Originally Posted by: RCB-CA-USA

You need a real good computer so don't skimp on the computer...

I got a Dell Precision. There's a huge difference in the the sound quality between a Dell Latitude and a Dell Precsion. With the Latitude, the battery needed to be unplugged or there was faint USB noise from the battery power supply, faint noise but noise that interfered with the final sound. Also, Windows services needed to be turned off to be able to run the USB at low latency on the Latitudfe. Not so with the Precision. The Precsion uses a 180 watt power supply, an i7 CPU and, the kicker, a Xeon mainboard controller. All that makes a huge difference in amplitude and headroom, the sound is just huge and vivid and clear without any adjustment with the Precision, tones just dial right in, 100% convincing...and M4700 w/ ssd, 16-gigs of ram, i7 dual core, 1980 x 1080p screen, for $269.00, plus $9.00 shipping, lol., ssssscore!

I was shopping around for a Precision and found a book store that had this one collecting dust and it was priced for a quick sale, done. It's in like new condition, the Service Tag is valid and under my name now. I just ordered a quad core, a better video card, new fans, Bluetooth, finger print reader palm rest, HD webcam, backlit keyboard, all Dell parts, and it's getting more ram and an SSD drive. The way it sits is fine, but it needs to run cold in a flight box so it needs some leg room to run cool.

Frickin' score! $269.00, ...two hundred sixty nine dollars and it's like getting a Marshall and Fender and Roland and Mesa Boogie and VOX and Diesel all rolled into one box.

...total cost for tonight's computer/DAW session? ...oh, just under 7k total for the whole thing from the SG to the JBL speakers. Is it worth it? ...yeah. It's as vivid as it gets for this level of equipment, the Kempler system is the next level up, but add $2,700.00 for the Kempler plus $1,000.00 for passive speakers, or two guitar cabs, still need the POD for effects, the Kempler is just an amp modler with a power amp. My rig as it sits is about 10% less vivid than the Kempler, ...$2,700.00 for the last 10%, that's a lot 'o money for 10% but that's the difference between pristine sound, and not.