Re: Why I Don't Use Computers for Audio Very Much

Hi Mike,

I'm not sure I agree with how you look at this. A computer is a tool.
To me its obvious that only the very knowledgeable should assemble
their own. Similarly, only the extremely knowledgeable should assemble
their own digital recorder, or assemble their own mixing board. People
have done those things. I never would.

I realize those are extreme examples. Computers are, by their nature,
supposed to to be upgradeable and tweakable and run various types of
software. But I suspect that if a person paid a technician to assemble
a computer and install a defined sound card and exactly one software
product (say for example, Cubase), then that computer would be
extremely reliable. If the person strictly ran Cubase, did nothing
else, and never installed any new hardware or software, it might prove
as reliable as a digital recorder or a mixing board.

Most of the problems associated with computers come about because of
their flexibility. Limit that flexibility and you gain reliability.

My $.02.

Dean


On Apr 23, 9:48 am, Mike Rivers <mriv...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Part 2713

I was visiting a friend this weekend after the NAB show. His Sunday
project was to put a new motherboard in his wife's computer (she's a
music teacher) so that she can run the newest version of Smart Music -
a really cool program for teachers. It requires at least a 2 GHz
processor for glitchless playback, and her computer was running at 1.4
GHz. No problem for him, he said, he's assembled lots of computers. I
was looking forward to watching, since one of these days I'm simply
going to have to do the same thing myself and I've only owned store-
bought computers that just worked.

So Sunday morning, we went to Fry's where he bought a bundled
motherboard (not a Gigabit, Asus, Abit, or Intel, the brands we talk
about here) and CPU - a dual core :2.3 GHz Pentium. He got a new fan
(the bundle didn't come with one), a 1 GB memory module, and also a
new power supply, because he couldn't remember if the one in the old
computer had the "extra" plug for the new motherboards. (it did).

Disassembly went quickly. I was looking over the new motherboard while
he was extracting the old one, and noticed that it didn't have an AGP
slot. I checked the manual and it had four PCI slots, one PCI-1x, and
one :PCI-16x PCI Express slots. The old computer's graphics board was
AGP.

After installing the CPU, fan, and memory, he hunted around and found
an old PCI graphcs card, and put it into one of the slots. He figured
that even though it doesn't support higher resolution modes, it would
work at 640x480 resolution and at least allow him to check out the
motherboard. He's pick up a PCI Express graphics card later in the
week.

Smoke test time came, and, while there was no smoke, Windows kept not
starting. Not even in the Safe mode. It appeared that something very
fundamental to Windows was corrupt. I suggested that if he had a
scratch hard drive, that he install that, install Windows on it, and
see if that worked. Better than that, he had an old drive from one of
his sons' computers that had a full Windows installation on it. We
connected that in place of the computer's original drive and Windows
started right up, though with the only resolution that the graphics
card would support.

The original hard drive was visible to both the BIOS and to Windows,
and, when booting off this scratch drive, files could be read and
program run off the original disk, so it wasn't hosed. An attempt to
fix a possible corrupt file with SFC didn't help, so the next step was
the #1 recommendation for any Windows problem - Re-install Windows.
Let that chug away through dinner, and finally, Windows would start
from the original file.

But although the motherboard's built-in network interface appeared in
the Device Manager and was reported as "working properly" it couldn't
connect to the outside world. Installing the computer's old network
interface card got it connected, but the built-in audio hardware
didn't work. It didn't even show up on the Device Manager.

There was a CD that came with the motherboard with some poorly
described installations (RAID got its own chapter in the manual but
nothing else was even addressed). Turned out that there was an
installer for "Device" which turned out to the bhe sound hardware. But
rather than load drivers off the disk (possibly to be updated later
off the 'net) it wanted to go straight to the Internet to get the
drivers. After that, the audio hardware worked, she was able to teach
lessons the next morning, and we celebrated with a glass of wine.
Hmmm . . . I wonder if the built-in network interface needed to go to
the 'net to get its drivers, too? DUH!

So, to ask the most popular question in this newsgroup after "what mic
should I buy?" ------ Is this normal?

Of course it isn't. But it sure made me wonder if I want to "learn"
that much about computers when I need a new one. Unfortunately, we no
longer have built-it shops around here, so I may be forced to either
risk going through this sort of agony myself or buy another off-the-
shelf computer.

Never mind telling me to buy a Mac. I'm just venting, and giving y'all
one more example of why I'm not an enthusiastic supporter of people
who know about music but little about technology trying to bumble
their way through DIY solutions.

.


.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: P4C800-DELUXE XP Install Problems --- Hanging
    ... Windows Install Guide by Mr Steveo from ABX Zone Website. ... Additionally, if you have a Springdale or Canterwood chipset motherboard, ... Install chipset INFs before any video or sound drivers. ...
    (alt.comp.periphs.mainboard.asus)
  • Re: Why I Dont Use Computers for Audio Very Much
    ... To me its obvious that only the very knowledgeable should assemble ... a computer and install a defined sound card and exactly one software ... motherboard (not a Gigabit, Asus, Abit, or Intel, the brands we talk ... Smoke test time came, and, while there was no smoke, Windows kept not ...
    (rec.audio.pro)
  • Re: Why I Dont Use Computers for Audio Very Much
    ... motherboard (not a Gigabit, Asus, Abit, or Intel, the brands we talk ... Smoke test time came, and, while there was no smoke, Windows kept not ... scratch hard drive, that he install that, install Windows on it, and ... boot disc and do a REPAIR install. ...
    (rec.audio.pro)
  • Re: New Motherboard
    ... I put in a brand new ASUS Motherboard, AMD 64 FX 3500 CPU, ... didn`t need to do a repair install or re-activation. ... > 1.Do Not BOOT into Windows XP on first boot after Motherboard or Hard ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.hardware)
  • Re: Checking for the latest updates....
    ... It's a good idea to install them now and then check again, ... Microsoft Windows XP ... Windows XP Service Pack 1 ... Security Update for Windows XP ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsupdate)
Loading