Requirements: computer/recording

[EvenKeel]

Hi everyone,

My computer crashed some time ago, and i want to get back to recording. Was looking for suggestions on a good computer that will handle all of the recording
software needed (audacity) efficiently and effectively. Not a gamer, so don't need that set up.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

[tovarisch]

Hello Mike,

My understanding is that the computer does not really need to be all that powerful to allow you to record and edit your audio. I would probably ignore 'Chromebook' type but any other would do fine. I am personally still thinking of getting a mini-PC for that purpose, since some of them do not have any moving parts (no fan, no hard drive), which makes them ideal as far as noise is concerned.

[EvenKeel]

Thank you tovarisch.

Mike

[Carolin]

i agree that most laptops will be perfectly suitable for recording. i had a mini pc that wasnt powerful enough to keep up with audacity though (tiny thing i used in lectures at uni, not even a full windows on it). if you buy your pc in a shop, just ask the seller, theyll know

[sjmarky]

Consider a used MacBook Air. Plenty of power for recording, plus the SSD and fanless design make it virtually noiseless. You can find them on eBay for around $400.

[iBeScotty]

Yes it seems for recording single track audio, you don't need much at all. If this is the only thing the computer is for (not photo or video editing for example), I would highly recommend saving some dough and going with a less expensive laptop with a small ssd. I "borrowed" my youngest kid's Acer Cloudbook (11.6 inch, celeron with 2 gig ram and 32 gig ssd) to try out and now it is all I use for these recordings. I believe it was around $185.

It has been stable to record without hiccups with Reaper and Windows 10 has also been surprisingly stable. I record directly to a flash drive and backup on the iMac but don't even bother editing on the Mac anymore. It just takes a bit longer to export the mp3 but at that point I usually walk away for a nice beverage anyhow.

However, I should say that I only record with it and don't have any browsers open simultaneously as I read off a tablet, so not a lot of other processes going on.

I believe it has a cpu fan (maybe not though?) but I have never heard it come on, so fanless may not necessarily be an issue if the cpu is not overly taxed, though still a first choice for quiet.

So, bottom line, I would think any computer with a solid state drive and fanless (or efficient cpu) would be fine, because noise is the biggest enemy!

[kayray]

Consider a used MacBook Air. Plenty of power for recording, plus the SSD and fanless design make it virtually noiseless. You can find them on eBay for around $400.

Yup. I'm still using my mid-2011 Macbook Air! It's a workhorse. A very quiet workhorse.

[chocoholic]

Hi, Mike --

Here are the links to Audacity's system requirements. Note the minimum and recommended RAM and processor speeds.
Windows: http://www.audacityteam.org/download/windows/#sysreq
Mac: http://www.audacityteam.org/download/mac/#sysreq

A solid-state drive is quieter but more expensive than a regular hard drive, so you'll have to decide how much that's worth to you. I think the solid-state drive is probably worth it if you can find one in your price range. (My old laptop had a hard drive and a pretty loud fan, but I haven't had a chance to record anything on my new one with the solid-state drive yet so I can't compare.) Like the others, I would also recommend getting a "real" computer with a full operating system -- so if you're looking at Windows computers, get one running Windows 10, not a Chromebook.

Have fun computer shopping!

[EvenKeel]

Thank you everyone for the great advice

Mike