comparison between pc and digital porta studio recording

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tahmus

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I have a tascam 788 portastudio which I am having a hard time getting familiar with. I am however fairly competant with pc programs. To avoid spending a great deal of time overcoming the portastudio learning curve I am considering switching to a pc based recording operation (pro tools, cakewalk, etc.). Because I record live sets however I would need to record several tracks simultaneously. Therefore I believe that I would need to aquire some sort of multi-input hardware device in addition to the computer software if I were to make the switch.
Q>Does anyone out there know how/where I can begin to learn about what's out there (pc recording systems?)
Q>have there been any threads about this already?
Q>Has anyone had BOTH digital portastudio and a pc based recording system? Can you compare your experiences with them for me?
Q>Is the learning curve on the pc systems just as steep?
Q>Is there big price difference?

Thanks in advance.
I appreciate this newbie forum :)
 
Hey--
1) Im sure if you put a general post in the Computer Forum, you could get some decent starter info
2)Once again, check the computer forum
3)I've used both, but i can definitely say, digital (although much more expensive and harder to learn @ first) is much better. Portastudio is very easy to use, although its capabilities are incredibly limited compared to that of any digital program or product.
4) PC based products are easily just as hard, if not more difficult to learn than portastudios. However, just as with everything else, it will get much easier with time.
5) HUMONGOUS PRICE DIFFERENCE!!! A program such as ProTools cost a $1000 while Sonar costs $300. And that doesn't even include the actual hardware. An 8 in, 8 out soundcard easily costs over $1000
Make sure to post in the comp forum if you have more detailed questions
 
I've used Portastudios and computers for recording, and they both have a learning curve. I don't think the learning curve required to do basic multi-track recording is very high in either case, though.

And once you've got the basics down, you have more expandability with a computer based system than a Portastudio.
They are both good, but I think that these days, unless you really need portability, a computer is the way to go.

As far as interfaces and software - check out products from

www.motu.com --> Mark of the Unicorn
www.echoaudio.com --> Echo, makers of the Layla 8x10 audio interface (which I've used and liked)

for software on the cheap-cheap:

www.audiomelody.com ---> freeware audio software
www.databaseaudio.co.uk ---> more freeware
www.sonicspot.com ---> freeware, shareware & demos
www.cakewalk.com ---> Sonar software demos

also look for M-Audio hardware, and Cubase, Logic and Pro Tools software (try Google.com for searching).

hope this helps.

- housepig
 
oh, and as for the cost of audio gear - I picked up an Echo Layla from eBay.com for $325, so it's not quite as bad as Allout was saying.

Most 8 in / 8 out hardware runs between $699 and $899 street price, new. (I'm thinking of the Digi 001, the MOTU 2408, and the Echo Layla in particular).

good luck.

- housepig
 
Mastahnke -

"2408 is 24 in and 24 out - big difference."

Not necessarily - it's got 8 in and 8 out analog, and 24 TDIF or 24 ADAT lightpipe i/o. You're right, I glossed over that point.

But if you don't have ADATs, and you don't have DA-88s, and you don't have some digital board that's going to have lightpipe or TDIF outs, those features are as useful as tits on a nun.

Go back and check the original post - this user is trying to upgrade or change out from a 788 Portastudio. I somehow doubt that the digital features of the 2408 are going to help him out in the short run.

That's something he'll have to think about if he wants to integrate digital multitracks and his computer somewhere down the road.

(and although I went with the Echo Layla for myself, I have worked with the MOTU and liked it quite a bit - but somehow every piece of MOTU gear I've put my hands on in the last 3 years doesn't like my computers, so I've given up on them for the time being.)

- housepig
 
thank you all for your feedback.
that's a good amount of info to process

Here's what I get from this (I have two options it seems):

A)I can keep my tascam 788 multitrack unit and use that for recording live stuff in remote locations

BUT
for editing, recording and archiving:
I can buy a good PC software program (i.e. 'sonic' or 'cakewalk' for a few hundred bucks) AND a DESKTOP tower which is compatible (pentium III or IV with sound card???) for a few hundred bucks


OR

B)I can sell the portastudio multitracker and build/buy a portable laptop PC based recording system which would take the place of the 788 entirely:

I would buy the software (sonic etc.... )

AND buy a compatible (firewire?? sound card???) laptop (so as to be portable for the live sets)

AND buy a multitrack interface (such as Delta 1010 )

&This would give me a portable multitrack PC-based recording system.


Q>is the DELTA 1010 8 I/O compatible with laptops?
 
I agree with the computer is better aspect. You have more options with a computer based system. (You can improve your cards, hardware, and software.) And it only gets better as time goes on.

Hee hee "as useful as tits on a nun" that's great.
 
as far as laptops go - you are trading portability for expandability - it's a lot harder to expand a laptop, or to fix something that breaks.

One of the other weak links for laptops is the speed of the harddrive, and the bus speeds - some laptops will choke on audio, either during recording or during the playback, because they can't get the bits from here to there fast enough.

For the price of an audio-capable laptop, think about this - you could set up either a small-footprint pc (small and light enough to carry around in a backpack) or get a rack-mount computer case and trick that out (put it in a 4-space rack and you're ready to go, or a 6 space with space for your Layla/2408/Digi 001) and join either of these formats with a flat-panel monitor.

You'd have a portable, expandable, easily upgradable / serviceable computer for probably not much more than you'd spend on the laptop, without a lot of the heartache that goes into laptop ownership.

check out www.pricewatch.com - good deals on computer gear.

Another question - what makes you think you have to spend "several hundred dollars" on software? There are plenty of people here who are into N-Track ($50), I've picked up copies of Magix Studio 6.0 (256 midi tracks, 24 audio tracks) for $10 at Office Depot of all places... there's Audacity, a free cross-platform multitrack audio software... there's lots of options besides Logic or Cubase.

hope this helps.

- housepig
 
I hear stuff from these guys with tascam portas and I cant find their limits though I know they exist, especially for me. I can't use a 4 track right. I also know some of them have a lot of equipment like B.Sab who also has Sonar and a good PC but uses the Tascam and then Sonar to master and polish as of late. I ended up getting the Q-10 (using a pc) thanks to B.Sab helping me out with the cash flow, though he suggested a stand alone. I am working through it ok though have a good pc background and that may lower the curve for some.
If portability is the goal maybe stand alone may work out better, I wouldn't go with a laptop for the same reasons as others have stated but desktops can be made portable with some creative thinking, ply wood, wood screws , some felt and good shocks on your car. I do take my gaming pc to a friends house at times to play some local pc gaming, but I always get scared it's not turning on when I get there.
Good Luck and Gods Speed May the Force be with you.
 
Hello again:
Thanx for the explanations and advice. As usual the new information leads me to further questions.
It has been suggested by several of you that I should get an interface unit (i.e. delta 1010, echo-layla etc.) so that I can have multiple inputs for live recording.
But why not a controller/interface devise such as the tascam US 428 (http://www.tascam.com/products/us428/us428_news.php) which has tactile controls bundled with the interface input outputs instead. It seems that they would cost about the same ($4-500).? or is this a stupid idea and would not work at all? Thanks again.

oh also what is this "lightpipe" word that keeps coming up?
 
The US428 isnt bad but you are limited to about 4 tracks of I/O because of the USB connection. As a control surface it will work well but you would probaby get better sound quality out of the Delta cards. In your position I would use the 788 for doing the main live recordings and studio drum and rythm tracks then use the computer for overdubbing single tracks, editing and mixing.

Don't expect the computer to be any easier to use than the 788. While they do have better interfaces you have to learn a lot about PC tweaking to get the most of the system. So you not only have to learn recording but computer building and maintenance. At least the 788 should record every time you hit the red button.

I wouldn't depend on a computer for live recording. There is just too much that can happen to ruin the recording. If you accidentaly hit the stop button (or some drunk does) then you have to wait a few minutes for the tracks to process before you can even hit record again. With a dedicated recorder that isn't as much of a problem. For mission critical recordings you want something that won't fail and if it is likely you want a backup unit recording at the same time.
 
ok great. that makes A TON of sense.
record on 788 -> send tracks to PC as wave files. ->edit using some software (ie Sonar, cakewalk, cubasis, cool edit, pro-tools, etc) and then burn to CD-R.

Q>would I still need a Delta 1010 or similar interface devise?
or would a capable pc and software suffice?

thanx for sharing.
 
Usually you have 3 ways to transfer audio.

Analog- Requires that your recorder and soundcard have individual outs for each channel or the ability to sync them and transfer in groups. May be some loss in quality.

Digital- Same as above but if you use LightPipe or TDIF you can transfer 8 tracks with one cable. Theoretically no loss in quality.

Data- Some recorders allow you to burn your individual wav files to a data CD or transfer them over a network. You can then open those files on another system. Requires no special sound card and there is no loss in quality.

What is best for you depends on the capabilities of the 788 which I am not familliar with.
 
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