Computer, hard drive or solid state drive, and size?

[ajm]

For those using a DAW (Studio One, Cakewalk Sonar, Reaper, etc.)............

Checking the computer that I write this on, the used HD space is currently at about 60 GB.
This computer is not used for recording and has no DAW.
But with all of the programs and utilities and anti-virus and files and pictures and MP3 files and whatnot, I'm surprised that it's only at 60 GB.

I have heard that the SSDs are preferred over the traditional HDs in terms of performance and reliability and noise.
However, they are more expensive if you want a really large capacity.
Just at a quick glance, in the $500 laptop range, 8GB RAM, machines with 128 GB SSD are about the same price as a 500GB-1TB HD.

It is a given that you would want an external drive of some kind, like one of those USB hard drives, to back up your work in case of a disaster.

Note: This is not a professional 96 track level endeavor here.
This is for a low level personal home set up.
Recording 1-2 tracks at a time.
Maybe 8-16 tracks total when finished.
The only virtual or non-actual audio instrument is drums.
Mix/master tracks to a stereo WAV and/or MP3 file.
Probably using the stock effects like reverb/delay available with the DAW.

So the question is: For a DEDICATED recording computer (no internet e-mail gaming web surfing etc.), do you really need more than 128GB HD/SSD space?
Are you really going to fill it up with files/recordings that quickly?
What am I missing?

Thanks in advance.

[Bob Hoffnar]

That hard drive will work fine. You can always store whatever music files you are not currently using on an external hard drive/ cloud service.

You want plenty of RAM in your computer to run a DAW and plug ins though. Reverb plug ins are very demanding.

I'm also not sure I would want to record on a computer that doesn't have at least a dual prosessor.

[Jack Stoner]

I have an SSD for OS and DAW software and some documents. Recording projects are on a separate hard drive.

The SSD is so much faster, booting up and accessing programs. I'll never go back to a hard drive for OS drive.

A 256GB SSD is a good size.
Here's a link to the Samsung (most popular on computer forums and what I use) EVO 860 on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Samsung-250GB-In ... way&sr=8-4

[Godfrey Arthur]

Memory has always started out in the stratosphere with the costs. The new technology is going to cost you which is R&D speak for skimming the cream, meaning letting those with lots of throw away cash avail of it until the price goes down.

Back in 1999, 18gb (eighteen) of a SCSI drive was $1000.

You can either wait for the price to go down on the SSD or join the fray along with the Howells.

Making things small has never really been a problem. It's just that when things get too small for a human to grab with the fingers, is when things need to take a step back.





It would be best to have a dedicated cpu for music. Never connected to the internet, no need for virus apps to slow things down, no Windows looking for an update entry.
No malware and other code bugs.

That's not to say that the cpu itself doesn't have built-in bugs backdoored into the processor by the people who made the processor.

[Tony Prior]

a few years back I moved to SSD's for all programs and a 1-TB USB drive for sessions. I have a 2nd TB drive to Backup the session drive.

ask me why.

Ok why ?

A spinning drive in my daily PC with EVERYTHING on it died and could not be recovered ! Some of it was backed up, some not.

Then I turned around and looked across the room at my Pro Tools Studio PC.

Updated both systems to SSD drives and external storage.

[Godfrey Arthur]

Then I turned around and looked across the room at my Pro Tools Studio PC.

Updated both systems to SSD drives and external storage.

Yup, as long as the main drive for the PT rig is backed up.

[Tony Prior]

Then I turned around and looked across the room at my Pro Tools Studio PC.

Updated both systems to SSD drives and external storage.

Yup, as long as the main drive for the PT rig is backed up.

well it is but it's not imperative. Most DAW vendors now allow an on-line account where we can grab the version we own easily for immediate download . ( no charge) It is rather important though to backup all sessions and related external data.

My Pro Tools ( Avid ) account has two versions of Pro Tools as well as the Ilok account. I did need to reload the Ilok once over the last many years . I loaded some ext plug-in program where it caused an Ilok error. It took all of 5 min to go grab it and fix it !

[Godfrey Arthur]

Then I turned around and looked across the room at my Pro Tools Studio PC.

Updated both systems to SSD drives and external storage.

Yup, as long as the main drive for the PT rig is backed up.

well it is but it's not imperative. Most DAW vendors now allow an on-line account where we can grab the version we own easily for immediate download . ( no charge) It is rather important though to backup all sessions and related external data.

My Pro Tools ( Avid ) account has two versions of Pro Tools as well as the Ilok account. I did need to reload the Ilok once over the last many years . I loaded some ext plug-in program where it caused an Ilok error. It took all of 5 min to go grab it and fix it !

The other issue is the plugins from aftermarket creators.
Even if the DAW maker gives you assist, all the other plugin makers may have discontinued support or have lost their records on the older versions. I have lost support from Sony plugins and Waves because they ask to upgrade other versions by changing the OS. This is what is bad about the DAW industry. You end up renting only and not owning and even though their policies change as the years run down, they have no loyalty to the first buyers who started them on the path to success. And some of them may be too lazy to track down older versions of their plugins and find Auth Codes for you.

I still have an older version of PT and thankfully have not had to expose my iLok to the net. Pandora's box.

My DAW is a recorder system only. There are no peripheral programs, no internet to gum things up. Whatever is on the main HD is the recording system itself along with the plugins.

[Tony Prior]

for certain, while I have not had issues with drivers, I do have them saved on DISKS. Typically , based on various recording forum conversations it appears most of the NON PRO home studios have trouble when they leave Windows UPDATES active. Wanna change your PC ? leave AUTO UPDATES ON.

Then they blame the DAW, especially Pro Tools !

Personally I have removed most of the add-ons from previous years. Most were nothing more than modified plug-ins for features already contained in PT8 or PT12. The only very recent plug-in I purchased, installed and still have not used even 1 time is the Melodyne pitch plug-in. Those folks have the download and installation down to a science, but the initial program is still resident on their website. I guess it can be backed up.

[Godfrey Arthur]

for certain, while I have not had issues with drivers, I do have them saved on DISKS. Typically , based on various recording forum conversations it appears most of the NON PRO home studios have trouble when they leave Windows UPDATES active. Wanna change your PC ? leave AUTO UPDATES ON.

Then they blame the DAW, especially Pro Tools !

Personally I have removed most of the add-ons from previous years. Most were nothing more than modified plug-ins for features already contained in PT8 or PT12. The only very recent plug-in I purchased, installed and still have not used even 1 time is the Melodyne pitch plug-in. Those folks have the download and installation down to a science, but the initial program is still resident on their website. I guess it can be backed up.

I'm still at PT6 HD3 on a Mac at OS10.2.8

Yeah Windows is a menace.

[John Macy]

I bought one of the first two track SoundTools (which became ProTools) in the early nineties. I bought a rack mounted 650 Meg hard drive that cost $2900!! The Mac IIcii cost $4200 and came aight 8megs of ram and a 80 meg internal drive....