recording quality vs. synth quality

I

ifpo238

New member
One of the things I liked about the Aardvark Direct Pro was that it looked like I was going to be able to get by without a mixer. (I think it even does phantom power for mics!) I generally record one track at a time - sometimes 2 - and mix with Cakewalk.

Is there not a good synth sound card out there? If there's not a huge price difference, I'd rather not buy external synth equipment. I'm a computer nerd, and much more comfortable with computer-based stuff. DIs, mixers, rackware, and (gasp!) tape all give me a rash. ;-)

-j
 
I'm new at this stuff. I've used Cakewalk to create a CD. Used an $11 Wal-Mart computer mic for vocals and electric guitar and used the cheap sound card that came with my machine. Used the cheap sound card's built in synth for drums, bass, and keyboard parts. Needless to say, my recording quality is less than stellar.

I realize now that I need good microphones and a good sound card. I've researched the sound cards out there, and the ones that seem geared towards recording don't mention much in their marketing materials about the onboard synthesizer (if there is one).

Questions:

Is the the AARK Direct Pro shipping?
Does it has a synth?
If I want to use a soundcard for drum, bass, keyboard, and other parts, do I want a sound card with a wavetable synthesizer?
Should I care about Roland compatibility?
Can I get good mic recording and good synthesis in the same card, or do I need 2 cards?

I appreciate any and all advice. I've decided to drop the bones to do this right; I just need to figure out what doing this right means. Thanks!

-j
 
I don't know how many bones you want to let go, so I'll just list a couple of recomendations for you... you can shop around and find the exact gear that will fit your budget.

Most good recording sound cards do not have midi on them at all. They are designed for quality audio only. Try to get one that has at least RCA or 1/4" connections, not the mini stereo plug. You can look around this BBS to get more ideas. For your synth stuff I would get a MIDI PC cable ($30) for your exsisting sound card and some external MIDI synth gear (keyboard or rack gear). You can use the MIDI port on your old sound card to control the synth module. I would then get some sort of mixer to mix your synth module and analog sound card together. I would also use the mic pre-amps on the mixer to get your microphone levels for recording.

Please explore this BBS to get more information before you start buying thing. Read about the good and the bad things that people have posted about the various products on the market; it will save you time, money and many headaches.
 
Hi
As anyone who has listened to any of my gripes knows, the Direct Pro hasn't been released yet, they're saying 'reeeal soon now' in response to my nearly-daily emails. It has one midi input and output, but no, it doesn't have a midi synthesizer built in. For sound quality of the synth, I'd just go for a good keyboard, you can generally control all the facets through the computer if that's your thing.
 
Bummer about the Aardvark. One of the things I dug about it was that it appeared to take over some mixer functions. Of course, I generally do one track at a time and mix in software anyway, but I probably will wanna do acoustic guitar and vocals together at some point.

Sounds like I need an external synth; no one has jumped on and raved about a sound card synth. I'm not a keyboard player, and probably will control the synth via a sound card MIDI controller. Is the one in my existing cheapo sound card good enough, or are there better sound card controllers I should consider? Also, what is the difference in price between a keyboard synth and a rack synth for the same functionality? Do I save by going with a rack unit? If not, I might just buy a keyboard so I can use it on stage...

Again, thank all of you for your help!

-j
 
Check out the synth modules from Roland, Yamaha and Casio. I've seen usable stuff for under 4 bills. If you find something cheaper let me know. Haven't seen anything close to
these units on a card, except the Roland cards. I think they were called the RAP-10.
 
OK here's the thing.... I was in a similar situation. I use that damn synth and I needed a decent one and on a budget. Luckely, Guilmont came out with the ISIS sound card which works great! It has 8 inputs, 4 outputs, and 2 midi ports. And YES, it has a very good GM/GS synth!!! It also came with what seems to be a pretty good software bundle but I haven't gotten into that yet. I'm currently using cakewalk and just haven't had the time to learn something new. Oh yea, by the way it retails for only $399 and I got mine for $350. It really fit my needs very well.



[This message has been edited by G_Minor (edited 03-29-2000).]
 
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