Is this a feasible PC build to power MIR Pro?

[Guidotorius]

Hi,

Hosting a full orchestra (e.g. 4.4.4.4. 4.4.4.1. Timp., Cym., Tub. Bells, Harp, Strings) in MIR Pro was apparently more than my old dual Xeon E5504 2.0GHz workstation with 16GB of DDR3-1333 RAM could handle. Windows Task Manager reported that I was only using half of my RAM but 100% of my CPUs.

Since it appears my five-year old workstation is spending more time at the repair shop of late than in my studio, my repairman asked me if I had considered purchasing a new computer. I had. After researching audio workstation sold online, it seemed to me that the following system offered the most bang for my buck.

i7 3930k 3.2GHz Six-Core CPU
64GB DDR3-1600 RAM
1 x 120GB SSD (OS)
2 x 320GB SSD (Samples)
1 x 2TB 7200 HDD (Projects)

But can it handle MIR Pro? Comparing it to the turnkey system for MIR Pro manufactured by VisionDAW, I learned that the i7 3930k scores higher benchmark ratings than both E5-2609 Xeon processors featured in the turnkey system--combined (according to www.cpubenchmark.net). However, benchmark scores may not tell the whole story. Perhaps, there are other points to consider in running MIR Pro smoothly that those on this forum can comment on.

If my old workstation can be repaired, I could run both computers in a master/slave configuration. Not being experienced in such matters, I wonder which of the following set-ups would yield the best results.

OPTIONS

1. Run everything on the new i7 workstation.
2. Old Workstation - Master (Sonar 8.5). New Workstation - Slave (VI Pro, VE Pro, MIR Pro).
3. New Workstation (DAW, VE Pro, VI Pro). Old Workstation (VE Pro, MIR Pro) (or vice versa).
4. Laptop (Master), New Workstation (MIR Pro), Old Workstation (Samples)

Any advice would be appreciated! Thanks!

[Dietz]

 Hi,

I'm by no means a hardware specialist, but my own new machine is pretty much what you seem to have in mind, and I'm really happy with it. More info about it in this thread:

-> http://community.vsl.co.at/forums/p/34315/215134.aspx#215134

Kind regards,

[Guidotorius]

@Dietz said:

 Hi,

I'm by no means a hardware specialist, but my own new machine is pretty much what you seem to have in mind, and I'm really happy with it. More info about it in this thread:

-> http://community.vsl.co.at/forums/p/34315/215134.aspx#215134

Kind regards,

Thank you, Dietz, for your response and for refering me to the description of your system. I have hope now that by building a similar one I can finally use MIR Pro to its full potential!

Noting the quality of your sound card, I wonder if I need to upgrade mine. I use a USB 2.0 M-Audio Fast Track Ultra. However, if I understand the way DAWs play sample libraries through VE Pro 5/MIR Pro, then it appears that most of the load is on the CPU and hard drives and all that trickles down to the sound card is the mixed down results. Since I am only working in 2.0 stereo, I don't imagine that even my USB 2.0 audio interface would cause a bottleneck. Any thoughts?

Best wishes,

[Dietz]

You're welcome!

I should add that my machine has been built to the task by the DAW-specialists of POMTEC, who are assemblers of VSL-certified workstations.

-> http://www.vsl.co.at/en/211/497/1687/2002/2020/1707.htm

@Guidotorius said:

[...] Noting the quality of your sound card, I wonder if I need to upgrade mine. I use a USB 2.0 M-Audio Fast Track Ultra. However, if I understand the way DAWs play sample libraries through VE Pro 5/MIR Pro, then it appears that most of the load is on the CPU and hard drives and all that trickles down to the sound card is the mixed down results. Since I am only working in 2.0 stereo, I don't imagine that even my USB 2.0 audio interface would cause a bottleneck. Any thoughts?

Not knowing your M-Audio interface myself, it's worth noting that the quality of the audio hardware's drivers is the decisive point. It might happen that you can get better performance with lower latencies when all components work together perfectly.

Kind regards,

[noldar12]

If your budget allows for it, getting a better interface would be helpful - I have an older M-Audio one myself - particularly something by RME.  Also, given the goal of full symphonic writing, getting better speakers would also be helpful, depending upon your room.

Using your old computer as a master running Sonar, and the new computer dedicated to VSL will work fine should you wish to go that route.  In this configuration - identical to my own in that respect, as I am also on Sonar 8.5 - the master does not need to be that powerful, as the bulk of the work is done on the slave in whatever flavor of MIR you decide to use.  The master simply records your mixed output plus whatever other effects processing you wish to do on the master.  All told, at least for me, that doesn't require very much.

[Guidotorius]

Thanks, Noldar12, for your reply! It's obviously been a while since I've checked my email or this forum. I do have a small room, about 9" x 13." Out of curiosity, what speakers would you recommend?

[noldar12]

As for a suggestion, the best advice would be to listen to as many speakers as you can using material you are familiar with - using symphonic material might be wise, since that is what you will be writing - and then choosing based on what you hear.  With symphonic writing, you will want something that is either full range, or as close to full range as you can get in a monitor format.  For something close to full range the monitor would need to be flat down to about 25-30hz.  A quick check of the Rockit 5's specs indicate a rating down to only about 52hz.

My current (and very old) main monitors are also rather small, and sometimes have proven problematic due to the lack of bass extension.

[Guidotorius]

Thanks, Noldar12, for the tip! I'll look into better speakers. Best wishes, August

[Stephane Collin]

I have a pair of older Genelec 1030 A, right size for my desk. I was quite happy with those. Recently, my cables (between the M-Audio interface and the self powered monitors) went down and I decided to have custom cables made to high standard (Cordial cable with Neutrik connectors) and no longer than 1 meter. The difference is enormous. Way more articulation, better stereo image, more depth and less muddiness. I thought it was worth mentionning. Keep some budget for good cables.

[Guidotorius]

@Stephane Collin said:

I have a pair of older Genelec 1030 A, right size for my desk. I was quite happy with those. Recently, my cables (between the M-Audio interface and the self powered monitors) went down and I decided to have custom cables made to high standard (Cordial cable with Neutrik connectors) and no longer than 1 meter. The difference is enormous. Way more articulation, better stereo image, more depth and less muddiness. I thought it was worth mentionning. Keep some budget for good cables.

It's interesting how much difference cables can make. I currently use Monster cables, but I'll have to look into getting custom cables made. --August

[DG]

Oh please. Not this old cable myth again. Unless your cables are actually bad (such as poor stereo image due to crosstalk), there is no reason to spend all this money on custom cables. If the placebo effect keeps you happy, then fine, but other than that you are wasting your money, and being a mug.

DG

[Stephane Collin]

Strange, DG.

You seem to have another experience than I do.

Uptil now, I used to think that I have quite good ears, and well educated listening.  Indeed, my former cables were custom made by me (and here I agree that I'm not the guy to recommend for the job), so most probably not the top notch.  But when I replaced those with good quality ones, the difference was, as I said, tremendous.  No doubt, my cables were a weak component of my set up.  No doubt, monitoring on Auratones, I would probably not have jumped that high from my chair.  And good news : for the 38 € that I paid my new cables, I consider them as the best pleasure/price ratio investment that I ever did [;)]  (not speaking of all the Vienna stuff, of course).  The difference was such that I had to redo my latest home made mixings, because I now have quite more bass level, to a point that I consider offensive.  Also, my EQ's that were attempting to clear the muddiness in the low mids are left out now, because muddiness no more.  To me it is all but placebo, and for what it is worth, I would recommend that long, long before you replace your Line Audio CM3 cardioids with Neumann KM84 ones, replace all your less than ideal cables.

That being said, I can imagine that from one set up to the other, the problems and their optimal solutions can vary wildely.

My next step : room acoustics, long, long before (but for other obvious reasons) I go for the B&W 800 D monitors.

[DG]

If your new cables make things sound better, all that means is that the old ones were cr*p in the first place. However, I am talking about those companies, such as Monster, who prey upon the gullible.

DG