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I'm in the market for a pre-built tower PC to replace my 10+ y/o Dell. I've come across the Lenovo Legion and Corsair Vengeance so far as supposed 'well built' units. I neither have the knowledge nor the time to build my own, so I'm going with pre-built. Unless of course this is not advisable.
My use case... I'm a guitarist writing original Classic Prog Rock from the 70's & 80's so I'll be recording mostly audio tracks (electric/acoustic guitar, Bass) using amp sims along with a few VST synths. Think Beatles, Yes, PF, Rush.
I'm currently on Studio One 5 Artist and Notion 6. And will also be using it for general usage.

Lastly I'm also looking at the Mac Mini/Studio as an alternative. Possibly with an M3 Pro or Max. If you've moved over to Mac from PC what are your impressions ? So far I've only been with PC.

Thanks....

Studio One 5 Artist 5.2.0
Ampire XT Metal Pack Version: 1.0.0.7
Studio One Plug-In Support Version: 1.0.0.0

Notion 6 Version: 6.4.462

Dell XPS Laptop
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Intel Core i5 540M @ 2.53GHz

Dell XPS 8300 Desktop
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Intel Core i7 2600 @ 3.4GHz
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by PreAl on Fri Jun 09, 2023 10:14 am
I have an i9 tower that boots into Windows 11 and Mac Catalina (Hackintosh). I'm in a pretty much unique position to be able to tell you on exactly the same hardware how studio one runs on each OS.

The results are in, and the answer is...

Da da da da da da da....

Not the slightest bit of difference.

My advice, don't change operating systems, stick with what you know, be it Mac or Windows. If you want to save money stick with Windows, you are paying a premium with Mac and there isn't much benefit. Both operating systems are great, neither is better than the other. Windows PC's do have a bit more flexibility when it comes to tweaking and customization, and tend to last longer in terms of supported software and works straight out of the box like Mac, although you can tweak Windows for performance to your hearts content (every Mac users worst nightmare).

Traditionally, when Mac users move to Windows, or vice versa, they tend to move back to their previous OS a few years later, missing the OS they know.

Personally I would prefer Studio One to run on Linux, but hey...

Intel i9 9900K (Gigabyte Z390 DESIGNARE motherboard), 32GB RAM, EVGA Geforce 1070 (Nvidia drivers).
Dell Inspiron 7591 (2 in 1) 16Gb.
Studio One Pro 6.x, Windows 11 Pro 64 bit, also running it on Mac OS Catalina via dual boot (experimental).
Presonus Quantum 2626, Presonus Studio 26c, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, Faderport Classic (1.45), Atom SQ, Atom Pad, Maschine Studio, Octapad SPD-30, Roland A300, a number of hardware synths.
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by robertpaczkowski on Fri Jun 09, 2023 12:54 pm
Lenovo Legion and Corsair Vengeance are gaming PC's, which may not be the best choice for audio recording. I'd rather check some of the Pro Audio PC's (Scan or PC Specialist if you are in the UK or PC Audio Labs if you are the in US).

Studio One 6 Pro; OS: Win.10 Pro
Computer: Dell Precision M4700 Mobile Workstation, i7-3740QM 16 GB RAM, 256GB System SSD; 2TB Library SSD; 1TB Projects SSD, 4TB Backup HDD
Audio Interface: M-Audio ProFire 2626; M-Audio Air 192-6
MIDI Controllers: Roland A49, Korg MicroKontrol, Korg PadKontrol, Peavey Studiomix, NI Kore 2
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by MisterE on Fri Jun 09, 2023 1:21 pm
Prog Rocker wroteMy use case... I'm a guitarist writing original Classic Prog Rock from the 70's & 80's so I'll be recording mostly audio tracks (electric/acoustic guitar, Bass) using amp sims along with a few VST synths. Think Beatles, Yes, PF, Rush.

Well in that case you're in the habit of making your tracks count, as most of the songs near and dear to your heart were recorded with 24 tracks max. What does that mean in the context of your question? It means you don't need all that much firepower in the overall scheme of things, therefore you could buy from a custom builder and not take too much of a hit on cost. I agree with the previous poster that it's worth paying a premium for a specialist build -- especially since you could get away with one of their least expensive boxes which would eat any store-bought machine alive and give you someone to call when things get confusing.

The reason people buy the latest greatest ultra machines is that maybe they're doing film scores with hundreds of tracks and millions of plugins all over the place. Like seriously, machines from 2005 can do what you're talking about. It's always good to remember that more tracks doesn't necessarily translate to more likeable productions; I'll take two or three instruments playing memorable parts over 23 playing unmemorable parts any day.

AMD Ryzen 5600X CPU | Gigabyte B550 Vision D-P mobo | WD Black 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVME SSD | Crucial Ballistix 32GB 3600 mhz RAM | MSI Geforce 3060 Ti Gaming X | Win10 64-bit | S1 v6.0.2 | Mackie Onyx Blackbird interface | Korg M3 | Arturia Keylab 49 mkII
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by davidlarson6 on Sat Jun 10, 2023 9:33 am
Unless you're gaming on the machine, you don't need the high-end graphics that are in those consumer gaming machines. That fancy gaming card can add $1000 to the price of the PC.

DKLarson

Windows 10, i9, 64GB, 3X 1TB SSDs; Macbook Pro M1 Pro, 32GB, 1TB SSD
Audient iD14, Atom SQ, Keystep 37, Studiologic SL88, Moog Sub Phatty, Kawai MP11SE, Roli Seaboard.
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by gregghart on Sat Jun 10, 2023 10:37 am
davidlarson6 wroteUnless you're gaming on the machine, you don't need the high-end graphics that are in those consumer gaming machines. That fancy gaming card can add $1000 to the price of the PC.


I would disagree with this. The higher end graphics cards add three advantages that I can think of off the top of my head for music production...(not saying you need a $1200 card, but at least a $300-$400 one).

1) It helps with various DAW window functions and strange refresh and artifact issues that can happen with cheap video cards.

2) Better multiple monitor support. I run 4 monitors off of my video card. Two for my production desk, 1 over my Native Instruments 88 key keyboard and 1 in my vocal booth for lyrics.

3) Various VSTs are starting to come out that can use GPU rather than CPU to offload some of that power from the CPU.

Win11, 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700K (3.60 GHz), 32GB Ram. Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 3rd Gen. Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 Mark 2, Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61 Mark 1, Presonus FaderPort 8.

https://www.midiboy.com

https://gregghart.bandcamp.com
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by robertpaczkowski on Sat Jun 10, 2023 11:20 am
gregghart wrote
davidlarson6 wroteUnless you're gaming on the machine, you don't need the high-end graphics that are in those consumer gaming machines. That fancy gaming card can add $1000 to the price of the PC.


I would disagree with this. The higher end graphics cards add three advantages that I can think of off the top of my head for music production...(not saying you need a $1200 card, but at least a $300-$400 one).


That's fine if you can live with the noise produced by gaming PC's. Also, the gaming systems are configured to give the highest priority to the graphic cards, and this can produce an audio glitches during such a operations as resizing the window while recording. Gaming PCs can be used for audio production, but they needs some tweaks - something that is already done if you buy specialized audio PC.

Studio One 6 Pro; OS: Win.10 Pro
Computer: Dell Precision M4700 Mobile Workstation, i7-3740QM 16 GB RAM, 256GB System SSD; 2TB Library SSD; 1TB Projects SSD, 4TB Backup HDD
Audio Interface: M-Audio ProFire 2626; M-Audio Air 192-6
MIDI Controllers: Roland A49, Korg MicroKontrol, Korg PadKontrol, Peavey Studiomix, NI Kore 2
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by Lokeyfly on Sat Jun 10, 2023 12:14 pm
robertpaczkowski wrote
gregghart wrote
davidlarson6 wroteUnless you're gaming on the machine, you don't need the high-end graphics that are in those consumer gaming machines. That fancy gaming card can add $1000 to the price of the PC.


I would disagree with this. The higher end graphics cards add three advantages that I can think of off the top of my head for music production...(not saying you need a $1200 card, but at least a $300-$400 one).


That's fine if you can live with the noise produced by gaming PC's. Also, the gaming systems are configured to give the highest priority to the graphic cards, and this can produce an audio glitches during such a operations as resizing the window while recording. Gaming PCs can be used for audio production, but they needs some tweaks - something that is already done if you buy specialized audio PC.


There's little to no noise.
That's sort of a preconception that gaming PC's are always, or even parlty loud is old.
My 2-1/2 year old gaming laptop won't even make so much as a peep when used in a DAW environment. It has never turned its dual fans on ever in DAW usage. Gaming laptops have reached completely new milestones in the last three years. They are now more than ever, dedicated efficiency hogs. Of course that at times depends on the brand and their effective cooling, efficiency, and software design.

My graphics card wasn't chosen based on DAW usage but my need to work remotely on engineering CAD/CAM work which is the only time I use my laptop with the outside world, or Studio dependent upkeep or music/video distribution.

There are a few companies I won't mention that have scaled down in size, gaming laptops that are a bit noisy as they didn't prioritize cooling efficiency. Buyer beware, but most gaming laptops or gaming towers of any credibility, are insanely efficient.

I can program when fans need to turn on. At what CPU and GPU temperature, What programs I allow that, and even during the most track intensive projects or songs, they just don't turn on.

While it was something to consider some years back, it's far less likely now. Not with a $1200+ gaming laptop. Probably even less money.

S1-6.2.1, HP Omen 17" i7 10th Gen, 32 GB,512 GB TLC M.2 (SSD),1 TB SSD. Win10 Pro, Audient iD14 MkII, Roland JV90, NI S49 MkII, Atom SQ, FP 8, Roland GR-50 & Octapad. MOTU MIDI Express XT. HR824, Yamaha HS-7, NS-1000M, Yamaha Promix 01, Rane HC-6, etc.

New song "Our Time"
https://youtu.be/BqOZ4-0iY1w?si=_uwmgRBv3N4VwJlq

Visit my You Tube Channel
https://youtube.com/@jamesconraadtucker ... PA5dM01GF7

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by robertpaczkowski on Sat Jun 10, 2023 1:26 pm
Lokeyfly wroteGaming laptops have reached completely new milestones in the last three years. They are now more than ever, dedicated efficiency hogs.


Yes, that may be true - I use an older laptop that I picked up years ago - it was also mainly used for CAD projects, and now I've found it's still good enough for audio processing.

Studio One 6 Pro; OS: Win.10 Pro
Computer: Dell Precision M4700 Mobile Workstation, i7-3740QM 16 GB RAM, 256GB System SSD; 2TB Library SSD; 1TB Projects SSD, 4TB Backup HDD
Audio Interface: M-Audio ProFire 2626; M-Audio Air 192-6
MIDI Controllers: Roland A49, Korg MicroKontrol, Korg PadKontrol, Peavey Studiomix, NI Kore 2
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by davidlarson6 on Sat Jun 10, 2023 1:47 pm
gregghart wrote
davidlarson6 wroteUnless you're gaming on the machine, you don't need the high-end graphics that are in those consumer gaming machines. That fancy gaming card can add $1000 to the price of the PC.


I would disagree with this. The higher end graphics cards add three advantages that I can think of off the top of my head for music production...(not saying you need a $1200 card, but at least a $300-$400 one).

I'm not sure I see the disagreement. Have you checked out the prices of PCs like the Corsair Vengeance? They're all running at least RTX3070 graphics cards, which are way overkill for music production PCs.

DKLarson

Windows 10, i9, 64GB, 3X 1TB SSDs; Macbook Pro M1 Pro, 32GB, 1TB SSD
Audient iD14, Atom SQ, Keystep 37, Studiologic SL88, Moog Sub Phatty, Kawai MP11SE, Roli Seaboard.
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by Lokeyfly on Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:33 pm
davidlarson6 wrote
gregghart wrote
davidlarson6 wroteUnless you're gaming on the machine, you don't need the high-end graphics that are in those consumer gaming machines. That fancy gaming card can add $1000 to the price of the PC.


I would disagree with this. The higher end graphics cards add three advantages that I can think of off the top of my head for music production...(not saying you need a $1200 card, but at least a $300-$400 one).

I'm not sure I see the disagreement. Have you checked out the prices of PCs like the Corsair Vengeance? They're all running at least RTX3070 graphics cards, which are way overkill for music production PCs.

Very true, a RTX3070 is way, way overkill for a DAW. This would only be money spent in the wrong place. Mmv of course.

S1-6.2.1, HP Omen 17" i7 10th Gen, 32 GB,512 GB TLC M.2 (SSD),1 TB SSD. Win10 Pro, Audient iD14 MkII, Roland JV90, NI S49 MkII, Atom SQ, FP 8, Roland GR-50 & Octapad. MOTU MIDI Express XT. HR824, Yamaha HS-7, NS-1000M, Yamaha Promix 01, Rane HC-6, etc.

New song "Our Time"
https://youtu.be/BqOZ4-0iY1w?si=_uwmgRBv3N4VwJlq

Visit my You Tube Channel
https://youtube.com/@jamesconraadtucker ... PA5dM01GF7

Latest song releases on Bandcamp -
 
Latest albums on iTunes

All works registered copyright ©️
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by PreAl on Sat Jun 10, 2023 2:37 pm
Ultimately the specs are up to it, the specs are up to it ..

Although check out my Dell 7591 laptop, great specs. Absolutely sucks for audio recording...does not matter what you do there is something glitchy with the hardware or drivers that cannot be resolved and believe me I've tried everything, removed everything, gone bare bones, disabled hardware functionality, bios functionality, updated driver and firmware. Days and days of optimization, nada.

It does work OK providing studio one isn't running on the first core which is hogged by something in the internal hardware. The internal audio still crackles doesn't matter what driver I supply it, there is a bottleneck and I have no idea what it is. Forums have similar complaints about this model.

If I were to buy again I would do so with the idea I would return it within 14 days if I see an issue. But I didn't, I thought there had to be a solution, there wasn't and I regret it

Ultimately my computer's are multi purpose but have dedicated functionality, and for the thing to run as smooth as possible I install several OS's and multiboot.

Intel i9 9900K (Gigabyte Z390 DESIGNARE motherboard), 32GB RAM, EVGA Geforce 1070 (Nvidia drivers).
Dell Inspiron 7591 (2 in 1) 16Gb.
Studio One Pro 6.x, Windows 11 Pro 64 bit, also running it on Mac OS Catalina via dual boot (experimental).
Presonus Quantum 2626, Presonus Studio 26c, Focusrite Saffire Pro 40, Faderport Classic (1.45), Atom SQ, Atom Pad, Maschine Studio, Octapad SPD-30, Roland A300, a number of hardware synths.
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by MisterE on Sat Jun 10, 2023 4:41 pm
gregghart wrote
davidlarson6 wroteUnless you're gaming on the machine, you don't need the high-end graphics that are in those consumer gaming machines. That fancy gaming card can add $1000 to the price of the PC.


I would disagree with this. The higher end graphics cards add three advantages that I can think of off the top of my head for music production...(not saying you need a $1200 card, but at least a $300-$400 one).

1) It helps with various DAW window functions and strange refresh and artifact issues that can happen with cheap video cards.

2) Better multiple monitor support. I run 4 monitors off of my video card. Two for my production desk, 1 over my Native Instruments 88 key keyboard and 1 in my vocal booth for lyrics.

3) Various VSTs are starting to come out that can use GPU rather than CPU to offload some of that power from the CPU.

Agree with this especially since the op said he'd be using the PC for general use, and $300 - $400 cards can handle most gaming and video editing tasks just fine while providing great flexibility and not adding a whole lotta heat. Once again, he said general use, not high end video editing or most powerful gaming capability. So this is the sweet spot. #3 isn't quite there yet but may be a factor down the road.

AMD Ryzen 5600X CPU | Gigabyte B550 Vision D-P mobo | WD Black 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVME SSD | Crucial Ballistix 32GB 3600 mhz RAM | MSI Geforce 3060 Ti Gaming X | Win10 64-bit | S1 v6.0.2 | Mackie Onyx Blackbird interface | Korg M3 | Arturia Keylab 49 mkII
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by Lokeyfly on Sun Jun 11, 2023 8:24 am
I usually avoid these threads. First, there's people who know more about current options than I, as they change roughly every two years or so. Second, the OP hasn't responded back. We don't know if he/she went for something better, or worse.

Lastly, on the PC front. I just don't experience almost literally any issues on any PC I've ever used with a DAW. So I really don't know the threshold of so called good enough. I have an idea, and most of us probably do as well. I've built most of my systems, so I have a clue.
I'm sort of from the school of needing just a DAW, supporting hardware, some graphics and video production which are the staples of my system. I don't game and I don't collect 60+ plugins. The plugins I do use have been proofed out as reliable or go-to. So point being a reliable system should stay pretty lean.

So someone asking what should they buy, there's little I can offer. I simply chimed in because gaming, or really any PC/Mac will come with some compromises, but if one has a handle on their needs, then barring any "why can't I get xxxx to work" threads, should meet their budget and needs.

Sometimes less is more. Sometimes more is less.
What do I know? ;) I know I can't give, or act like I have absolutes on the subject. Still, they'll always be such posts to help people ballpark their needs. Understandable. People want something that works, with less problems. That often requires being selective about added apps, routine maintenance, avoiding most freebee plugs, etc. By the look of forum questions and and issues, it's rarely about something not good enough.

S1-6.2.1, HP Omen 17" i7 10th Gen, 32 GB,512 GB TLC M.2 (SSD),1 TB SSD. Win10 Pro, Audient iD14 MkII, Roland JV90, NI S49 MkII, Atom SQ, FP 8, Roland GR-50 & Octapad. MOTU MIDI Express XT. HR824, Yamaha HS-7, NS-1000M, Yamaha Promix 01, Rane HC-6, etc.

New song "Our Time"
https://youtu.be/BqOZ4-0iY1w?si=_uwmgRBv3N4VwJlq

Visit my You Tube Channel
https://youtube.com/@jamesconraadtucker ... PA5dM01GF7

Latest song releases on Bandcamp -
 
Latest albums on iTunes

All works registered copyright ©️
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by Prog Rocker on Sun Jun 11, 2023 1:12 pm
MisterE wroteAgree with this especially since the op said he'd be using the PC for general use, and $300 - $400 cards can handle most gaming and video editing tasks just fine while providing great flexibility and not adding a whole lotta heat. Once again, he said general use, not high end video editing or most powerful gaming capability. So this is the sweet spot. #3 isn't quite there yet but may be a factor down the road.



Yes, I will be doing little to no Video editing or gaming on this machine. Mostly working on Studio One and some Web browsing. IE Music Forums.
I'll just add that I came across this interesting video by Gregor were he mentions video cards. (at the 6:40 mark) He says GPUs are now doing more than they traditionally had done in the past.

phpBB [video]





Lokeyfly wroteI usually avoid these threads. First, there's people who know more about current options than I, as they change roughly every two years or so. Second, the OP hasn't responded back. We don't know if he/she went for something better, or worse.


Much like yourself there are people here who know far more than I, whereas I would have little to offer on this subject. Tech not being my forte. However I have been reading through this several times and have found it very informative. Thank you to those who have so far offered their insight and opinions.



-

Studio One 5 Artist 5.2.0
Ampire XT Metal Pack Version: 1.0.0.7
Studio One Plug-In Support Version: 1.0.0.0

Notion 6 Version: 6.4.462

Dell XPS Laptop
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Intel Core i5 540M @ 2.53GHz

Dell XPS 8300 Desktop
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64-bit
Intel Core i7 2600 @ 3.4GHz
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by gregghart on Sun Jun 11, 2023 1:30 pm
Prog Rocker wrote
MisterE wroteAgree with this especially since the op said he'd be using the PC for general use, and $300 - $400 cards can handle most gaming and video editing tasks just fine while providing great flexibility and not adding a whole lotta heat. Once again, he said general use, not high end video editing or most powerful gaming capability. So this is the sweet spot. #3 isn't quite there yet but may be a factor down the road.



Yes, I will be doing little to no Video editing or gaming on this machine. Mostly working on Studio One and some Web browsing. IE Music Forums.
I'll just add that I came across this interesting video by Gregor were he mentions video cards. (at the 6:40 mark) He says GPUs are now doing more than they traditionally had done in the past.

phpBB [video]





Lokeyfly wroteI usually avoid these threads. First, there's people who know more about current options than I, as they change roughly every two years or so. Second, the OP hasn't responded back. We don't know if he/she went for something better, or worse.


Much like yourself there are people here who know far more than I, whereas I would have little to offer on this subject. Tech not being my forte. However I have been reading through this several times and have found it very informative. Thank you to those who have so far offered their insight and opinions.



-


Exactly. Like I said GPUs now allowing the CPU to offload on to them in the app is programmed to be able to do that.

I can't say who, but I do testing for a very popular plug in manufacturer, and I know for a fact, that plug ins are coming that will utilize this feature. The better GPU you have, the better performance you are going to get with your plugins.

Also, to be clear, I never once suggested an RTX3070. They start at $400 and can easily get into the $600 range depending on the RAM config and if it's a standard, a T1 or an FTW3

I also have a gaming machine. I bought it because it was a great deal for me. I made a few tweaks (not a whole lot were needed, honestly). It has an RTX3060. I don't game a whole lot, but once in a while, it's fun. I do, however, do a LOT of video editing, so the 3060 helps a lot with that as well. Also, a better video card will be needed if you plan to do video work in Studio One, especially now that they are have released newer, updated video features.

As to the comment about noise....no. Noisy gaming machines are a thing of the past. I would challenge you to stand next to my machine and see if you can hear it. It has two whisper quiet fans in it for the case, and it is liquid cooled. You cannot hear it. My external hard drive is actually louder. This machine is WAY quieter than my last one which I had built as a dedicated audio machine. It finally died after 8 years, and to replace it with comparable parts would have actually cost more than I paid for this HP gaming machine.

To be honest, I got this machine at 40% off as I work for a partner with HP and they offer my company a HUGE discount. I get quite a few great deals from computer and electronics manufacturers, but that is beside the point.

Point is, don't skimp on the GPU. No need to get a $1200 one. $300-$400 is fine. The RTX3060 goes for about $340, so that's right there in the sweet spot.

Win11, 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700K (3.60 GHz), 32GB Ram. Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 3rd Gen. Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 Mark 2, Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S61 Mark 1, Presonus FaderPort 8.

https://www.midiboy.com

https://gregghart.bandcamp.com
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by MisterE on Sun Jun 11, 2023 3:43 pm
gregghart wroteThe RTX3060 goes for about $340, so that's right there in the sweet spot.

Splurging on the 3060TI for a few pesos more builds in a bit more futureproofing, but it's not life and death.

AMD Ryzen 5600X CPU | Gigabyte B550 Vision D-P mobo | WD Black 2TB PCIe 4.0 NVME SSD | Crucial Ballistix 32GB 3600 mhz RAM | MSI Geforce 3060 Ti Gaming X | Win10 64-bit | S1 v6.0.2 | Mackie Onyx Blackbird interface | Korg M3 | Arturia Keylab 49 mkII

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