Best motherboard for professional audio use?

[Audiobotica]

I'm about to embark on constructing a computer for professional audio use. Prime applications are Logic Audio 5, Native Instruments synths/sampler, Acid 3, Sound Forge 6. Does anyone know what specific things make a motherboard better or worse for pro audio applications? Any specific recommendations? Also, anyone compared XP to W2K for stability with audio apps?

Thanks!

Audiobotica

[dave-harper]

the board should be good quality BUT the main thing i woulds say is the sound card and here the latest soundblaster is a bit of an ad fake :rolleyes:

http://www4.tomshardware.com/video/02q1/020115/index.html
http://www4.tomshardware.com/video/01q3/010927/index.html
if you don't need real 24 bit audio then it doesn't matter or just get the older sb live platinum
these are alternatives however
http://www4.tomshardware.com/video/01q4/011130/index.html
http://www4.tomshardware.com/video/01q3/010925/index.html

[otheos]

You're not gonna get a SB sound card are you?

Are you going to record multitrack on the PC? do you need 4-6 channels in/out? Or is it only midi you need (in which case you only need the midi interface and all the rest -sequencer, synth- should be external).

When you say professiona, how much professional?

For multitrack recording, a nice little track to get your started is this (http://www.midiman.com/products/m-audio/delt1010.php).

As for the motherboard, it really only matters for system stability. Just make sure the box you build has little interference from anything else, including in-case fans. Oh, and don't you dare overclock! :)

[Audiobotica]

Great googly moogly, no SoundBlasters! Professional to me is CD/DVD quality, which nowadays means recording 24 bit/96kHz. I'm probably going with either a MOTU 896 or an RME 9652. Both have 8 in 8 out at 24/96, word clock, S/PDIF, MIDI and Lightpipe in/out.