Most likely, you can use your existing computer — whether it is a personal computer (PC) or Apple based — for your personal recording studio. If you can accept sub-optimal performance of a home-based computer, there is nothing wrong in using it especially if you are tight on the budget.

On the other hand, performance and stability really count when recording your podcast or anything related to digital recording and production. The last thing you want to happen is the computer hangs in the middle of a recording session. Worst yet, you are doing a phone interview with an expert. In this case, hardware failure is simply not an option.

Mixing and encoding require huge processing power so if you can get a high performance computer, you don’t have to wait too long for the process to complete. Your existing computer might be a breeze for an office applications but slow to a crawl for home recording and podcast production.

So, you may start with the existing computer and upgrade when necessary. This article should give you an idea about which components are specifically necessary to boost the performance of your computer for recording and mixing your podcasts.

The Components

In order to avoid using technical terminologies, I have simplified the article in a way that I hope it is easily understandable for you. Here are the components that mainly contribute to the overall performance of a PC-based home recording studio:

1. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Basically, the faster the processor the better it is to handle processing intensive task. To save on your budget, don’t go for the highest speed on the market. The second or third highest option may save you big money while still allow huge processing power.

2. Memory
When it comes to memory — specifically Random Access Memory (RAM) — 256MB is the absolute minimum for an audio recording and editing software to function properly. I recommend 512MB or even 1GB of RAM for more flexibility in multitasking.

The basic rule of thumb is, you will never have too much of memory or processing power, especially for heavy audio and multimedia processing applications.

3. Hard disk
Storage devices are cheap. You need ample of space when processing audio files. Buying a separate harddisk is recommended. You also have rooms for many large audio projects.

A separate harddisk also makes response time faster.

The only parameter besides the size of the hard disk is the rotation speed. Aim for at least 7200 RPM for best audio recording, mixing and editing experiences.

If your budget is limited, make sure you have at least several gigabytes of free space to start with.

4. Others

• A good graphic card allows fast response in rendering real-time graphics on your display monitor.
• If you need a heat sink to cool down your computer, go for silent fan units especially if your computer is located very close to your recording equipment. This is required to avoid unnecessary noise introduced during recording sessions.
• If you are working on a laptop, you probably need a faster hard drive for serious work. External hard drives which connect to Firewire port is expensive though.

Operating System (OS)

Windows is not the only option for operating system for digital audio workstation. For Intel based processor, there is Linux and other UNIX-based operating system. While they become easier to use in recent years, prepare to roll up your sleeves if you use this OS.

Long time users of this platform like the reliability of this OS.

Mac OS has set the standard for over a decade when it comes to desktop publishing and digital audio recording. ProTools hardware and software, which run under Mac, have been very popular for Mac users.

However, Windows are still the most commonly used operating system. In previous version of Windows — Windows 98SE and older — the OS is quite unstable for recording applications.

If you must use Windows, like many of us do, I suggest Windows XP or better for robustness and stability. Windows XP is the first really stable OS from Microsoft. The compatibility also makes it a no-brainer to daily use.

Windows has released DirectKS to improve the performance of the OS to handle streaming media. You might want to look into this if you suffer from performance problem with Windows XP.

Summary
As affordable computer system has become more stable, building a home studio recording based on a PC or Mac become feasible and cost-effective.

If you must use the same computer for different purposes, and if you share the computer with the whole family member, you may need to reinstall the OS and applications. Starting afresh ensures that your computer is in an optimal condition.

Remember that computer hang is the last thing you expect during podcast recording so every effort to solve it might worth a try.

Most of the time the computer you are using is more than enough for building a podcast studio. But if you require higher performance, upgrade components as necessary. Think of it as a long term investment for your podcast.

To easily receive updates on podcast and podcasting articles, subscribe to Podcasting Scout today.