Basic pc setup - Help please!

[HeyHeyMyMy]

Hey everyone, I realize that this question may be a little long, and I appologize ahead of time for that.

I've been recording on my Tascam Portastudio 424mkIII for a few years now and want to make the move to a PC (as inexpensively as possible, naturally). I am curious what I will need to make this happen. Here's what I've got right now:

1. desktop pc w/ twin 500mhz celeron processors
- 256mb RAM
- 100GB of hard disk space
- Soundblaster Live card

2. laptop pc w/ 746mhz P3 processor
- 128mb RAM
- 12GB hard drive
- generic sound card

3. Tascam Portastudio 424mkIII
4. Alto BK2.0 Compressor/Limiter/Gate
5. An older Yamaha keyboard w/ MIDI in/out
6. Sony MDR-V500 phones
7. 1 Shure SM57 mic

Do you think I can somehow meld all of this together into an ugly (yet, functional) Frankenstein of a setup w/ a few additions? Or is the obvious answer to my question: "Get a new pc w/ at least a 2GB processor, 512MB RAM and a top of the line sound card"

Thanks for your time!

 

[wheelema]

Your processors are a little anemic, which tells me that your front side bus (FSB) is going to be slow. Still, good enough to start. See if it is possible to kick up the RAM to 512K. Flush the SoundBlaster and score an Audiophile 2496. I have not used the 2496, I opted for the 1010LT (which I love), but I have heard that it is a great starter card.

Nothing wrong with the rest of your gear either. See if you can swing a pair of monitors (Wharfdale are a current favorite on the board).

Luck.

 

[hottsauce_21]

not much help but seems no one was helpin

I gotta Voicemaster Pro Preamp and Rode Ntk1a mic. I have the mic hooked up to the pre and from the preamp Lineout i ran a wire from it to my soundblaster Audigy 2 platinum soundcard mic in. They say i need a better sound card but i get pretty good clean quality but since they've been doin this a longtime i probably will get one, But i use Cool Edit to record with, if u don't know how to use any of these studio programs, then just go to the topic board of which one u want on this site. They say cool edit isn't a good choice, but i've been messin wit it for 2 years, so kind of hard 4 me to swich, I heard Cubase is good. So u can try what i did, have the mic hooked to your compressor and run it to your card, IT should come out good, I don''t know about your keyboard and tascam though, sorry. Just tryin to help alittle.

Check my new song YOU KNOW HOE. http://www.soundclick.com/bands/4/siccrydasmusic.htm

 

[manning1]

i'm a puter engr. i would say pretty difficult.
on multitrack software it requires processor power/memory.
however i did manage to get magix music studio running on an oldie.
maybe try the demo from magix. if that laptop had more memory you might be able to do something. many software demos are at hitsquad.com.
if were me i would look at a new amd athlon system.
but as an idea - you might be able to use one of the maxchines as a midi sequencer. probably do lots of midi tracks with it. then go out the sound card line out into the sound card line in of second computer with multitrack audio software on and add vocals and a few other tracks of instruments.
just an idea. might work.

 

[HeyHeyMyMy]

thanks for all the help everyone. I will have to try and digest my options here.