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View Full Version : Help a novice select a PC for GS



jmccord
01-04-2002, 12:08 AM
I\'m somewhat overwhelmed by the technical expertise on this forum, and would like an honest opinion about whether GigaStudio/Sampler is too complex for someone like me with limited skills and modest aims.

I am neither a professional musician nor an engineer. All I want to do is configure a PC to run GigaStudio for the sole purpose of playing piano samples in real time. I would drive the PC from my Roland digital piano\'s midi output and would play it back through the piano\'s amplifier/speaker system. That\'s it- no complex interfaces, probably wouldn\'t record, etc.

So what I\'d like to know is:

- Is this feasible for someone with limited computer skills? (I mostly use Macs and have some passing familiarity with Windows but only for typical work-related applications.) I certainly don\'t have the knowledge or skills to dive into the bowels of Windows unless I have detailed instructions
- What PC should I buy? I\'m not capable of building one up from parts, although I could swap out disks, add memory, etc.
- What performance should it have - CPU speed, memory, disk speed, etc.?
- What audio card should I buy? The card-related discussions on this board are far beyond me. I want something simple - robust drivers, plug-and-play as much as possible, midi in and audio out. Sophisticated audio processing isn\'t needed
- What else do I need to know?

Sorry for the simplistic nature of this request, but all advice will be greatly appreciated!
thanks - jim

perrys
01-07-2002, 08:48 PM
I, too am not a pro musician or engineer, and a novice at sampling, MIDI, etc. I also wanted a great piano sample for real-time use (and sequencing). I began studying this in early November. Also, I\'m a Mac guy, with some PC knowledge. My quest led me to Sound Chaser http://www.soundchaser.com. (\"http://www.soundchaser.com.\") Pete Snell is who I happened to work with. They listened to my needs, whipped me up a proposal for a complete system. They built and shipped it, completely configured with GigaStudio and the various GigaSamples I purchased, all preinstalled. Pete is always there for any question or problem I\'m having with hookups, confusion, or anything else.

I\'m very happy with their service, follow-through, and fair pricing. You might want to contact them. You\'re welcome to contact me, as well.

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Perry S

jmccord
01-07-2002, 10:45 PM
Perry, I have sent them a request for a configuration, thanks for the referral. What does your configuration look like?
jim

perrys
01-09-2002, 10:27 AM
I could e-mail you a PDF schematic of my components and cabling I made up so I wouldn\'t go crazy trying to keep it all straight. Let me know your e-mail address. Mine is perry@steinhoffosta.com

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Perry S