Video/audio editing PC

[kittenshsu]

I am an oldie (but goodie) that is used to analog editing systems for video and have just in the past year begun to get into digital audio editing, straying away from my old reel-to-reel and limited use of CoolEdit. I've decided to take a plunge and take over digital editing as a hobby.

So, here are my questions:

Any suggestions for "must-haves"? I'm not looking to spend $500 on a pro sound card since this is just hobby (oddly enough my job is in print advertising) and I have no need for all the extra little programs that are packed into SB cards these days (I've got my CoolEdit, Soundforge and will eventually spring for a new Pro Tools bundle when I give up my next vacation...) and while I do enjoy games, i'd rather have a video card capable of handling Adobe Premiere or Maya moreso than UT 2004. Though that'd be swell, 'cause this PC can barely run Counter-strike and Unreal Championship on Xbox is getting old.

Unfortunately I will likely have to go with someone to build this for me as time is scarce enough as it is. Suggestions welcome and desperately needed.

Approximate budget is $2000 at most. Thanks.

 

[Jojo7]

How high end?
My xeon system was built because I wanted to do light video editing also.

You could maybe go with p4 @ ~3.0 ghz, 1gb+ of ram, sound blaster audigy 2 platium (or non plat), scsi drive(s), radeon all-in-wonder (has video input)

Or a bit higher end would just be to swap the p4 with dual xeons.

Definately go with scsi, sata raid 0, or something with fast disk subsystem.

 

[slackerinabox]

Hey,
This is right up my alley so I'll bore you with my opinion For $2,000 I'd get a used G4 with a huge HD... I'm not being anti-pc in anyway... Just FCP is the best and most widely used software and it happens to be mac only (and the audio software for the mac is superb as well).. If you are not interested in going that route here's some info:

CPU: Anything above an AMD xp1700+ should be fine.. Don't listen to people telling you to go for a dual xeon rig.. That's useful for ENCODING video but not editing video... Premiere and, my PC favorite, Vegas Video, both have a preference for Intel Processors... I'd go with an Intel P4 2.4C with a the best board that you can afford (there are so many chipsets out there

HD: Fanboy alert: many will tell you that you need to raid your hds... DON'T... Please, don't.. RAID 0 is fast but you don't need the bandwidth for DV editing - Just get yourself a fast, HUGE (120gb+) hard drive as your "dumb" (video) drive and a smaller system drive (40-60 gb should be fine).. This avoids fragmenting and you still have all your precious footage if your main system drive crashes... I had a RAID 0 setup and lost a week worth of footage due to one of the drives failing.. Sigh...

Ram: The more the better... I'd say 1+gb

Editing hardware: I used to edit back in the days when software based realtime editing was just a dream..I used the Matrox RT2000 back then for my realtime ediitng needs.. I haven't kept up with the PC side of the hardware game (I edit on the mac) but Pinnacle and Matrox both make excellent products... Realtime ediing means that you'll be able to add a fade, color correct, etc. and view the results in realtime ... Hardware cards (As opposed to just using firewire) allow you to also view your results on an NTSC monitor as well as capturing analog footage professionally (I'm talking DVD quality and not the crap captured via a AIW card)... Of course, you can use a $30 firewire card as well (but remember, premiere costs a few hundred bucks - you may be getting a lot of great hardware for the same price if you go with say a matrox x10 which comes bundled with premiere)

I'd also get a nice set of headphones and a decent soundcard (some onboard soundcards tend to have a lot of static)...Hmm, ask me any other questions..

 

[wetcat007]

1GB of PC3200 memory is a good idea, so is a 120GB hd, for software, I myself like Vegas Studio 4 the best overall. See if you can afford a nice new Athlon64 rig. For a sound card, get a audigy 2 or something like that. For vid card, stick in a 9800 np, and mod it to run as a Pro.

Since you did mention gaming, Macs would be out of the question. I think all the should stay under 2 grand.

 

[kittenshsu]

A Mac is out of the question anyway because I also do a little bit of work on the PC-only program GigaStudio 160. But thanks for the suggestions.

I'm set on headphones. I have a small collection of 16 pair going on. I'm not rich... I just spend my money on garbage like this instead of food, water, the usual stuff.

Hopefully I can find a decent place to have most of this built and just put in a few things myself. I more or less have the skill to put it all together with a few guides (besides, no one with prolonged experience in pain-in-the-ass analog recording gear could say otherwise), but time is lacking... I've got to take plenty of teaching jobs (or even classes) to get educational discounts, you know.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. If anyone has a favorite place to get at least case, cooling, processor, mobo, ram, etc. (all the basics) custom built, let me know. I'd like to only have to install video and audio products/peripherals if possible... or not at all would be nice.

 

[Root2486]

I am a newbie at video and audio editing. I am interested in DVD creation so I put together a new system ( I wont list all component details so I wont sould like a braggart!) Some key components you may wish to consider are the fastest processor you can afford, the most memory at the highest speed you can afford, two large capacity hard drives are recommended, as you can use one as a scratch disk. Get SATA HDs if possible. The video card is obviously another biggie. If you wish to capture video from t.v. I would recommend an ATI all in wonder card. These include a break out box that has connectors for AV jacks, S-video, and more. Sound card options are not quite so hard to choose from. Go with a soundblaster. The audigy mp3+ is a goodie for about 80 dollars, while the audigy platinum is awesome, includes a header that installs in a 5.25 slot; the header has connectors for midi, optical, mic, etc. Also includes a remote and good software bundle. They usually run about $175. You will probably want a DVD Burner also. I recommend Sony or Pioneer because they support both the +R and -R formats. Look for Firewire ports for your motherboard if you are going to be using a digital camera. I personally prefer PC's but for Video editing Ive always heard Macs are the Mack! I have tried several video editing programs, including Adobe's Premiere pro, Audition, and Encore. These are a suite acually. Ulead has a nice selection also; titles such as movie factory and mediastudio. Look for mpeg encoders and tools and download a good codec package. Also consider some avi-divx-asf repair apps too. Thats about all I know of....hope it helps. PS - freedomsbeat's post was dead on target...I use a P4 2.4C myself and everything else he said makes perfect since. If you need someone to actually build your system I can do this for you, however I live near Atlanta GA. $50 for complete build.