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\"Music PC\" Overpriced?

imdrecordings

Venerated Member
A bunch of us here in the PC section can build our own Super PCs, for recording. It's really not that hard. Of course it took a good year or two before I had it \"almost\" completely nailed. Now it's a piece of cake.
I've learned how to save myself a lot of cash and acquired more patience, as well.
Recently I was think about going completely to a Mac Book Pro. In fact when comparing a MB Pro to a comparable PC laptops (price and features) the Macs are CHEAPER.
:eek:

I can't believe it.
What happend?
I think these Music PC makers are ripping people off. I found a PC at Guitar Center selling for 1499 and it was inferior to my P4 3.2ghz system! Made over a year ago. :evil:
I'm now building a Quad core, rack mounted Super Computer, in a shock proof case for under $1200.00.

WTF! :?
 

Paul Woodlock

Established Member
imdrecordings said:
.....
I think these Music PC makers are ripping people off. I found a PC at Guitar Center selling for 1499 and it was inferior to my P4 3.2ghz system! Made over a year ago. :evil:
I'm now building a Quad core, rack mounted Super Computer, in a shock proof case for under $1200.00.

WTF! :?
While it's true you can build your own for much less than a ready built model, I don't think the Music PC makers are ripping peeople off. They dont hide the specs and spend extra effort tweaking the PC to music spec. For those that eiother don't have the knowledge or the time to do this there is a market for that. If I buila music PC for someone I would charge compariabel prices too. Simply because it takes time to build and configure them.

But yeah if you can and have time, build ya own :D
 

Suntower

Established Member
100% agreed.

Time is money. I'd almost rather buy something from ADK or -whoever- who has worked with the various programs and can make sure it all works together. Sure, I've built my own, but I came -that- close to buying a pre-built last time and will consider it again. I always spend a ton of time on research, ordering, building, tweaking that could be spent making music.


Paul Woodlock said:
While it's true you can build your own for much less than a ready built model, I don't think the Music PC makers are ripping peeople off. They dont hide the specs and spend extra effort tweaking the PC to music spec. For those that eiother don't have the knowledge or the time to do this there is a market for that. If I buila music PC for someone I would charge compariabel prices too. Simply because it takes time to build and configure them.

But yeah if you can and have time, build ya own :D
 

imdrecordings

Venerated Member
Time is money, but $1000-$2000 dollars worth of time? That's a sweet pre or mic, right there. Or even Studio rent....
and for one, I've never understood the whole \"Time is money\" honestly. For the fact I don't have enough time and I don't have enough money... or enough space or the right car or etc etc etc... My time is not money. I don't have enough time for the things I need or do, nore the stamina to keep up, in the time that I do have. Money never comes into the picture with time. Only tiredness and the sound of my limbs being pulled in all different directions, come into the picture. AT the same time my brain is constantly spinning thoughts of music,engineering, my beautiful girlfriend etc etc...
All working harmoniously together in a wonderful relationship called \"My Crazy, F'ked up, Your just like your Father, Fast Life\" So I don't really agree with you Paul or Sun. The time spent learning is just as fulfilling as creating. hmmm. to much info?

Back on topic:
I understand they have to make a buck, but they are pricing their machines way too high.
They're just buying bulk parts, snapping things together and Ghosting a bunch of machines at the same time. Big F'n Deal. They're Cookie Cutters.
They should be pricing these things lower than the MB Pros or G5s. NOt the same price or more, for something that is the same CPU and running on Windows (desktops as well).
What tweaking are they doing that's not listed online, somewhere?
There are really only 2 or 3 major tweaks for WinXP. And you still can't touch the Internet with that \"Music PC\".

I guess it's all about playing the Economy.
I really should be blaming all of this \"high pricing\" on Apple. They are the ones who started it. If they didn't start this High Pricing, then nobody would have followed suit. But at least you can check http://www.chrismilne.com for new threads and record on the same Machine.

More people record to PC compared to MAC, because it's more affordable.(Cash wise)
If people had a clue as to how cheap these things are to build, we'd see a major change in pricing. But you're right, there is a market for them and idiots with cash.
:|


-S-
 

Eric Dahlberg

Purveyor of musical dreams fullfilled.
Shenanigans! Machines cranked out by these pre-fab companies have just as much chance of having problems as anything you build on your own, perhaps even moreso since they don't build systems specifically around UAD cards the way we do. I can absolutely appreciate the desire to do away with the hassle of researching & building a system but it is a fallacy to believe that a pre-fab is a superior or even equivalent solution. The only superior pre-fabs are Macs & that's because all the audio companies bend over backwards to ensure compatibility.

One thing Digidesign does extremely well is spec compatible BYO configurations. Please, UA, consider following suit!
 

Fundy

Established Member
Someone I know actually managed to just get a Carillon case and he modified to suit. He uses it as a rack item along with his other stuff.
 

jadedbob

New Member
Intermodulation Distortion you get to engineer your girlfriend, you lucky b*****d, my girlfriend always catchs me trying.
:D
joe
 

jadedbob

New Member
Intermodulation Distortion you get to engineer your girlfriend, you lucky b*****d, my girlfriend always catchs me trying.
:D
joe
 

jadedbob

New Member
Intermodulation Distortion you get to engineer your girlfriend, you lucky b*****d, my girlfriend always catchs me trying.
:D
joe
 

imdrecordings

Venerated Member
jadedbob said:
Intermodulation Distortion you get to engineer your girlfriend, you lucky b*****d, my girlfriend always catchs me trying.
:D
joe
I did before we started dating. She had a band called "The Cunted":p . I recorded their first, last and only album.
She is my Muse and she's into post production and sound effects. :)
But i get your joke. I added the comma...:oops:
-Scott
 

Suntower

Established Member
I dunno. Two companies I contacted last time around -claim- to do the following:
1. You send them your -exact- configuration and include your UA-cards, Creamware cards, audio cards, birthday cards, whatever...

2. They build the thing and pre-load all the software you've got (they have masters from all the main VSTi/sample lib vendors.)

3. Test it for compatibility (whatever that means).

The premium over building it myself was $600 and 4-6 week delivery. The $600 wasn't the problem; the month wait -was-.

In theory I thought it was a viable option. I'm as sceptical as the next guy, but I have to admit, the allure of having someone else throw everything together, load up 500gb of samples and so on (which alone takes a couple of days) just might be worth $600 to me. Even if they can't configure it 'better' than me and even if I end up having the same nigglies I always seem to have, the fact that I didn't have to wrestle with the thing for 2-3 days provides value. Whether it's worth $XXX or 4-6 weeks is up to the individual.

Most of the guys I know want to make -music-; not become computer experts. It's easy to be dismissive in view of how far away that goal currently seems, but it's still a goal worth supporting.

---JC

Eric Dahlberg said:
Shenanigans! Machines cranked out by these pre-fab companies have just as much chance of having problems as anything you build on your own, perhaps even moreso since they don't build systems specifically around UAD cards the way we do. I can absolutely appreciate the desire to do away with the hassle of researching & building a system but it is a fallacy to believe that a pre-fab is a superior or even equivalent solution. The only superior pre-fabs are Macs & that's because all the audio companies bend over backwards to ensure compatibility.

One thing Digidesign does extremely well is spec compatible BYO configurations. Please, UA, consider following suit!
 

Eric Dahlberg

Purveyor of musical dreams fullfilled.
Suntower said:
Most of the guys I know want to make -music-; not become computer experts.
Sure, this is why Mac's or hardware solutions still exist.
 

Paul Woodlock

Established Member
imdrecordings said:
Time is money, but $1000-$2000 dollars worth of time?
Are they really $2,000 mroe expensive?

That's a sweet pre or mic, right there. Or even Studio rent....
and for one, I've never understood the whole "Time is money" honestly. For the fact I don't have enough time and I don't have enough money... or enough space or the right car or etc etc etc... My time is not money. I don't have enough time for the things I need or do, nore the stamina to keep up, in the time that I do have. Money never comes into the picture with time. Only tiredness and the sound of my limbs being pulled in all different directions, come into the picture. AT the same time my brain is constantly spinning thoughts of music,engineering, my beautiful girlfriend etc etc...
All working harmoniously together in a wonderful relationship called "My Crazy, F'ked up, Your just like your Father, Fast Life" So I don't really agree with you Paul or Sun. The time spent learning is just as fulfilling as creating. hmmm. to much info?
I build all my own DAWs btw. I've never bought a ready made PC in my life.

.......>>>




Back on topic:
I understand they have to make a buck, but they are pricing their machines way too high.
They're just buying bulk parts, snapping things together and Ghosting a bunch of machines at the same time. Big F'n Deal. They're Cookie Cutters.
They should be pricing these things lower than the MB Pros or G5s. NOt the same price or more, for something that is the same CPU and running on Windows (desktops as well).
What tweaking are they doing that's not listed online, somewhere?
There are really only 2 or 3 major tweaks for WinXP. And you still can't touch the Internet with that "Music PC".

I guess it's all about playing the Economy.
I really should be blaming all of this "high pricing" on Apple. They are the ones who started it. If they didn't start this High Pricing, then nobody would have followed suit. But at least you can check http://www.chrismilne.com for new threads and record on the same Machine.

More people record to PC compared to MAC, because it's more affordable.(Cash wise)
If people had a clue as to how cheap these things are to build, we'd see a major change in pricing. But you're right, there is a market for them and idiots with cash.
:|


-S-


....>>>


But I can't see the point in venting so passionately against pre-made machines if you a' can build your own and b] no one is forcing to buy a ready built one.

And calling people idiots?? :? :? :?: :?:

Is this some kind of indirect vent over other issues?
 

imdrecordings

Venerated Member
Paul Woodlock
Is this some kind of indirect vent over other issues?
Like what?
Is it wrong to want to help people not be fooled by the things they do not know? People aren't buying those Music PCs because they can't spare the time to build their own. It's a bunch of BS.
I'm just calling it like I see it and expressing those feelings.
So I called people idiots.
So what.
:roll:
We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one, Paul.
-S- :)
 

imdrecordings

Venerated Member
Eddie Macarthur said:
You have to admit though that the Carillon music PC is a fantastic looking (and well built) case.
I wish they would sell the case seperately, but of course they won't since it is what makes them desirable...
Ed
Wow.. :eek: that is a great looking case.
 

Eddie Macarthur

Active Member
as far as i know, carillon will install the user's own soundcards etc. if asked. although i build my own pcs, i'd buy a carillon for the \"wow\" factor that clients would display on seeing the beast! they make macs looks like radiators (actually, that wouldn't be difficult!). cost-wise, they don't cost that much more these days, starting at £799 including a great software bundle (i don't work for them by the way!).
and before i get shot down for talking about looks, remember that the music business is largely about image!
Ed
 

Eric Dahlberg

Purveyor of musical dreams fullfilled.
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