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ermghoti

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OK. I have read, here, and at Tweakheadz. I am not finding some answers to basic questions I have. I fear I may lack some basic understanding required to get the most out of such reading.

I would like to build a recording computer from scratch. My recording tends to be done on location, with full bands, usually all at once. I am looking to be recording 10-12 tracks at once, maybe as many as 20 on occasion. Basically, there seems to be a desire by locals to "find out what we sound like." So far, I have just done work for friends, but I might feel justified in charging strangers for similar work within the next year or so.

I don't see a regular need to build synth sequences, except I would like to run DFHS, so I can do some recording in my apartment, for my own amusement.

Would it be a problem to build a box connected to more than one interface?

What specs will I need to record 10-20 at once, and maybe play back another 5-10 (effects returns)? I would prefer to close mic as much as possible, because it is very difficult to commit to submixes while in the room with the performers.

Are there DAW's that particularly excel at multi-multi-track recording, and some to avoid?

I assume that the computer won't need much of a video card, but how much is enough?

Am I also correct in guessing it would be more cost effective to get a UAD1 and maybe some plugs, rather than stockpiling hardware compressors, limiters, gates, etc?
 
Thats a big question with no real answer, pretty much everyone will tell you what they like which may or may not be usefull to you. I would start with good computer and start demoing software, go with what you like. As far as 20 channel recording rigs unless you intend on recording orchestras 20 instruments at a time, start smaller. Try maybe 4 channels and see how it goes, it wont break the bank, but it will get you working.

Would it be a problem to build a box connected to more than one interface?
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Probably, unless it is designed for expansion (Digidesign for sure, look up the rest)

If you want to be mobile, I would probably go with a portable, rackmounted desktop, a laptop may work but generally desktops have more horse power and options and for big recording jobs, you will need it. You could also consider having a field recording rig like a portable Multitrack and just use that and dump it to the computer later.

A big, multi-bus mixer would probably do you some good too.
 
Check sweetwater...they just did a big study with mac notebooks and motu travelers.

80 inputs or so...should be enough to get you started.

6
 
If you are running a UAD-1 stick with Intel chipsets. AMDs seem to have more issues with the err=21, not all but you need to check over at the UAD forum to get an idea of what is stable.

With DFHS, 1GB minimum, 2 is better. 100MB Hard drives or more would be best. DFHS takes up about 50GB of drive space and you want room for tracking too.

Forget Windows XP Pro, Home edition is all you need if you don't plan to do networking. If you go MAC ignore this advice but you said build so I assume this is a PC.

Mobile recording says laptop to me with external converters running firewire. Unless you want to build something like a blade server and mount it in an industrial case. Motu is a good value choice for external conversion. Lynx is better.

Based on your criteria, that is all I can think of. If you go the PC/Case route for hauling to gigs, I might have some other recommendations.
 
Good stuff so far, thanks.

How about processor(s) speed? I was leaning towards a racked desktop, I figured it would be a superior expenditure/results deally.

Altitude: I am currently getting 8 at once via my (museum piece) standalone, so I am definately looking to go a few higher. I am willing to spend the loot to get a few more inputs, as I have been tinkering a couple years now. I'm not looking at huge orchestras/big bands, but 2xOH, snare, kick, 2xguitar, bass, 2-3 vox will eat up tracks in a hurry, even without individually miced toms/cymbols, or some yokel showing up with a stereo guitar rig. I like the stand-alone multitrack idea, but isn't there a ton of redundancy getting a DPS24 or vs2480, and then building a healthy computer with a DAW as well?
 
Ok, a racked PC would lead me toward one of the new Dual Core Processors or even a dual Xeon motherboard. The reason is that by this time next year 64 bit will be in vogue. I am adventurous however and this might have some stability issues and driver issues as we are early in the cycle on 64 bit. In my best Clint Eastwood voice, "Do you feel lucky?".

A more stable approach would be a P4 whatever speed you can afford. Asus Motherboards have been very stable in my setup.
 
Thanks again.

Bleeding edge upgrades make me itchy, I like stuff with about a year under its belt; cheaper, and the issues have been explored already. Heck, my standalone was cutting edge in 1996, so I'd have to scrimp pretty aggressively to not take a quantum leap here.

So maybe a tower and a firewire interface? P4 3.0+, 2G RAM, couple HD, say a 100 and a 200+, DVD/RW, silent PS, value graphics card, anything missing? $1-1.5G, excluding software?

Are there other boards or sites I should know about?
 
ermghoti said:
Are there other boards or sites I should know about?
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Here is a link to pretty much all knowledge known to man:

directory

ermghoti, what does your screenname mean? I think ghoti is a phonetic spelling of fish, correct?
 
Depends on your budget after you build the computer, but there are a ton of options that would give you the 16+ tracks that you might need. Budget minded would be something like the M-audio 1814 or the E-MU 1820m. Both only have 2 preamps, and a total of 8 analog ins, but they each have SPDIF (2 channels) and ADAT (8 channels). With the ADAT you could buy something like the M-Audio Octane, Presonus Digimax LT, or the Mackie Onyx 800R that all go ADAT out into an interface to give you 8 additional preamps. There are also other cheaper ADAT preamps, like the Behringer ADA-8000. I owned one for a while, and it's not great, but could do if you absolutely needed more preamps. Also, you might check into the MOTU 828mkII, Traveler, or the 896HD. If you're really not very budget minded, then you might spring for an RME Fireface. That would give you more channels than you could probably ever use in one interface (10 analog ins including 4 preamps, SPDIF, and 2!!! ADAT's). Anyways, look around online for some of those. The only way you're going to get to 16+ ins with a single interface is to also go through the ADAT ports on them. You could also consider chaining 2 interfaces together. I think that the Delta 1010 supports this and I know that the Presonus Firepod does as well. Those options would give you 16 analog ins (no preamps with the 2 Deltas, but cheaper, and you can use whatever pres you want) or (16 preamps with the 2 firepods, and you can for sure bypass on channels 1 and 2 of each firepod {though I've heard that you can bypass on 3-8 as well} and it also has SPDIF inputs that you could use pres with SPDIF outs as well, totalling 20 channels).

Anyways, I've rambled on enough. It ultimately depends on how much you want to spend on the entire deal. Every setup will net good results in capable hands, it's just a matter of what fits your needs the best.
 
Middleman said:
Ok, a racked PC would lead me toward one of the new Dual Core Processors or even a dual Xeon motherboard. The reason is that by this time next year 64 bit will be in vogue. I am adventurous however and this might have some stability issues and driver issues as we are early in the cycle on 64 bit. In my best Clint Eastwood voice, "Do you feel lucky?".

A more stable approach would be a P4 whatever speed you can afford. Asus Motherboards have been very stable in my setup.
Click to expand...

Many thousands (maybe even millions?) of people are already running AMD64 chips on 32 bit operating systems already (inluding me - I'm dual booting 64bit Gentoo GNU/Linux and 32 bit WinXP :) ) with no problems. Any problems that arise from 64bit stuff will be to do with WinXP64 (and drivers for it), which isn't really mature yet. There may also be some teething troubles with Vista when that arrives, but I wouldn't let that stop you buying AMD's 64 bit solutions as they fall back to 32 bit mode flawlessly.

I can heartily recommend the AMD X2 processors. You won't find better value dual core performance IMO.
 
A well built rackmount PC with more than 16 inputs will cost 3 times as much and weigh 2½ times more than a stand alone HD24 and probably be only half as reliable.

Portable and reliable, I'd go for something like the HD24 to take on location then bring it home and dump it to the PC via some sort of ADAT interface into cubase.
 
LemonTree said:
A well built rackmount PC with more than 16 inputs will cost 3 times as much and weigh 2½ times more than a stand alone HD24 and probably be only half as reliable.

Portable and reliable, I'd go for something like the HD24 to take on location then bring it home and dump it to the PC via some sort of ADAT interface into cubase.
Click to expand...

Valid. However, I would still need to build and software-up a computer for editing the tracks, so I'd have to buy a medium-strength PC and buy a HD recorder, no? None of the HD's seem to have overly well-regarded pre's so I'd be buying and toting racks of 'em around anyway?

The DPS24's seem to have sufficient tracks-at-once options, but they require an ADAT interface to go over 12 or something.

How much less computin' does it take to play back a bunch of tracks, than to record 'em? Figure after overdubs, bouncing in effects, I'd end up with 20-40 tracks (unless the software can ignore tracks I don't need to play), how much less computer would it take than to record 20 at once? If a somewhat pedestrian computer could do the job, this may well be a better answer for me.
 
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