从国内回来后，一向听话的计算机突然彻底罢工。本想彻底来个更新换代，整个高档的，经费申请也已通过领导审查。正想甩开膀子大干一场，偶然看到一篇文章，颇受启发，改变了自己的看法。这篇文章的要点是：

1. 买了很高档的 mic, preamp 就能录出高质量的歌曲吗？
  不一定。
The main reason is that it is all a big system and it is only as pure as its dirtiest pan pot.  One humming cable can obliterate the gains made by otherwise great sounding gear. A pristine mic preamp connected digitally to a soundcard with the jitters will be defeated.  Your whole chain has to pro quality, from preamps, in and out of the converters, into top quality monitors. 

2. 有了全套高档 gears 就能录出高质量的歌曲吗？
  也不一定。
It is not just gear. It's technique.  Someone with a $2,700 Neumann U87 and a top of the line Great River preamp will still have an awful recording if the mic is not placed well, or if the room brings out undesirable characteristics.   If you apply to much compression on a vocal while recording its going to sound bad no matter what gear you have. This is all to say, positively, that when you know how to apply eq, processors and plugins you will be on your way to achieving a mix of high sound quality.  This brings me to the point.  A person who really knows and works with their gear can deliver greater sound quality at 16 bit with lesser gear than a person who just plugs in and goes on top of the line 24/96 recorders.  Technique is as important as gear which is more important than bits and rates. And there is only one thing more important that technique and gear.

3. 有了好gears, 高超的后期技巧，就能录出高质量的歌曲吗？
  还是不一定。
The most important point is saved for last, and I've said it before, and will again.  Great music recorded on a crappy cassette deck will win more hearts than a turd polished at 24/192.  Your talent is more important than anything else, and you can't buy that.  So remember to practice, work on your technique, when you can afford to, upgrade your signal path, and then when the pearly gates of Sound Quality open, then consider 24/96 as you would a nice finish on a well-crafted piece of art.

我既然没有好嗓子，也没有什么talent和技巧。那我又何必徒劳去追求高档设备哪？还是按照入门级的标准来吧。目标既然明确，具体实现就简单了。

1. 首先装主机。
在new egg 和 tigerdirect 订购了主板，CPU，内存，机箱，电源，显示器。
订购的原则是: review好，性价比好。主板支持CPU升级。

主板：Asus M2N-SLI Motherboard $92
CPU：AMD Athlon 64x2 500 $63
CPU 风扇：Thermaltake - 4.7" CPU Cooling Fan $60
内存：OCZ 2x2G DDS PR800 $30 (after rebate $30)
机箱：NZXT Apollo ATX Tower gaming case $69
电源：Antec - EarthWatts 500-Watt ATX CPU Power Supply $60 (原价$90)
显示器：SAmSung 22" WLCD monitor $175 (after $50 rebate)

DVD RW 从原来的计算机上拆过来。700G 硬盘是去年感恩节后降价买的。再把罢工的计算机上300G硬盘拆过来。

2. OS
思来想去，还是觉得XP stable，而且4G 内存是XP 32bit 的极限。就装了XP SP3.

3. 最重要的部件，audio interface ，话筒和near field monitor (就是音箱）.

audio interface: PCI 和USB的选择。
现在市面上非常流行好多USB和firewire 的interface 或话筒。但个人感觉，虽然USB2.0 也能达到3M/s 的传输率。但还是PCI或PCI-X interface 直接插在主板上快。USB interface 更适合移动携带方便。接laptop (无法用PCI的情况下）更合适。

对PCI interface 的基本要求：是编辑处理声音，而不是玩游戏，所以一定要选择audio interface 而不是gaming soundcard.
要支持24bit 96khz(192k) input/output (现在已经成为基本配置了）
至少两个analog inputs 和 outputs (话筒，MIDI录音，音箱和监控耳机）但多了对我也没必要。
input 和 output 最好支持 balanced cable 不产生静电噪音，确保音质。
如果有optical, coaxial 数字output 更好（可以支持5.1, 7.1 环绕）。
支持ASIO。zero 或 接近 zero latency.