Best IO device for a PowerBook??

[chooch]

Hi,

I just bought a powerbook to do some home recording, and I have no idea what kind of breakout box and software to get. I plan on doing 50% loop based editing and 50% live instrument editing. I'd like to be able to create a sample, tweak it, and then loop it (and possibly change the pitch and sounds later). Then on top of that, I'd like to record live instruments, most likely one at a time.

A friend has Dig Performer and a MOTU breakout box and likes it (although not heavy on the loop based recording). Another friend just got the ableton live software and likes that. What should I get? Any suggestions?

And do I need to match up the break out box with the software? I'd like something with multi in/out just in case I want to do live band recording. No latency would be good too.

Basically I have no idea and need some starting points. Any suggestions?

Thanks.

Adam

 

[chooch]

...and I'd like to have some decent preamps as well.

 

[dgatwood]

Hi,

I just bought a powerbook to do some home recording, and I have no idea what kind of breakout box and software to get. I plan on doing 50% loop based editing and 50% live instrument editing. I'd like to be able to create a sample, tweak it, and then loop it (and possibly change the pitch and sounds later). Then on top of that, I'd like to record live instruments, most likely one at a time.

A friend has Dig Performer and a MOTU breakout box and likes it (although not heavy on the loop based recording). Another friend just got the ableton live software and likes that. What should I get? Any suggestions?

And do I need to match up the break out box with the software? I'd like something with multi in/out just in case I want to do live band recording. No latency would be good too.

Pick anything FireWire and you're set. You should be able to get such low latency that no human can detect it....

The only reason you would need to match the audio interface (it's not a breakout box; a breakout box is, by definition, an external box that just provides connectors for an internal audio card...) to the software would be if you wanted to use Pro Tools. Otherwise, buy whatever....

I don't have any suggestions on the loop question, as I only do live audio. I used to do MIDI, but not since the Mac OS 9 days....