# Feedback on DAW build for orchestral template



## dangieschen (Jul 7, 2018)

Hi all,
I'm switching from LogicPro/iMac to Cubase/Vienna Ensemble Pro on windows (master/slave setup) for better orchestral template performance. Although I am familiar working on both mac and PC I’m a newbie at building a machine. I’ve done some research but would love feedback on my system. I think it might be a bit overkill but I’m ok with that. I do a fair bit of after effects and video work and will probably be getting a VR system soon so I expect this is more graphic heavy than some builds that are audio only. I don’t mind getting quality stuff and my main concern is if I’ve missed anything or something just won’t work. The specs below are for the master machine and I would duplicate this (expect for the graphics card) for a slave (or more slaves if necessary).

I have most of the Spitfire products and am planning to purchase most of the Orchestral Tools Berlin series as well.

Any feedback or thoughts/comments would be appreciated. Thanks!
Dan

BUILD:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

*CPU:* Intel - Core i7-6950X 3GHz 10-Core OEM/Tray Processor ($799.99 @ Amazon) 
*CPU Cooler:* be quiet! - Dark Rock Pro 4 50.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
*Motherboard:* MSI - X99A GODLIKE GAMING EATX LGA2011-3 Motherboard ($1219.68 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
*Memory:* Corsair - Vengeance RGB 128GB (8 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory ($1760.29 @ Amazon) 
*Storage:* Samsung - 860 Evo 2TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($497.99 @ Amazon) 
*Storage:* Samsung - 860 Evo 2TB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($497.99 @ Amazon) 
*Storage:* Western Digital - Caviar Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($184.45 @ B&H) 
*Storage:* Western Digital - Caviar Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($184.45 @ B&H) 
*Storage:* Western Digital - Caviar Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($184.45 @ B&H) 
*Video Card:* EVGA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founder Edition Video Card ($1299.99 @ Newegg Marketplace) 
*Case:* Nanoxia - Deep Silence 5 ATX Full Tower Case ($494.73 @ Amazon) 
*Power Supply:* be quiet! - DARK POWER PRO 11 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($187.99 @ SuperBiiz) 
*Optical Drive:* Asus - BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer ($119.98 @ OutletPC) 
*Operating System:* Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro Full 32/64-bit ($127.98 @ Trusted Tech Team) 
*Total:* $7644.95
_Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available_
_Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-07 17:59 EDT-0400_


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## MarcelM (Jul 7, 2018)

an 1080 ti is overkill for a daw system. a 1050ti would do just fine. i would even recommend an AMD card because you get lower DPC latency with AMD drivers compared to NVIDIA.

edit: it also seems to be overpriced for an older founders edition. also some other prices seem to be pretty high. well, iam from europe, but there shouldnt be that much difference i guess.

https://www.mindfactory.de/product_...x-OC-Aktiv-PCIe-3-0-x16--Retail-_1158905.html

better than the one you listed.

take this example:

https://www.mindfactory.de/product_...11-3-Quad-Channel-DDR4-EATX-Reta_1008515.html

you should really compare some other vendors. it looks like you can get that system quite a bit cheaper.

you can get valid windows 10 pro licenses on ebay for around 10 bucks or even less.

https://www.mindfactory.de/product_...t-Sichtfenster-Big-Tower-ohne-Ne_1110412.html

ive got this one myself. its really awesome and really silent. can only recommend be quiet!

your cpu cooler is from bequit, but i would actually get a noctua.


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jul 7, 2018)

dangieschen said:


> Hi all,
> I'm switching from LogicPro/iMac to Cubase/Vienna Ensemble Pro on windows (master/slave setup) for better orchestral template performance.



I don't mean to sidetrack, but what do you mean by "better orchestral template performance"? Since yo already know Logic, have you considered using your iMac as a master and building a PC as the slave? For $7644.95, that could buy you one hell of a Mac. And depending on your current iMac specs, you could build a powerful PC slave for about 1/3 of that price.


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## dangieschen (Jul 7, 2018)

@Heroix - Thanks for pointing that out about the graphics card. I just canceled the order. Was one of the only things I already picked up. I wasn't aware it was an older model. Also, those prices are just what were listed by the website I used to put the build together. You're right. Looks like I can get them a lot cheaper if I shop around. I do a fair bit of work in After Effects and Premier so the 1080 will really speed things up there (I think!). I just kind of figure why not since I'm doing everything else anyway. Thanks for the input!

@Wolfie2112 - I have thought about that but from my research (and expert advice I received from Tobias Escher at http://www.novatlan-sound.de/) Cubase on windows is far superior Logic on a Mac for big orchestral templates. What I think I will do is run protools on the iMac and sync it to the windows machine. That way all sfx/dialog/video is run from the iMac and the windows machine is for composition only. It keeps the session a bit cleaner and is a better workflow I think.


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## Zoot_Rollo (Jul 7, 2018)

i just built a similar system for around $5,000.

i have the 1080ti - i do 3d and video as well and it kicks ass for rendering.

i got the 970 evos.

with the latest bios and graphics drivers, i have my latency down to good levels.

nice thing about a fresh win10 pro install (don't pay more than $25), is you don't get any of the bloatware.

there is a list of services to disable that profoundly help - google.


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## MarcelM (Jul 8, 2018)

dangieschen said:


> @Heroix - Thanks for pointing that out about the graphics card. I just canceled the order. Was one of the only things I already picked up. I wasn't aware it was an older model. Also, those prices are just what were listed by the website I used to put the build together. You're right. Looks like I can get them a lot cheaper if I shop around. I do a fair bit of work in After Effects and Premier so the 1080 will really speed things up there (I think!). I just kind of figure why not since I'm doing everything else anyway. Thanks for the input!



yeah, CUDA (nvidia) is better for AE/Premiere stuff instead of OpenCL (AMD).

whatever, prices were way too high for some parts and iam glad i could help and you saved some money. have fun with your new machine once it arrives. if you have any further questions just ask.


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## Sami (Jul 8, 2018)

A 6950x and rgb memory? Strange things going on here....


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## MarcelM (Jul 8, 2018)

Sami said:


> A 6950x and rgb memory? Strange things going on here....


whats wrong with rgb memory? some people like the look 

i wouldnt buy an 6950x though these days. i would go with a newer cpu.


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## Synetos (Jul 8, 2018)

If you are not actually going to assemble it yourself, I would maybe consider a DAW builder that is specifically going to build/tune a machine for that purpose. There are several, but here is one to consider. https://www.adkproaudio.com/adk-extreme-x2

Also, if you are planning to run that machine hyperthreaded, your performance will roll off because you really cant make use of all the cores in real time. Windows 10 is limitied to 32 threads, by design. You lose 4 threads to OS right off the top. That leaves you with 28. 2 threads per core means you cant really go beyond 14cores. So, a 6core CPU hyperthreaded will give you 12...etc. There is a ton of info on this issue. 

I run the 6950x, but I run it without hyperthreading. If I were building another DAW today, it would be an i9. Just my 2 cents.


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## Divico (Jul 8, 2018)

Zoot_Rollo said:


> win10 pro install (don't pay more than $25)


+1. OEMs are dirt cheap. You can still upgrade from 7 and 8 licenses aswell. Did this last week.


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## Zoot_Rollo (Jul 8, 2018)

Divico said:


> +1. OEMs are dirt cheap. You can still upgrade from 7 and 8 licenses aswell. Did this last week.



usually late date upgrades are available if you have a disability or something.

at least from my experience.

i bought my license code from the Microsoft store with an employee discount for around $25.

and it's STILL not the cheapest out there.


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## Divico (Jul 8, 2018)

Zoot_Rollo said:


> usually late date upgrades are available if you have a disability or something.
> 
> at least from my experience.
> 
> ...


True it goes down to like 10 bucks. Official upgrade is not natively implemented for newer 7/8 istallations. You can get the updater from trustworthy sites though. Works like a charm/


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## Jeremy Spencer (Jul 8, 2018)

dangieschen said:


> Cubase on windows is far superior Logic on a Mac for big orchestral templates



I don't know where you heard this, but IMO that's false. Never had an issue with Cubase on my setup (Mac master, PC slave). Granted, my biggest orchestral templates are only around 300 tracks, but still it runs great.

Regardless, I hope your new build is a beast, should be a ton of power there.


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## Scrianinoff (Jul 8, 2018)

I would take the 7900x for roughly the same price, you will get 3100 voices instead of 2400 at a 256 buffer. https://goo.gl/images/rrgyW4


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## Øivind (Jul 8, 2018)

As Scarianinoff mentioned, i too think the 7900x is worth considering.


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## dangieschen (Jul 8, 2018)

Thanks everyone! I appreciate all the feedback.

I've updated things a bit...

- got non RGB RAM (didn't realize it as fancy RAM)
- updated to i9
- Nvidia graphics card - I'm really struggling to see the difference between all the 1080ti versions
- updated a 7200 drive to 10TB

Here's the new build list. Prices removed since I'll just try to find the best price for whatever piece that is. The prices shown before were just what happened to be there. Also, I may go to a local builder but I want to go through the steps to at least have some understanding and concept.

Anything in here that seems out of place/dumb/etc?

NEW BUILD:
PCPartPicker part list

*CPU:* Intel - Core i9-7900X 3.3GHz 10-Core Processor
*CPU Cooler:* Cooler Master - RR-T812-24PK-R2 86.2 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
*Motherboard:* Asus - ROG RAMPAGE VI EXTREME EATX LGA2066 Motherboard
*Memory:* Corsair - Dominator Platinum 128GB (8 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 Memory
*Samples 1 Storage:* Samsung - 860 Evo 2TB 2.5" Solid State Drive
*Samples 2 Storage:* Samsung - 860 Evo 2TB 2.5" Solid State Drive
*OS Storage:* Western Digital - RE4 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
*Audio Storage:* Western Digital - Caviar Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
*Misc & Project Storage:* Western Digital - Gold 10TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
*Video Card:* NVIDIA - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Founders Edition Video Card
*Case:* Nanoxia - Deep Silence 5 ATX Full Tower Case
*Power Supply:* be quiet! - DARK POWER PRO 11 850W 80+ Platinum Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply
*Optical Drive:* Asus - BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer
*Operating System:* Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro Full 32/64-bit


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## Øivind (Jul 9, 2018)

I would also recommend SDD for the OS drive, it's day and night difference from a mechanical 7200RPM drive.

In case you want to overclock the CPU, i would also recommend a Noctua CPU cooler. Best there is. 

Edit: Noctua ftw.


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