Home Recording Basics: The Computer

For most home recording studio’s a computer is going to be the heart of it. There’s no better way to get a small home studio started than with a personal computer.

Oh sure, there are other options, but the computer has made it insanely easy and affordable to make music just about anywhere you want to.

If you haven’t done so, check out my post about Why I Recommend a Computer DAW.

A computer sits at the heart of my studio and I can’t recommend it enough – especially for those of us on a budget.

How Powerful of a Computer Do I Need?

Is there some special computer that’s needed for recording music? Not really. Most modern computers can handle any audio application with ease.

Chances are you already own a computer that you can use for music production. It may not be the best, but I’m sure it will work.

How do I know? The first computer I used for recording was a Windows 98 PC running on a 350mhz single core processor. Very anemic compared to today’s standards.

It actually worked well for me. But don’t get me wrong, a faster computer is better – I’m just trying to point that making music is possible with any computer you may have.

There are a lot of people that recommend having a dedicated recording computer, and I totally agree with this. In a perfect world, or if you’re a professional, you should have a computer just for your studio.

Though, this isn’t a perfect world and most of us aren’t professionals. I have a computer that I keep in my “studio” at all times, but I also use it for other things. Like writing posts for this site.

Seriously, do what you have to do. There is no set rule.

The Connections

Something that is very important for your computer to have is way for you to connect things to it – such as audio interfaces and hard drives.

Don’t worry though, most computers will have you covered. I’m willing to say that almost all modern computers have some sort of connection built in – such as USB ports.

There are other connection types that some computers have – such as Firewire, or PCI card slots. Any of these connections will work fine.

However, there are some that believe Firewire is better for audio than USB. While this may or may not be true, I don’t really care. As long as it works and I’m able to make music – I’m happy.

Personally, a PCI card would be optimal, but right now the computer that I use for home recording, Apple iMac, doesn’t have this option.

Mac or Windows PC

So, what computer is better for home recording – a Mac or Windows PC? This is a topic that has been debated since the dawn of man – well, maybe not that long.

Personally, I don’t think it really matters. As long as your comfortable with your computer and it works well for you, I really don’t see a need to change anything.

Both Mac’s and Windows PC’s are very capable of handling all audio related tasks that are thrown at them.

There are certain audio applications that only run on Mac or PC, but there are many that run on both – and each has excellent programs for creating and recording music that will run on them.

I believe this whole debate comes down to personal preference. I have no time to argue something that really isn’t that important to me.

I’ve made music on a PC and I’ve made music on a Mac. Depending on the software that’s used with them, they both work great.

Laptop or Desktop Computer

What’s better for home recording, a laptop or desktop computer? I wouldn’t say that ones better than the other. They just serve different purposes.

A laptop computer is portable – allowing you to record and work on music anywhere you want to. A very nice feature, and probably it’s biggest selling point.

A desktop offers more power at a cheaper cost than a laptop. Not too mention, it will allow you to use PCI cards and extra internal hard drives. Something that laptops just can’t do.

Not too mention a laptop with comparable specs to that of a desktop will cost more. It’s the price we pay for mobility.

Personal preference, needs, and cost will dictate this decision for you. It would be nice to have both, but sometimes that luxury doesn’t exist.

Closing Thoughts

The personal computer can be found at the heart of many professional recording studios, and it’s a great choice to center a home studio around.

I really can’t say enough good things about what the computer has done for home recording. It may not be perfect, but is has definitely made it more affordable and easier to produce music at home.

Chances are you probably already own a computer that would work great for music. If you don’t, computers are a lot cheaper than they used to be – and most modern computers are very capable of audio production.

No matter what type of computer you use, Mac, Windows PC, laptop or desktop, they should all give you the same result.

A computer is just a tool and the talent that is recorded with them will always trump their importance.

Hmm…now all I have to do is work on the talent part!