This is the most useful and clear PC building tutorial overall, lots of useful information that it's really overlooked, people assume you just know all of this stuff, I want to build a music workstation, but I also wanted to know all the ins and outs of the computer, and this video nailed it. Fantastic work.
Having worked in IT Support, your Intro was the best I have seen on PC building for a while. Getting something that has been around for a while, without possibly unstable components that will be waiting for software fixes to occur, is great advice.
I spent the whole day googling and shopping, but then I luckily found your video. It's so appreciated you really educated me on exactly what my priorities should be as to the computer i need. Thank you and Cheers!
I’ve been watching a ton of gaming build videos. Somewhere along the way I started thinking about maybe also having it work for music. I’m currently on a Mac Pro tower that I’m upgrading running Ableton live. I’ve never had a pc and I’ve been using macs for 30 years. Your explanations are the clearest and thoughtful in terms of discussing concepts about builds. This video is over a year old and EVERYTHING has changed. The concepts give a solid ground for the type of computer and range of parts.
Regarding the case, I would add that it would be a good idea to get a "full tower" case. These provide better airflow and allows plenty of room for expansion.
I just want to thank you one more time i was really depressed and you have given me a project that has helped me a lot. i am researching the parts carefully and making sure i dont make any fundamental errors as this is ddr5, I just hope the supernova fan sits on the redesigned i9 processor. but that should not be a big problem...he says....lol you have made someone much happier
The SPDIF out on the back of the mobo is pretty awesome. Makes your whole computer act like a tape machine or something. Very useful when playing back large projects and sending it into a laptop for streaming audio over skype/zoom!
This Series has come at the perfect time for me, Due to purchasing a UAD Apollo 8, I now need update my PC to include Thunderbolt capability. I have purchased the parts, and these are nearly identical to your own, with the exception of an i7 9800x and 64 gig of the same Vengence 2666 ram. To be honest I will be happy to see the back of my current X99 chipset that has plauged me with issues for the last 5 years, and will be looking to follow your build to a T.
For the financially challenged ... I've found secondhand imacs or mac minis from ebay very capable for all the TOP DAWs. For a PC solution I've found HP or DELL workstations off ebay are very good as well. All as later model as can be afforded with shed loads of RAM or *the ability to add more.* My test is running DIVA, Repro or Legend at full tilt. Windows usually takes a bit of technical pruning of services and applications - the MACs are OK out of the box. A really good external USB audio unit is a must. ( I have a Cakewalk / Roland V-Studio VS-700 monster) My 16 GB 2012 mac mini does everything I can ask as does the HP Z series workstations.
I'm using Live on a 4670K with 16GB bogstandard RAM and it can handle just about anything you can throw at it unless you get silly. Although bx_oberhausen cranked-up to 32 voices pretty much kills it. But to be fair, a bloody supercomputer would struggle with that.
Hey Robin, this is by far the most intuitive guide for building an audio pc online anywhere, so firstly thanks for creating and making these videos available. It is greatly appreciated. I am going to build a pretty much identical build purely for audio production running Ableton and a shed load of plugins. I have some questions before i purchase all the components: My proposed build: - Fractal Design define r6 blackout case - Asus Prime z390-a or now leaning towards Gigabyte Auros z390 pro wifi - i9 9900k - Noctua NH D15s or Be Quiet! Dark rock 4 - Corsair vengeance LPX (2x32GB) 3200 Mhz - Samsung Evo 970 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD - No GPU, the onboard integrated graphics is fine for me - EVGA SuperNOVA 450 GM, 80 Plus Gold 450W 1. Now that its a year on, would you change any of the components? 2. Do you see any issues with my list of components? 3. RAM 2600Mhz vs higher.. will it cause problems going higher? reason i chose 3200Mhz was, its the exact same price on amzon as 2600 4. No GPU - since its purely for aduio production i feel i can get away with the i9 9900k integrated graphics. Whats your take? 5. SSD wise i went for one for now, but i most likely will add a second for storing tracks, sound banks, samples etc. What would you recommend as a second m.2 or standard sdd? 6. PSU - is 450w enough or would you suggest using higher. I want it to be as quiet as possible.. would i get away with perhaps a fanless one? 7. Will i need anymore fans or are the fans that come with the R6 sufficient? Thanks in advance if you get time to view or better still reply, cheers! Keep up the good work on your channel :)
Don't mind me, just putting some timestamps in for myself 5:04 Motherboard 14:01 CPU 15:39 RAM 18:04 Power Supply 20:05 SSD Drives 21:54 CPU Cooler fan and heatsink 22:54 Graphics Card 23:54 Case 25:11 Summing up
Hope you don’t mind me asking a question but I’ve already put these time stamps in the description - why do you need to put them in as a comment? Are they more accessible or something?
@@MoltenMusicTech Yes, in the comment section you can click and it will bring you to the exact place. In the description you have to look at the timestamp, drag until you find the right spot, then adjust as needed. Not a huge difference but it does help when trying to work quickly.
I understood everything you said (: I love building PCs! Been doing it since high school. started from old pcs my neighbors would toss out in the alley. I recently found out about Fairlight CMI and I want to build a modern version of that. I hope that's possible lol
Amazing video! 2 questions though as it's already 3 years old: 1. Would you still recommend 2666mhz or something similar? When I ask on forums, people seem to be adamant about getting something like 3200mhz+ 2. Is getting an MSI mobo fine? The current ASUS and Gigabyte models in my budget range seem to have a lot of isses and low ratings...
Computer specs change really quickly and i no longer build them so i'm not up to date on what's good. There's nothing bad about getting faster RAM. MSI should be fine but I can only recommend what I've actually used, so I can't really answer your questions, sorry.
If going for home studio, consider noise (especially recording in the same room), so going for I-9 is not ideal since they tend to get hotter hence more cooler noise. I'd go for i7 or even i5. One fan graphics card can get hotter which results in more noise from the case fans. Although not relevant in 2023 but higher rpm HDD also contribute to more noise. Good idea is to read reviews and tests on each of your components
Hey Robin, what an awesome series of videos thanks so much for taking the time to make them. I'm in the process of making a monster music machine and had a question about socket size. I'm wanting a "workstation" tier pc so looking at boards with 2066 sockets. Seems like intel's 10th gen is using a new 1200 socket size. Would I get higher performance going for this new, next-gen socket size or would a 2066 still give me more power. Thanks again for all the great content!
Hi, socket 1200 appears to be replacing the 1151 desktop boards. The 2066 still stands above them as the high performance choice. But check out some cpu comparisons and see.
@@MoltenMusicTech Thanks for the quick reply! I'll do some comparisons. Just wanted to make sure the answer wasn't a simple better or worse. Been watching some of your live jams, great stuff!
Super helpful, Robin... THANKS!! I'm gearing up to build a PC workstation soon. Thing is, I would be using it for animation and 3D, as well as music production. From what you say here about RAM speeds, it has me wonder if getting higher performing RAM for the graphics stuff will trip up my audio stuff. =(
Greetings! Very comprehensive tutorial! I don't know if anyone asked before (there's a lot of comments :)), but i want to ask your opinion about the intel XEON processors. Is it worth the price? Or for audio production (music composing exclusively) i7;i9 is enough? Thank you in advance.
XEON are great! The bigger and more advanced the CPU the better, but they are very expensive. You have to consider how big your projects are and how much money you have to spend. I've built a few dual XEON systems and they are awesome - but they cost £8k and so should be awesome.
Having built an audio-biased PC recently one of the things I used to decide which motherboard-style to buy was, rightly or wrongly, the built-in audio components, especially where additional shielding was indicated. Also very low noise speaker outputs seemed like a good idea. Looking at workstation motherboards those feature seemed to be lacking or implemented at an additional premium. In the end there was a budget to keep to so I bought the best gaming-style motherboard I could afford.
That’s fair enough if you want to use onboard sound. I’d argue that for an audio pc (one designed for music production) you would always use a proper audio interface and so the onboard audio is irrelevant.
@@MoltenMusicTech My original intent for the PC was to use it for all-in-the-box music production so an external audio interface wasn't even considered. After the build and a few weeks working with Cakewalk and VCV Rack plus inspiration from your youtube channel and others, I realized I needed more. And so it began.
Worth mentioning that Thunderbolt is available on a few new Ryzen mobos now not just Intel boards. But, it is a new platform... So take that into account.
Hi there! Thanks so much for putting these tutorials since I'm learning quite a ton! I do have a question for you, just wanting to know what are your thoughts about Single Core vs Multi Core CPU's ? I've been questioning if it would be a great idea buying a processor as RYZEN 9 5950X or Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX, they have a LOT of cores and threasd to work with, but I've read music production excels in Single Core processing si I've basically stopped thinking intobuilding my own until Im 100% sure of what I'll be purchasing. Thanks in advance and stay safe!
You don’t really get single cores anymore so it’s not a decision you have to make. Most software works fine on multiple cores do honestly it’s a non-issue. If you have a choice between more cores or higher frequency then opt for higher frequency but either way with a new processor you’re winning!
Just what i needed badly. I am tired of my gamer friends explaining me how i need a RTX2070 to make music!! why ? Because i want to use a Ryzen 7 and it doesn't have integrated graphics!! and I need RTX to run FL Studio!! like really ? Wtf!! ... anyway thank you sooo sooo much for your videos. We all musician need it!!
Hello there I am currently planning my custom pc build, and learnt lots from your videos. thanks! I am currently deliberating between an i9 9900k and an i9 9900x. Other than the consideration of socket type and matching MB. ( PRIME X299-DELUXE II if I decide for the x) - Is it typical for one of these cpus to generate more heat, thus requiring me better investment in cooling and successful air flow build? Hope my question makes sense, I'm rather on the noob side custom building, but trying my best. cheers
The X is much hotter and has a TDP of 165w - that’s how much heat it has to shift. The K is 95w so significantly less. Any cooler you buy will specify the TDP it can cope with but in either case it shouldn’t be a problem.
@@MoltenMusicTech Hi there, thanks for the swift reply. I will proceed with the decision making. If I may use the chance to pose a couple of questions yet: 1. is there any long-term sort of consideration why to go for a 1151 socket as apposed to 2066. (Hoping to use my computer for at least 5 yrs, and squeeze out closer to 10 if all's well) I'm looking at Z390 DESIGNARE vs. an Asus PRIME X299-DELUXE II to use with an i9. 2. Planning to use the pc primarily for Audio, but also for video editing and live streams. should that tilt considerations in any specific direction. 3. my most tricky concern : I use RME Fireface 800 - with firewire. I understand from scattered infos online here and there that some people go through all kinds o troubles with this topic and new computers, windows 10, drivers and even the difficult scenario of firewire cards either totally unrecognized, or seen by windows but still don't talk to the interface (be it rme or others like presonus i think). Apologies for the question bomb :) in case there are any helpful insights, I'd appreciate any help there. Danke Schön!
Question regards the graphic card. My list is not too far from this, although a step down with a i9 coffee and z390a MB. I was think of just using the intergraded video hdmi off the MB, my old builds I used a video card because I read somewhere best not to use onboard graphics, is there a measurable performance difference in using separate graphics card?... not gaming or video production strictly audio, so don’t really care for any specific hd outside of 1080 on a 32” monitor. Thanks for sharing your insight!
I have a 2013 MacBook pro quad-core and always feel limited especially with a midi controller like push 2, Maschine mk3 that I bought and can't use so much because of CPU overloads, I wonder what parts of the computer would ensure that I can play with one or 2 controllers at the same time, maybe I am dreaming, anyhow amazing video! I will stick to your advice. so 2000 pound is $ 2500 if I go with $2000 I'll get an almost awesome computer but surely better than my macbook pro which I bought used for $1200.
@jb jb, As to a fix to your problem with your MacBook. I suggest that you run a EtreCheck on your MacBook and post your results and questions on the Apple Support Communities. Being that the fix for your problem could be so many things to your answer. Like settings,specs,extensions,apps,upgrades,etc... Hope this helps, and good luck! Here's the links to both websites. etrecheck.com/#about ~ discussions.apple.com/welcome
Thank you for a highly informative vid. Could I ask you a question about Ram speed. I am having difficulty finding a supplier who sells the lower speeds you suggest. If I use 3200 DDR4 Ram is it automatically overclocked or would it run without overclocking and not cause my audio pc to trip up? Thanks. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Jim
Yes, any faster speed is fine - all the speed means is that that's the faster speed they are rated at - they will clock down to regular speeds without any bother.
Hey man, thanks for doing this. How can i figure out what parts are compatible? I need to order a new motherboard, processor, and other parts , but want to make sure my old drives and even my old case will work with it. No sense of rebuying stuff i can reuse. Subscribed.
The motherboard website will tell you what ports and connections it has and you should check if that will work with your old stuff. If that's too hard to figure out then get all new things that you know work together. Also drives and power supplies have a limited life and won't last forever so it's also good to replace them and use old ones as archive backups.
@@MoltenMusicTech I think with a bit of study I can figure it out. I don’t know if you’ve done a vid on compatibility and connectivity or not, but that might be useful? Thanks for giving me a place to start.
Interesting video. I know you didn't want to get too technical when it comes down to your audience but I think you skipped out on an essential tip on what your audience should look for when it comes down to buying a PC that's meant for audio production. It should be stressed that the CPU is the most integral part of the build because audio production is so CPU intensive. People need to know that they should pick something that will have fast single core performance. This is because audio production relies heavily on serial processing (as opposed to parallel processing) and therefore it will be more important than having more cores. If just one of those cores get overloaded, then everything grinds to a halt. The other cores will have to wait for that core to finish. Again, that's why it is essential that when you're looking for a computer for audio production the first thing that should be looked for is fast single core performance. All of this being said, you will still want a reasonable number of cores. Nothing less than 4 cores.
Thanks for the comment. I'm pretty sure I stressed that the CPU was important :D The reason I didn't mention core counts is because we don't really have a choice. You used to be able to get laptop processors that were dual core rather than the slightly slower quad-core but you don't really get that with desktop. Besides it also depends on DAW. I've had amazing results with Xeon based multi-core and multiple processor processors with Pro Tools running at half the speed of less cored single processors - so it's not always true that a faster single core is better...... and even if it is you can't get one. So there's no point getting worried over the core count - get the best CPU you can afford and you'll be fine.
I built my current audio PC a couple years ago, and put in a X99A Raider motherboard. I’ve had a lot of issues with audio dropouts any time I use my audio interface (UR824, but other brands do the same thing when I test). I’ve read that X99 chipsets don’t handle multichannel audio and you’d experience dropouts if you use them. The one you recommend in the video is a X299 motherboard. My question is, does this motherboard have the same issues with dropouts? Or are the X99 and X299 chipsets completely different? I’ve resorted to using my onboard sound with ASIO4ALL as my audio engine, but I’d much rather use my audio interface. I’m hoping upgrading the motherboard would resolve the issue. Thanks!
There shouldn't be anything wrong with the X99 chipset - I used it for years as my top end workstation system. It might have just been that motherboard - i always use Asus or GigaByte - or you haven't done the right Windows tweaks. But these things can be hard to fathom which is why all i can be certain of is what i did and the gear i used.
@@MoltenMusicTech I've seen a bunch of threads with X99 chipsets being buggy in audio--I wonder if it's a brand-specific thing or more just a common defect. Some are alright it seems. Thanks for the info though!
Cool dude and very helpful for beginners level. If anyone can recommend other channels that go deeper that would help me on my latest build. So many choices!
Hey Robin - at the time of writing 10th gen intel CPU and Z490 chipset is out...considering you comments about the CPU here, should I go for the latest generation...or stick with the i9 and z390 chipset for stability? would deeply appreciate your thoughts...and possibly advise. Thanks.
technology moves on - i said in the video that it can only be about what's available at the time and that will change. So yes, definitely move onto the next tech provided that you follow the general guidelines about the sort of motherboard, CPU choices etc.
hi there, fantastic video series. Very excited to see the build tutorial in part 4. But I'm confused...what is the benefit from getting the i9 9900x over the i9 9900k? From what I understood, having greater clockspeed is better for music producers than greater number of cores. The 9900K is also half the price, so what gives? Am I mistaken?
Intel has made things terribly confusing with the way it names the processor. The X and K versions of the 9900 appear very similar when in fact they are completely different platforms. The X version has more cores, more cache, supports more memory in twice as many connections and has 3 times as many data lanes. It runs on the X299 chipset and workstation motherboards. It's high-end and so carries a premium price tag. The 9900K is probably every bit as fast in almost every usual situation and is much better value. It runs on mainstream motherboards with Z390 chipsets. If you have £3k to spend on a computer then get the X299 and 9900X - if you have £1k to spend on a computer get the Z390 and 9900K. You can potentially do more with the 9900X but see if you run out of room on a 9900K first :D
@@MoltenMusicTech thanks for the quick response! I'll probably end up getting the 9900k purely coz it's much cheaper, but a small part of me wants to splash for the 9900x, because i love myself a ridiculously huge metropolis ark template lol
Excellent video. Good honest advise. I would like Molten Music Technology to discuss the overheads of using Windows 10, if any, in comparison to Windows 7, as I am sick of all the ridiculous processes running in the background in Windows 10, that contribute nothing to using this computer for music. This is the downside of using a general purpose operating system (lowers the price since you buy what is really a commodity that gives the advantage of lower price due to higher volumes sold) for a mission critical unforgiving process such as audio. Establishes very important points - 1. Good DAW needs reliable components from manufacturers with a proper reputation for quality long lasting products. 2. Cutting corners is simply not worth it in the long run. 3. Though it was mentioned in passing, I will emphasize, most of the specs given by software makers are seriously under specced, you should typically double or triple the RAM or even more cos you need the system to run all the various bits of software well. I would sincerely suggest nothing less than 32GB RAM, as the absolute minimum in today's world if you want to run software in the box, mix and also have plugins on busses, and master mix, and do things like monitor live, you need at least an intel 8700K. 4. While the Intel X processors give you more cores, they add at least about £800 to the cost, in comparison to the INtel K processors, cos the X processor costs about £450 more, you need to buy a more expensive motherboard, as well as a discrete Graphics card. Only you can decide which you need. INtel X processors also need a discrete Graphics coprocessor, while the INtel K has one built in, which is more than good enough for audio, if you also plan to do video, such as making youtube videos, a dedicated graphics card may be needed with an INtek K processor, to speed up rendering - a task which is accelerated by the graphics card. 5 LOng and short - Digital Audio , is not cheap if you want something that will last a long time and not hinder creativity. I learnt the hard way - almost all laptops however expensive are toys, only good for maybe sketching and composition or minimal duties. When you get into the thick of mixing lots of tracks, and monitoring via the DAW in real time, just buy the best you can afford, you will need it. As said in the video you need the headroom - not audio headroom but computer headroom in available power, RAM, CPU and disk capacity/speed, to ensure that you can do a lot with it. Especially if you generate sounds primarily from software instruments, which place a huge demand on the computer.... Just get more - its safer.. U spend once and get what you need....
I ve Just built a machine that Is a twin of this. It Is spectacular but.... How to deal with noise with single coil guitars? Not fans noise, noise as of a mobile phone in my pocket. I Ve moved It and found a position that has tamed It a lot. Thanks in advance.
32 is adequate for every DAW out there. It comes down to how large your sessions are and how much you are doing at the same time. For perspective, I'm using 32 gigs of 3600 ram. My heaviest sessions might have as much as 80-100 tracks including virtual instruments and audio tracks. And most of not all of them have an effect or plugin of some kind on them. And there isn't even as much as a hiccup for me. 64 is still viable when it comes to future proofing. Because a lot of daws are becoming more and more reliant on ram, the same goes for our plugins as well.
Hi Going to be building this exact computer following your suggested parts . What is the model # or exact model of the power supply that you are holding . Not clear on which one it is other than EVGA supernova 650 pt 2 Would this one work EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G5, 80 Plus Gold 650W, Fully Modular, Eco Mode with FDB Fan, 10 Year Warranty, Includes Power ON Self Tester, Compact 150mm Size, Power Supply 220-G5-0650-X1
Hi There....great video, thankyou....I do have one question....would it be fair to say that if you stuck an NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 into this system, you'd end up with the best of both worlds ie for audio and video editing and 3D modelling, animation etc.....cannot wait for part 3
If you've ever been driven to the brink of madness hunting down show-stopping gremlins in your brand-new "no-expense-spared" DAW then you already know that the devil is in the finest of details; general specifications be damned. Heatsinks on your RAM matter very little if your session stutters on playback or your RTL interferes with recording. (I say RAM heatsinks matter very little in general, but that's a separate discussion.) Any professional DAW builder (and I) will tell you that the foundation of a stable, low-latency-capable, glitch-free DAW is the specific combination of motherboard/BIOS and RAM/controller. Get that right the rest is a cakewalk (pun intended). Botch it and you're in for a rough ride. In 2019, the CPU has little to do with latency and stability and is relevant, in combination with the amount or RAM, with regard to plugin count, and to a lesser degree, track count. As for storage, It used to be, in the days of spinning-rust HDDs, that separate drives were often required for OS/applications, recording and samples because of seek times and bus restrictions and system overhead and such, but that is FAR less of an issue in the NVMe era. There are still legitimate reasons to have multiple drives but for most users performance is not one of them. I say get an SSD for both your system audio drives and use an HDD for backup. If you're set on an HDD for your audio drive then by all means get a 7200 (or 10,000) RPM beast but know that even a 5400 RPM HDD can stream hundreds of 24/96 tracks at once without breaking a sweat. There is no reliable way of knowing in advance which specific combination of off-the-shelf RAM and mobo will work as intended. When all is said and done the proof of component selection is in the performance, and you will know whether or not you've got a stable, low-latency-capable system ONLY AFTER you've built and started using it.
Thanks for your thoughts. I don't think it has to be quite so serious. If you follow some good basic guidelines then you'll have every chance of building a decent machine as a DAW. That's what I hope to offer here rather than absolute specifics because they change all the time. As a professional DAW builder I don't get in a dozen motherboards and so do cross comparisons of performance and latency. I choose the right board in the first place which you can do with a little bit of common sense and hopefully a little bit of my guidance. But, you know, you should go with what you know.
Yes, they are different architectures and fit in different motherboards. The 9900K is a desktop processor that needs the 300 series desktop motherboards like the Z390 whereas the 9900X is a workstation processor for workstation boards like the X299 featured in the video. A system based on the 9900K will be a lot cheaper but a system based on the 9900X will have the potential to be more powerful. Either way they are both awesome - you just need to make sure you get the right CPU and board combination.
Hi Robin. Hope you are well. Looking to build a new music production workstation pc and wanted to ask you, at the moment, which cpu would you recommend based on single core performance. To be safe intel I know, however amd is a consideration. Stability is key
I have no experience with them do I can’t say. I’m not trying to be awkward but my experience is with Intel and I’ve never built a Ryzen system. The answer is “probably” but the whole point of this series is for me to speak from experience - I have no amd experience.
Molten Music Technology Hey Man! When it comes to building my next build. I am mulling one thing. Should I get the Ryzen 3600 vs Ryzen 2700x. The 6-Core 3rd Gen or the 8-Core 2nd Gen. Faster Single Thread or More cores. Any help?
I’m wondering the same thing.. Both specs are important for audio work. But apparently Ryzen gen 2 had high latency issues, making them worse for live instruments and production work. This may not be an issue for gen 3, but unfortunately most reviewers only talk about Intel. What is best for one particular user's case depends on his or her workflow, but in general go for a CPU with at least 4 cores/8 threads and around 3.7GHz I’d go with the Ryzen 3600.
currently investigating options for my new Media (audio/visual) PC. speed, size and reliability. (i7/i9) M.2, DDR4 @ 64 - 128gb. (ssd 2 x 2tb) Motherboard Asus Z690-A? Keeping it quiet is a really important thing. Coming up with cases and fans has been a maze. Tips would be nice please.
I kinda did a whole series of videos on it so i wouldnt have to keep answering this question :D I don't keep up with current PC tech so the idea is to use the concepts i show in the videos and apply them to the gear you're buying. Hope that helps.
So I planed a budget of ~600... I am only focused of beat producing, not really recording a orchestra or whatever. I mean in 3-4 years things can be different and I can upgrade of course. Any suggestion for the components for the price?
This has been a life saver for me, as my iMac died on me a few weeks ago! A quick question if you have the time, would a Asus proart.z490 be suitable for an audio pc? I ask because I need thunderbolt, but no one seems to be able to get the card in my area. Stock right now seems to be very limited depending on the components.
One thing i am looking at when selecting a motherboard are the following. How many sata ports. Depending if you want to expand memory. I also look at does the motherboard include many usb. If using lots of instruments on computer etc usb can become problematic. One way to solve it os to get external or internal usb expander. I feel usb is quite important for myself.
i got a question if u may know or not, would you recommend the amd ryzen 7's i got one with the asus prime x570-p and its all good but would u say intel is better for audio or amd?
As i say in the video my experience is with Intel. There's no such thing as a "better cpu for audio" they are just computers. So go with AMD if that's your thing but all my videos are using Intel parts and I can't answer questions on AMD chips or boards, which ones work or not because I've never used them.
@@MoltenMusicTech Thanks for the quick response ! I was / am in doubt buying an old mac (2009) upgraded, but I think it would be better building pc and I go for pro tools instead (in the end.. )
Can you recommend the i9-9900K for music production if I want a slient PC? I was told that it' s so power consuming that, even if you use several big fans in a silent case, you won' t get this PC silent. So, I was thinking about getting the i7-9700K instead? Case would be the BeQuiet! Silent Base 601 with 2 Silent Wings 3 Fans 140mm and a Noctua DH-15 CPU cooler, BeQuiet Straight Power 11 650W power supply. SSDs only, m.2 as system drive and SATA for all my data. Asus Prime Z390-A mainboard and 32 GB (2x16) Corsair Vengance LPX 2666 DDR4 RAM.
If you use any fans at all then it won’t be silent. It might be “quiet” but it won’t be silent. Desktop “k” processors whether i9 or i7 need to shift 145watts of heat. I don’t know of any silent, passively cooled that can do that. The Streacom silent systems and Nofan coolers can handle 95watts which equates to the non-“k” processors. But you should do a bit of research on that.
@MakingMadBeats, As far as cases in reference to your concern for silence. I have one and suggest a Fractal Design Define R6 (USB-C) case. You won't even know it's there. And I'm running in comparison to your specs a Mainboard: Asus ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO, CPU: Intel i9 9900k, Cooler: Noctua NH-D15, RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200Mhz 32GB, Power Supply: Corsair TX750 750 watt, SSD: Cruical MX500 500GB M.2, Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1060, Case Fans: 3 total Fractal Design Dynamic 140mm, Sound Card: Focusrite Saffire Pro14. Again it's just IMO everybody has their own perfect picture. But, I run this PC in the studio all day plus and multiple projects running with no worries, & no doubt. It's a beast the case is sound isolated as long as you don't get the clear glass side model. It looks great, and has plenty of room for additional drives or upgrades. So, there it is, but you do you!
the number of times i've heard "they said it was silent - it's not silent!" when referencing a decent quality case that can run very quietly. So in my view if it has moving parts then it can't be called "silent". However, cases like the Fractal can run very quietly with the right PSU, graphics card and CPU cooler and I believe that's quiet enough for most people. On the other hand if anyone ever says to me they want a "silent" computer then there is no point me selling them something that has moving fans because I risk it being returned for a refund. It all depends on the noise floor in your studio and your expectations. I also have the exact same case sitting here by my feet and it's very quiet - it is not, in my view, silent.
@@MoltenMusicTech Maybe I used the wrong definition? Quiet vs. Silent, you know? I' m running a Mac Mini Mid 2011 now in the Studio and it is really not noticeable when making beats or recording vocals. The fans only start to work and are audible when the CPU gets hit jard, in my Case when it comes to the mixdown phase.
Hey! Thank you so much for this fantastic series! I have a question: Should I get a 10900k or I can save a bit of money by going with non-k version? If overclocking is not needed for audio production.
The K version just means it's unrestricted whereas the non-k version is restricted in some ways of power or speed. The CPU dictates how much of something you can do and so you need to balance that requirement with your budget - you can save some money with a non-k version but it's also not going to be quite as powerful as the K version. But both will absolutely do the job.
One thing you didn't mention much was noise reduction. Yeah you touch on it but you didn't mention anything about passive CPU coolers and 0bD graphics cards. I know a passive CPU cooler might be limiting in term of CPU TDP but with right case you can go for a surprisingly capable CPU - right up to i9's. And a 0bD graphics cards is no brainer - unless you want to take a break playing a game you'll literally never hear it. Perhaps you could discuss it in a later video?
And regarding your question about the CPU which I can't now find i didn't choose this CPU, it was part of an order placed by a customer who wanted the fastest CPU they could afford. And that's the rule of thumb - aim as high as you can even if that's an i3 processor.
I would only recommend it for video work. For audio you need faster cores over more cores. And your DAW will not utilize the 32 or 64 cores as well as vfx or video editing programs. If you want to make a monster of a jack of all trades then I'd say go for it! But to answer you question, for audio it is overkill, and somewhat counterintuitive.
@@MoltenMusicTech I don't know, AMD have really been getting their act together lately. Certainly on paper they have better price/performance when it comes to cores. I might take a punt for my next build.
ScanPro audio did some in depth DAW bench tests of them and they performed well. The thing (I think) they can't get over is the latency introduced in the chiplet design they all have. No matter how much you tweak the infinity fabric to lower that it'll never be as low latency as all the cores on one chip.
Very useful video, enjoying the series! One question though; why are you running your windows on an SSD and not on an M2 or NVMA? I hope you reply since I plan to build in January ^_^
Honestly it didn't really occur to me as until recently they were very expensive. I did mention them in the video and when you get to the actual build you'll find that's exactly what i'm using.
If you want, with an entirely different motherboard - I don't know anything about AMD stuff so I can't help you specifically but if you follow the general guidelines then hopefully you should be fine.
Msi and AsRock make quality motherboards for the AMD chipset. The Ryzen 5 is a solid entry processor and still leaves room for upgrading later on down the road. You would money on buying an air cooler as well, since the cooler that comes with it is known to be top notch! (MSI 450 Tomahawk is a well known entry board that is compatible with the Ryzen 5)
Nice video ... But it's actually not a workstation board (Mostly Xeon (intel) or Epyc (AMD) CPU's) Those are called HEDT (High End DeskTop) I do Agree that stability is key but my last build had A Gigabyte Board that is similar to the Prime boards from Asus and that had massive stability issues after that I got a full refund and went for a Asus ROG Extreme Range board since that was still available and that has been running rock-solid for several years now It might be silly but don't underestemate those boards since they are made to be stable at Extreme conditions they will be stable at stock for sure Also About the Memory when you will pay more for lesser speed it's better to go with a nice middle ground ... the sweet spot currently seems to be 3000 to 3200Mhz this would not be to big of an issue since you only need to set the XMP profile to make it work at that speed or just leave it at stock and it will run at the CPU's highest speed for memory
This is the most clear and useful video about pc building for music I ever found. Respect. Thank you!!
See! All you other commentators - this is what it's all about. Thanks mate :D
This is the most useful and clear PC building tutorial overall, lots of useful information that it's really overlooked, people assume you just know all of this stuff, I want to build a music workstation, but I also wanted to know all the ins and outs of the computer, and this video nailed it. Fantastic work.
Having worked in IT Support, your Intro was the best I have seen on PC building for a while. Getting something that has been around for a while, without possibly unstable components that will be waiting for software fixes to occur, is great advice.
Thanks!
I spent the whole day googling and shopping, but then I luckily found your video. It's so appreciated you really educated me on exactly what my priorities should be as to the computer i need. Thank you and Cheers!
The most useful video on RUclips. Thanks, sir!
I’ve been watching a ton of gaming build videos. Somewhere along the way I started thinking about maybe also having it work for music. I’m currently on a Mac Pro tower that I’m upgrading running Ableton live. I’ve never had a pc and I’ve been using macs for 30 years. Your explanations are the clearest and thoughtful in terms of discussing concepts about builds. This video is over a year old and EVERYTHING has changed. The concepts give a solid ground for the type of computer and range of parts.
Can't wait for part 3! My shopping list is ready now, but I'm sure there will be useful tips I'll need to know about before pulling the trigger.
Regarding the case, I would add that it would be a good idea to get a "full tower" case. These provide better airflow and allows plenty of room for expansion.
This video inspired me to start building my own audio pc. Thank you!
I just want to thank you one more time i was really depressed and you have given me a project that has helped me a lot. i am researching the parts carefully and making sure i dont make any fundamental errors as this is ddr5, I just hope the supernova fan sits on the redesigned i9 processor. but that should not be a big problem...he says....lol you have made someone much happier
Great stuff mate, thanks
Oh God man You Spent the most time on Choosing components but you somehow cut through all the bullshit and made it so simple... Thank You Well Done
Anyone ever tell you you're a perfect mix of James May and Rob Chapman?
Haha so here I’m am thinking of building my first PC and like a month after I come up with the idea, you upload your videos. Haha
The SPDIF out on the back of the mobo is pretty awesome. Makes your whole computer act like a tape machine or something. Very useful when playing back large projects and sending it into a laptop for streaming audio over skype/zoom!
Amazing video! Very helpful and well put out! Thank you so much for taking the time to make it! It is much appreciated!
This Series has come at the perfect time for me, Due to purchasing a UAD Apollo 8, I now need update my PC to include Thunderbolt capability. I have purchased the parts, and these are nearly identical to your own, with the exception of an i7 9800x and 64 gig of the same Vengence 2666 ram. To be honest I will be happy to see the back of my current X99 chipset that has plauged me with issues for the last 5 years, and will be looking to follow your build to a T.
For the financially challenged ...
I've found secondhand imacs or mac minis from ebay very capable for all the TOP DAWs. For a PC solution I've found HP or DELL workstations off ebay are very good as well.
All as later model as can be afforded with shed loads of RAM or *the ability to add more.*
My test is running DIVA, Repro or Legend at full tilt.
Windows usually takes a bit of technical pruning of services and applications - the MACs are OK out of the box.
A really good external USB audio unit is a must. ( I have a Cakewalk / Roland V-Studio VS-700 monster)
My 16 GB 2012 mac mini does everything I can ask as does the HP Z series workstations.
I'm am running Studio One Pro 4.5 and Arturia Collection V7 with no problems on:
$200 HP Z400
Intel W3520 Quad Core 2.66 Ghz
8GB
Win 7 Pro
I'm using Live on a 4670K with 16GB bogstandard RAM and it can handle just about anything you can throw at it unless you get silly. Although bx_oberhausen cranked-up to 32 voices pretty much kills it. But to be fair, a bloody supercomputer would struggle with that.
Excellent, thank you for sharing your experience.
Great job. Looking at building for the new year.
Possibly the funniest yet most interesting video I've seen in a while. I just subbed up... bravo Mr Vincent.
Thanks for part 1 and 2 of "How to build an audio PC". They are very informative! I am wondering though if part 3 will still come!?
Yes, certainly! Just taking some summer time to rest and rejig my workshop.
@@MoltenMusicTech Great! Thanks. Have a chilled summer!
Hey Robin, this is by far the most intuitive guide for building an audio pc online anywhere, so firstly thanks for creating and making these videos available. It is greatly appreciated.
I am going to build a pretty much identical build purely for audio production running Ableton and a shed load of plugins. I have some questions before i purchase all the components:
My proposed build:
- Fractal Design define r6 blackout case
- Asus Prime z390-a or now leaning towards Gigabyte Auros z390 pro wifi
- i9 9900k
- Noctua NH D15s or Be Quiet! Dark rock 4
- Corsair vengeance LPX (2x32GB) 3200 Mhz
- Samsung Evo 970 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD
- No GPU, the onboard integrated graphics is fine for me
- EVGA SuperNOVA 450 GM, 80 Plus Gold 450W
1. Now that its a year on, would you change any of the components?
2. Do you see any issues with my list of components?
3. RAM 2600Mhz vs higher.. will it cause problems going higher? reason i chose 3200Mhz was, its the exact same price on amzon as 2600
4. No GPU - since its purely for aduio production i feel i can get away with the i9 9900k integrated graphics. Whats your take?
5. SSD wise i went for one for now, but i most likely will add a second for storing tracks, sound banks, samples etc. What would you recommend as a second m.2 or standard sdd?
6. PSU - is 450w enough or would you suggest using higher. I want it to be as quiet as possible.. would i get away with perhaps a fanless one?
7. Will i need anymore fans or are the fans that come with the R6 sufficient?
Thanks in advance if you get time to view or better still reply, cheers! Keep up the good work on your channel :)
Great and well presented video. I went out and bought Komplete control after watching your review on it, love it. Still searching for pc components.
Incredibly helpful & concise video, likely the most useful in it's category so far. Thank you!
Hey, thanks for that :D
That was really really good, much better than I was exepcting
Don't mind me, just putting some timestamps in for myself
5:04 Motherboard
14:01 CPU
15:39 RAM
18:04 Power Supply
20:05 SSD Drives
21:54 CPU Cooler fan and heatsink
22:54 Graphics Card
23:54 Case
25:11 Summing up
Hope you don’t mind me asking a question but I’ve already put these time stamps in the description - why do you need to put them in as a comment? Are they more accessible or something?
@@MoltenMusicTech Yes, in the comment section you can click and it will bring you to the exact place. In the description you have to look at the timestamp, drag until you find the right spot, then adjust as needed. Not a huge difference but it does help when trying to work quickly.
That’s odd, I’ve always assumed that’s exactly the reason why I put the time stamps in - doesn’t that work any more?
Awww geez when did that stop working?
Doesn't work for me, maybe it's my computer. Which is of course why I'm here haha
Nice video! Currently uilding a 500euro amd workstation with a ryen 5 3600
Thanks for the video, I really enjoy technology in general, not only audio related.
I understood everything you said (: I love building PCs! Been doing it since high school. started from old pcs my neighbors would toss out in the alley. I recently found out about Fairlight CMI and I want to build a modern version of that. I hope that's possible lol
Amazing video!
2 questions though as it's already 3 years old:
1. Would you still recommend 2666mhz or something similar? When I ask on forums, people seem to be adamant about getting something like 3200mhz+
2. Is getting an MSI mobo fine? The current ASUS and Gigabyte models in my budget range seem to have a lot of isses and low ratings...
Computer specs change really quickly and i no longer build them so i'm not up to date on what's good. There's nothing bad about getting faster RAM. MSI should be fine but I can only recommend what I've actually used, so I can't really answer your questions, sorry.
If going for home studio, consider noise (especially recording in the same room), so going for I-9 is not ideal since they tend to get hotter hence more cooler noise. I'd go for i7 or even i5. One fan graphics card can get hotter which results in more noise from the case fans. Although not relevant in 2023 but higher rpm HDD also contribute to more noise. Good idea is to read reviews and tests on each of your components
See part 3 :D
Hey Robin, what an awesome series of videos thanks so much for taking the time to make them. I'm in the process of making a monster music machine and had a question about socket size. I'm wanting a "workstation" tier pc so looking at boards with 2066 sockets. Seems like intel's 10th gen is using a new 1200 socket size. Would I get higher performance going for this new, next-gen socket size or would a 2066 still give me more power. Thanks again for all the great content!
Hi, socket 1200 appears to be replacing the 1151 desktop boards. The 2066 still stands above them as the high performance choice. But check out some cpu comparisons and see.
@@MoltenMusicTech Thanks for the quick reply! I'll do some comparisons. Just wanted to make sure the answer wasn't a simple better or worse. Been watching some of your live jams, great stuff!
Super helpful, Robin... THANKS!! I'm gearing up to build a PC workstation soon. Thing is, I would be using it for animation and 3D, as well as music production. From what you say here about RAM speeds, it has me wonder if getting higher performing RAM for the graphics stuff will trip up my audio stuff. =(
No, it’s not that it would trip up, it’s that it’s unnecessary. So having faster ram wouldn’t do any harm.
thank you, sir! a very thorough and informative video...
Greetings! Very comprehensive tutorial! I don't know if anyone asked before (there's a lot of comments :)), but i want to ask your opinion about the intel XEON processors. Is it worth the price? Or for audio production (music composing exclusively) i7;i9 is enough? Thank you in advance.
XEON are great! The bigger and more advanced the CPU the better, but they are very expensive. You have to consider how big your projects are and how much money you have to spend. I've built a few dual XEON systems and they are awesome - but they cost £8k and so should be awesome.
Having built an audio-biased PC recently one of the things I used to decide which motherboard-style to buy was, rightly or wrongly, the built-in audio components, especially where additional shielding was indicated. Also very low noise speaker outputs seemed like a good idea. Looking at workstation motherboards those feature seemed to be lacking or implemented at an additional premium. In the end there was a budget to keep to so I bought the best gaming-style motherboard I could afford.
That’s fair enough if you want to use onboard sound. I’d argue that for an audio pc (one designed for music production) you would always use a proper audio interface and so the onboard audio is irrelevant.
@@MoltenMusicTech My original intent for the PC was to use it for all-in-the-box music production so an external audio interface wasn't even considered. After the build and a few weeks working with Cakewalk and VCV Rack plus inspiration from your youtube channel and others, I realized I needed more. And so it began.
Im so glad i came across this video. So thorough. Thank you so very much sir :)
This has been very helpful.
Worth mentioning that Thunderbolt is available on a few new Ryzen mobos now not just Intel boards. But, it is a new platform... So take that into account.
Joy of joys, untested thunderbolt.
Hi there! Thanks so much for putting these tutorials since I'm learning quite a ton! I do have a question for you, just wanting to know what are your thoughts about Single Core vs Multi Core CPU's ? I've been questioning if it would be a great idea buying a processor as RYZEN 9 5950X or Ryzen Threadripper 2970WX, they have a LOT of cores and threasd to work with, but I've read music production excels in Single Core processing si I've basically stopped thinking intobuilding my own until Im 100% sure of what I'll be purchasing.
Thanks in advance and stay safe!
You don’t really get single cores anymore so it’s not a decision you have to make. Most software works fine on multiple cores do honestly it’s a non-issue. If you have a choice between more cores or higher frequency then opt for higher frequency but either way with a new processor you’re winning!
@Molten Music Technology Thanks so much for your quick answer, so my thinking was not that wrong :) Have an excellent day!
Just what i needed badly. I am tired of my gamer friends explaining me how i need a RTX2070 to make music!! why ? Because i want to use a Ryzen 7 and it doesn't have integrated graphics!! and I need RTX to run FL Studio!! like really ? Wtf!! ... anyway thank you sooo sooo much for your videos. We all musician need it!!
You received my subscription for a reason! Thanks for a great video! Best on RUclips :)
4:32 That's what sheeee saaaid
Hello there
I am currently planning my custom pc build, and learnt lots from your videos. thanks!
I am currently deliberating between an i9 9900k and an i9 9900x.
Other than the consideration of socket type and matching MB.
( PRIME X299-DELUXE II if I decide for the x) -
Is it typical for one of these cpus to generate more heat, thus requiring me better investment in cooling and successful air flow build?
Hope my question makes sense,
I'm rather on the noob side custom building,
but trying my best.
cheers
The X is much hotter and has a TDP of 165w - that’s how much heat it has to shift. The K is 95w so significantly less. Any cooler you buy will specify the TDP it can cope with but in either case it shouldn’t be a problem.
@@MoltenMusicTech Hi there, thanks for the swift reply.
I will proceed with the decision making.
If I may use the chance to pose a couple of questions yet:
1. is there any long-term sort of consideration why to go for a 1151 socket as apposed to 2066. (Hoping to use my computer for at least 5 yrs, and squeeze out closer to 10 if all's well) I'm looking at Z390 DESIGNARE vs. an Asus PRIME X299-DELUXE II to use with an i9.
2. Planning to use the pc primarily for Audio, but also for video editing and live streams. should that tilt considerations in any specific direction.
3. my most tricky concern : I use RME Fireface 800 - with firewire.
I understand from scattered infos online here and there that some people go through all kinds o troubles with this topic and new computers, windows 10, drivers and even the difficult scenario of firewire cards either totally unrecognized, or seen by windows but still don't talk to the interface (be it rme or others like presonus i think).
Apologies for the question bomb :)
in case there are any helpful insights, I'd appreciate any help there.
Danke Schön!
Sure:
1. Nope.
2. Nope.
3. Get the Thunderbolt expansion for your board and use TB-Firewire adapter (from Apple) these work great.
Question regards the graphic card. My list is not too far from this, although a step down with a i9 coffee and z390a MB. I was think of just using the intergraded video hdmi off the MB, my old builds I used a video card because I read somewhere best not to use onboard graphics, is there a measurable performance difference in using separate graphics card?... not gaming or video production strictly audio, so don’t really care for any specific hd outside of 1080 on a 32” monitor. Thanks for sharing your insight!
On board graphics is fine these days - no problem
@@MoltenMusicTech thank you!
Oh look there’s the same system I have spec and the answer to my question in part 4 😂... please hold question to the end of the course 😉
I have a 2013 MacBook pro quad-core and always feel limited especially with a midi controller like push 2, Maschine mk3 that I bought and can't use so much because of CPU overloads, I wonder what parts of the computer would ensure that I can play with one or 2 controllers at the same time, maybe I am dreaming, anyhow amazing video! I will stick to your advice. so 2000 pound is $ 2500 if I go with $2000 I'll get an almost awesome computer but surely better than my macbook pro which I bought used for $1200.
@jb jb, As to a fix to your problem with your MacBook. I suggest that you run a EtreCheck on your MacBook and post your results and questions on the Apple Support Communities. Being that the fix for your problem could be so many things to your answer. Like settings,specs,extensions,apps,upgrades,etc... Hope this helps, and good luck! Here's the links to both websites. etrecheck.com/#about ~ discussions.apple.com/welcome
Thank you for a highly informative vid. Could I ask you a question about Ram speed. I am having difficulty finding a supplier who sells the lower speeds you suggest. If I use 3200 DDR4 Ram is it automatically overclocked or would it run without overclocking and not cause my audio pc to trip up?
Thanks. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Jim
Yes, any faster speed is fine - all the speed means is that that's the faster speed they are rated at - they will clock down to regular speeds without any bother.
Thank you. That was a big help. Much appreciated
Jim
Hey man, thanks for doing this. How can i figure out what parts are compatible? I need to order a new motherboard, processor, and other parts , but want to make sure my old drives and even my old case will work with it. No sense of rebuying stuff i can reuse. Subscribed.
The motherboard website will tell you what ports and connections it has and you should check if that will work with your old stuff. If that's too hard to figure out then get all new things that you know work together. Also drives and power supplies have a limited life and won't last forever so it's also good to replace them and use old ones as archive backups.
@@MoltenMusicTech I think with a bit of study I can figure it out. I don’t know if you’ve done a vid on compatibility and connectivity or not, but that might be useful? Thanks for giving me a place to start.
Interesting video. I know you didn't want to get too technical when it comes down to your audience but I think you skipped out on an essential tip on what your audience should look for when it comes down to buying a PC that's meant for audio production.
It should be stressed that the CPU is the most integral part of the build because audio production is so CPU intensive.
People need to know that they should pick something that will have fast single core performance. This is because audio production relies heavily on serial processing (as opposed to parallel processing) and therefore it will be more important than having more cores. If just one of those cores get overloaded, then everything grinds to a halt. The other cores will have to wait for that core to finish.
Again, that's why it is essential that when you're looking for a computer for audio production the first thing that should be looked for is fast single core performance. All of this being said, you will still want a reasonable number of cores. Nothing less than 4 cores.
Thanks for the comment. I'm pretty sure I stressed that the CPU was important :D
The reason I didn't mention core counts is because we don't really have a choice. You used to be able to get laptop processors that were dual core rather than the slightly slower quad-core but you don't really get that with desktop. Besides it also depends on DAW. I've had amazing results with Xeon based multi-core and multiple processor processors with Pro Tools running at half the speed of less cored single processors - so it's not always true that a faster single core is better...... and even if it is you can't get one. So there's no point getting worried over the core count - get the best CPU you can afford and you'll be fine.
I built my current audio PC a couple years ago, and put in a X99A Raider motherboard. I’ve had a lot of issues with audio dropouts any time I use my audio interface (UR824, but other brands do the same thing when I test). I’ve read that X99 chipsets don’t handle multichannel audio and you’d experience dropouts if you use them. The one you recommend in the video is a X299 motherboard. My question is, does this motherboard have the same issues with dropouts? Or are the X99 and X299 chipsets completely different? I’ve resorted to using my onboard sound with ASIO4ALL as my audio engine, but I’d much rather use my audio interface. I’m hoping upgrading the motherboard would resolve the issue. Thanks!
There shouldn't be anything wrong with the X99 chipset - I used it for years as my top end workstation system. It might have just been that motherboard - i always use Asus or GigaByte - or you haven't done the right Windows tweaks. But these things can be hard to fathom which is why all i can be certain of is what i did and the gear i used.
@@MoltenMusicTech I've seen a bunch of threads with X99 chipsets being buggy in audio--I wonder if it's a brand-specific thing or more just a common defect. Some are alright it seems. Thanks for the info though!
Now that we have creator motherboards what do you think about them for music production?? Could you make a video about it? Thanks
I don't build computers anymore, sorry.
Solid guide. What plugins and instruments require 128GB of memory?
None that I can think of but some people run multiple machines with huge orchestra libraries that eat ram for breakfast
Cool dude and very helpful for beginners level. If anyone can recommend other channels that go deeper that would help me on my latest build. So many choices!
What are your opinions on newer i5s for audio production? I was looking at the i5 10600k on a Gigabyte Z490 D Vision board to run thunderbolt too.
i5s are fine 😀
Hey Robin - at the time of writing 10th gen intel CPU and Z490 chipset is out...considering you comments about the CPU here, should I go for the latest generation...or stick with the i9 and z390 chipset for stability? would deeply appreciate your thoughts...and possibly advise. Thanks.
technology moves on - i said in the video that it can only be about what's available at the time and that will change. So yes, definitely move onto the next tech provided that you follow the general guidelines about the sort of motherboard, CPU choices etc.
hi there, fantastic video series. Very excited to see the build tutorial in part 4. But I'm confused...what is the benefit from getting the i9 9900x over the i9 9900k?
From what I understood, having greater clockspeed is better for music producers than greater number of cores. The 9900K is also half the price, so what gives? Am I mistaken?
Intel has made things terribly confusing with the way it names the processor. The X and K versions of the 9900 appear very similar when in fact they are completely different platforms. The X version has more cores, more cache, supports more memory in twice as many connections and has 3 times as many data lanes. It runs on the X299 chipset and workstation motherboards. It's high-end and so carries a premium price tag. The 9900K is probably every bit as fast in almost every usual situation and is much better value. It runs on mainstream motherboards with Z390 chipsets. If you have £3k to spend on a computer then get the X299 and 9900X - if you have £1k to spend on a computer get the Z390 and 9900K. You can potentially do more with the 9900X but see if you run out of room on a 9900K first :D
@@MoltenMusicTech thanks for the quick response! I'll probably end up getting the 9900k purely coz it's much cheaper, but a small part of me wants to splash for the 9900x, because i love myself a ridiculously huge metropolis ark template lol
Excellent video. Good honest advise. I would like Molten Music Technology to discuss the overheads of using Windows 10, if any, in comparison to Windows 7, as I am sick of all the ridiculous processes running in the background in Windows 10, that contribute nothing to using this computer for music. This is the downside of using a general purpose operating system (lowers the price since you buy what is really a commodity that gives the advantage of lower price due to higher volumes sold) for a mission critical unforgiving process such as audio.
Establishes very important points -
1. Good DAW needs reliable components from manufacturers with a proper reputation for quality long lasting products.
2. Cutting corners is simply not worth it in the long run.
3. Though it was mentioned in passing, I will emphasize, most of the specs given by software makers are seriously under specced, you should typically double or triple the RAM or even more cos you need the system to run all the various bits of software well. I would sincerely suggest nothing less than 32GB RAM, as the absolute minimum in today's world if you want to run software in the box, mix and also have plugins on busses, and master mix, and do things like monitor live, you need at least an intel 8700K.
4. While the Intel X processors give you more cores, they add at least about £800 to the cost, in comparison to the INtel K processors, cos the X processor costs about £450 more, you need to buy a more expensive motherboard, as well as a discrete Graphics card. Only you can decide which you need. INtel X processors also need a discrete Graphics coprocessor, while the INtel K has one built in, which is more than good enough for audio, if you also plan to do video, such as making youtube videos, a dedicated graphics card may be needed with an INtek K processor, to speed up rendering - a task which is accelerated by the graphics card.
5 LOng and short - Digital Audio , is not cheap if you want something that will last a long time and not hinder creativity. I learnt the hard way - almost all laptops however expensive are toys, only good for maybe sketching and composition or minimal duties. When you get into the thick of mixing lots of tracks, and monitoring via the DAW in real time, just buy the best you can afford, you will need it. As said in the video you need the headroom - not audio headroom but computer headroom in available power, RAM, CPU and disk capacity/speed, to ensure that you can do a lot with it. Especially if you generate sounds primarily from software instruments, which place a huge demand on the computer.... Just get more - its safer.. U spend once and get what you need....
I ve Just built a machine that Is a twin of this. It Is spectacular but.... How to deal with noise with single coil guitars? Not fans noise, noise as of a mobile phone in my pocket. I Ve moved It and found a position that has tamed It a lot.
Thanks in advance.
Hi,is there a list of all components ? I know you mention them all in video but will be useful to have list in description.
No because most of the components will be out of date and superseded by now so just watch the video and make a few notes :)
Molten Music Technology Can you describe the limitations//or ie. extent ability difference between 32GB and 64GB of RAM?
32 is adequate for every DAW out there. It comes down to how large your sessions are and how much you are doing at the same time. For perspective, I'm using 32 gigs of 3600 ram. My heaviest sessions might have as much as 80-100 tracks including virtual instruments and audio tracks. And most of not all of them have an effect or plugin of some kind on them. And there isn't even as much as a hiccup for me. 64 is still viable when it comes to future proofing. Because a lot of daws are becoming more and more reliant on ram, the same goes for our plugins as well.
Hi
Going to be building this exact computer following your suggested parts . What is the model # or exact model of the power supply that you are holding . Not clear on which one it is other than EVGA supernova 650 pt 2
Would this one work EVGA SuperNOVA 650 G5, 80 Plus Gold 650W, Fully Modular, Eco Mode with FDB Fan, 10 Year Warranty, Includes Power ON Self Tester, Compact 150mm Size, Power Supply 220-G5-0650-X1
Yes, any half decent Gold PSU would be fabulous - they are forever changing the names and model numbers.
Hi There....great video, thankyou....I do have one question....would it be fair to say that if you stuck an NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 into this system, you'd end up with the best of both worlds ie for audio and video editing and 3D modelling, animation etc.....cannot wait for part 3
Yes, certainly - similar ideas except an audio PC would a bigger emphasis on being quiet.
build me one April 2021.
Thank you so much... Truly what I needed to learn.... No fluff...Subbed and liked...
If you've ever been driven to the brink of madness hunting down show-stopping gremlins in your brand-new "no-expense-spared" DAW then you already know that the devil is in the finest of details; general specifications be damned.
Heatsinks on your RAM matter very little if your session stutters on playback or your RTL interferes with recording. (I say RAM heatsinks matter very little in general, but that's a separate discussion.)
Any professional DAW builder (and I) will tell you that the foundation of a stable, low-latency-capable, glitch-free DAW is the specific combination of motherboard/BIOS and RAM/controller. Get that right the rest is a cakewalk (pun intended). Botch it and you're in for a rough ride.
In 2019, the CPU has little to do with latency and stability and is relevant, in combination with the amount or RAM, with regard to plugin count, and to a lesser degree, track count.
As for storage, It used to be, in the days of spinning-rust HDDs, that separate drives were often required for OS/applications, recording and samples because of seek times and bus restrictions and system overhead and such, but that is FAR less of an issue in the NVMe era. There are still legitimate reasons to have multiple drives but for most users performance is not one of them. I say get an SSD for both your system audio drives and use an HDD for backup. If you're set on an HDD for your audio drive then by all means get a 7200 (or 10,000) RPM beast but know that even a 5400 RPM HDD can stream hundreds of 24/96 tracks at once without breaking a sweat.
There is no reliable way of knowing in advance which specific combination of off-the-shelf RAM and mobo will work as intended. When all is said and done the proof of component selection is in the performance, and you will know whether or not you've got a stable, low-latency-capable system ONLY AFTER you've built and started using it.
Thanks for your thoughts. I don't think it has to be quite so serious. If you follow some good basic guidelines then you'll have every chance of building a decent machine as a DAW. That's what I hope to offer here rather than absolute specifics because they change all the time. As a professional DAW builder I don't get in a dozen motherboards and so do cross comparisons of performance and latency. I choose the right board in the first place which you can do with a little bit of common sense and hopefully a little bit of my guidance. But, you know, you should go with what you know.
Hi Robin, any particular reason to go with the 9900K instead of 9900X? thanks :)
Yes, they are different architectures and fit in different motherboards. The 9900K is a desktop processor that needs the 300 series desktop motherboards like the Z390 whereas the 9900X is a workstation processor for workstation boards like the X299 featured in the video. A system based on the 9900K will be a lot cheaper but a system based on the 9900X will have the potential to be more powerful. Either way they are both awesome - you just need to make sure you get the right CPU and board combination.
Nice lowdown robin, would interest me and I suspect others when you will be getting down to the nitty gritty and take us through the build.
Hi Robin. Hope you are well. Looking to build a new music production workstation pc and wanted to ask you, at the moment, which cpu would you recommend based on single core performance. To be safe intel I know, however amd is a consideration. Stability is key
The fastest one you can get.
Would you say AMD ryzen 9 chips such as 5900 or 5950x are now a safe bet or stick with Intel such as i9 10900k?
I have no experience with them do I can’t say. I’m not trying to be awkward but my experience is with Intel and I’ve never built a Ryzen system. The answer is “probably” but the whole point of this series is for me to speak from experience - I have no amd experience.
Great and informative video! Thank you!
Molten Music Technology
Hey Man! When it comes to building my next build. I am mulling one thing. Should I get the Ryzen 3600 vs Ryzen 2700x. The 6-Core 3rd Gen or the 8-Core 2nd Gen. Faster Single Thread or More cores. Any help?
I’m wondering the same thing..
Both specs are important for audio work. But apparently Ryzen gen 2 had high latency issues, making them worse for live instruments and production work. This may not be an issue for gen 3, but unfortunately most reviewers only talk about Intel.
What is best for one particular user's case depends on his or her workflow, but in general go for a CPU with at least 4 cores/8 threads and around 3.7GHz
I’d go with the Ryzen 3600.
@@StaunchConch Thanks! I look forward to their reply
This was so helpful !
Awesome video series. I'm looking to build soon. Is this summarized in text form anywhere?
No, I’ve never gotten around to it
Molten Music Technology no worries. I’ll whip out the old pen and paper. Great info and presentation.
currently investigating options for my new Media (audio/visual) PC. speed, size and reliability. (i7/i9) M.2, DDR4 @ 64 - 128gb. (ssd 2 x 2tb) Motherboard Asus Z690-A? Keeping it quiet is a really important thing. Coming up with cases and fans has been a maze. Tips would be nice please.
I kinda did a whole series of videos on it so i wouldnt have to keep answering this question :D
I don't keep up with current PC tech so the idea is to use the concepts i show in the videos and apply them to the gear you're buying.
Hope that helps.
So I planed a budget of ~600... I am only focused of beat producing, not really recording a orchestra or whatever. I mean in 3-4 years things can be different and I can upgrade of course. Any suggestion for the components for the price?
focus on ram. Even get a super quick i5 you should be good. i7 youll be smoking. get atleast 16gb of ram
I am currently building a pc with thunderbolt built into a gigabyte board .... I’m a little scared of it but we will see soon!
This has been a life saver for me, as my iMac died on me a few weeks ago! A quick question if you have the time, would a Asus proart.z490 be suitable for an audio pc? I ask because I need thunderbolt, but no one seems to be able to get the card in my area. Stock right now seems to be very limited depending on the components.
The z490 is the successor to the z390 I used in the build - I’m sure it will be fine.
@@MoltenMusicTech Nice! I was able to stumble into one, but I wasn’t sure if the proart would be suitable... that’s great to hear!
Love you bro thanks for the help
Wow, i so need this- Thanks
One thing i am looking at when selecting a motherboard are the following. How many sata ports. Depending if you want to expand memory. I also look at does the motherboard include many usb. If using lots of instruments on computer etc usb can become problematic. One way to solve it os to get external or internal usb expander. I feel usb is quite important for myself.
i got a question if u may know or not, would you recommend the amd ryzen 7's i got one with the asus prime x570-p and its all good but would u say intel is better for audio or amd?
As i say in the video my experience is with Intel. There's no such thing as a "better cpu for audio" they are just computers. So go with AMD if that's your thing but all my videos are using Intel parts and I can't answer questions on AMD chips or boards, which ones work or not because I've never used them.
Your video is a very interesting class! Thanks
Hey, I’m planning to build 1. Has there been a lot of updates since it can I use the same parts today? What would you change?
The idea is the same but we’re onto 10th generation CPU’s and boards
@@MoltenMusicTech Thanks for the quick response ! I was / am in doubt buying an old mac (2009) upgraded, but I think it would be better building pc and I go for pro tools instead (in the end.. )
Can you recommend the i9-9900K for music production if I want a slient PC? I was told that it' s so power consuming that, even if you use several big fans in a silent case, you won' t get this PC silent.
So, I was thinking about getting the i7-9700K instead? Case would be the BeQuiet! Silent Base 601 with 2 Silent Wings 3 Fans 140mm and a Noctua DH-15 CPU cooler, BeQuiet Straight Power 11 650W power supply. SSDs only, m.2 as system drive and SATA for all my data. Asus Prime Z390-A mainboard and 32 GB (2x16) Corsair Vengance LPX 2666 DDR4 RAM.
If you use any fans at all then it won’t be silent. It might be “quiet” but it won’t be silent. Desktop “k” processors whether i9 or i7 need to shift 145watts of heat. I don’t know of any silent, passively cooled that can do that. The Streacom silent systems and Nofan coolers can handle 95watts which equates to the non-“k” processors. But you should do a bit of research on that.
@MakingMadBeats, As far as cases in reference to your concern for silence. I have one and suggest a Fractal Design Define R6 (USB-C) case. You won't even know it's there. And I'm running in comparison to your specs a Mainboard: Asus ROG MAXIMUS XI HERO, CPU: Intel i9 9900k, Cooler: Noctua NH-D15, RAM: Corsair Vengeance LPX DDR4 3200Mhz 32GB, Power Supply: Corsair TX750 750 watt, SSD: Cruical MX500 500GB M.2, Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 1060, Case Fans: 3 total Fractal Design Dynamic 140mm, Sound Card: Focusrite Saffire Pro14. Again it's just IMO everybody has their own perfect picture. But, I run this PC in the studio all day plus and multiple projects running with no worries, & no doubt. It's a beast the case is sound isolated as long as you don't get the clear glass side model. It looks great, and has plenty of room for additional drives or upgrades. So, there it is, but you do you!
@@216Numbskull Thx for your input.
the number of times i've heard "they said it was silent - it's not silent!" when referencing a decent quality case that can run very quietly. So in my view if it has moving parts then it can't be called "silent". However, cases like the Fractal can run very quietly with the right PSU, graphics card and CPU cooler and I believe that's quiet enough for most people. On the other hand if anyone ever says to me they want a "silent" computer then there is no point me selling them something that has moving fans because I risk it being returned for a refund. It all depends on the noise floor in your studio and your expectations. I also have the exact same case sitting here by my feet and it's very quiet - it is not, in my view, silent.
@@MoltenMusicTech Maybe I used the wrong definition? Quiet vs. Silent, you know? I' m running a Mac Mini Mid 2011 now in the Studio and it is really not noticeable when making beats or recording vocals. The fans only start to work and are audible when the CPU gets hit jard, in my Case when it comes to the mixdown phase.
Helped a lot thank you man!
Hey! Thank you so much for this fantastic series!
I have a question: Should I get a 10900k or I can save a bit of money by going with non-k version? If overclocking is not needed for audio production.
The K version just means it's unrestricted whereas the non-k version is restricted in some ways of power or speed. The CPU dictates how much of something you can do and so you need to balance that requirement with your budget - you can save some money with a non-k version but it's also not going to be quite as powerful as the K version. But both will absolutely do the job.
@@MoltenMusicTech thanks!
Thank you so much. Very clear and helpful!!
One thing you didn't mention much was noise reduction. Yeah you touch on it but you didn't mention anything about passive CPU coolers and 0bD graphics cards. I know a passive CPU cooler might be limiting in term of CPU TDP but with right case you can go for a surprisingly capable CPU - right up to i9's. And a 0bD graphics cards is no brainer - unless you want to take a break playing a game you'll literally never hear it. Perhaps you could discuss it in a later video?
Yeah, pretty sure I talked about noise considerations all the way through - but yes, if I didn’t, then it’s definitely worth a video by itself.
Anything wrong with Be Quiet! brand components? Looking specifically at cases and CPU cooler
Nope, BeQuiet make good stuff
Hi Robin, thanks for the video. Could an audio PC benefit from SSD with NVMe transfer protocol?
Yes - i added a note on the video to say that
And regarding your question about the CPU which I can't now find i didn't choose this CPU, it was part of an order placed by a customer who wanted the fastest CPU they could afford. And that's the rule of thumb - aim as high as you can even if that's an i3 processor.
Anyone got any thoughts on the AMD Threadripper 3000 series? Or is this just overkill...
I would only recommend it for video work. For audio you need faster cores over more cores. And your DAW will not utilize the 32 or 64 cores as well as vfx or video editing programs. If you want to make a monster of a jack of all trades then I'd say go for it! But to answer you question, for audio it is overkill, and somewhat counterintuitive.
I wonder how the new Ryzen 3000 series will do in upcoming test for audio PCs.
Who cares? Stick with Intel and you won't have to wonder - that's the awesome thing about it :D
@@MoltenMusicTech I don't know, AMD have really been getting their act together lately. Certainly on paper they have better price/performance when it comes to cores. I might take a punt for my next build.
fill your boots
ScanPro audio did some in depth DAW bench tests of them and they performed well. The thing (I think) they can't get over is the latency introduced in the chiplet design they all have. No matter how much you tweak the infinity fabric to lower that it'll never be as low latency as all the cores on one chip.
@@MoltenMusicTech ye idk... AMD is getting better all the time...
best motherboard for i9 10850k for music production in 2021
Check out the audio PC specs on Scan.co.uk - they always use the best stuff
Amazing. I have a Carrilon AC1 that is a few years old. Would it be possible to reuse the case?
Yes. It’s cramped in there so watch your airflow and cooler height but everything should still fit
@@MoltenMusicTech thank you. I Appreciate your help and totally enjoy your modular stuff, keep it up
Hiya, I don't suppose you remember what the motherboard size is that fits in this case, the AC1?
simon chantler yes, regular ATX size or smaller
You should add referral links to the description! That was you can make a bit of money from every purchase.
Technology is always changing and i don't the time to keep updating links and dealing with people saying "your links are dated" etc :D
I was planning on building a pc for my brother who is a producer, but this seems too expensive, lol
Very useful video, enjoying the series! One question though; why are you running your windows on an SSD and not on an M2 or NVMA?
I hope you reply since I plan to build in January ^_^
Honestly it didn't really occur to me as until recently they were very expensive. I did mention them in the video and when you get to the actual build you'll find that's exactly what i'm using.
What is your opinion on MSI motherboards?
I don't have one. I use Asus and Gigabyte.
fantastic video, thank you!
Can I add a AMD Ryzen 5 3600 processor for music production?
If you want, with an entirely different motherboard - I don't know anything about AMD stuff so I can't help you specifically but if you follow the general guidelines then hopefully you should be fine.
Msi and AsRock make quality motherboards for the AMD chipset. The Ryzen 5 is a solid entry processor and still leaves room for upgrading later on down the road. You would money on buying an air cooler as well, since the cooler that comes with it is known to be top notch!
(MSI 450 Tomahawk is a well known entry board that is compatible with the Ryzen 5)
Nice video ... But it's actually not a workstation board (Mostly Xeon (intel) or Epyc (AMD) CPU's) Those are called HEDT (High End DeskTop)
I do Agree that stability is key but my last build had A Gigabyte Board that is similar to the Prime boards from Asus and that had massive stability issues
after that I got a full refund and went for a Asus ROG Extreme Range board since that was still available and that has been running rock-solid for several years now
It might be silly but don't underestemate those boards since they are made to be stable at Extreme conditions they will be stable at stock for sure
Also About the Memory when you will pay more for lesser speed it's better to go with a nice middle ground ... the sweet spot currently seems to be 3000 to 3200Mhz this would not be to big of an issue since you only need to set the XMP profile to make it work at that speed or just leave it at stock and it will run at the CPU's highest speed for memory
I want to use a 4k monitor... I'm not sure the graphic card gtx1650 support for 4k display for studio one
Get an appropriate video card for your needs 😁