Portable unit vs. computer debate

J

jwetzel

New member
So.... I have been reading just as much my feeble musician's mind can hold of this bbs' info and can not decide whether to go the pc or portable 16 track recorder route. I am by NO means a techie. I am just a composer/performer who would like the highest quality recordings available for my music (which is either vibraphone/marimba percussion stuff or typical electric rock and roll). Is it possible to get a truly great recording from a portable unit? I am just afraid of parting with a ton of dough to get a new pc/sound card/software etc.... when all I need is to record my music for demos/promos/ and to help me compose. I know that computers are the shit, but my VCR reads 12:00.
Any help?
 
To be honest there is no right or wrong answer, but my advice (coming from someone who started off on the journey of enlightenment) would be to get a workstation rather than a pc.

I started on Fostex FD4, then moved up to a Roland VS1680, and only recently moved to PC.

The problem is this. The better the gear you get, the more complicated it is to work, and the more time you spend pissing around trying to get it to work rather than recording. IF its getting something down recorded you want, get the simplest thing you can. IF you want to learn over time how to mix, engineer, and unravel the inner workings of a PC (and learn how to Format your hard drive numerous times when you install some nasty plugin that screws your pc up) then Buy a pc.

Here speaks the man who just spent 4 hours trying to get Logic to do a simple midi task.

I gave up and recorded onto my VS1680, then dropped the whole thing down to PC..........

PC is more flexible, but more painstaking.
W'Station is simple, and good quality. however you lose flexibility....
 
HEre we go on the old debate...

they all got pro's and cons.

I'm going the comp route: if you got a good soundcard, a mixer and (legal!) software, and you only use your computer for music, also that system will be ore stable. The problem is however we don't have al money for 2 comps, and it is so damned tempty (I admit:)) to use some cracks you stumbled upon, we can't all buy every plugin, so eventually you start messing to much with your comp: result is less stable.

But comp has lots of advantages!! To begin with: upgrading is way more easy! With a portable workstation, you're pretty much stuck, while a comp solution gives you loads of opportunities to expand your system while you grow in needs.

Also stuff like editing is way more simple and versatile on a comp. I can edit all my tracks easily and fast in CEP, while you are messing on the tiny little screen of your VS system. the same with mix automation, sequensing....
 
I totally agree.....Now I'm computer based, it rocks...it is easy, and it is more flexible (I believe I also said that up there ^^) BUT...


If you read up there ^

I am by NO means a techie. I am just a composer/performer who would like the highest quality recordings available for my music .................................
.............................. Is it possible to get a truly great recording from a portable unit?
Click to expand...

So this guy isnt asking what the 'best' route for recording is.....and I agree that PC based 'is' ultimately better than Workstation... (but then 'Mac' is better than PC so where do you stop?)....BUT as this guy wants to simply record his stuff, and is a self proclaimed 'Non-Techie' my suggestion would be to buy a workstation, as these are much much simpler to simply 'plugin' and record..... If he was to go PC, it would take him 3 months to work all the shit out before he could record......

IN answer to his second question - 'Yes' it is possible to get truly great recording from a protable unit......strictly speaking, there should be NO difference in quality....however effects wise, you are more limited with a workstation...with a VS1680, you can only use 4 onboard effects at once.....(although you can plug in up to 4 external effects aswell)....this simply means that mixing is a little more challenging and you need to be sure that the quality of recording you start with is good, cus you cant modify it a great deal afterwards (but then isnt this simply 'good recording'???)

This track was entirely done on workstation prior to mastering:



I still say, for the purpose 'jwetzel' wants it for, a workstation makes more sense.......In a coupla years after he has been playing around with it, he may want to upgrade to PC, by which point he will have a much better understanding of 'recording' in general...
 
...much as I hate to, I'd have to agree with Nick (I'm a member of the PC-man - workstation haters club). All things considered though, the PC isn't the way to go for those who need the simplicity, stableness, and portability over the flexibility of a PC.

Plus, chances are you'll be able to use the workstation in tandem with the PC at some point, so it wouldn't be a waste of money. Eventually, most of us end up on a PC or MAC, but I would have been completely lost if I had started with what I have now.
 
lol...my point exactly, only in fewer words....

And I do exactly that. I now use My VS1680 as a digital mixer/sampler.

Thanks SM
 
Portable workstation is best for newbies like me!

I started out with an old cassette 4 track a few years ago which TOOK ME AGES TO LEARN!! But now that I have grown comfortable with mulit-track recording I have progressed to the Akai DPS 12i & now the Akai DPS16.

Deep down I know that PC/Mac recording is the way to go if I want to spend months in a dimly lit room working on one song & give it the 'FULL' treatment. And I know that computer recording is the way forward if I want all the trendy new software etc. etc.. but for ease of use I really couldn't beat a portable workstation.

At least I know my hardware is absolutely dedicated to processing music. I'm sick of watching my PC freeze & crash when it performs some shitty simple tasks, so I'm hardly confident about getting a stable system to process music. My portable workstation has NEVER crashed since I've had it. I have never had any problems at all, apart from the time I accidentally wiped the drive, but that was my own stupid shit.

With my DPS 16 I've set myself up in business to record local choirs & school bands, (I've also got some nice outboard gear & good quality Neumanns to boot). So far everyone has been impressed by the 'professional' quality of the recordings. And the portability of the machine makes it ideal for on-location recordings.

If people pay me for this stuff then that tells you everything you need to know about what it takes to produce 'professional' recordings on a portable 16 track.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top