automatically all the instruments would sync according to the slower BPM.
Hardware: I am looking for minimal amount of hardware because wires and hardware are beyond my level of understanding. I would need a regular 88 key MIDI keyboard because I play piano, and after playing I would dress the MIDI with the libraries of sounds. I would need studio headphones, and a recording microphone. I would rather not get any studio monitors, but would instead use the studio headphones. I would use basic cheap PC speakers to simulate how the music would sound for the average listeners who listen to music from their phone’s earbuds or they use basic PC speakers. I may also get a portable field recorder. I am confused on the difference between a sound card (such as Asus Essence STX II), and USB audio interface (such as Focusrite Scarlett 18i8). I thought that I would plug the microphone or external instruments to the sound card, but I guess it actually gets plugged in the USB audio interface. Anyway, hardware is quite confusing to me, so I’d rather have it to a minimum.
At the end, all audio will be brought and combined with video. I decided not to go with any Adobe products; instead I have to decide on Vegas Video, or Davinci Resolve, or something else… but the video editing questions I’ve posted in other forums because they are not audio related.
Thanks for the responses.