Computer hardware is often one of the most daunting and confusing areas to figure out when planning for a studio build. What components do you need? How much should you spend?
Many people think that if they just have any desktop computer, it can work in a studio. In some cases, this may be true, but there are important factors to consider when trying to get studio computers and hardware that works well in a recording/production environment. These include performance, silence, expandability, connectivity, and portability. The goal is a machine with enough power, so it isn’t the limiting factor in your productions and one that can grow with you.
Studio Computer Performance:
A great analogy to explain the importance of computer performance in studio production is by comparing it to cars. A Ferrari may be nice, but it’s not very practical if you’re just commuting from home to work every day. It would be better suited for a race track than a freeway. On the flip side, if you have an old minivan that can only go 60 mph, you are going to have some serious problems keeping up with traffic on any major thoroughfare. The same goes for computers. It doesn’t matter how much RAM or what CPU you have if your drives are pokey slow or your graphics card isn’t up to snuff. You want a machine that doesn’t choke when rendering or loading large sessions that is capable of efficient multi-tasking, and one that has the guts to keep up with your DAW’s plugin requirements.
Silence:
Another big factor in studio computers is how much noise they make when trying to record/monitor audio. Desktop PCs have a number of fans and moving parts which can increase background noise in a room where you are trying to hear subtle details from your microphones on an instrument track or vocal take. This can lead to inaccurate mixing decisions being made by A/B’ing between different takes while only concentrating on the loudest one. If it sounds good at 3 AM while “feeling it” in the zone but doesn’t sound so good in the light of day when you are focused on every detail, then something is wrong. If the DAW software has an option for adding plugins that can monitor at low latency (and give zero-latency playback), this will help reduce mix errors due to monitoring level/computer performance variations. It’s important to note that computers with solid-state drives tend to run cooler and quieter than standard hard drive setups.
Expandability:
It’s not uncommon for someone who starts small, like building only a basic home studio, to quickly find themselves needing more tracks or I/O options once they get some experience recording their own or clients’ projects. A machine that can be upgraded is much more useful in this scenario than one that’s only useful for the initial build. Hard drives, RAM, and graphics cards are all key components to consider for expandability. If you plan well, you may never need to buy another computer again (assuming your old one stays functional up until then).
Studio computer In conclusion, when it comes to computer hardware for a studio build, the most important thing is not how much you spend but rather that you look at the big picture of your medium / long-term needs/plans. You can get by with just about any desktop PC these days if it does the job required and has enough power to be useful in future productions. The key is planning, so you aren’t throwing away $1000-$2000 on something new when your old one becomes obsolete.
