N-Tracks or FLStudio

[martincactus]

Hi all,

I am presently using Fruity Loops studio for my VSTi and DXi, exporting it to a wav file, and opening it in Adobe audition. Can N-Tracks be a good altenative for that? I want to do a lot of VSTi, drum beats, guitars and vocals, it it possible with N-Tracks?

Thanks!

[crankz1]

In short .... the answer is yes. n-Track supports VSTi and DXi along with Rewire.

[martincactus]

Is my computer powerful enough to use N-Tracks?

I have a Intel PIII 800 MHz 384MRam Windows XP with a Sound Blaster Live.

Thanks

[crankz1]

Yes .... others have had success on lesser machines.
I would suggest you up your memory to at least 512megs, specially if you intend to use many samples with your virtual instruments.
You may start running into some issues with that PIII as track counts get higher and depending on the amount of real-time effects processing you intend to use.
Doing mix-downs of groups of tracks can gain some of the resources back as your track counts begin to tax the machine.
All in all, what you have is perfect for a starter setup .... enough to get your feet wet in essence.

[bbop73]

Your PIII should get you started, but I agree on updating the ram to 512. I have a PIII 933 w/ 512 ram and I can record up to 14-15 tracks of audio at 24 bit w/out plugins before it starts crapping out.

[the edzell]

Originally Posted by bbop73

Your PIII should get you started, but I agree on updating the ram to 512. I have a PIII 933 w/ 512 ram and I can record up to 14-15 tracks of audio at 24 bit w/out plugins before it starts crapping out.

I'm a newbe. I have a Athlon chip and 444 ram. So I can only record a limited number of tracks before my stuff stars stopping / starting and crapping out? What's the point of having 128 tracks to record on if you can't even use a 1/4 of them?

What would you need to use all the tracks avaible to you to use at least 50 tracks.

[crankz1]

Programs that offer unlimited amounts of track do it simply because they can .... whether or not the computer can handle a great number is another story.
I have yet to do a project that required anything over 26 tracks. Not to say that it will never happen, but I sure hope I don't need to mix upward of 50 tracks.
If track counts start maxing out your computer ... you can always do sub-mixes to use for continuing on with the project (ie. 8 tracks of drums could be mixed down to one stereo track). For this to be effective you need to deselect "Read data from tracks even if muted" in Options under Preferences ... then mute and minimize the original tracks that made up the sub mixes. Once you are done with the project ... mute the sub mixes (or just remove them from the project) and un-mute the originals, then do an offline mixdown.
If you want to have all 50+ tracks up and running at the same time, along with a bunch of effects .... time to think about getting the latest and greatest computer money can buy.

[bbop73]

Originally Posted by the edzell

I'm a newbe. I have a Athlon chip and 444 ram. So I can only record a limited number of tracks before my stuff stars stopping / starting and crapping out? What's the point of having 128 tracks to record on if you can't even use a 1/4 of them?

What would you need to use all the tracks avaible to you to use at least 50 tracks.

A better computer tweaked for audio recording. The 128 limit is the ceiling..and everyone wants to shoot for the sky, right? So why not offer it? Get a current setup and you'll be suprised at the increase in track count. Man, if only i had any $$ leftover to upgrade my PIII.

[Toker41]

I'm running a P IV 2.4 with hyperthread, and 1 gig of 3200 ram, with a 7200 rpm HD. My biggest project to date is 62 tracks with a ton of effects. This seems to be the limit for this system. I'm thinking of upgrading to a 3.2 P IV, because I believe the fast the processor, the more effects (plugins) you can run, while the more ram the more tracks you can have.

[crankz1]

Having two hard drives, with a high speed one dedicated to the working directory for the audio data and the other for the OS and programs, will increase your track limit. Along with additional memory for the samples to load to. A faster processor will allow for greater amounts of DSP (effects).

[the edzell]

Forgive me for my utter lack of computer sense or common knowledge, but what if instead of getting more memory I moved the audio files to a 2GB Jump drive. Would that allow me to record more tracks? Right now I’m saving each session, loops and wavs on a CD-RW.

Any recommended reading on putting together a computer system or upgrading my laptop to run 50 or so tracks? Or you guys can tell me what I need to go out and buy.

[crankz1]

I've never tried any of the USB flash drives ... 2 gigs ain't very much for audio data.
In my laptop setup I use an external Firewire drive (120 gig Western Digital) for the working directory for all the audio data to stream to and from. This required me to get a PCMCIA card, as my HP laptop doesn't natively have any Firewire ports.

[the edzell]

I found a Compact External Hard Drive (USB 250GB MAXTOR 7200RPM) for under $200.00. Think this would be a good investment to free up space and use my Adobe Audition to its maximum capacity?

Sorry, I know there are no stupid questions. Just stupid people who don't have the answers.

[gordone]

If you're talking about storing the audio files on the drive WHILE you're working on them, your bandwidth will be limited by the USB interface (even if it's USB2)
You'll have the same problem with a flash drive.

Originally Posted by the edzell

I found a Compact External Hard Drive (USB 250GB MAXTOR 7200RPM) for under $200.00. Think this would be a good investment to free up space and use my Adobe Audition to its maximum capacity?

Sorry, I know there are no stupid questions. Just stupid people who don't have the answers.

[the edzell]

So is Firewire a better choice?

Sorry, I know there are no stupid questions. Just stupid people who don't have the answers.

[crankz1]

Yes Firewire is better ..... USB2 and Firewire share about the same burst rates for data transfer, but Firewire has the lead when it comes to sustained transfer rates. When dealing with streaming audio data, we are very concerned with the sustained rates. Same holds true for audio interfaces as with hard drives .... I would never use USB for more than 2 to 4 simultaneous inputs. The throughput will suffer due to the lack of acceptable sustained transfer rate.

[the edzell]

Does it matter how much GBs the hard drive has in reference to how fast the programs run or how many tracks you can use?

I have a Conexant AMC Audio Sound Card. Should I also think of upgrading that as well.

Thank you for your answers and extreme paitence.

[crankz1]

No the size won't matter in relation to speed, it will however play a part in track counts in that a great number of 5 minute tracks will consume a large chunk of space. Specially at high sample rates. Roughly 5 megs a minute at 44.1kHz (or 25 megs for one 5 minute track) and even more per minute as you increase the sampling rate.
If the soundcard you speak of is internal of a laptop .... you won't be able to upgrade it per se. You can however purchase a more professional external interface and connect it via Firewire or USB, but I would opt for a Firewire device over USB.
Also in the future, if you decide to build\buy a desktop, you will be able to use the audio interface with it (provided it offers the connectivity you plan to use ... FW or USB).
A close look at your budget and what your needs\desires in recording abilities of a computer will help in determining what the best options are for you.

[the edzell]

Right now it looks like I’ll have $500.00 to $1000.00 ballpark to spend on upgrades. $150.00 - $200.00 of that is earmarked for monitors.

Given my limited experience in home recording (with none in digital mixing and mastering) I probably should focus on getting better on a smaller scale (12 tracks) instead of seeing how to many tracks I can lay down before I’m happy and ready to mix. However I have to blame all the websites like this one with all the little tricks I’ve learned and the great home demos I’ve heard. Yeah, it’s like the kids who saw Michael Jordan play and went out to learn how to do a 360 dunk before mastering their jump shots and dribbling skills. Then again, who here is still aspiring to record their version of Sgt. Peppers or Dark Side of the Moon?

I’m also aware of the disease that hits a lot of people getting into home recording called: G.A.S. (Gear Acquiring Syndrome) and keep telling myself once I get to this point I’m going to quit buying and start doing more working. I’ve been at this for about three months, and I haven’t even gotten to the point of trying to record vocals yet. Or as with this weekend I start getting everything the way I want it and the something starts screwing up. That’s when the Tim Taylor in me starts speaking up saying “More Power!!!!”

Anyway one of these days I’d like to get to the point where I’m spending more time creating and writing and less time trying to figure out how to fix this or what went wrong with that. I’m also trying to spend some time educating myself (I picked up home recording for dummies and home recording with Pro Tools) so I won’t just be throwing money at the problems.

Thanks for the help.

[crankz1]

Yup knowledge is power and experience will go farther than equipment.
A seasoned pro will do more with a Berry mixer and a Soundblaster than a total beginner would do with a Neve and a RME.
Best bet is to use what you have until you reach a limit as to where you can't go any further quality wise.
Your best investment will be in monitors and next in the mics\pre's you chose and finally the interface.
These forums offer a great place for research prior to making decisions on equipment, but it's always better if you can have the opportunity to check out equipment first hand rather than going off of recommendations. Sometimes recommendations are all you have to go by, so it's best to weigh several different ones from whom you feel to be reliable sources.
The proof is in the pudding .... if someone says this brand "X" is the best, they ought to be able to back their claim up with some definitive explanation.
Always get a second opinion too. Heck get three, four or five ... Money don't come easy now a days. Spend once ... spend wise.
Not to insult anyones intelligence, but just thought this would be good advice for any that may read it.

-Ken

[the edzell]

I broke down and bought a Western Digital External Hard drive (160 GB) and a firewire line. I had some intinal skipping but I moved Audtion to the External Hard Drive and the transfer rate was pretty smooth. Hopefully now I can spend more time playing and less time on the tech stuff.

THanks for the tips.