Today we’re looking for the best computer for music production and recording. So you have the music. (or if you’re loyal to a certain route, but that’s not our business). However, you can also read our PC or Mac for music making article for more detail into. We don’t think video cards matter at all unless you’re editing videos. This had led to me trying a variety of laptops, both Mac and PC, in the search for the perfect solution. In the video below I put the Asus GL502VS up against the Macbook Pro. While these machines both have different specs, the GL502VS is technically a gaming laptop, I.
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Today we’re looking for the best computer for music production and recording. So you have the; keyboards, speakers, microphones, and most importantly, the ideas storming around in your brain. But what about the actual computer to act as the backbone of your entire digital music production setup? When it comes to a music making computer, we want to settle some anxiety you may have right off the bat: it isn’t too big of deal which one you get.
When we say that, we mean what kind, type, brand, etc. You will want to follow our checklists for musts so you ensure you have a computer that can actually handle the modern-day digital music production setup; however, there is a vast majority of models to choose from that will work perfectly fine. How to choose your computer for music production. Your budget – As perhaps assumed, this is our first and foremost the biggest deciding factor. Although you don’t necessarily have to drop thousands of dollars on your music making computer, the higher you go, the better overall quality your work flow will be. Many reading this article may be just starting to, so keep in mind what other gear you need to balance your money out.
To have a fast and easy setup however shouldn’t take more than a thousand bucks (and lower). If you’re a starter musician buying your, you may want to save some money and grab a more budget-friendly computer to get going. However, we do recommend saving up as much cash and being as patient as you can, since computers will be a long-term investment for the next 5 or so years. As stated previously, they’re also the backbone of a home studio — without a solid music computer, your other gear won’t even work properly and will be useless.
Uh oh, we’re not going to get into this debate. When it comes to music production, this debacle is quite overplayed. You need to understand that in the end both are merely just computers. There is not a preferred “brand” of computer for music making! The only deciding factor for using a Mac or PC (in our opinion) is explained in the next bullet point (or if you’re loyal to a certain route, but that’s not our business). However, you can also read our article for more detail into this popular argument before you continue on. What DAW are you using?
Do you have your picked out yet? If so, this may steer you towards a specific Mac or PC choice. We would only go with Mac if you’re planning on using Pro Tools (they do have a Windows version out now), Garageband or Logic since they are Mac-only. Otherwise, both can work, but double-check on your preferred software’s compatibility. Desktop – Here’s another debate when it comes to computers for music. Nowadays, I’ve heard of producers using laptops at home considering how powerful and capable they’ve become in recent years.
One of the biggest deciding factors for a laptop vs. Desktop choice is if you’re planning on traveling. If this is so, we’d grab a laptop since it’ll work amazing for these purposes as well as can hold its own while you’re at home in the studio making some tunes in between gigs (you can read our guide as well). Otherwise, grabbing a powerful desktop PC Mac has a lot of potential. We have mostly desktop below, so read our guide we’ve just linked in case you’re in need of a laptop — we did sprinkle a few below, too. These are all pre-built – We know many computer junkies out there who frown at those who buy computers that already have their insides picked out.
![Which is better for movie and music editing mac or pc for college Which is better for movie and music editing mac or pc for college](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125627466/449884883.png)
We wanted to mention this last since it won’t pertain to everybody. If you’re in the mood to just get going on making some tunes, pre-built is the way to go. Creating your own music computer does give you some flexibility when it comes to doing a little more work and researching the best RAM, hard drive and processor you’d like to mix and match with (which can probably save you a few bucks in the long run as well); however, many pre-built PC’s in the market are still amazing for recording and producing music, so if you aren’t into learning how to make your own computer right now, it’s no worries. We’ll leave that up to you.
If you are indeed into, read our article for an in-depth guide. Our checklist for computers for making music In order to get a feel for what specifications we actually need in our computers, let’s first compare and contrast with some of the most popular music software out there and what minimum system requirements they ask for. We can then use this as a guide to see what the absolute minimum is. Going above is always a good idea since a lot of software out there update quite frequently and sometimes increase their requirements, and you want to be set for the long-term, not just the “minimum”. Let’s review the three most popular software out there right now in Pro Tools, Ableton and Logic. Pro Tools is by far the most demanding software, so if you aren’t using it but still want a computer that supports it, you’ll be in the clear for literally anything else out there.