TelePaul
J to the R O C
Hey guys,
Getting back to computer-based recording after a pretty long hiatus! Downsized quite a bit but would like to pick up a few basic bits and pieces for a home setup/project studio/whatever. Was hoping for recommendations/thoughts in the are of both a Soundcard and a DAW:
Soundcard
I was using an old Alesis io 26 - I bought it because it had 8 pres and I was recording drums at the time, but it has crapped out a couple of times. My needs now are an interface with min. 2 analogue ins, but ideally 4 (want the option of X/Y micing a source and recording a couple of guitars 'live' together. To be honest, I'm not sure what the major differentiators are in this space right now; it seems like everyone is offering comparable quality ADA converters and that USB is holding its own vs. firewire as far as recording multiple channels goes. Any standout brands making better Pres, or any additional features I should think about here besides the obvious stuff? Is the Apogee justa fancy paperweight or are their pre-amps really that much better? Budget here is about $400 - $500.
DAW
Okay, this is where things get really confusing - it seems that everyone is offering incredibly well-specc'd software for significantly less money. I cut my teeth on Cubase SE and am nearly inclined to stay with that suite for the sake of convenience. However, what Logic X delivers for $200 seems incredibly cool, and while I'm mostly going to be recording folk and blues on Audio tracks, the VST and plug-ins that come standard with Cubase Artist seem a bit 'meh' when compared with some of the other more Digital Music oriented offerings. Pretty confused here and wondering if I should just bite the bullet and look at a Pro Tools rig with an MBox. Budget here is, again, $300 - $400 bucks.
Just curious to gather people's thoughts - its been ages since I looked at anything remotely related to music production. Once I can make a call on this stuff, I'll see if I need to shore up my collection of mics and other hardware. Would massively appreciate any help here!
Getting back to computer-based recording after a pretty long hiatus! Downsized quite a bit but would like to pick up a few basic bits and pieces for a home setup/project studio/whatever. Was hoping for recommendations/thoughts in the are of both a Soundcard and a DAW:
Soundcard
I was using an old Alesis io 26 - I bought it because it had 8 pres and I was recording drums at the time, but it has crapped out a couple of times. My needs now are an interface with min. 2 analogue ins, but ideally 4 (want the option of X/Y micing a source and recording a couple of guitars 'live' together. To be honest, I'm not sure what the major differentiators are in this space right now; it seems like everyone is offering comparable quality ADA converters and that USB is holding its own vs. firewire as far as recording multiple channels goes. Any standout brands making better Pres, or any additional features I should think about here besides the obvious stuff? Is the Apogee justa fancy paperweight or are their pre-amps really that much better? Budget here is about $400 - $500.
DAW
Okay, this is where things get really confusing - it seems that everyone is offering incredibly well-specc'd software for significantly less money. I cut my teeth on Cubase SE and am nearly inclined to stay with that suite for the sake of convenience. However, what Logic X delivers for $200 seems incredibly cool, and while I'm mostly going to be recording folk and blues on Audio tracks, the VST and plug-ins that come standard with Cubase Artist seem a bit 'meh' when compared with some of the other more Digital Music oriented offerings. Pretty confused here and wondering if I should just bite the bullet and look at a Pro Tools rig with an MBox. Budget here is, again, $300 - $400 bucks.
Just curious to gather people's thoughts - its been ages since I looked at anything remotely related to music production. Once I can make a call on this stuff, I'll see if I need to shore up my collection of mics and other hardware. Would massively appreciate any help here!