Sounds....help me please!

[brett304]

My Setup: An older computer with 256 MB Ram and 40-60 gig hard drive... M-Audio Keystation 61ES (midi controller... Reason Adapted... FL Studio demo... Sonar demo... The Synth1 (freeware) Plugin

Here's the question...I really just want to be able to play with sounds (don't really need to record it (untill I get out of the world of demos)... I want an idea of the best things to add to my collection for under 200 dollars.... Any and all suggestions would be appreciated.... New, used, whatever....thanks for the help in advance, Brett

[ssscientist]

Hardware? Software? New computer? Maybe buy FL Producer Edition for about $150...

[brett304]

Hardware, software is good.... either or...Although I'd rather hardware...One of these years I'd like to have multiple modules for layering awesome patches together...Till then, I just want something decent...One problem I'm having is that my SB live card hisses, so I can't use the sounds off of it without problems and my M-audio card doesn't have built in sounds... Sorry I've been ranting... Back to the basics... I don't think I need a new computer yet...Runs pretty smooth with everything I've been using... Thinking of moving up to 512 MB Ram, but thats the least of my wants for now... I want sounds....I read another post that suggusted the triangle free synth..so I'm gonna try it...I'm desperate...Thanks

[Mo-Kay]

don't mean to mess your topic up..but how is that 61es...hows the feel?

[Atterion]

Originally Posted by ssscientist

Hardware? Software? New computer? Maybe buy FL Producer Edition for about $150...

Another vote for either FL Studio, Sonar or at least a full version sequencer of some sorts. There are tons of free software synths at http://www.kvraudio.com/
So get your core package setup first, then add on to that.

[brett304]

Thanks for the reply's fella's... I was starting to think I wouldn't get any advice...

The ES feels better than the E sereies, but so far with my programs I haven't got many levels of velocity...This may lie in the plugin's I'm using or something else along the way, so I couldn't actually tell ya much more... Definitely worth the extra 80 bucks (over the 49 E)... Doesn't feel as much like a toy... I'm hoping to tell you more when I get to test a module with it! If 400 dollars is in your price range, I'd probably urge you to go farther though...

Back to the thread at hand, I could definitely see the benefit of going ahead with getting a software sequencer and adding some plugins... This would probably also have to include an upgrade to my Ram though as most plugins I've used can't run more than 2 or 3 tracks at the same time before running into problems... Also the problem with my SB soundcard comes into play here...My M-Audio card doesn't have sounds on it... And The only way it seems I can access my SB sounds is to use the output of my SB card, which introduces monstrous noise... There may be a way around this and I would be more than happy to hear about it...

I've not got my mind made up or anything so feel free to post as I won't just reject your hard work... It does though seem to me that the cost of a seq. program, Ram upgrade, and plugin would put me to nearly the same cost as if I were to buy a decent module...

It seems to me that I'd rather buy a module at this point as (I'm not opposed to computers obviously) I would like to be able to take my stuff with me and use it to play with a band, etc. This would also allow for audio recording (which I do have already) with my module untill I can save the money to "go midi" with it... Seems then like my sequencer would probably be a good second step instead of first giving me more flexibility from the getgo..

Any more advice to this thread would be greatly appreciated as it seems i get my more ideas when replying to your posts than I do by myself... thanks alot for the replys and the service you all put in to this board...

[johnnymegabyte]

I have an older SB (PCI-128) and experienced extra noise, sounded like a grounding problem

A friend recommended a Ground Loop Isolator.

You can get one at Radio Shack ( sorry for endorsing RS ) but you may find one at a better source.
At least the link has a picture of one.
http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...5Fid=270%2D054