As a lingering consequence of the destruction of my primary linux box, I've obtained the parts for a new Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Naturally, I bought the parts from New Egg. It's a Althon XP (+Barton) 3000 (2.1Ghz) 1G RAM box with a 80 Gb (7200 rpm) IDE drive for the console OS (XP Pro) and a 37 Gb (10K rpm) drive for audio files. Although the case is a humble mid-tower, the monitor is a petite 15" flat screen so that I can stick the whole shebang in a wire rack from Economy Hardware. The audio monitors still at just above ear level (which I prefer to below ear level) and my retro Ensoniq ESQ1 synth/MIDI controller juts out perpendicularly to the rack for my pleasure. I've just finished installing the OS, the patches, the patches to the patches, the updated drivers for the hardware, firefox, putty and two more patches for the audio software, Sonar 4. I still need to add some additional VST effects and Synths and then I'll be ready to migrate my existing audio projects from their former home to the new beast.
With all the foul weather Boston has received of late (about 40 inches for January, a 113 year record!), there are plenty of reasons to have indoor hobbies.
