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Build-Off Week 17: Digital Audio Workstation

CornOnJacob
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Welcome to Week 17 of the LTT Build-Off! The rules and guidelines can be found here.

Thank you @Blade of Grass for suggesting this challenge.

 

This week the challenge is a little more niche. You need to build a DAW for $2,600. This should have quality parts like any workstation, but with a heavy focus on the sound setup. You need a sound card and speakers/headphones, but no other peripherals (and no monitor).

 

Submissions: November 1st through 4th

Voting: November 5th through 7th

[spoiler=My Current PC]AMD FX-8320 @ 4.2 Ghz | Xigmatek Dark Knight Night Hawk II | Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 | 8GB Adata XPG V2 Silver 1600 Mhz RAM | Gigabyte 3X Windforce GTX 770 4GB @ 1.27 Ghz/7.25 Ghz | Rosewill Hive 550W Bronze PSU | Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 | Samsung Evo 250 GB SSD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD | ASUS VS239H-P | Razer Deathadder 2013 | Partlist

 

LTT Build-Off Thread: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/35226-the-ltt-build-off-thread-no-building-required/

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I wanted to focus more on the headphones so the speakers are not that good.

 

 
CPU:  Intel Core i7-4820K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($304.99 @ Amazon) 
CPU Cooler:  Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler  ($99.99 @ TigerDirect) 
Motherboard:  Asus P9X79 WS SSI CEB LGA2011 Motherboard  ($359.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($243.00 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($162.99 @ NCIX US) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($162.99 @ NCIX US) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($65.48 @ SuperBiiz) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($65.48 @ SuperBiiz) 
Video Card:  Gigabyte Radeon R9 280X 3GB Video Card  ($299.99 @ Amazon) 
Sound Card:  Creative Labs ZXR 24-bit 192 Hz Sound Card  ($215.78 @ NCIX US) 
Case:  Silverstone SST-KL04B (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case  ($109.98 @ Newegg) 
Power Supply:  OCZ ZX 1000W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply  ($149.99 @ Microcenter) 
Speakers:  Creative Labs Inspire T6160 50W 5.1ch Speakers  ($77.29 @ Adorama) 
Headphones:  Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Headphones  ($229.95 @ Adorama) 
Total: $2547.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-01 19:46 EDT-0400)
 
Quite a beast

Main Rig: -FX8150 -32gb Kingston HyperX BLUE -120gb Kingston HyperX SSD -1TB WD Black -ASUS R9 270 DCUII OC -Corsair 300r -Full specs on Profile


Other Devices: -One Plus One 64gb Sandstone Black -Canon T5 -Moto G -Pebble Smartwatch -Nintendo 2DS -G27 Racing Wheel


#PlugYourStuff - 720penis - 1080penis - #KilledMyWife - #LinusButtPlug - #HashtagsAreALifestyle - CAR BOUGHT: 2010 Corolla

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Posted

 

CPU:  Intel Core i7-4820K 3.7GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($269.99 @ Microcenter) 

CPU Cooler:  Phanteks PH-TC14PE_BL 78.1 CFM CPU Cooler  ($79.99 @ Newegg) 

Motherboard:  Gigabyte GA-X79-UP4 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard  ($224.99 @ Microcenter) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($130.99 @ Newegg) 

Memory:  G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory  ($130.99 @ Newegg) 

Storage:  Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($169.99 @ Microcenter) 

Storage:  Intel 530 Series 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($169.99 @ Microcenter) 


Video Card:  MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card  ($219.99 @ Newegg) 

Sound Card:  Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card  ($169.99 @ Newegg) 



Optical Drive:  Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer  ($14.99 @ Newegg) 

Speakers:  Audioengine A5+ White 100W 2ch Speakers  ($399.00 @ Amazon) 

Headphones:  Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro (White) Headphones  ($229.00 @ Newegg) 

Total: $2458.86

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-03 10:13 EST-0500)

 

Justification to come...

Aesthetics of rigs matter

42

If you're interested, participate in LTT Build Offs

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Posted

Welcome to Week 17 of the LTT Build-Off! The rules and guidelines can be found here.

Thank you @Blade of Grass for suggesting this challenge.

 

This week the challenge is a little more niche. You need to build a DAW for $2,600. This should have quality parts like any workstation, but with a heavy focus on the sound setup. You need a sound card and speakers/headphones, but no other peripherals (and no monitor).

 

Submissions: November 1st through 4th

Voting: November 5th through 7th

It's suppose to be $3500 with soundcard and speaker/headphones :P

15" MBP TB

AMD 5800X | Gigabyte Aorus Master | EVGA 2060 KO Ultra | Define 7 || Blade Server: Intel 3570k | GD65 | Corsair C70 | 13TB

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Posted

It's suppose to be $3500 with soundcard and speaker/headphones :P

Too big of a budget is not a challenge.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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It's suppose to be $3500 with soundcard and speaker/headphones :P

I don't know how you would be able to fully use $3,500 for this build. You know more about it than me, but I was under the impression that you didn't need the kind of horsepower in a DAW that you need for video editing, etc.

[spoiler=My Current PC]AMD FX-8320 @ 4.2 Ghz | Xigmatek Dark Knight Night Hawk II | Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 | 8GB Adata XPG V2 Silver 1600 Mhz RAM | Gigabyte 3X Windforce GTX 770 4GB @ 1.27 Ghz/7.25 Ghz | Rosewill Hive 550W Bronze PSU | Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 | Samsung Evo 250 GB SSD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD | ASUS VS239H-P | Razer Deathadder 2013 | Partlist

 

LTT Build-Off Thread: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/35226-the-ltt-build-off-thread-no-building-required/

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I don't know how you would be able to fully use $3,500 for this build. You know more about it than me, but I was under the impression that you didn't need the kind of horsepower in a DAW that you need for video editing, etc.

Too big of a budget is not a challenge.

A good pair of studio monitors cost $1000 at LEAST. With a $2500 budget you basically can only afford headphones (with a good/worthwhile soundcard).

 

15" MBP TB

AMD 5800X | Gigabyte Aorus Master | EVGA 2060 KO Ultra | Define 7 || Blade Server: Intel 3570k | GD65 | Corsair C70 | 13TB

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A good pair of studio monitors cost $1000 at LEAST. With a $2500 budget you basically can only afford headphones (with a good/worthwhile soundcard).

Which is why this is a challenge.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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A good pair of studio monitors cost $1000 at LEAST. With a $2500 budget you basically can only afford headphones (with a good/worthwhile soundcard).

 

I had no idea how much the price scales up.

Which is why this is a challenge.

 

I don't think I can/should change the budget now, so I guess this will be one of the more difficult challenges.

[spoiler=My Current PC]AMD FX-8320 @ 4.2 Ghz | Xigmatek Dark Knight Night Hawk II | Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 | 8GB Adata XPG V2 Silver 1600 Mhz RAM | Gigabyte 3X Windforce GTX 770 4GB @ 1.27 Ghz/7.25 Ghz | Rosewill Hive 550W Bronze PSU | Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 | Samsung Evo 250 GB SSD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD | ASUS VS239H-P | Razer Deathadder 2013 | Partlist

 

LTT Build-Off Thread: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/35226-the-ltt-build-off-thread-no-building-required/

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I wanted to focus more on the headphones so the speakers are not that good.

 

Speakers:  Creative Labs Inspire T6160 50W 5.1ch Speakers  ($77.29 @ Adorama) 
Headphones:  Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro Headphones  ($229.95 @ Adorama) 
Total: $2547.89

you don't need speakers and headphones, just speakers or headphones. I'm no professional, so maybe it is good to have both, but I would think that you would be better off spending your money on one of the two and making it really good.

[spoiler=My Current PC]AMD FX-8320 @ 4.2 Ghz | Xigmatek Dark Knight Night Hawk II | Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 | 8GB Adata XPG V2 Silver 1600 Mhz RAM | Gigabyte 3X Windforce GTX 770 4GB @ 1.27 Ghz/7.25 Ghz | Rosewill Hive 550W Bronze PSU | Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 | Samsung Evo 250 GB SSD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD | ASUS VS239H-P | Razer Deathadder 2013 | Partlist

 

LTT Build-Off Thread: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/35226-the-ltt-build-off-thread-no-building-required/

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you don't need speakers and headphones, just speakers or headphones. I'm no professional, so maybe it is good to have both, but I would think that you would be better off spending your money on one of the two and making it really good.

Meh, I added both.

Main Rig: -FX8150 -32gb Kingston HyperX BLUE -120gb Kingston HyperX SSD -1TB WD Black -ASUS R9 270 DCUII OC -Corsair 300r -Full specs on Profile


Other Devices: -One Plus One 64gb Sandstone Black -Canon T5 -Moto G -Pebble Smartwatch -Nintendo 2DS -G27 Racing Wheel


#PlugYourStuff - 720penis - 1080penis - #KilledMyWife - #LinusButtPlug - #HashtagsAreALifestyle - CAR BOUGHT: 2010 Corolla

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Meh, I added both.

k, just wanted to be sure you knew :)

[spoiler=My Current PC]AMD FX-8320 @ 4.2 Ghz | Xigmatek Dark Knight Night Hawk II | Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 | 8GB Adata XPG V2 Silver 1600 Mhz RAM | Gigabyte 3X Windforce GTX 770 4GB @ 1.27 Ghz/7.25 Ghz | Rosewill Hive 550W Bronze PSU | Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 | Samsung Evo 250 GB SSD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD | ASUS VS239H-P | Razer Deathadder 2013 | Partlist

 

LTT Build-Off Thread: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/35226-the-ltt-build-off-thread-no-building-required/

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you don't need speakers and headphones, just speakers or headphones. I'm no professional, so maybe it is good to have both, but I would think that you would be better off spending your money on one of the two and making it really good.

It's best to have both for testing.

 

 
CPU:  Intel Core i7-4930K 3.4GHz 6-Core Processor  ($566.98 @ SuperBiiz) 
CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 CPU Cooler  ($74.99 @ Mwave) 
Motherboard:  Asus P9X79 LE ATX LGA2011 Motherboard  ($224.99 @ Amazon) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($319.99 @ NCIX US) 
Sound Card:  Asus Xonar Essence STX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card  ($169.99 @ Newegg) 
Optical Drive:  LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer  ($15.99 @ Microcenter) 
Speakers:  Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 232W 2.1ch Speakers  ($199.99 @ NCIX US) 
Headphones:  Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones  ($192.99 @ Amazon) 
Other: Sapphire Radeon Ultimate HD 7750 1GB DDR5 HDMI/DVI-I/DP PCI-Express Graphics Card 11202-03-40G ($107.82)
Total: $2597.09
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-01 20:48 EDT-0400)
 
NH-D14, Define R4, and RM series psu which will pretty much have the fan turned off at 100% of the time will be near silent.
WD Green Hdd is very quiet as well and won't interfere with as ambient noise. Overall, the system noise should be pretty much be inaudible.
GPU is fanless meaning silent and can support up to 6 displays for easily stretching long tracks out for editing.
Ram for ramdisk and quickly loading audio sample libraries.
SSD for OS, programs and scratchdisk.
The speakers are for gaming but they are great. Only needed speakers or headphones but it makes a difference for testing how things sound in different scenarios.

If you ever need help with a build, read the following before posting: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/3061-build-plan-thread-recommendations-please-read-before-posting/
Also, make sure to quote a post or tag a member when replying or else they won't get a notification that you replied to them.

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PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($165.99 @ Amazon)

Storage: Toshiba 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: PNY GeForce GTX 650 1GB Video Card ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Sound Card: Asus Xonar D1 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($79.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Cooler Master Cosmos II (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($299.99 @ Newegg)

Power Supply: Corsair RM 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.99 @ Amazon)

Speakers: Corsair Gaming Audio Series SP2500 232W 2.1ch Speakers ($199.99 @ NCIX US)

Other: Xeon E5-2630v2 ($649.99)

Other: Asrock Dual Xeon Mobo ($309.99)

Other: Xeon E5-2609v2 ($329.99)

Other: 212 evo ($29.99)

Other: 212 evo ($29.99)

Other: Mushkin 8gb ecc registered ($79.99)

Other: Mushkin 8gb ecc registered ($79.99)

Total: $2585.86

(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-11-04 09:16 EST-0500)

10 Cores.Period.

I seem to be always the one with weird components...

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The poll is up!

First time in a while I've been on time :)

[spoiler=My Current PC]AMD FX-8320 @ 4.2 Ghz | Xigmatek Dark Knight Night Hawk II | Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 | 8GB Adata XPG V2 Silver 1600 Mhz RAM | Gigabyte 3X Windforce GTX 770 4GB @ 1.27 Ghz/7.25 Ghz | Rosewill Hive 550W Bronze PSU | Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 | Samsung Evo 250 GB SSD | Seagate Barracuda 1TB HDD | ASUS VS239H-P | Razer Deathadder 2013 | Partlist

 

LTT Build-Off Thread: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/35226-the-ltt-build-off-thread-no-building-required/

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  • 5 weeks later...
Posted

I know I'm late, but I wanted to throw my hat in the ring and see if I could do this at all.

 

Truth is, past a certain point, your specs really don't matter all THAT much for a DAW, and most sound cards that you'll use in a recording studio are meant to be hooked into external equipment. That means no sound blaster, no Xonar, no gaming cards whatsoever. If you're looking in that price range, it's better to just buy an external USB 2.0 or Firewire audio interface and forego the internal card entirely. That's going to require stepping away from PCPartPicker for a bit. All prices USD.

 

Soundcard: MOTU 2408mk3 ($949). This was the cheapest PCI sound card I could find that would pass muster in a pro studio.

Speakers: KRK Rokit 8 ($249 each, 498 total).

 

NOW we can go to PCPartPicker with a $1550 cap. Remember, this is a workstation. Depending on how many plugins you use, it's got to handle an insane number of things at once while still maintaining less than 5.5ms latency in/out at the absolute most.

 

 
CPU Cooler:  Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($74.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
Motherboard:  Asus Z87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($174.99 @ NCIX US) 
Memory:  Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Memory:  Team Vulcan 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($49.99 @ Newegg) 
Storage:  Samsung 840 EVO 500GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($329.99 @ B&H) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($108.99 @ NCIX US) 
Storage:  Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive  ($108.99 @ NCIX US) 
Video Card:  ATI FirePro V4900 1GB Video Card  ($150.98 @ Newegg) 
Total: $1564.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-05 08:27 EST-0500)

You're and your are not the same. Neither are their, there, and they're. Defiantly and Definitely are definitely not the same. Definately and Rediculous are not words, and you should feel bad for misspelling them. If English is your first language, you don't have a learning disorder, and you get any of these wrong, you are making the entire forum slightly dumber by doing so. Please take the extra three seconds to type properly, and have a nice day.

 

 

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