The Best Computer For Music Production - What's Needed And Why!

Check out my new and updated video here: • The Best Computer for ...
In this video, I will show you the best computer for music production and you will learn why music production is so demanding on your computer. Not all CPU's are well suited for music production, and in this video, you'll learn why that is. We're also going to be building a brand new computer from scratch, and I'll show you all the parts that go into it and why.
If you're on the hunt for a new computer for music production then check out the parts list below. It doesn't matter if you use FL Studio, Ableton, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper or whatever, they all work very similarly, so a computer that works well for one DAW should also work well for another.
Here's an UPDATED parts list for the best PC for music production in 2022, based on my new and updated video:
(Amazon links below)
☑Performance option:
CASE: geni.us/define-r6usbc
Main Board: geni.us/z690-f
CPU: geni.us/i9-12900k
CPU Cooler (Water): geni.us/pl360-flux
CPU Cooler (Air): geni.us/NH-D15S
RAM: geni.us/KFB-DDR5
POWER SUPPLY: geni.us/RM750x
SSD (M.2): geni.us/SN570
VIDEO CARD: geni.us/RTX3050
Total cost: 2500 USD (approximately)
☑Budget Option:
CASE: geni.us/corsair-110q
Main Board: geni.us/A520M
CPU (With cooler): geni.us/AMD5600x
RAM: geni.us/kingston-ddr4
POWER SUPPLY: geni.us/NWE-Bronze
SSD (M.2): geni.us/Kingston-NV1
VIDEO CARD: geni.us/RX6500
Total cost: 880 USD (approximately)
☑Accessories:
Keyboard: geni.us/g213
Mouse: geni.us/logitech-g402fury
Audio interface: geni.us/scarlettsolo-3rd-gen
Headphones: geni.us/akg-k612pro
Studio monitors: geni.us/Yamaha-HS8
Ultrawide monitor: geni.us/Samsung-49
Standard monitor: geni.us/spectre27
Here's the ORIGINAL list of components from this video:
☑️ Case: geni.us/define-r6usbc
☑️ Power Supply: geni.us/corsair-rm750x
☑️ Main board: geni.us/asus-rog-maximus
☑️ CPU: geni.us/intel-i9-9900k
☑️ CPU Cooler: geni.us/noctua-nh-d15
☑️ RAM: geni.us/corsair-lpx32gb
☑️ SSD: geni.us/mx500
☑️ Video Card (Optional): geni.us/asusgtx1070
☑️ Case fan: geni.us/fractaldesign-xpgp14
☑️ Mouse: geni.us/logitech-g402fury
☑️ Keyboard: geni.us/g213
☑️ Screen: geni.us/lg29wk600-w
☑️ Studio monitors: geni.us/Yamaha-HS8
☑️ XLR Cables: geni.us/monoprice104761
☑️ Headphones: geni.us/akg-k612pro
☑️ Audio interface: geni.us/scarlettsolo-3rd-gen
Here's the AMD equivalent with the new Ryzen CPU's (Just replace motherboard and CPU):
☑️ Main board: geni.us/asus-rogstrixx570
☑️ Ryzen 3900X: geni.us/ryzen9-3900x
As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
✔️ Buy the boxed version of FL Studio today:
geni.us/flstudio-keyboard
✔️ VST & Effect plugins:
pluginboutique.com/?a_aid=5d4...
✔️ Premium loops and sample packs:
www.loopmasters.com/?a_aid=5d...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
00:00 - Introduction
00:18 - What's needed for music production and why
00:42 - How real-time audio processing work inside a DAW
00:51 - Serial processing vs sequential processing
01:24 - Why a DAW can't utilize serial processing very well
02:45 - What to look for when choosing a CPU for music production
03:45 - Laptop vs desktop computer
04:33 - System requirements
05:23 - How to build a computer for music production
05:26 - Computer Case
07:02 - Parts list
07:18 - CPU
07:41 - RAM
07:49 - CPU Cooler
09:18 - 5820k VS 9900k
11:38 - Conclusion
Compare CPU's: cpu.userbenchmark.com/Compare...
Passmark Benchmark: www.cpubenchmark.net/
How to get better CPU performance in FL Studio: • How To Get Better CPU ...
Reduced CPU usage in new version of FL Studio: • How Image-Line Managed...
❤️ Support This Channel on Patreon:
/ firewalkmusic
❤️ Support us with a one-time Paypal donation:
www.paypal.me/firewalkmusic
⚠️ Need feedback on music, mixing, mastering?
www.fiverr.com/firewalk
Follow FireWalk on social media:
/ djfirewalk
/ djfirewalk
/ firewalk_music
/ firewalk_music
📧 Other inquiries?
[e-mail]

[@FireWalkMusic]

Here's an updated PARTS LIST with amazon links for the best computer for music production in 2022 based on the Intel i9-12900k: Check out my new and updated video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l6rXaWCpbJyWh9U ☑Performance option: CASE: geni.us/define-r6usbc Main Board: geni.us/z690-f CPU: geni.us/i9-12900k CPU Cooler (Water): geni.us/pl360-flux CPU Cooler (Air): geni.us/NH-D15S RAM: geni.us/KFB-DDR5 POWER SUPPLY: geni.us/RM750x SSD (M.2): geni.us/SN570 VIDEO CARD: geni.us/RTX3050 Total cost: 2500 USD (approximately) ☑Budget Option: CASE: geni.us/corsair-110q Main Board: geni.us/A520M CPU (With cooler): geni.us/AMD5600x RAM: geni.us/kingston-ddr4 POWER SUPPLY: geni.us/NWE-Bronze SSD (M.2): geni.us/Kingston-NV1 VIDEO CARD: geni.us/RX6500 Total cost: 880 USD (approximately) ☑Accessories: Keyboard: geni.us/g213 Mouse: geni.us/logitech-g402fury Audio interface: geni.us/scarlettsolo-3rd-gen Headphones: geni.us/akg-k612pro Studio monitors: geni.us/Yamaha-HS8 Ultrawide monitor: geni.us/Samsung-49 Standard monitor: geni.us/spectre27 ☑prebuilt performance computers: Statationary (Intel): geni.us/Prism-12900k Stationary (AMD): geni.us/MEK-5950x Laptop (Intel): geni.us/G533ZW laptop (AMD): geni.us/ASUS-G15 ☑Prebuilt budget computers: Stationary (Intel): geni.us/cyberp-i5 Stationary (AMD): geni.us/ibuy5600 Laptop (Intel): geni.us/HPcorei5 Laptop (AMD): geni.us/HP-ryzen550 Here's the ORIGINAL list of components used for this video: ☑️ Case: geni.us/define-r6usbc ☑️ Power Supply: geni.us/corsair-rm750x ☑️ Main board: geni.us/asus-rog-maximus ☑️ CPU: geni.us/intel-i9-9900k ☑️ CPU Cooler: geni.us/noctua-nh-d15 ☑️ RAM: geni.us/corsair-lpx32gb ☑️ SSD: geni.us/mx500 ☑️ Video Card (Optional): geni.us/asusgtx1070 ☑️ Case fan: geni.us/fractaldesign-xpgp14 ☑️ Mouse: geni.us/logitech-g402fury ☑️ Keyboard: geni.us/g213 ☑️ Screen: geni.us/lg29wk600-w ☑️ Studio monitors: geni.us/Yamaha-HS8 ☑️ XLR Cables: geni.us/monoprice104761 ☑️ Headphones: geni.us/akg-k612pro ☑️ Audio interface: geni.us/scarlettsolo-3rd-gen Here's the AMD equivalent with the new Ryzen CPU's (Just replace motherboard and CPU): ☑️ Main board: geni.us/asus-rogstrixx570 ☑️ Ryzen 3900X: geni.us/ryzen9-3900x As an Amazon Affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Support This Channel on Patreon: www.patreon.com/firewalkmusic Support us with a one-time Paypal donation: www.paypal.me/firewalkmusic Need feedback on music, mixing, mastering? www.fiverr.com/firewalk

[@Wwaps]

Nice!

[@paulluna8099]

So basically $3,000 setup.

[@RuneKatashima]

Hi, looking at this for a friend. Is it right that your soundcard and audio interface link to the same item? Is the interface also the sound card?

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@RuneKatashima Hi, must be a double posting. I'll correct it. Yes it's the same thing. The audio interface is basically just an external sound card.

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@paulluna8099 If you buy everything from scratch, like monitors, audio interface etc then it will be quite expensive indeed. I think I spent around $2200 for just the computer. If you already have an older stationary computer then you can usually just upgrade it. In that case you can probably get away with just a new main board, CPU, RAM and possibly a new cooler for the CPU as well, unless you buy one with the cooler included. You don't really need to spend money on video card for music production. If you go for a CPU with integrated graphics then that will usually be more than good enough. :)

[@eggsrael4889]

I love how you sound like the guy from how its made.

[@FireWalkMusic]

😎

[@MaxUgly]

Today on How its Made we will be looking at DAW personal computers....

[@AC-hg5id]

he sound a bit like bright side

[@GCAT01Living]

I literally did a double take at the title to see if I had accidentally clicked on a "How It's Made" video.

[@herbyverstink]

Mr Brooks Moore

[@user-lt2rw5nr9s]

Can we just talk about how that lady is holding that cpu in the thumbnail?

[@rapidfiremuzik_official]

🌳👀🌳

[@MrJackrockerman]

Lol 😂👍👍

[@fritzvegaph1252]

Lol

[@gnudez1373]

xD

[@laishrambikramjit2429]

And the type of music he makes with his awesome set up 😢

[@FireWalkMusic]

Here's the link to the full song from the project in this video, as requested by some viewers: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6nWh6GtqNBni5I

[@josiael6637]

For me this is the best video that I watch for build a pc home studio out there, thanks man!!!

[@djjodav]

Came for the info, stayed and subscribed for that banging project you have going on as a real world performance test!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated :) Glad you liked it.

[@trevorhust760]

I just built this computer, and it is absolutely amazing. Thanks for posting this video. You rock.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :) Glad you're happy with the build. It should be able to take on almost anything you can throw at it :)

[@freddiespencer927]

After endless searching through KZbin videos to help me understand audio cpu processing I stumbled on your accidentally, and it's pure magic! Thank you for helping me with understanding this nuisance. Great video!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@neils9420]

Listen to that music makes my brain 100% loaded

[@FireWalkMusic]

😃

[@XRXONE]

Just wanted to come back and thank you for this video and all other videos you’ve been posting since the beginning. Been a supporter since day one and I have recently bought and built my first good PC. This video especially helped me in choosing the right and most suitable parts : )

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated! Glad to see there's people who has been sticking with the channel from the start 😃

[@MarshalArnold]

Fantastic explanation and buyers guide! I went to Fractal Design cases a few years ago, similar to the one in this vid, but USB-C wasn't available then, but upgraded it a while back to an I9 as well to help with latency. Works like a dream! This is def the most comprehensive video I've seen on music station PCs. One thing I would add, if your a hardware nut like me. The motherboard may be something to add consideration to as well. PCIe slots are very important to my setup as I use a ton of external USB for synths and MIDI to USB dongles and interfaces. I would suggest if you have a ton of external gear, get a mobo with as many PCIe slots as possible so you are able to add additional USB ports. Even if you dont use all of them, later on when you need them they will be available for expansion and you won't have to daisy chain off a single bus with a multiport USB dongle which can cause huge a bottleneck and cause addition latency. But if your all VSTs then basically forget everything I said 😁

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, very good points here! :)

[@oli._.var0]

wow I love how you explain all of this. I am very bad at PC technical stuff, but your explination made it very clear and understandable.

[@rohitkalsekar5033]

You cleared all my doubts about number of cores and powerful cores. Great information about choosing my first PC. Thanks a lot

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome. Glad you found it helpful :)

[@NoctumusTV]

Keep in mind that while single core performance is very important for the master output, all the "per track/instrument/plugin/group/..." processing can still be distributed among multiple CPU's. For example, the processing of the bass VST (and any effects applied to it) and the one of the drum VST can still be handled by two different cores (before reaching the master bus).

[@FireWalkMusic]

Indeed. All VST's can usually be processed separately. Additionally, every mixer track is generally an opportunity for the CPU to process in parallel. The problem is mainly all the waiting that needs to take place further down in the chain. Unlike with video editing and such, this becomes a problem because the sound needs to be played back in real-time. This is why fast processing is generally more important than having a large number of cores. The 9900k is great because it's located in the sweet spot where you have a good amount of cores, and at the same time very good single core speed. As you keep adding cores, single core performance tends to go down. If you look at the 9900x for example, which is a workstation platform, you get more cores, but about 12% slower single-core speed. The 9900k can also be overclocked to run at 5 ghz on all cores with no problem. Large overclocks will typically not be possible on CPU's with huge amount of cores since more heat is generated. To quote the developers (This is from the manual): The logic of audio processing - There is a long list of tasks that must be processed in sequence, and this means logically can't be processed in parallel (multithreaded). For example: Plugins must wait for instructions from the Piano roll and Playlist before they make sound. Effects must wait for the audio from upstream instruments and FX before they can process it. Further, it's not possible to parallel-process (multithread) instruments and FX that are on the same Mixer channel (their audio is mixed together), or even in the same Mixer routing pipe-line (when one Mixer track is linked to another and another, even FX processing has an order from top to bottom in the FX stack). Then, the Master Mixer track must wait for every instrument > mixer track > effect to be processed before it can process the audio through the Master effects. So logically, there is a lot of waiting that is a natural and unavoidable fact of DAW music processing. Think of a production line. This means the CPU may not be particularly busy, using all its cores and processing slots, yet it runs out of time to fill that tiny 5 ms audio-buffer because there was a lot of waiting for things that needed to be processed in sequence. It should be clear that fast processing is very important and this is not the same thing as multi-core processing. The best CPU is one that has enough cores to spread the work around AND can do the most work on a single core during each buffer time-slice. Which leads to our TIP: When comparing CPUs, look for the fastest single-core performance scores in a package with at least 4 physical cores.

[@cholst1]

@@FireWalkMusic "As you keep adding cores, single core performance tends to go down" - This is more of a intel problem. AMD bins in a way that more cores generally means higher single core, because the best binned chips go to top skus. And as for single core, there is very little seperating the 3900x/3950x and the 9900k. And scanproaudio did a proper dawbench review back in july, where the 3900x at times manhandles the 9900k: www.scanproaudio.info/2019/07/12/amd-ryzen-3600-3700x-3900x-dawbench-tested-3-is-it-the-magic-number/

[@unitedsouthenterprisesllc]

@@FireWalkMusic Would getting DSP card from UAD help with DSP in a DAW?

[@larryfleming7295]

the ZEN 2 core has higher IPC than the current intel cpu...that means AMD has the fastest core

[@larryfleming7295]

we are on the RYZEN 3000 series and that i9 18 core cpu gets tossed by 16 core Ryzen

[@CLICKMENAME]

When I was first making my EP, I had a laptop. One thing that I recommend all laptop users is a cooling fan and mount for the laptop. A simple USB powered one will work, and it can cool off your laptop decently enough to help it get through those rough patches.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Good tip! :)

[@JasonH6978]

How It's Made vibes with Tom Bodette from Motel 6 commercials. Great info here

[@streifr]

Very detailed and well-done video with all the lists of parts. Excellent. Thanks!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks. You're welcome :)

[@jakeg5315]

Thank you! Was looking for this information everywhere! This is so well explained.

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@ThrillbertMusic]

the part about single core processing importance was very helpful :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it useful. :) You might also want to check out my video about how to get better CPU performance in FL Studio, as well as how to make CPU friendly projects: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYi8nqStl5yVas0

[@grasped2]

True

[@xoxo-pp7ru]

@Bonez lol ur dumb

[@ZenDao_85]

Except its not true. Most vst plugs utilize all your cores. The ones that dont are considered buggy and a result of bad programming.

[@mriely]

Yeah, but then he went for a 9900k when an I5 has about the same single core performance. Still a helpful video, though. If I were to build a computer today, thunderbolt 3 would be a big point. Near 0 latency monitoring even with effects.

[@luigidaniellmusic]

absolute Briliant VID from you . Thanks for your time .

[@courtneyjeffery8262]

Thanks for taking the time , I greatly appreciate it

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, you're welcome :)

[@SherryMathews]

Your video was exactly what I needed! So nicely explained.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@Chaga1314]

Very useful man. U managed to make a tech video that is relevant regardless of time

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! That was exactly what I was trying to do 😀

[@CStrachanCreative]

Great video! Best I have ever seen on building a PC for music.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks. Glad you found it useful :)

[@JUdrums]

neat, i want to upgrade my PC for a few months now but didnt have the information what to look for in building the best build for production! Thank you :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome! :)

[@raevhenbeats]

Love your tutorials and videos! They are very proffesional! This video was very helpful! :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, much appreciated! :)

[@derekgodbout4919]

Thanks so much! I was ecstatic when I saw you make trance. Awesome!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@FriendlyNeighborhoodBallsack]

Yes. This was exactly what I needed, someone to just tell me what matters and not. thank you so so much!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it! :)

[@robertkajtazi4732]

Best guide out here my man, thank you!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it useful.

[@mminoas9055]

the best review i have ever seen on youtube....thank you...you help me...

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[@januskhazar237]

that was simply amazing..the information, lesson, building every thing!!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked the video 😀

[@GerhardAlbinus]

Very thorough and well explained video. Thank you for creating this and sharing your knowledge!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it! 👍😊

[@ExsultoMusic]

Very good video! Much needed!🔥

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@thomasfroland762]

I needed this! Thank you!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@LMV2]

Me too! Thanks

[@delbertbrown9307]

This video has help me to understand more about choosing the best for music production

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it useful. :)

[@ETMGWOOK]

Thanks I needed that info

[@chil310]

Thank You so much!!! Crystal clear guidance.

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@nimakarami8367]

bruh thank u for blessing my soul. god bless yours.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :)

[@kevintran9321]

I've been waiting for a video like this! Thanks :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@TheOverseer303]

Great video which backed up what I had assumed but more importantly, great track!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, much appreciated :)

[@kostischaveles]

Very informative nice!!! I have an i7 9700KF, Msi Meg Z390 Ace, Noctua nh-d15, be quiet silent base 801, 16gb ram, M.2+ ssd+ 8 x140mm fans. Everything is working so smoothly, I get low temperatures, very low noise and I’m so happy with my build ;)

[@FireWalkMusic]

That's a great system for Audio production, and should also work well for most other applications as well :)

[@SyncRoomTellsTales]

Hands raised! Bowed down! Thank you!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@selami92]

wow this video is great! an also the description is complete! :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@Knight2Bee]

This was a good video. Now I know I will have to upgrade my studio with a better rig. Thanks for the mush needed information.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks. You're welcome. :)

[@jean-baptiste9230]

The best video I have seen, very clear! The total of everything is about $1700.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@dillincasa6161]

Wow I just bought a gaming laptop with an intel i7 9k for $2,400 I should have just got a tower

[@dezinerAhmad]

The best video till now on music pc

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, much appreciated! :)

[@spicyroc1234]

Thank u for sharing,love all ur videos 🙏🙏

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@leedentonmusic]

This has been an incredibly helpful video. Thank you

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it :)

[@mikedevey2748]

Best video on building a PC for music production on KZbin! Also every time I hear you playing music on your channel I'm like "wait...what?!?!", very good trance music. Do you have anything on streaming services?

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked the video. You can find the full track from the project used in this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6nWh6GtqNBni5I

[@crazyd3uces]

I came for the knowledge, stayed for the relaxing dialogue.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Much appreciated :)

[@retsmej]

very good info and presentation ! thanks...

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@austinbigelow5107]

Great video man!!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, glad you liked it :)

[@dinosaurmonkey666]

Great video, thank you 👍

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks, you're welcome :)

[@alexschallymusic]

The demonstration song is so good

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks 😀 you can listen to the full track here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6nWh6GtqNBni5I

[@alexschallymusic]

@@FireWalkMusic Thanks

[@pjlcarpexpeditions]

Hey, are there any desktops you can recommend for music recording and production? Thanks. Great video!!

[@BiggLesane]

This is just immaculate . Your video helped a lot!

[@kurose5826]

This guy deserves more support!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :)

[@williammansfield5092]

Wow! As a newbie, this is the best NO BULL video on building a DAW computer. Even if you don't go with his recommendations on CPU and motherboard, you can't go wrong using this information and the provided links to gather the info needed to make an educated decision on what you equipment choose! Thank you so much for the explanations on why a DAW is different than a gaming PC. So many videos I have watched just say any gaming set up will handle the needs of a DAW. Now I know different.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks. When playing games, the GPU is often more important than the CPU. You then need a CPU with good single core performance to keep up with the GPU, but it doesn't actually have to do the same amount of work as with music production. When you buy a gaming computer you're paying a lot for the video card. It's better to spend those money on a better CPU and get a cheaper video card if you're just using the computer for music produciton. In music production you also want fast single core speed, but also a good amount of cores, so a gaming computer isn't always the best option. :)

[@drfleka]

@@FireWalkMusic Some games depends a lot from cpu. That mean you are wrong.

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@drfleka Yes, a few games do, but most rely quite heavily on the gpu. why is it that the i5 has been so popular among gamers for so long then? It's not nearly as capable as the i7 or i9.. it's for the same reason a 5820k workstation would be a bad choice for a gamer. It would hold back the gpu, but it would also be much better than the i5 when it comes to realtime audio production.

[@drfleka]

@@FireWalkMusic I agree, but still for good gaming you don't want to bottleneck your GPU. For music production, since DAWs support multi core I'm not so sure that Intel is better than AMD. And these year i am certain that AMD will be more powerful.

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@drfleka Yes, daws do support multiple cores, but the problem is that they are not very effective at spreading the work out over those available cores, which will inevitably cause issues when one core is overworked. Because the audio is processed in realtime, if only one core is overworked and starts lagging behind, then it doesn't matter if there's 10 other cores availale. You'll still have overruns and crackling sound. Here's what the developers say about this issue, and I'll quote from the manual: "The logic of audio processing - There is a long list of tasks that must be processed in sequence, and this means logically can't be processed in parallel (multithreaded). For example: Plugins must wait for instructions from the Piano roll and Playlist before they make sound. Effects must wait for the audio from upstream instruments and FX before they can process it. Further, it's not possible to parallel-process (multithread) instruments and FX that are on the same Mixer channel (their audio is mixed together), or even in the same Mixer routing pipe-line (when one Mixer track is linked to another and another, even FX processing has an order from top to bottom in the FX stack). Then, the Master Mixer track must wait for every instrument > mixer track > effect to be processed before it can process the audio through the Master effects. So logically, there is a lot of waiting that is a natural and unavoidable fact of DAW music processing. Think of a production line. This means the CPU may not be particularly busy, using all its cores and processing slots, yet it runs out of time to fill that tiny 5 ms audio-buffer because there was a lot of waiting for things that needed to be processed in sequence. It should be clear that fast processing is very important and this is not the same thing as multi-core processing. The best CPU is one that has enough cores to spread the work around AND can do the most work on a single core during each buffer time-slice. Which leads to our TIP: When comparing CPUs, look for the fastest single-core performance scores in a package with at least 4 physical cores. " This will be the case with every daw. The audio is traveling from A to B to C. That's why the order of your mixer inserts matter, because it always goes from the first to the last. It can't process the last effect before those befor it has been processed, because it can't process something that hasn't happened yet, which means it has to wait. In other words, serial processing, and there's a lot of that in a daw. This is why single core speed is more important than a large number of cores. The 9900k can run at 5 ghz on all cores, while the AMD flagship can only run at 4 ghz on all cores. AMD has more cores, but even so, keep in mind that this doesn't help if the daw can't effectively spread the work over those cores.

[@re-jector]

Very very well explained, just what I needed :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@agamaz5650]

OH MY THIS VIDEO IS SO HELPFUL

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it 🙂

[@agamaz5650]

@@FireWalkMusic when I will go to the pc store, I will tell them that fast single core performance is important to me, since I make music hopefully they will understand. Bro I graduated as a PC network mechanic and I had no idea it is that important. I have FX 8320 which is 8 cores and 3.5 GHz but my CPU is freaking out when I play more complex stuff in Phaseplant

[@pravo.]

Great brother i built my pc myself too so good Great video

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@bpomeroy3]

Excellent. will re-view for reference. Ran into all the downfalls with gaming computer. And reverb or convolution really bogs down speed.(BTW also have a noisy annoying fan.)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it useful :)

[@BrandonBeanland]

I love the melody of the song

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you liked it. You can listen to the full track here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6nWh6GtqNBni5I

[@Aonoexorcist100]

Just what the doctor ordered! Thanks!

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@MrFynutzU]

Big up for this video !

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@JanAidGuitars]

So ussseeeeffffuuullll. Thank you so much sir¡¡¡¡¡¡¡

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@DipshankarDas]

Thanks for sharing this information :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@ilyavig]

nice track in the end

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Much appreciated. You can listen to the full track here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6nWh6GtqNBni5I

[@ilyavig]

@@FireWalkMusic oh, thanx:) would appreciate if you could check this out too kzbin.info/www/bejne/g5Sofohmp9qpY80

[@geluix69]

I had the exact same argument with a tech guy, he insisted it was all the same . Parallel or serial , nope big difference. Core speed is key to audio DAWs. My main DAW i7 core 4.2ghz murdered his 8 core 2.8ghz like it was nothing. Everyone who wants to build a music PC should watch this video, it’s excellent.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Indeed. Unlike video editing and such, which benefit massively from having many cores, audio in a daw has to be played back in real time. If there's too much lag it just won't work. If you look at the 9900k vs the 9900x for example, you should think that the far more expensive 9900x which is a workstation platform with 10 cores vastly outperforms the 8 core 9900k. However, the 9900x has about 12% slower single core speed, and it can't be clocked as high as the 9900k. More cores equals more heat, which means slower cores and less overclocking potential. Clock speed is also important, when you factor in operations per clock. Having a 8 core CPU with faster cores, running at 5,2 ghz will usually be far better than a 16 core CPU running at 4,4 ghz for example. I totally understand that this can be hard to believe for a lot of people. It's just not very intuitive. I'm not saying that a daw can't use multiple cores, because it surely can. I'm just saying that unlike video editors for example, it's just not very good at it. To quote the developers (this is from the manual): The logic of audio processing - There is a long list of tasks that must be processed in sequence, and this means logically can't be processed in parallel (multithreaded). For example: Plugins must wait for instructions from the Piano roll and Playlist before they make sound. Effects must wait for the audio from upstream instruments and FX before they can process it. Further, it's not possible to parallel-process (multithread) instruments and FX that are on the same Mixer channel (their audio is mixed together), or even in the same Mixer routing pipe-line (when one Mixer track is linked to another and another, even FX processing has an order from top to bottom in the FX stack). Then, the Master Mixer track must wait for every instrument > mixer track > effect to be processed before it can process the audio through the Master effects. So logically, there is a lot of waiting that is a natural and unavoidable fact of DAW music processing. Think of a production line. This means the CPU may not be particularly busy, using all its cores and processing slots, yet it runs out of time to fill that tiny 5 ms audio-buffer because there was a lot of waiting for things that needed to be processed in sequence. It should be clear that fast processing is very important and this is not the same thing as multi-core processing. The best CPU is one that has enough cores to spread the work around AND can do the most work on a single core during each buffer time-slice. Which leads to our TIP: When comparing CPUs, look for the fastest single-core performance scores in a package with at least 4 physical cores.

[@danielwaynejr.2317]

@@FireWalkMusic Hey, I'm looking to start a fresh music production computer build but on on a under $800 budget in full. I'd like to go desktop this time rather than laptop. Can you or anyone here guide me to either a build sheet or a already made computer with the specs I would need to make this all happen? I'm going to be running studio one 4.5 for a Daw. I have a 3rd gen scarlett 8i6 interface. Lots of plugins:) My main music choice is Rock music in the vein of Alice in chains, Soundgarden, Mad Season and Some pop and R&B. -wont use alot of tracks at once for that style of music..but will be using quite a few computer CPU hogs tho like nexus and kontakt and those kinds of stuff. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any and all feedback. -ps- I'm not a pro by any means on the home recording depot..lol but its my sanity..lol I need to write and record:)

[@predater5017]

@@danielwaynejr.2317 get yourself something with AMD 3600x cpu and as much ram as you can afford running at 3600mhz. the rest is kind of up to you. i have a 2nd gen ryzen cpu running at 3.4ghz and nexus doesnt even touch it. any modern 6 core cpu running near 4ghz will generally be fine . kzbin.info/www/bejne/sIbGimiPm86daZI check that vid its 960$ gaming build but you can drop the gpu spec to suit and spend the money on hard drives and memory or keep it to have a nice gaming pc if youre into that as well. you could save some money on the case and spend that on the x version cpu and 3600mhz memory or use the money u save on the gpu as any cheap gpu will be fine if youre not gaming. you can probably save some more money on the motherboard as well if you wanted. just use pc part picker to check compatibility for anything you change if youre unsure.

[@ischiy2453]

Ryzen 5 1600 with 6/12 3.2-3.6 or r5 3400g with 4/8 3.7-4.2 and intgr. gpu?

[@ccuny1]

At last, someone explains to me what seems to be obvious to others but not to me. Thanks a lot. I finally understand why mu super multicore works so well with video and graphics editing but seems inadequate for Audio. Not sure if I am up to building my own or if I can get the same parts in Europe, but at least I know what I need now. Brilliant.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it helpful :)

[@joachimhavefaith6310]

I need more RAM since i'm making orchestral music. I have 8, need at the very least 32 gb. Love your videos btw, you explain things so well!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you found it helpful. 8 GB is not a whole lot for huge libraries and such.

[@marsooh302]

you answered very clearly my questions thanks u

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@rasputinbotswana3985]

9:50 that track sounds amazing! So much energy in that melody! Is it released yet? Can’t seem to find it anywhere

[@FireWalkMusic]

Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6nWh6GtqNBni5I

[@matslarsson5988]

Agreed, awesome track!

[@onenine8430]

Subscribed!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thank you! :)

[@stevemurzin2274]

Great video - Which OS are you using for this build?

[@RP123lolololol]

Finally someone that explain everyting in detail for music production and why to chose a powerful single core performance cpu

[@FireWalkMusic]

You probably meant single core performance, not single core cpu? Generally you want as many cores as possible, since every daw can spread work out over several cores. But you also want the fastest single core performance possible. As you keep adding more cores to a CPU, there's usually a point where there will be a trade off, so that you get reduced single core performance in favor of more cores. That's generally the sweet spot as I call it, and you'd want to get a CPU with the most cores, and the highest single core performance possible.

[@RP123lolololol]

@@FireWalkMusic yes lol

[@HyderyuszEnT]

@@FireWalkMusic wich means AMD cpu is garbage to do something in music processing

[@keith-marvk-harrisii8666]

I went with the i9(8 core), aorus Xtreme motherboard, I have the same cpu cooler as you, and 64gb of RAM. 8TB of storage (2TB M.2, 2TB SSD, 4HDD). I have similar specs as you on the rest of my build. I did months of research. I use loads of composer sound libraries for big projects. I didn't want to sacrifice anything when it came to processing and rendering. I think I'm in good shape. Nice to see this video give me some confirmation on my build. I didn't want to 'settle' for buying a gaming computer, so i just built mine to suit. There aren't as many videos that cover cpu builds for music production as well as you have in this one. Great information.

[@hitzoneproductions7858]

Hi Keith, I compose film score. Im looking for help keeping up with demand. Would you be so kind as to shoot me your email address or contact me at [e-mail] please?

[@mchild1983]

How much u pay

[@HollywoodVirtualAudio]

@Keith Harris II How do you feel about it several months later? I have a 12 Core Mac Pro with 96 gigs of Ram and 16TB of storage. There are so many strong options available today. If you're an orchestral guy, you are probably are aware of VEP Pro (Vienna Ensemble Pro). Everyone uses it, Junkie XL, Hans Zimmer. I have a license but usually get by with the one Mac.

[@xoxo-pp7ru]

@@HollywoodVirtualAudio do orchestral guys even make money tho 😳🤔

[@HollywoodVirtualAudio]

​@@xoxo-pp7ru Oh so the average guy making beats is somehow paid?! For the most part, no one is making (MONEY). Actors, Dancers, Musicians all waiting tables in this town. Only a hand full get a break. But yes, just like the rest, some orchestral guys make money, most don't!

[@dussie920]

I would like to add 3 points: Smart Disable (FL Studio), ASIO drivers and priority tracks (Atari Cubase). FL Studio users can use the Smart Disable setting to save CPU time. You set this up in the Audio settings first and then in the drop down menu of every plugin (synths, processors, ...) you enable Smart Disable for that instance. This saves a lot of CPU time on CPU heavy plugins when they are idle. Sometimes it doesn't work 100%, like with the Raum VST (reverb tails are cut to early), but you can turn the option off when you are going to render the project. :-) Good ASIO drivers for your dedicated external audio device are a must too. Wrong drivers and internal onboard units will use CPU time to compute, where good external devices with good drivers can make their hardware do the maths for your DAW. I know there are still quite a lot of Atari Cubase lovers around, so yeah, this still can be useful to someone... ;-) Atari Cubase users should not forget that the first two MIDI tracks are "priority" tracks. You should place time critical MIDI tracks like drum parts in here.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Good tips :)

[@misa9166]

Love ur videos, keep it up!❤👍

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! I will :)

[@frescoakash]

Really a great video 👍

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! Glad you liked it :)

[@shamanicvisions7724]

This video is a life saver

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it useful :)

[@ghostgetsbusy]

no wonder my computer be glitching and fighting to play the beat smooth

[@mohammadj.jaradat8076]

Thank you so so so soooooo much for this perfect informative video.

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome

[@EssZee323]

Excellent video mate.

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks :)

[@JaggyP1109]

Pretty good video, but I have to make a correction to something the author said. DO NOT use the IGP(integrated graphics) on the processor. Especially if you are using a high resolution monitor or multiple monitors. Opt for a lower end graphics card. Two reasons, additional heat and eating into system ram. The additional heat can affect your boost clock on your cpu and using it, especially with 4k monitors, will use a significant amount of system ram........(found this out from experience)

[@FireWalkMusic]

Good point! I don't recommend using it either, which is why I listed a graphics card in the parts list. Having more than one monitor can be really helpful too. :)

[@Jalmaan]

So what was that trance track you were showcasing? I'd love to add it to my playlist on Spotify

[@FireWalkMusic]

Hi, yes it was. It's a bootleg remix of Ørjan Nilsen & virtual vault - Too late, so since it's unofficial it's not on Spottily, unfortunately, but you can listen to the full track here on KZbin: kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6nWh6GtqNBni5I It's also available on my soundcloud: soundcloud.com/djfirewalk

[@Jalmaan]

@@FireWalkMusic ah too bad but glad to listen to it in KZbin!

[@FreeKAzoiD8]

Thank you sir, very helpful.

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome :)

[@kevinthomson238]

Hey, was wondering if you have a solution for fab filter plugins not working properly with fl studio. After opening so many instances of pro3 for example, the daw crashes. I've tried the registry editor thing but not having any luck. Any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[@add6892]

I use logic and need to upgrade to a more powerful machine. Iv been looking at a Mac Pro with a intel xeon e5 2.7ghz, 12 core/ 24 thread processor. Would this be a powerful processor to run Logic Pro x? Also on the apple website it says this about Logic Pro - Logic Pro and Logic Express 8 or later can use all cores on 2, 4, and 8 core Macs. Keep these tips in mind as you work with Logic to balance performance on a multi-core system. So do that mean it’s better to get more core as it doesn’t just run off single core performance? Thanks

[@FireWalkMusic]

All daws work basically the same way when it comes to single thread performance. They all utilize all the cores, but because dependencies are constantly generated within a project, it will always heavily favor single core performance. The same guidelines applies to logic as well. The new AMD 3000 series also has really good single core performance (almost as good as the i9) and 12 cores, and is also a lot cheaper. If you want good single core performance and many cores, I would look at the new AMD 3000 series.

[@JozefHollyPiano]

Ad D ... I work with Cubase (but the Logic Pro is the same) and mainly with a lot of VSTi tracks... I am very hapy that i buy 3 years ago the Mac Pro 2013... It was my best choice! I have only 4 core, but it works great. BUT please, buy min. 32 or 64 vGB of RAM! I have 80 GB of RAM... This year i was thinking to update the CPU, but after a search, i just upgraded my RAM and no problems with big projects 😉 The 4 core CPU is enough and the bigest update you need is the RAM... and of course SSD harddrive... And i working with orchestral music... chceck my channel if you want. And one last but very impotrant point is - The Mac Pro is soooo QUIET 🙏🏻 You will be happy with the Mac Pro

[@magikmagik6469]

Hey man could you do a tutorial on making drums sound coherent ? I tend to have things sit on top of everything and when I mute those channels for example hi-hat loop the energy is lost. Even tho I have sidechained and highpassed. Thank you in advanced

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks for the suggestion, I have some similar tutorials planned.

[@aharonpearl9161]

Panning, proper compression, and subtractive EQ is your answer assuming it was recorded/sampled properly

[@davidjenkins8449]

Mixing drums is like one of the hardest things to mix besides vocals. Riding the faders ie volume automation is an old technique you can use. Also waves makes a great dynamic eq that can be sidechained to only cut on when you need to subtract some freq. I dont understand what you mean when you mute channels energy is lost? There are lot of techniques that you can use for mixing drums maybe you should go buy a book and read not to be mean but thats what i had to do. Then when you watch videos it will make more sense.

[@vatal5410]

Thanks man, this helps a lot

[@FireWalkMusic]

Glad you found it useful! :)

[@roryoconnor861]

Useful info. Thanks

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're wecome :)

[@pauck6056]

cable management dude.... besides - cool build

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks! :)

[@jfh142857]

Ableton Live 10 by default can run 64 threads for audio calculation. Each thread is dedicated to a single chain of audio. Both core count and clock speed improve performance.

[@brandanleiter]

Are u saying Ableton Live 10 has the ability to process faster because it can make use of the extra cores?

[@tubhush6569]

@@brandanleiter If it can use extra cores, it would definitely be faster and more convenient than FL studio.

[@jamman6]

I'm sure you're aware but you installed an I9 CPU but listed I7 in your build list. Great video and very helpful, thanks!

[@FireWalkMusic]

Thanks for the info. I just replaced all the links with genious links to properly redirect to the correct amazon store. I'll have it corrected right away. :)

[@FireWalkMusic]

fixed. :)

[@emiel333]

I’ve replaced my old MacBook Pro with a new one. Really happy with the purchase. I must install all my DAW and plug-ins, though.

[@FireWalkMusic]

It's a pain having to install everything from scratch. :)

[@adriankalebra666]

My computer handles music production just fine. It's literally a i5 8gb computer. However I cant leave my DAW open or any virtual instruments running and use my video editing software at the same time. I have to close everything down and hold to the next thing entirely. Kind of irritating

[@FireWalkMusic]

This build is way over the top for most people. I just wanted to show the "best" and explain why that is etc. Most people will get by with much cheaper systems. It all depends on how you work, what kind of projects you make, what kind of plugins you use and so on. I'm kind of in the same boat as you with regard to video editing. I also do a lot of video editing, so I often find myself working in my video editor, photoshop, FL studio, various animation softwares, screen capturing etc all at the same time. The 9900k was the only solution for me. Add to that I also have a mixing and mastering service etc, so it's essential to be able to get stuff done as quickly as possible, since my time is limited. The i5 is still a good CPU. However, If you want to upgrade then the older I7 CPU's will offer a very good performance increase. With multithreading you should be able to get a huge increase in performance during video editing too.

[@kyfisher3662]

if your using Ableton multiple cores can benefit mattering how you use it, go for more cores if your using lots of chancels and lots of small vsts on each go for higher single core speed if you have only a few channels but lots of vsts on each

[@kyfisher3662]

and for people buying CPUs price the motherboard with it because some cpus need $120 motherboards where others need $450 motherboards

[@FireWalkMusic]

Every daw can use multiple cores, including FL Studio. I'm sorry if I was unclear about this. The reason why single core speed is generally more important than having a lot of cores is because there's a lot of waiting involved, due to dependencies created within the project, which can't be logically processed in parallel. This is the reason why windows task manager will usually report a very different result than the meter in your daw. Task manager will report on the overall CPU consumption, while the meter in your daw is measuring your CPU's ability to fill the audio buffer within the allowed time. In essense, it's ability to play back the audio in real time. VST's can usually be processed by different cores. Individual mixer tracks are also an opportunity for the CPU to use multithreading, so having many cores is definitely an advantage. The problem is that there's always a trade-off between number of cores and single core performance. As you keep adding more cores, single core performance will tend to go down. For example: The 9900k has about 12% faster single core speeds than it's more expensive workstation counterpart, the 9900x, which has more cores. The 9900k, as well as the earlier 9700k etc are all located in this sweet spot. The new 3000 series from AMD also have very good single-core performance. Here's what the developers say: "There is a long list of tasks that must be processed in sequence, and this means logically can't be processed in parallel (multithreaded). For example: Plugins must wait for instructions from the Piano roll and Playlist before they make sound. Effects must wait for the audio from upstream instruments and FX before they can process it. Further, it's not possible to parallel-process (multithread) instruments and FX that are on the same Mixer channel (their audio is mixed together), or even in the same Mixer routing pipe-line (when one Mixer track is linked to another and another, even FX processing has an order from top to bottom in the FX stack). Then, the Master Mixer track must wait for every instrument > mixer track > effect to be processed before it can process the audio through the Master effects. So logically, there is a lot of waiting that is a natural and unavoidable fact of DAW music processing. Think of a production line. This means the CPU may not be particularly busy, using all its cores and processing slots, yet it runs out of time to fill that tiny 5 ms audio-buffer because there was a lot of waiting for things that needed to be processed in sequence. It should be clear that fast processing is very important and this is not the same thing as multi-core processing. The best CPU is one that has enough cores to spread the work around AND can do the most work on a single core during each buffer time-slice. Which leads to our TIP: When comparing CPUs, look for the fastest single-core performance scores in a package with at least 4 physical cores."

[@kyfisher3662]

​@@FireWalkMusic different DAWs and different workflows apply to what choice people make with buy a CPU, rather than a blanket statement that one is better than another. both these factors should be considered when choosing a cpu, i use Ableton the most but receive a lot of my work from partners using Logic Pro and Studio One. i notice a great differences in how each persons workflow and DAW effects my computer that is using a cpu with a higher single core speed that theirs but less cores. i also find workflow to be the most depending factor in this. here's a quote from Ableton to show how a different workflow can benefit from a different cpu. "More cores, slower clock speed Pros Live supports multi-threading, therefore the more cores are available, the more efficient it will be when working with larger sets with higher track counts, or when working with large instrument or effect racks. You'll be able to run more apps in conjunction with Live without seeing performance drops. Cons Lower single-threaded performance than a higher clock speed processor. Fewer cores, higher clock speed Pros Better single threaded performance. Cons Fewer cores to split between applications. Not as strong multi-threading performance."

[@Megatrux3625]

Great information! What do you recommend now for 2022?

[@wesleyharris1837]

Thanks for the video

[@FireWalkMusic]

You're welcome 😊

[@wesleyharris1837]

You sent me a reply on specks for what I should build but I can’t find it

[@FireWalkMusic]

@@wesleyharris1837 you can find links to all the parts used in the video in the description below the video. 😀