Low-end home recording...

[WorldIndustries]

Hi,

I'm thinking about selling my desktop as a whole, with the LCD monitor and stuff, and getting a Laptop for college...

However, I'm into home recording stuff, and I want to have a Desktop for that... I'm going to keep my Audigy, and buy a cheap low-end computer for recording...

My question is:

As long as I have a good quality sound card, what is the minimum specs for a PC for basic home recording?

I'm only looking to spend 100 bucks or so on a PC from eBay after I sell my desktop and buy a laptop... Perhaps something like a 1GHz P3, and 512MB RAM, with my Audigy 2 ZS. I'd imagine that's good enough for basic FruityLoops and Sonar editing.

Anyone?

 

[EricB]

you answered it already. be aware that a processor that low will use sd ram (which might be hard to find), not ddr

 

[Crysalis]

all depends on the software you use. For instance, Nuendo would run no problem, but ProTool would crash at first plug in. Sonar likes 1gb, but runs with 512.

In my beginning audio courses in school, I used to use a 500mhz with 512 ram which ran 24 track playback and record in Nuendo without a glitch. They eventually upgraded it, but it worked great.

I suggest at least 1.5ghz and 1gb ram. But, again, that depends on software and the plugins you use.

 

[WorldIndustries]

I'm probably going to be using Sonar 6, with Amplitube and a few other plugins...

I'm not worried about FruityLoops, I used to run that on a Celeron 1.8 with 128MB RAM...

 

[Crysalis]

I use sonar 6 producer sometimes and it runs (well, did pre X-fi) excellent. It does give my system some work to do when I get plugin heavy, but handles well. I dont think 512 would be so great for it.

Fruityloops is a lot less complex of a program (like audacity).