Geekbox Audio Masterworks “Collector’s Edition” Review [Best Pro Tools Desktop]

[Skitch Bryant]

Over the years, I’ve owned quite a few “Pro Audio” specific computers as well as budget system’s I’ve either bought or built for myself. I’ve delved into the world of Apple as well as budget PC’s like Dell or HP, as well as built a couple of these on my own. I’ve learned a couple things that I figured I would pass along to the community and hopefully some of this is useful information to you guys in finding your next pro audio rig.

I won’t spend a lot of time talking about my past experiences with each of those as with any audio application, most is opinion and really up to the end user and what their needs are. With musicians, almost everyone’s needs are different, so I’m just going to tell you what works and review the current system that I’ve been running for the past two years.
Two years ago, I heard about this enthusiast shop in Northern Utah (Geekbox Computers) that specialized in custom built Desktops and Laptops. Instead of just selling normal computers, and branding them as “Pro Audio” or “CAD” or “Adobe” machines, they actually used specialized hardware that were designed specifically for what people do in those fields. SO I took the bait and checked it out. After speaking with one of their Pro Audio specialists, I was drawn to their “Collector’s Edition” as I specialize in Symphonic Orchestration, sampling, and massive multi-track recording and this system appeared to be loaded with hardware for that type of workload.

$2399 later (compared to $12k with the last MacPro I purchased), I got it home and unpacked it and the only words I could use to describe my feeling when seeing it hooked up was “….(speechless)….”. First, they use a super quiet case that has precision fans built in Germany for extremely quiet operation. Not only is the case quiet when it’s on, but if you happen to be recording in the same room as the computer, it comes with a full fan controller to disable the fans just while you are tracking so that there is no computer noise in your recordings. They also use a passive cooled heat sink for both the video card and processor so that those don’t generate any noise either.

All of their Pro Audio Masterworks Series machines come with native support with dual monitors, so I was easily able to hook up dual monitors. I actually prefer a large single monitor so I am currently using just a single Samsung t260 (GREAT monitor). My system came loaded with Windows Vista 32-Bit so all I had to do was load Pro Tools and my sample software and I was off to the races. Since the Collector’s Edition comes with two 10,000RPM hard drives in a tandem it only took minutes to get everything loaded and updated. Everything loaded, and I had no problems with compatibility and everything just worked. I was easily able to load my M-Audio Project Mix I/O, Guitar Rig 2 Kontrol, Midiman 2x2, and M-Powered Pro Tools 7.4 with no issues and set my default pair of speakers to use my fire-wire interface.

I fired up Pro Tools and it launched and loaded all of my plugins in record time for me. I loaded up a song I had previously created and had previously run into limits around 36 tracks of audio with about two plugins or sample software per track. It played beautifully on my new Geekbox. I had not had a chance to finish my orchestration nor add all of the instruments I wanted to have because of the limitations of my previous system (MacPro), so I decided to test the limits of my new system. I started tracking and actually got to the point where the song was exactly where I wanted which was right around 68 tracks of audio/virtual instruments. Not a hiccup. To this day I haven’t had any issues with my system; it’s been able to handle all of my audio needs well and without any freezing or crashing. In two years a lot has changed hardware wise, but because I bought current technology at the time and invested a little more in quality, this thing has beasted out every project I’ve thrown at it and I still have never found its limits.

Their artisans (as they call them) were patient with me as I’ve asked tons of questions, asked about hardware I should use, and even blew me away with their knowledge of actual recording techniques, great hardware and software to use with my specific setup and kept me within my budget. An hour with these guys was worth more than spending days talking to people at Musician’s Friend or Guitar Center because when these guys aren’t building these boxes they all seemed to be doing this stuff in their off time.

All in all, this system was well thought out, researched, and tested by people who actually do this every day, and man did that get passed along to my end user customer experience. When you buy cheap, you get cheap and there really is no exception to that rule. As an audio engineer, I can’t afford to have down time because I was too cheap to invest in a quality machine or try to get by with something that “works” but wasn’t actually built for what I do. So if anyone ever asks me who I recommend for a Pro Audio Desktop or Laptop, I will ALWAYS without fail recommend Geekbox Computers, because they gave me more than just an awesome system, they actually backed up what they sold me and didn’t tell me it wasn’t their problem when I needed help. Plus I forgot the coolest part; they never charge me for service. It’s some kind of free contract you get with each system you buy where you never pay for in-shop, phone, or remote desktop support. So I haven’t spent any money on maintenance, which is awesome.

Thanks for reading my review, please email me at skitch@mystictreestudios.com if you have any questions about my setup or rig and PLEASE do yourselves a favor and get a Geekbox for your next rig. You can hit up their website at www.geekbox.com or 1-888-geekbox, it is so worth it.

Click on this link: http://www.box.net/shared/2d8gpt5i52 to check out pictures of my setup and computer

[Skitch Bryant]

Over the years, I’ve owned quite a few “Pro Audio” specific computers as well as budget system’s I’ve either bought or built for myself. I’ve delved into the world of Apple as well as budget PC’s like Dell or HP, as well as built a couple of these on my own. I’ve learned a couple things that I figured I would pass along to the community and hopefully some of this is useful information to you guys in finding your next pro audio rig.
I won’t spend a lot of time talking about my past experiences with each of those as with any audio application, most is opinion and really up to the end user and what their needs are. With musicians, almost everyone’s needs are different, so I’m just going to tell you what works and review the current system that I’ve been running for the past two years.
Two years ago, I heard about this enthusiast shop in Northern Utah (Geekbox Computers) that specialized in custom built Desktops and Laptops. Instead of just selling normal computers, and branding them as “Pro Audio” or “CAD” or “Adobe” machines, they actually used specialized hardware that were designed specifically for what people do in those fields. SO I took the bait and checked it out. After speaking with one of their Pro Audio specialists, I was drawn to their “Collector’s Edition” as I specialize in Symphonic Orchestration, sampling, and massive multi-track recording and this system appeared to be loaded with hardware for that type of workload.

$2399 later (compared to $12k with the last MacPro I purchased), I got it home and unpacked it and the only words I could use to describe my feeling when seeing it hooked up was “….(speechless)….”. First, they use a super quiet case that has precision fans built in Germany for extremely quiet operation. Not only is the case quiet when it’s on, but if you happen to be recording in the same room as the computer, it comes with a full fan controller to disable the fans just while you are tracking so that there is no computer noise in your recordings. They also use a passive cooled heat sink for both the video card and processor so that those don’t generate any noise either.

All of their Pro Audio Masterworks Series machines come with native support with dual monitors, so I was easily able to hook up dual monitors. I actually prefer a large single monitor so I am currently using just a single Samsung t260 (GREAT monitor). My system came loaded with Windows Vista 32-Bit so all I had to do was load Pro Tools and my sample software and I was off to the races. Since the Collector’s Edition comes with two 10,000RPM hard drives in a tandem it only took minutes to get everything loaded and updated. Everything loaded, and I had no problems with compatibility and everything just worked. I was easily able to load my M-Audio Project Mix I/O, Guitar Rig 2 Kontrol, Midiman 2x2, and M-Powered Pro Tools 7.4 with no issues and set my default pair of speakers to use my fire-wire interface.

I fired up Pro Tools and it launched and loaded all of my plugins in record time for me. I loaded up a song I had previously created and had previously run into limits around 36 tracks of audio with about two plugins or sample software per track. It played beautifully on my new Geekbox. I had not had a chance to finish my orchestration nor add all of the instruments I wanted to have because of the limitations of my previous system (MacPro), so I decided to test the limits of my new system. I started tracking and actually got to the point where the song was exactly where I wanted which was right around 68 tracks of audio/virtual instruments. Not a hiccup. To this day I haven’t had any issues with my system; it’s been able to handle all of my audio needs well and without any freezing or crashing. In two years a lot has changed hardware wise, but because I bought current technology at the time and invested a little more in quality, this thing has beasted out every project I’ve thrown at it and I still have never found its limits.

Their artisans (as they call them) were patient with me as I’ve asked tons of questions, asked about hardware I should use, and even blew me away with their knowledge of actual recording techniques, great hardware and software to use with my specific setup and kept me within my budget. An hour with these guys was worth more than spending days talking to people at Musician’s Friend or Guitar Center because when these guys aren’t building these boxes they all seemed to be doing this stuff in their off time.

All in all, this system was well thought out, researched, and tested by people who actually do this every day, and man did that get passed along to my end user customer experience. When you buy cheap, you get cheap and there really is no exception to that rule. As an audio engineer, I can’t afford to have down time because I was too cheap to invest in a quality machine or try to get by with something that “works” but wasn’t actually built for what I do. So if anyone ever asks me who I recommend for a Pro Audio Desktop or Laptop, I will ALWAYS without fail recommend Geekbox Computers, because they gave me more than just an awesome system, they actually backed up what they sold me and didn’t tell me it wasn’t their problem when I needed help. Plus I forgot the coolest part; they never charge me for service. It’s some kind of free contract you get with each system you buy where you never pay for in-shop, phone, or remote desktop support. So I haven’t spent any money on maintenance, which is awesome.

Thanks for reading my review, please email me at skitch@mystictreestudios.com if you have any questions about my setup or rig and PLEASE do yourselves a favor and get a Geekbox for your next rig. You can hit up their website at www.geekbox.com or 1-888-geekbox, it is so worth it.

Click on this link: http://www.box.net/shared/2d8gpt5i52 to check out pictures of my setup and computer

[Benoni]

Nice PC. Good alternative for those who do not wish to build one thereselves.

[Skitch Bryant]

"Hi Skitch,

I read your review of your Geekbox computer on the DUC and thought I'd check
in with you.

Basically are there any new things to report, good or bad? From the
research I've done it looks to be a great machine. Any conflicts with
ProTools M-Powered?

Does yours have the EVGA motherboard? I notice most folks on the DUC are
building with either a GIGABYTE or ASUS mobo.

Also, does the Geekbox still seem super quiet as far as fan noise etc.?

Thanks for your time and any further insights you may have to offer on this
computer.


John Roberts
Richmond, TX

ProTools M-Powered 8.03
M-Audio ProFire2626 interface
Win XP 32bit
Intel Quad Q6600 cpu
ASUS P5K mobo (currently not working). "

[Skitch Bryant]

John,
Things are still great! I actually just got done working on a pop/rock
project for a female vocalist which ran around 22 Tracks with about 1-2
plugins per track. The system handled it GREAT. I'm still using M-Powered & LE Pro Tools 8.0.4 (the latest release) under Windows 7 32-bit and haven't run into any issues with any compatibility or anything. The Collector's Edition
from Geekbox does I believe use an EVGA X58 motherboard. I've been very
happy with it's performance and how quiet it is. As far as I understand
Gigabye actually owns ASUS now and they both have pretty bad track records as far as reliability goes for the past two years or so since the
acquisition. That's one reason why I trusted Geekbox in their building,
EVGA boards are a little more pricey, but I've now owned this system almost
3 years (in March 2011) and I haven't had a single hardware failure nor any
issues other than waiting for various Pro Tools or Plugin updates. I run my OS and Pro Tools on a Striped RAID 0 and record to a 1TB MIRROR RAID Set and it's never broken or had to rebuild in the last couple years.

As far as the quietness of the system I'm outstandingly impressed. I do
have my system in my main control room and when I walk into the room and the computer is on and processing, it's literally so silent I don't realize it's
on and I hit the power button to now realize I'm shutting down my machine.
There is also a button on the front of the tower to make it even quieter if
I am recording in the same room as my computer. I don't, so I've never used
it, but I can't imagine this thing being any quieter than it is already.
It's great.

All in all, the Geekbox guys have been there for every question I've had
which to me is sometimes more important than just an awesome computer. You and I are artists/engineers...the only real resource we have is the forums,
which isn't always helpful. It's a great tool to have to be able to call
them instead of having to search the internet for answers. Let me know if
you have any other questions or wonder anything else about my setup.

Just give Geekbox a call [1-888-geekbox] and ask for Dan, I promise you it
will be a great experience.

[Skitch Bryant]

"Hi Skitch,

I read your review of your Geekbox computer on the DUC and thought I'd check
in with you.

Basically are there any new things to report, good or bad? From the
research I've done it looks to be a great machine. Any conflicts with
ProTools M-Powered?

Does yours have the EVGA motherboard? I notice most folks on the DUC are
building with either a GIGABYTE or ASUS mobo.

Also, does the Geekbox still seem super quiet as far as fan noise etc.?

Thanks for your time and any further insights you may have to offer on this
computer.


John Roberts
Richmond, TX

ProTools M-Powered 8.03
M-Audio ProFire2626 interface
Win XP 32bit
Intel Quad Q6600 cpu
ASUS P5K mobo (currently not working). "

[Skitch Bryant]

John,
Things are still great! I actually just got done working on a pop/rock
project for a female vocalist which ran around 22 Tracks with about 1-2
plugins per track. The system handled it GREAT. I'm still using M-Powered & LE Pro Tools 8.0.4 (the latest release) under Windows 7 32-bit and haven't run into any issues with any compatibility or anything. The Collector's Edition
from Geekbox does I believe use an EVGA X58 motherboard. I've been very
happy with it's performance and how quiet it is. As far as I understand
Gigabye actually owns ASUS now and they both have pretty bad track records as far as reliability goes for the past two years or so since the
acquisition. That's one reason why I trusted Geekbox in their building,
EVGA boards are a little more pricey, but I've now owned this system almost
3 years (in March 2011) and I haven't had a single hardware failure nor any
issues other than waiting for various Pro Tools or Plugin updates. I run my OS and Pro Tools on a Striped RAID 0 and record to a 1TB MIRROR RAID Set and it's never broken or had to rebuild in the last couple years.

As far as the quietness of the system I'm outstandingly impressed. I do
have my system in my main control room and when I walk into the room and the computer is on and processing, it's literally so silent I don't realize it's
on and I hit the power button to now realize I'm shutting down my machine.
There is also a button on the front of the tower to make it even quieter if
I am recording in the same room as my computer. I don't, so I've never used
it, but I can't imagine this thing being any quieter than it is already.
It's great.

All in all, the Geekbox guys have been there for every question I've had
which to me is sometimes more important than just an awesome computer. You and I are artists/engineers...the only real resource we have is the forums,
which isn't always helpful. It's a great tool to have to be able to call
them instead of having to search the internet for answers. Let me know if
you have any other questions or wonder anything else about my setup.

Just give Geekbox a call [1-888-geekbox] and ask for Dan, I promise you it
will be a great experience.

[barters81]

Was there any issue in jumping from Mac to PC in any of your software etc?

[M-ManLA]

Originally Posted by Skitch Bryant

"As far as I understand
Gigabye actually owns ASUS now and they both have pretty bad track records as far as reliability goes for the past two years or so since the
acquisition."

Actually, they just have a joint venture. Not really "owning" each other. They still own their own brand.

[Skitch Bryant]

Originally Posted by barters81

Was there any issue in jumping from Mac to PC in any of your software etc?

I've found that today's software is mostly made on hybrid disks. For example, Pro Tools works on both Mac and PC, Native Instruments Komplete is for both, Waves plugins work for both. I was actually quite excited when I switched over to a PC and opened some of my old Mac sessions to have all of my plugins and edits there seamlessly. For the most part even a lot of the keyboard shortcuts are exactly the same on PC Pro Tools you just substitute the Apple key for the "ctrl" key. I think the hardest part for me was that I had to learn windows control panels, but that's not hard really. But yeah, I didn't have to purchase anything different than what I already had other than the computer. Everything just switched over nicely.