A computer, an interface, and some recording software walk into a bar together....

B

Bob F.

New member
(....hopefully someday I'll have a punchline to that joke, and not actually BE the punchline myself....hopefully....)

Hello, my name is Bob, and this is my story....

I've been recording with a Roland VS-1880 for about 10 years, and I'd like to modernize my set-up a little bit by making the move to PC-or Mac-based recording. I have a budget that can go as high as $4k, but I'd like to stay under $3.5K.

It's basically from the ground up; I'd like to get a dedicated PC or Mac, an interface/control surface, and then....

What?

For all practical purposes, I have no experience with recording software or digital interfaces, or even a Mac, for that matter. I've never mixed with a mouse/keyboard, so I think I'd prefer faders (right?). I'm pretty sure I can make the connections necessary to get sound recorded, but, if possible, I'd like to get some opinions here as to what you might do with that kind of budget. What would you buy based on your personal experience, and why?

  1. Mac or PC (though I'll probably get a laptop, portability is not necessarily an issue)
  2. Interface/Controller (min of 4 xlr ins, prefer 8)
  3. Recording Software (Pro Tools? Okay....why Pro Tools?)
  4. A drum program that sounds closer to real drums than a Yamaha Motif (which is what I use now)
.

What is the best allocation of my budget regarding hardware and software? I imagine hardware is key, but at some point, I'd like balance, and I'd I'd like compatibility; make sure the hardware works optimally well with the software, and that plug-ins work well with the software.

So, there ya go. Are these dumb questions? Sorry am I!

<lenny> tell me 'bout the sample rates, George, tell me 'bout the sample rates again!</lenny>

I don't get all the scientific stuff so quick....just so you know.

Thank you in advance!

(and I hope I'm asking in the right place :o )
 
MacBook Pro 15" i7 with 4gb of ram.
Apogee Ensemble

Logic Studio (Available cheap from amazon and has decent drums built in)
And Native Instruments Abbey Road set for drums or EZ Drummer.
 
As far as recording software, definately check out REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits before buying anything else. It is a very subjective topic here, most people are going to recommend the brands and flavors they use and are familiar with....do some googling, looking around is gonna give you a pretty good idea of what fits you, your style, and your budget. Here's some starting points.(Dont overlook buying used, you can save a lot of dough that way).

Audio Interfaces | Sweetwater.com

Steven Slate Drums

Drumagog 5 : Drumagog Home

Good luck and have fun! I wish I had $3500 to go studio shopping with!

By the way Reaper is a noncrippling software, meaning you can use it for a long time before having to pay for it(there are exclusions and guidelines as to who and how much to pay for Reaper.....commercial license = $150. Discounted license = $40. There are a lot of people using Reaper on here, I am one.
 
Thanks for the quick replies!

I'm sure lots of people will say what they like to use, but I'm also interested in why--or maybe even why they might not want something. I've been looking around everywhere for as much information as I can absorb regarding this topic; I don't want to make a too-quick decision before I run out and get something I'll not be able to use, or spend too much on one part of the chain, and not enough on another, making the whole chain weak, or perhaps even useless

I'm leaning towards a Macbook Pro, for example, but in all honesty, I'm really not sure why. It seems to be what people like to use, but why is that?

Pro Tools seems to get the rave reviews, and is (please correct me if I'm wrong) the "industry standard." Is that true? But with my lack of experience, is it going to be something I'm going to be able to use well? Is it difficult to learn?

I do appreciate the input here very much, so thanks again!

(Also, just to give you an idea of what I already have, I do have some pretty good front end stuff, too. Some decent mics, (SM57 and SM58, AT-4033, a pair of NT-5s), Summit 2ba-221 mic pres, and I have some "RNC" compressors as well....and lots of noise makers! Guitars, basses, drums, keyboards, etc....)
 
Aye, PT is the industry standard, but so is Mercedes.....does that mean you need one to drive back and forth to work. Extreme example? Maybe. The point is you can use Reaper and get amazing results.....in fact I GUARANTEE, you will never reach the limitations of Reaper, if there are any, and you will have not spent more than $40 on your recording software learning curve.

You seem to have a decent set of mics and ext hardware, more than enough to get started.

My personal recommendation is find a used interface, the Focusrite Saffire Pro 10 for example. used to be had for under $300 on Ebay, a copy of Reaper, and then spend the next 6 months finding where you weakness and strengths are. You have less than $400 spent on software and interface. When you have the "hang" of DAW recording, then you will have a better idea of what is gonna be the best set up for you.

And as a last note, if you cant get great results with the equipment I recommended, then PT or any other interface will not make the difference. You should be able to get "pro" results using Reaper and a Focusrite interface, that stuff is less important as skill, technique, and experience. Not trying to imply that I get "pro" results, but I am fairly happy with the results I am getting and NONE of my equipment is holding me back....just learning how to use everything professionally, and effectively. Here's a link to a song I recorded with a Saffire interface, Rode mics, ART preamp, and Reaper.

http://www.soundclick.com/player/single_player.cfm?songid=10026715&q=hi
 
Just wanted to say again, I am not saying that my link is the pinnacle of what you should want to attain, I am just saying that good results can be had by buying things that aren't industry standards.
 
Im not sure I would buy a Mac if I had never used one... they are overpriced and not any better a tool than a pc / windows based laptop. The power is in the interface, I love Protools but as the previous poster states there are cheaper versions out there, I got PT with an interface from Ebay so thats why I chose it. I got Strike (drum program) as an add-on for PT - it sounds fantastic but is definately not intuative to use...
What about monitors?
I'm sure the guys will mention room treatment too :p
 
Bob F. said:
...my name is Bob

...I'd like to modernize my set-up... I have a budget that can go as high as $4k, but I'd like to stay under $3.5K.

It's basically from the ground up...

What?
  1. Mac or PC (though I'll probably get a laptop, portability is not necessarily an issue)
  2. Interface/Controller (min of 4 xlr ins, prefer 8)
  3. Recording Software (Pro Tools? Okay....why Pro Tools?)
  4. A drum program that sounds closer to real drums than a Yamaha Motif (which is what I use now)
.

What is the best allocation of my budget regarding hardware and software? I imagine hardware is key, but at some point, I'd like balance, and I'd like compatibility; make sure the hardware works optimally well with the software, and that plug-ins work well with the software.

So, there ya go. Are these dumb questions?
Click to expand...

Though most everything that follows is based on hearsay, given your constraints (it's not my money!) this is what I would buy and why. $4000 sans tax and shipping.

Yamaha N12
Digital mixer w/eight XLR. Integrated with Cubase, comes with Cubase LE. Superb preamps, hands on control, tons of flexibility.

Mackie HR624mk2
140W nearfield monitors. Just because everyone seems to like Mackie and Adam was too expensive.

MoreMe Deluxe headphones
Headphones. Good enough, very robust, inexpensive.

Native Instruments MASCHINE
Control surface w/6GB of samples. Because you couldn't afford an Akai MPC1000.

IBM PC compatible
This is where I have actual hands-on expertise.

I like laptops just fine, but they're expensive for what you get, not expandable, fragile, and too often grow legs and walk.

What follows is a custom 4GB/2.93GHz Intel I7 box w/550W power supply, DVD R/W, 1TB (x2 500GB) HDD, with keyboard, mouse, nVidia graphics, and 19" monitor assembled and out the door with Win 7 Professional.

Assembly & Testing - add to cart w/selected components Please allow 5-7 working days for assembly. No refunds on assembly/testing.
Microsoft FQC-00765 Windows 7 Professional 64BIT English DSP OEM 1-Pack
Intel BX80605I7870 Core i7 i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz CPU/Processor, Quad-Core, 45 nm, 1 MB L2 Cache, 8 MB L3 Cache, LGA 1156, 95W, Retail, Boxed w/Cooling Fan
INTEL BOXDP55KG
AVEXIR 4GB DDR3 1333-(2GB x 2)
LIAN LI PC-7FWB (black) mid tower no power supply 5x5.25" 1x3.5" 4x3.5"(hidden) w/see through side window, front i/o connector, 140mm fan x 1 & 120mm fan x 1
THERMALTAKE W0134RU TR2 RX 550w modularized ATX 12v v2.2 passive pfc power supply
LITE ON IHAS124-04 Black SATA 24x dvd drives internal DVD+/-RW dual layer drive
HITACHI HDS721050CLA362 / 0F10381 Deskstar 7K1000 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (Bare Drive) (x2)
Logitech MK120 Keyboard & Mouse - USB Cable Keyboard - USB Cable Mouse - Optical
ASUS 19" VW193TR 1440 x 900 50000:1 5ms widescreen TFT LCD monitor w/ speakers - Black
MSI N430GT-MD1GD3-OC/TF Geforce N430GT PCIe 1GB DDR3, VGA/DVI, 785Mhz, HDMI, Twinfrozr Fan

Luck.
 
I do have some room treatment, and I have Event S8 monitors. Of course, everything can always be "better". My goal is to get as close to what I need to make higher quality recordings (if not in fact high quality recordings) within my budget, and taking into consideration my skill sets as a musician/engineer, and what the end result will be. I'm taking baby steps here to avoid making an out-and-out mistake. I can record a little bit, and I pretty know where my strengths and weaknesses are as far as that goes.

I've looked into Reaper software, and other interfaces as well. I think no matter what I do, I'm going to have to upgrade the PC/Mac (still undecided as to which), so that's the best first step for me (I think), and I'm sure it will eat up a significant part of my budget.


If I had known the Roland DAW had a proprietary file format and couldn't be hooked up to a PC....I might not have gone that route. Outside of that, I was actually very happy with it. It's been a very good, reliable machine for me.

I really appreciate all of the replies and I'm taking in all advice! Thanks very much!
 
The punch line should read ..... And one of them turns and says *what's that thing called before the output power amp?* :rolleyes:
 
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