Beginner, new synth, what's best way to record?

[magenticka]

Hi guys,

this website seems like it might be very helpful. I've played music for 15 years, but I've only recently gone into the world of home recording and synths.

So, I have bought a vintage synth, Roland Alpha Juno. I have a new i-mac.

How can I get the best recording set-up? What's the best way to connect the synth to the back of my i-mac to get optimal sound quality recordings?

Finally, I've heard cubase is the best program for putting together tracks?

Any help would be most appreciated!

Cheers,

Christian.

 

[taeyoung]

How can I get the best recording set-up? What's the best way to connect the synth to the back of my i-mac to get optimal sound quality recordings?

Finally, I've heard cubase is the best program for putting together tracks?

Do you mean the best way without buying some kind of computer recording hardware? If you are planning to buy an interface, what is your price range?

I use cubase, although I don't think it's particularly the best program one way or another...they are all pretty much the same...protools is best in some respects...

 

[c7sus]

In what respect is PT the best???



To record to your Mac you need a decent soundcard, and a MIDI interace if you want to use your computer as a sequencer.

Also, you'll need some kind of preamp to boost the signal from the Roland to the fat line-level signal that your soundcard wants to see.

If you wanna try the soundcard that came with the MAC, then you'll need an adapter cable with two- 1/4" Tip/Sleeve plugs going to an 1/8" stereo plug.


Good luck!

 

[danico4not]

if you're looking to do some computer recording, get yourself a soundcard. People say digidesign's M-box is a good way to start off, but any decent 24 bit/96 khz card will do. M-Audio makes good soundcards. You may want to consider a firewire connection or a pci card type of soundcard. Those will transfer audio better than most usb soundcards. Remember your signal is only as good as the weakest link in your chain....

 

[magenticka]

OK, that all sounds great, but what I mean to ask is where should the connections come from for recording? I mean, the layout of most hardware is a headphone out, left and right mono outs, and midi in and out. Is the best way to link a stereo cable from the headphone out directly into the soundcard? Or, is it possible to connect midi out into the soundcard and record that way, or is that not possible? This is not made clear? Supposing I have the greatest synth in the world and the greatest mac with a great internal sound card, how should i connect the two? What cables should i use? Hardware like synths come with large jack outputs, but soundcards have smaller jack inputs? Help!

 

[TripleJ]

OK, that all sounds great, but what I mean to ask is where should the connections come from for recording? I mean, the layout of most hardware is a headphone out, left and right mono outs, and midi in and out. Is the best way to link a stereo cable from the headphone out directly into the soundcard? Or, is it possible to connect midi out into the soundcard and record that way, or is that not possible? This is not made clear? Supposing I have the greatest synth in the world and the greatest mac with a great internal sound card, how should i connect the two? What cables should i use? Hardware like synths come with large jack outputs, but soundcards have smaller jack inputs? Help!

Like with most things it depends.

If you are using the inbuilt sounds of the synth then you'll connect the line out (may have a different name) on the back of the synth to the line in of your soundcard on the computer. Then you record it just like you'd record any other audio.

If you want to use your keyboard as a controller (to control softsynths/samplers on your pc) then you'll hook the midi out of your keyboard to the midi in of your pc. You then load your host program and select the keyboard as your midi source.