Audiosauna guitar5/28/2023 ![]() ![]() One alternative is to use an iPad, and the platform is increasingly catering to pro musicians. Go Mobile Older computers can have their useful lives prolonged by adding more RAM or an SSD drive, or even a new CPU where your machine allows, but at some point it becomes a false economy to run an ageing setup because it seriously slows down your workflow. Your computer is the brain of your whole setup so you need it to work smoothly. ![]() A lower capacity one can be much cheaper, as long as you pair it with a much more spacious regular hard drive for bulk data storage, either internal or USB. Similarly with hard drives, go for a solid state (SSD) drive for the system partition as this will massively increase the responsiveness of your computer. Music applications are RAM-hungry, especially sample-based instruments, and since RAM is now cheaper than it’s ever been you’ll want a minimum of 4GB and preferably 8GB or more. Even though they are cheaper you’ll soon be cursing all the waiting around while your machine churns away trying to work stuff out. All modern CPUs are pretty powerful, but steer clear of the slowest available. ![]() A solid state drive can massively speed up an aging computer and extend it’s useful lifeĪ lot of software is well optimised for multiple cores now, so in most cases a quad-core CPU, even at a slightly lower clock speed, will perform more usefully than a dual-core one in real-world situations. Whether you are buying a new computer to produce music on or upgrading an existing one there are several components on which to focus your budget to get maximum bang for your buck. You will probably be recording on a computer, or perhaps an iPad (more on that in a moment). Your recording devices are going to be central to your setup, so it’s important to get them right. This isn’t going to be about how to do everything for free, because if you want good results you have to put something in, but we’ll show you that you don’t have to spend the earth to produce great-sounding music. It’s possible to make and even sell your own multisampled instruments, and showcasing and selling your music online is simple and inexpensive. Secondhand hardware can also be a good way to expand your setup, and you can take simple steps to improve the sound in your studio without spending a fortune. The phone or iPad you already own can be used for recording or composition, and your computer could potentially be beefed up instead of replaced. A last-generation product might be significantly discounted and still do exactly what you need it to do. A lot of entry- or mid-level DAWs are given away for free with an audio interface similarly, sample packs, plug-ins and loops can often be found bundled with hardware (or with MusicTech magazine!). If you’re willing to put a bit of time in and look around it’s possible to get some great bargains. ![]() The task therefore becomes finding the most cost-effective gear that works for what you need. It’s also true that the vast majority of software and hardware is actually very good: poor quality stuff rarely gets released onto the pro audio market. It’s arguably better to have the right kit for a job, and to know how best to use it, than to just get the biggest thing with the most flashing lights. On the flipside it’s not a good idea to skimp unnecessarily either: there is a balance to be struck and you have to understand how best to allocate your resources for the task you’re trying to achieve. Gearing Up Some people enjoy having loads of kit, which is great if you can afford it, but most of us can’t always get the latest and greatest thing as soon as it comes out. ![]()
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