OPUS 101 Pro Audio is a specialist PC builder based in the UK and focusing on the needs of music and audio professionals. Founded in 2021 by media composer Tristan Jakob-Hoff, OPUS 101 Pro Audio’s aim is to build high-quality desktop computers primarily designed to run large DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) projects.
Why buy an OPUS 101 Pro Audio computer?
OPUS 101 Pro Audio is owned and operated by a working media composer—and lifelong PC enthusiast—who has an intimate understanding of the needs of others working in the world of music and audio production. In fact, the very first OPUS 101 Pro Audio PC ever built (a CADENZA model) is the one Tristan writes his own music on.
What makes these machines so good for music and audio?
What makes a good audio PC? Well, it’s been said that the ideal audio PC is effectively a gaming machine with more RAM and minus the insanely expensive graphics card. That’s pretty much what our machines are. The features we think are most important are:
- A CPU with great single core capabilities — As our primer on the subject explains, DAWs generally process an entire effects chain on a single CPU core, and that’s often a bottleneck in music and audio production. If a single core has loads of plugins to compute, you may well end up experiencing stuttering — even if you have loads of inactive cores. That’s why our machines all have best-in-class single thread performance as well as outstanding multicore capabilities.
- Tons of RAM — Our machines start at 32 GB and go up to 128 GB of fast DDR4 RAM, ensuring you can keep even the largest DAW templates in memory. All our memory is carefully selected to offer maximum performance and compatibility.
- Low noise — We don’t need the distraction of fans making loads of noise, which is why all our machines come with thermally efficient components, a good sized case with excellent airflow and sound insulation, and—in the higher end models—extremely low-noise case fans and CPU cooling with custom fan curves to keep things whisper quiet in all but the most extreme circumstances.
- Solid-State Disk (SSD) storage — If you have big sample libraries, you need lots of fast storage to stream them into memory as fast as possible. That’s why all our machines come with at least 1.5 TB of fast SSD storage (or super-fast NVMe m.2 drives) and have tons of room for expansion.
- Connectivity — We get it: you have a loooot of devices. So all our machines support USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C connections, have loads of USB 2.0 ports, come with built-in Wifi 6 and Gigabit ethernet, multiple 4K monitor outputs — and some even support Thunderbolt™ 4 connections.
Uh, what about audio interfaces? These are meant to be audio PCs, aren’t they?
They are! But if you’re anything like us, buying an audio interface is going to be a very personal decision, akin to buying a MIDI keyboard or monitor speakers. There are so many great options out there, which is why we think you’ll do better buying from specialist music equipment retailers. And between extensive USB support and (in selected models) Thunderbolt™ 4 capabilities, you can rest assured that whatever you decide to get will be plug-and-playable.
What about monitors / keyboards / mice / other peripherals?
We don’t do these either, unfortunately. We’re really all about putting together the big box of electronics that can best support your workflow, and we know that 9 times out of 10 your OPUS 101 audio PC is likely to be an upgrade anyway. That’s why we leave it to you to buy your own peripherals, or just use your existing ones. The good news is, because these are Windows 10 Pro machines with lots of connectivity options, those peripherals are highly likely to work with the minimum of fuss.
Do you ship outside the UK?
Sadly not, for all sorts of boring tax / regulatory / technical support reasons.
Can’t I just build one of these things myself?
You absolutely can. Feel free to steal one of our specs! What you’ll miss out on, though, is our competitive pricing (we track components from dozens of suppliers), PC building experience, custom modifications to keep things quiet, professional cable management, Windows tuning for best audio performance, email support and three-year warranty.