New System - Suggestions!?!

PC Configurations, motherboards, etc, etc

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jdwhite01
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Post by jdwhite01 »

On 2006-08-08 23:04, garyb wrote:
yes, astro, that's my opinion.
Forgive me if I have offended your sensibilities, Gary.
i have run multiprocessor systems sucessfully with scope(dual p3 slot1, if that worked with scope, there's no reason for newer duals not to work)
In my - perhaps comparably limited - experience there's never "no" reason. Hence, the questions.
but the single processor systems ran better(smoother and more stable..a well set up single almost NEVER crashes..).
Kinda like my P2-400 running for six + years? "Runnin' the stink out of it..." I think is the phrase you used.
newer machines might work better than the older ones did, but a single processor machine does plenty of work(for audio, using scope cards, anyway..).
In all likelihood you are overwhelmingly correct in that evaluation. That said, I still recall Frank Hund commenting that regardless of how advanced processors becamse, accelerator cards would find homes as the environments and applications developers chose to write more code rather than more efficient code. Parallel to that I think it is safe to acknowledge that developers have done that many times with SCOPE devices, as well. More DSPs? Heck, now we don't HAVE to be frugal!

I remember John Bowen pointing out more DSP-lean ways of configuring a modular and achieving the same results. Back then we, (most of us,)only had 4 DSPs available so being clever was important. Certainly a lot has changed since we introduced Pulsar to North America. Then again, not everything....
i think sometimes people get more concerned with the computer than it's application.
One might perceive it that way, but one would be inaccurate.
a scope pro costs as much as a pretty nice computer.
Some. Then again, "pretty nice" is relative.
i've never understood why making that card happy wouldn't be the first priority.
Actually, if you're referring to my persistance of inquiry from a focused group of users, I should think you would be able to see that in fact it is my HIGHEST priority. Therefore I came seeking the most solid, reliable, and current information available. I didn't go to Steinberg, (whom I used to rep,)or Bob Lentini, (whom I used to rep and whom I could drive over to see,) or Microsoft or Intel - or for that matter Frank and Wolf and all the boys over in Germany. I came looking for real world answers from real world users that - I had thought - had developed a strong support community and addressed many of these things already. It seemed a practical approach....
people always underestimate the value of a scope card until they've used it for a little bit, then they see.....or not.. :D
Funny, that's almost the same thing we used to tell people - except for Digidesign execs when they would stop by the booth and wonder what on earth we were going to do with all of those DSPs.... ;o)
i think it's better to have as simple(errr, stable even if it's not the most extremely powerful) a setup as possible that does a job real well and then use the stink out of it for a long time, like an old minimoog or 2" studer or neve console,
I miss my Moog collection... sometimes. Less and less as time goes by, mind you. I miss the Leslie more than anything, actually.
than to have the latest consumer doodad every six months.
As I've alluded to earlier, my upgrade intervals are FAR greater than six months. I can only believe that is because I build a monster at the time and then comfortably use it while the rest of the world muddles and searches vainly for their panacea.
frankly, if you can't make a world class album with ANY good sequencer(cubase sx, sonor, etc) and scope in a 3ghz or faster machine, then you don't know how to make records or produce music, period,
Or running a P2-400 into the ground with a 4-DSP Pulsar and Cubase v5... happily co-existing with the myriad other applications.
and that won't change almost forever(although there are sure to be new developements that one might want to take advantage of in the future). good sounding gear never goes out of style. it's not the computer itself that will be good sounding, however...
There's the really exceptional classical guitarist that lives on the other side of town from me. I got him into tripleDAT. I never bothered trying to get him into a Pulsar as he makes world class music with a nylon stringed guitat and some AKGs and Neumanns.... I wonder how he's doing?

Thanks once more for the illumination and sharing of perspectives. It is genuinely appreciated that you would take time out of your day to help.

_________________
"I don't need to fight to prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven" Pete Townshend (Baba O'Reilly)

Jeff White
White Noise Media
jdwhite@whitenoisemedia.net

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: jdwhite01 on 2006-08-09 00:42 ]</font>
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garyb
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Post by garyb »

hey no problem!
i hope your new computer works well for you!
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dehuszar
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Post by dehuszar »

I think the Dual-Processor rig is better suited to a server environment where you have MUCH more multi-tasking needs.

The one thing that I'd recommend is that you buy the absolute best quality and speed RAM you can afford. I really got my priorities backwards when I bought my Athlon 64 3000+ and Gigbyte K8N Ultra (nForce3 AGP) rig. I went with cheapie RAM and Windows ate itself, and SFP crashed A LOT. Having pulled one of the DIMMS, as they seemed to want to run in Dual-Channel mode regardless of my BIOS settings, things have mellowed out, but I have less RAM to work with.

Really can't empasize that enough. Even if you're doing a lot of VST intensive stuff, get the most stable RAM you can buy and fill the board with Dual-Channel kits, so you never make the mistake of upgrading your RAM 7 revisions after you bought the first pair of the same model DIMM(s).

Sam
jdwhite01
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Post by jdwhite01 »

On 2006-08-13 13:52, dehuszar wrote:
I think the Dual-Processor rig is better suited to a server environment where you have MUCH more multi-tasking needs.

Perhaps I've just heard the term "multi-tasking" applied so liberally and, in my opinion, abused beyond the point of validity that I have lost perspective as to what actually constitutes "multiple tasks".

While, naturally, the impetus for having feature accelerater cards is to enhance the system's ability to perform feature specific functions, they are not going to benefit the simultaneous use of, oh, say Cubase, Wavelab, Reaktor, D-pole, PPG, and myriad other plug-ins, VSTs, etc, ad nauseum our whims compel us to employ. By design intent Creamw@re made use of system RAM - where everybody else lives, too - and even though there's all those nifty DSPs workin' for me I find it a little challenging to believe there is no CPU impact. Not trying to re-write the book or incite or agitate... I was simply trying to ascertain the level of reliable performance that SFP might be able to deliver in either a fully functional SMP environment, or in an SMP system that had been selectively disabled when SFP was to be used, (and fully functional for all the other applications that DO employ and take advantage of more available clock cycles.)
The one thing that I'd recommend is that you buy the absolute best quality and speed RAM you can afford.
Sam
Well, Sam, I don't generally find myself trying to scrimp on things like that, though I do appreciate the heads up. The curse I am faced with is having a degree in quality assurance and, to the contrary, being obsessive about reliability - and buying things once.

DIRTFooT = Do It Right The First Time

I built the previous system with components that served for over six years. Were it not for the eternity in computer-years that represents to technology advances, everything except the motherboard, CPU and RAM could drop right into the new system. I usually give the first nod to Kingston or Crucial... being such a critical component I can't imagine there being enough savings from ANYONE to take an unnecessary risk. Besides, Kingston's customer service is close to the best on the planet in almost ANY comparison in any genre you could make. As one who values service substantially, I am as eager to tell good stories as bad ones.

Thanks for the thoughts, Sam. Best of luck to you.
"I don't need to fight to prove I'm right. I don't need to be forgiven" Pete Townshend (Baba O'Reilly)

Jeff White
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dawman
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Post by dawman »

Glad to have you aboard JDW.
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pollux
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Post by pollux »

Hi,

If you want to build a monster, you should seriously take a look at the brand new Ecore 2 Duo Extreme chip from Intel.

I've been a fan of AMD since the K6-2... but this baby complete outclasses the latest 64-bit chips from AMD.


Cheers!

Raul
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astroman
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Post by astroman »

On 2006-08-13 16:48, jdwhite01 wrote:
... By design intent Creamw@re made use of system RAM - where everybody else lives, too - and even though there's all those nifty DSPs workin' for me I find it a little challenging to believe there is no CPU impact. Not trying to re-write the book or incite or agitate...
while it will of course require some attention of the CPU at some point(s) in time, the memory transfer isn't called DMA for nothing (but don't ask the details from me...)
The GUI has a significantly higher impact on CPU cycles.
Based on a cross-platform library (wxwidgets) it cannot be off-loaded entirely to the graphcard (simplyfied).

cheers, Tom
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