Hello, "K"
I have a Triton, and eventually, I also plan to use my PC with it.
For this discussion, I've assumed that you are *not* considering a laptop. When choosing a computer, here's what you should do:
1) Decide what you will do with it. Music, cool... you'll need a reasonably fast computer with ample memory. If you will do graphics too, you might consider an Apple Macintosh. If you plan to use it for office applications, internet, and games, you might consider a "PC" such as a Gateway or a Dell.
2) Chip speeds: If you buy a Mac, get a G3. If you have money to burn, get a G4. Both are plenty fast enough and should serve you well for a few years to come. If you buy a PC, get one with a Pentium II 400 or faster. Any Pentium III will be fine, too. If you want to buy one with an AMD cpu, go for the Athlon. These are also plenty fast enough.
These chip speeds aren't necessary for good music making, but you'll find that faster is better for the other applications you might want to use (drawing packages, science projects, etc).
3) Memory: For PCs, get one with at least 64 mb (megabytes) of RAM (random access memory). 124 mb is even better. There's a type of memory called "100mhz bus". It's faster than the older memory, and I'd think that most new PCs already use 100mhz memory. Don't confuse 100mhz memory with the clock speed of the CPU. For example, you can have a 400mhz CPU with 100mhz memory, and that same memory will work fine with a 550mhz CPU, as long as the motherboard is compatible.
4) Hard Drive: The bigger the better, in my opinion. I have a 14 gb (gigabyte) hard drive. Seagate, Maxtor, and Western Digital are good brands. If you buy a pre-built PC,
you can still ask what brand the hard drive is.
5) Sound Card: I use a Sound Blaster Live. Not the "value" version. Mine comes with a midi "daughterboard" so that I don't have to input my midi through the joystick port. This card is super for games, internet sounds, and for midi, but I'm told it's not "professional" quality (ie- the "best-sounding" digitized sounds stored in the card). The SB-Live sounds great to me (for now, anyway).
You'll have to ask others for specific recommendations of "professional" cards.
6) Modem: Get one with 56k speed. It'll make your internet usage go more smoothly. By the way, cable service may be available in your area. It's an extra monthly cost, but you can be online at the same time that you are watching HBO. All this, and you can still be on the phone with your agent (smile). Check with your cable company for more info.
7) Operating System: I like Windows 98 so far (even with the stability problems), but I am a heavy "office" application user. I haven't yet done much sequencing. Windows NT may not support all of your hardware devices, but NT is usually more stable. I don't know much about LINUX or BEOS, so I'll let others comment on those.
8) Sequencing software: I have Powertracks Pro by PG Music. Try
www.pgmusic.com for more info. It's a decent and inexpensive package.
Someday I will probably buy the Cubase VST 24 Producer Pack by Steingerg, but that runs close to $700 retail. Ouch!
There are many other very good sequencers out there, so be sure to inform yourself before making a decision. Music software is not widely purchased by your average "Best Buy" customer, so it takes longer for publishers to make back their R&D costs.
9) Video card: I'll admit it, I like Frosted Flakes! I also like video games. So I have a 2D/3D graphics card. I use a Real3D Starfighter, but I don't think they sell them anymore. Besides, there are way-faster cards available! If you want to play video games, I'd suggest a Matrox G400. If you're not into games, you can shop around for something less expensive. Creative Labs, Matrox, and ATI all make good cards.
10) Monitor: I have a 19" monitor at home, and I wouldn't ever want anything smaller. Good 17" monitors can be had for $200 to $400. If you have the $jingle$, consider a flat-panel screen to save yourself some desktop space.
This response was full of generalities, I know. Even so, I hope it helps a little bit. You might consider visiting your local library to look at some back issues of PC MAGAZINE, Electronic Musician, Keyboard Magazine, Maximum PC, and so on.
These magazines usually have reviews that can be quite helpful. The music magazines occasionally review sound cards and sequencer software, and the PC magazines will review all types of hardware and software, though they don't usually get too deep into the music making subjects. Be sure to check out their websites, too.
This is getting quite long, so let me summarize:
The only thing I can stress is for you to think about all the things you want to use that new computer for. Prioritize them, then decide what's most important.
For me, the biggest priority is software selection, and that's why I have a PC with Windows 98. I love going into Best Buy where there are ROWS AND ROWS of software to choose from. Lots of competition. In comparison, the Mac section is typically one side of a half-row, and the Linux software section is usually much much smaller than that. That may change in the future, but for now, there's more to choose from in the Win 98 arena.
For somebody else, graphics render speed (and not software selection) might be of paramount importance, and so they might be more inclined to buy a Mac G4. You will have to decide this for yourself. So educate yourself first and good luck!
Gotta go. Hopefully, others will add to this message thread so you can be confident in your decision.
-- brian
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