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#1
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"Gearing Up" Advice
I am purchasing a dedicated PT computer - to be used only for Pro tools recording and mixing in my non-commercial (but important to me!) studio. I use a lot of virtual instruments and, after all aux's and effects sub tracks I can have quite a few tracks in a typical session
Interface: UAD Apollo X8 + Apollo X16 (And lots of UAD PI's) Outboard gear (for now): 2 Neve Portico II Preamps Empirical labs EL8 Dangerous Music 2Bus+ for Summing Neve Portico II Master Bus Processor Avid surface controller Plan is to purchase a PC (no mac please) with 32 DDR4 minimum for RAM. Not opposed to having one built or purchasing (though most big vendors seem to have no clue about Pro Tools) I have a budget of up to 2500 USD for a PC (not including monitor) and would be interested in suggestions for CPU, Motherboard, Drive configurations for that budget. I could go higher but am interested in suggestions for that price range. Considering i9 9900k (does PT really utilize overclocking?) versus 10900K. With adler lake cpus/DDR5 looking like its arriving as early as late next year, this may only be a 2 year max investment. Any informed insights would be GREATLY appreciated!!! |
#2
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
You will need a lot of cables and spend more than you can imagine on them. A patchbay may be in your future. If you can solder, it will reduce your wiring costs.
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#3
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
HP is having a pretty good sale on their Z workstations. You can configure with i9 or Xeon processors. I just picked up a Z2 SFF G4 at a big discount. If you configure it bare minimum memory and drive, you can upgrade those items yourself for significant savings.
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PT 2023.12 DP 11.3 MOTU M4 HP Envy 8G i7 Quad Laptop Win11 PT 2023.12 DP 11.3 828es ADA8200 MTP-AV 2023 MB Air Sonoma VEP 7.x with various VIs on HP Z2 G4 Xeon Workstation Win11 |
#4
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
If you are comfortable with building your own PC, you can get all around better components for the build and get more bang for the buck. That being said, Protools has a history of being finicky about what hardware you use and you'll need to scour this forum for the latest recommendation and proven parts to use. With Windows, you have to follow the optimization steps carefully to minimize unexpected issues. One thing that we have learned here is that a PC built for powerful gaming does not necessarily translate to a great PC for your Protools DAW. I know you said no Apple Macs, and I can appreciate that sentiment, but one of the reasons Mac are popular for Protools is that is has less variables that can go wrong. Regardless, Windows works if you keep to the tried and tested components and configuration settings mentioned above.
If you are not inclined to build your own PC, it might be a good idea to get a PC built for DAW use such as the Creation Station series from Sweetwater. They also have great customer support from people that actually know about Protools and other DAWs. Check with them as they constantly update their models to keep current with the newest processors and components.
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Obsidian Dragon
MacbookPro14,3 - Intel Core i7 3.1 GHz, 16 GB MacOS 13.6.4 running Protools 2024.3 Mac Studio M1Max - 64GB MacOS 14.3.1 running Protools 2024.3 |
#5
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
Hey Philgrab - thanks but forgot to mention I have a switchcraft 64 point and all cabling required, and a bit extra actually. Of course the 2Bus + has DB25 connecting to UAD x16 which I just got to have adequate I/O for summing
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#6
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
Quote:
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#7
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
Sweetwater and pro-tools-pc.com both do Pro Tools-specific PC's. The 8 and 16GB RAM options are for people with bigger ideas than pocketbooks(sounds like you are not that customer) Are the Apollo units thunderbolt? If yes, the PC needs to be built with that in mind as it can be impossible to add later on.
Are you new to the UA world? If you know it well and know the pitfalls, then carry on. If you are considering it because others recommend it(but you have little experience with it), you might want to do some more research. As good as the hardware is, there are some limitations you should learn about. And, while the plugins sound great, they are expensive(you can make great recordings without any UA, just as you can WITH UA).
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HP Z4 workstation, Mbox Studio https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...0sound%20works The better I drink, the more I mix BTW, my name is Dave, but most people call me.........................Dave |
#8
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
Quote:
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Obsidian Dragon
MacbookPro14,3 - Intel Core i7 3.1 GHz, 16 GB MacOS 13.6.4 running Protools 2024.3 Mac Studio M1Max - 64GB MacOS 14.3.1 running Protools 2024.3 |
#9
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
I agree - most seem to know about gaming and NOTHING about Pro Tools/DAW config. Which is why I'm steering clear of the big names - They keep ending up with workstations that would be awesome for 3D computer modeling (which I also do - but have another computer for work - this is PT only). I will wait and see what their quote looks like.
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#10
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Re: "Gearing Up" Advice
UAD units are all thunderbolt 3 so that's part of the mix. I happen to really like the UAD hardware and totally love most of the plug ins I have purchased (all on sale of course) and a few are go to's that end up on every mix. The Apollo's are rock-solid pieces of gear but that's my preference - There are so many awesome options for gear!!!
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