Help with recording in the digital age

[Roy]

Hi

Until now I 've always recorded music by plugging my instruments into a Yamaha minidisc 8 track recorder. I now want to upgrade my gear & start using a computer but I have no idea what I need & how much it will cost. Could anyone please give me advice? e.g do I get a mac or a pc? What software do I need?

Thanks

Roy

 

[Aeturnus]

Well dude, there are many factors to consider. Firstly how much do you intend to invest?
As to the Mac or PC, I feel by todays standards its a matter of preferance.
I prefer a PC, as I use it for many things not just recording.
You will need at least a 2.8 GHZ pc to run Pro Tools, which is pretty much the recording industry standard.
At least one good all round condensor mike and maybe a valve preamp. Add a few quality mikes and your set to begin your own
'Pro sound recordings'
To give you an idea of what I recorded with pro tools go and listen to (or download) our Semper Tyranis CD.

 

[Roy]

Roughly how much does Protools cost? Can you run Protools on a Mac? Sorry I don't have a great amount of knowledge on computers.

 

[sumairetsu]

Mac is the preferred OS for A/V applications. The system is much more stable and you don't really have the problems associated with Windows.

Pro-Tools can be found here: http://www.digidesign.com If you're just getting started, you should probably get Pro Tools LE.

There are a number of other software programs that are commercially available that you can find at local retailers that will probably suit you fine, and they don't cost much money. Depending on what you're planning to record (demos or just ideas), you don't need to spend much money and could probably get away with using the stuff that's already on your computer without having to do too much in the way of upgrades.

Personally, I'm using Magix Music Studio 2005 Deluxe which I picked up for about $85 at a local Best Buy. Not only can you record up to 64 stereo tracks of digital recording, you can also do MIDI production with unlimited MIDI tracks and audio; it's packaged with various simulators, sound generators and effects in the software. http://www.magix.com

Good luck.

 

[USMC0341]

On a side note - MACs are very good at AV, but very costly. You can build a custom AMD or Pentium machine that can perform just as well as a MAC. ProTools apparently runs better on MACs, but ProTools' is all about their hardware. I run Cubase SX and I can do EVERYTHING as far as recording production on it, soup to nuts.

What is your total budget? That's gonna determine which direction you head in as far as a DAW goes.

JB

 

[Roy]

My budget at the moment is a thousand pounds.

 

[bobvex]

WHOA WHOA WHOA, Protools? Beginner? he's on a budget. Protools is a pain in the ass becasue the more you get into it, the more shit you have to buy. Protools is one of those things where if you buy the software, you pretty much have to but the hardware too. My friend used stolen software, and some stolen hardware(but he bought some) to build a FULL Protools setup on his G4. But as far as im concerned, Cubase SX2 is the ideal way to get started on this. Just set your ASIO settings, and go. Plus its' compatible with Mac or PC.

 

[USMC0341]

WHOA WHOA WHOA, Protools? Beginner? he's on a budget. Protools is a pain in the ass becasue the more you get into it, the more shit you have to buy. Protools is one of those things where if you buy the software, you pretty much have to but the hardware too. My friend used stolen software, and some stolen hardware(but he bought some) to build a FULL Protools setup on his G4. But as far as im concerned, Cubase SX2 is the ideal way to get started on this. Just set your ASIO settings, and go. Plus its' compatible with Mac or PC.

EXACTLY...you can go either way (MAC or PC) and again - you can do everything on Cubase SX, you don't HAVE to have ProTools anymore.I'm not sure what 1,000 pounds converts to in American $$$, but the Software alone is like $550.00 - but you could probably get a cracked version (I don't support or condone that practice but if you're short on cash I understand, especially if you need other stuff as well).

Let us know if you need anymore questions answered...

JB

 

[Roy]

Thanks for your help guys.

$550 works out to about £350 so hopefully that should leave me enough for the computer & hardware.

 

[Kenneth R.]

Cubase SX, Adobe Audition, and Acid Pro are all fairly low priced and give decent recording options that aren't too complicated. thats for software.

you'll need a good computer to run it too-- especially important is the soundcard, the memory size (to store your recordings) and the temporary memory (to store data as it's being recorded and edited). also important is the speed at which the computer can do these operations and record data. not so important is the display systems.

computers tend to be more expensive in stores than custom built online. you can strip a computer order down online to the bare minimum that you need, with a good sound card and processor speed/memory. or, you can get a deal from a store if there is one.

you'd still need a way in: a mic or a direct input to the computer soundcard that it reads your recording from.

 

[Roy]

Does anyone know if Steinberg Cubase SL 2.0 is any good, apparently it's a cheaper version of SX 2.0? Does Cubase allow you to add effects to the instuments like reverb & delay?

 

[Kenneth R.]

yes it does. i'm using Cubase SX2 so i can't really comment on SL, but if it's anything like SX, its very powerful...

 

[Ravenous Enemy]

hey. I'm using Cubase SX and it's can do stuff beyond what I imagined- get SX2 and don't bother with Pro Tools in my opinion. I got a copy (free!) of Cubase and a good computer. You can get a decent computer (PC) for around £500. Uprgade the sound card. Get some kind of line6 POD or Vamp or something so you dont' have to bother with mics, and you'll be recording decent stuff on a budget in no time.
Incidently having two hard drives can be useful.

 

[USMC0341]

hey. I'm using Cubase SX and it's can do stuff beyond what I imagined- get SX2 and don't bother with Pro Tools in my opinion. I got a copy (free!) of Cubase and a good computer. You can get a decent computer (PC) for around £500. Uprgade the sound card. Get some kind of line6 POD or Vamp or something so you dont' have to bother with mics, and you'll be recording decent stuff on a budget in no time.
Incidently having two hard drives can be useful.

Multiple HDs is a HUGE benefit. I run 3 internal and 1 FW external in my DAW. I have NEVER been able to tax this system to the point where it can't keep up or where it loses any audio quality.

JB

 

[Kenneth R.]

processor and bus speed has a lot to do with that too though, but you're right.

you can't really run a quality studio on a pansy computer, but a stripped down beast will do nicely.