Custom music production pc builders?

Springywheel

I'm looking to get back into music making but my laptop is no longer up to the job. So I'm looking for   for reputable companies that can build me a music production pc to spec? Any recommendations? 

Fez

I haven't used them but Scan https://www.scan.co.uk/ seem to have a reasonable rep.

Sporky

My last PC started out as a Scan build - it was very good, they correctly set up the drives so the C was just Windows, D was applications, and E was documents.

I upgraded it a few times before building something new from scratch - I felt it was decent value and well put together.

andy_k

Lots to consider here, DAW of choice, interface, control surface, monitors, type of music production etc-etc, and above all else, OS choice.
I suspect you are coming from the Windows world, and the way the OS is developing it could well be a major limiting factor.
I just purchased an Asus Zenbook duo, as an upgrade for my current system, and am in the process of transferring all my useful stuff onto it.
Already, the lack of available ports is giving me some frustrations, ie, I need one in permanent use for my ILok, and have to use a hub to allow the use of a wireless mouse.
I like being able to take my system with me ( at least in part ) so the idea of a laptop is sound, and I am finding the dual monitors on this machine a bit of a bonus, main screen is tracks and secondary is always there as a mixer, for example.
I also can use the secondary screen as a midi keyboard for anything on the main screen, and have set up shortcuts to get this running easily.
A major annoyance is Windows itself, which has to be beaten into submission to not trying to update, or take over in the background while I am working, and there are 3rd party things that are needed to enable this, it took me a weekend just to get rid of a lot of the bloat that is now included, although some things remain as part of the OS.
For example, it is now very difficult to use the machine without an online Microsoft account, and the loophole I used to avoid having to sign in to an MS account was closed the week after I managed it.
The next update to Windows 11, promises to be taking screenshots every few seconds to allow some sort of TimeMachine search function, and this is something I am very keen to avoid, so it is getting fairly difficult to decide which OS to focus on these days, the entry point for a good Mac machine is pretty high, and Linux, although getting better, is as fiddly as always.
I'm not sure I would be investing too much money in a bespoke Windows box, as most entry level spec machines can easily cope with music production these days, SSDs are only getting cheaper, and 16 gig of ram is easily available on most laptops these days.
Like I said, lots to consider here, and it is easy to do a lot of research online.
Happy hunting.

Nerine

If you want it specifically for music, get a Mac. 

Bod

The key thing with a PC specced for music is that it'll have components that minimize DPC latency issues, and will come configured to reduce problems with CPU throttling/power-save too.

Scan have been doing it for years, and really know their stuff.  Plus you'll get something that can be easily expanded in future if needed.

Vintage65

Check what components Scan use and build it yourself. I'd be looking at the new AMD Zen 5 CPU's coming out next month.

monquixote

I've been doing a bit of research recently. 

Scan are great and have been around forever.

My first port of call is to get a Mac, but you are looking at around £2K for a baseline MBP 14 with an M3 Pro and £1.4k for a Mac Mini with acceptable RAM, HDD and an M2 pro which seems like a really bad deal when you know that it's now 2 processor generations behind (it might look slightly better when the M4 mini gets released) 

For that sort of money you could get an absolute beast of a machine from Scan either a laptop with significantly more grunt for and more RAM / Storage for £1.4K or desktop at about £1.1K

Of course I'd love to be able to use Logic on my iPad and then switch to the desktop, but that requires paying the apple tax.

Bod

My argument against a Mac is the inability to add extra RAM if needed, and the high cost of loading it sufficiently at purchase, otherwise they're really nice machines.

monquixote

Bod said:

My argument against a Mac is the inability to add extra RAM if needed, and the high cost of loading it sufficiently at purchase, otherwise they're really nice machines.

I really don't care that it's not upgradable but 8GB base  and £200 to go to 16GB is just offensive.

Most decent spec machines come with 16 minimum and it's usually under £100 to go to 32Gb

Vintage65

monquixote said:

Bod said:

My argument against a Mac is the inability to add extra RAM if needed, and the high cost of loading it sufficiently at purchase, otherwise they're really nice machines.

I really don't care that it's not upgradable but 8GB base  and £200 to go to 16GB is just offensive.

Most decent spec machines come with 16 minimum and it's usually under £100 to go to 32Gb

32GB is the minimum I would want in an audio computer with decent specs.

Springywheel

 Cheers guys, I went with these specs in the end and ended up sourcing my parts from Scan and Amazon. A local guy is assembling everything for me, though I may look at giving it a go myself if I have the time (and confidence...)

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/list/zy4dVW

Just shopping for a few nvme drives now to complete the set up 

monquixote

Vintage65 said:

monquixote said:

Bod said:

My argument against a Mac is the inability to add extra RAM if needed, and the high cost of loading it sufficiently at purchase, otherwise they're really nice machines.

I really don't care that it's not upgradable but 8GB base  and £200 to go to 16GB is just offensive.

Most decent spec machines come with 16 minimum and it's usually under £100 to go to 32Gb

32GB is the minimum I would want in an audio computer with decent specs.

I'd prefer 32 and that's the standard config for I think I'd get by with 16GB as I don't really like the huge multi sample based instruments which tend to be the RAM hogs, but 8GB is just idiotic and it's not that it's different on a Mac as some people claim. 
I had to use an 8GB Mac for a while in a previous job and it was absolutely hopeless for even the most basic tasks. 

Chris_J

I've had 3 computers from scan. 2 desktops and 1 laptop. No issues with any of them. 

They weren't specced as audio specific machines so can't answer the question directly, though I do use the latest desktop as my home studio PC and the laptop for recording multitrack from the desk when on live mixing jobs.

Bezzer

Got my last one from www.inta-audio.com chose a base spec and upped what I needed, swell prices, peedy and well built.
Caveat, if you wanna do games on the side it won’t do that ha ha. Plus side, I was able to get it built in a rack mountable case.

Vintage65

monquixote said:

Vintage65 said:

monquixote said:

Bod said:

My argument against a Mac is the inability to add extra RAM if needed, and the high cost of loading it sufficiently at purchase, otherwise they're really nice machines.

I really don't care that it's not upgradable but 8GB base  and £200 to go to 16GB is just offensive.

Most decent spec machines come with 16 minimum and it's usually under £100 to go to 32Gb

32GB is the minimum I would want in an audio computer with decent specs.

I'd prefer 32 and that's the standard config for I think I'd get by with 16GB as I don't really like the huge multi sample based instruments which tend to be the RAM hogs, but 8GB is just idiotic and it's not that it's different on a Mac as some people claim. 
I had to use an 8GB Mac for a while in a previous job and it was absolutely hopeless for even the most basic tasks. 

I use a few string libraries, and it's also nice to have a some well sampled piano sounds. I also also use Superior drummer, so 32GB is about right I think. You'd only need more if you were doing film scores and stuff like that.