Computer specs- Will this suffice?

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If it says it has phantom power, then no other phantom power supply is needed.
Phantom power is not a pre-amp. Phantom power is needed for condensor mics and some other mics. It draws more power (usually around 48volts) to the mic. Not necessary for dynamic mics. You will need it for the MXL.
Yes, it's called the Firewire410 only because it connects to the computer via firewire.
By the way, make sure whatever laptop you get has a firewire port. You can add it on later, but it's easier to just have it already in there. You will also need a 4->6pin firewire cable to go from the laptop to the interface (unless you get a powerbook which has the 6pin).
Hope that helps. It's 1:50am. Why am I awake?
 
sorry i got confused!

let me get this straight- a soundcard is like for instance one of those firewire modules on the m-audio site..a preamp on the other hand is something that can be found in a soundcard? and has to do with the microphone?? When i do searches for "preamp" i come up with the m-audio usb thing. when i do searches for "soundcard' i come up with the m-audio thing as well... (towards the end you will see why i am confused..)

I did some google research on firewire vs usb and it sounds like firewire is better..if you have the port. but its also more expensive so im not sure yet what i will be going with.


If my computer i get DOESNT have a port, I can get one of those IEEE whatever things that the firewire cable can hook into. so i got that down.

But pretty sure inspirons 6000 all have the firewire port.



anywayyy

I know what mic i am getting for certain (marshall v67). phantom power module thingy i know which im also getting if my soundcard does not come with phantom power.

now i am just needing to look for a soundcard that has midi, place for keyboard, and atleast 2 channels. search is on... i'll probably purchase from zzounds just because ive had good experiences with them thus far.

thanks A LOT for your help. i 'm finally understanding almost everything to atleast get me started.

BUT still a tad confused about this one thing:


i promise, this is the last round of question if someone answers it all. :o I feel relieved i got this far. i know its basic knowledge to you but i had no clue about all of this. it's finally clicking in my head.

last questions--


you said in an earlier post that "You should plug a cable from the output(assuming you meant the output of my keyboard?) to your soundcard/interface and record it as audio. You will plug into something line level I believe. No preamp needed." this was when i asked about recording my synth sounds directly.

let me see if i understand this.. I can use a program such as cakewalk, plug the keys into the soundcard, plug soundcard into computer..and record as audio MY synth sounds? not cakewalks sounds, but my synth's actual sounds?


you said "yes" to the fact i can record MY SYNTHS SOUNDS...but did i understand correctly on how to hook it up??

now, when you say "no preamp is needed" it makes me question my understood definition of a preamp. :eek: (This is where at the beginning i said read towards the end to see why i am confused) If my definition at the beginning of a preamp was right, then you mean i could record the sounds via a sound card which does not have a preamp...?? it's preferred to get a sound card with a preamp right? i could of sworn someone told me soundcard and preamp were the same thing...

anyway... once i have it recorded via audio... will it be recorded as edible layers???? because thats the only way i know how to edit things..like the way it is in FL studio..edible layers..

that's all im wondering!

hope i didnt confuse u..*sigh*

1:30 am..haha. im usually awake that time..cant get to bed until 3 am these days. :confused:



well id really appreciate it if you, or someone else, could answer up these last questions. REALLY REALLY appreciate it. this is the one part that is still blurry to me and i really do not want to make any purchases until i UNDERSTAND exactly what i will be doing.

i tried reading some online articles but they dont get too indepth so im still left with questions- for you guys to answer :D
 
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Ok, if I remember right the inspiron had a FireWire port. I'd need a direct link to make sure though.

Basically all most of these boxes do is transform one signal into a different type of signal. So, the mic preamp turns the mic type of signal into a line type of signal. The converters turn the line type of signal into a digital type of signal. Usually the sound cards accept either the line type or the digital type. FireWire is a common type of signal used to transfer the digital type of signal into the computer. USB is another.

I believe this is the pre you were looking at which uses USB, so you really don't need FireWire. But, most good converters use firewire so you may want to make sure you have that there is a port on the computer.

If you want midi, you may want to consider this.

Both of these devices have both mic pres and converters. Basically the mic type signal is turned into a line type signal and then connected to the converters which outputs to USB, all inside the box.

I hope that gives you a better understanding and clears up some of the confusion.
 
Thanks :D


I think im going to go with a firewire one.



I was looking at this but i think its mainly for guitars and i read it has no built in preamp- so skip.


all iwill be recording is my keyboard/synth sounds and vocals.

also already have some instrumentals made and will be adding vocals to that.



This also seems good, and maybe better.. has midi...but i dont think this one has phantom power?? so id have to buy that seperately

can this one record 2 channels at once? and can i hook my synth into this one? im still not sure how to read the specs so i dont know.. :o

do you know what cable i need to hook my keyboard into it to record my keyboards sounds directly?? Someone said that isn't midi...(but iwant midi just incase)

and all in all i have a question..with all of this stuff.. i am able to record one layer right..then play it back while recording another layer??? Juuust makin' sure



eta- Ugh just searched the forum and found this "There's also Dell support forums. I did a quick search for audiophile and there were several pages of posts regarding problems with Dells and the Audiophile card. If you haven't already, you might want to check that forum"

im on a dell..shucks. :mad:

http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfo...audio&message.id=30482&query.id=353874#M30482

maybe i shouldnt get a dell. :p
 
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I'll write more later. For now...
That first interface you posted has a pre-amp. The second one doesn't.
 
Are you serious? lol

Woops. cause i read a user review and s/he said:

"Apart from that it has guitar and mic inputs. That comes handy but it has no built in preamp, and that seems very strange to me. " (about the first one I posted)






okay i eagerly await your response. ;)


Need to get my stuff picked out..so far i have mic picked out now am having secondo thoughts about using a dell computer! (Seems that firewire was only a problem on dells runing pentium 4s, though..I'll be using a pentium M w/centrino) Been trying to do research on computers/soundcards this whole time. :eek:
 
MAudio Firewire Solo Audio Interface:

OK, look at the front left of this one. You see right above where it says "microphone", there is a connection with 3 holes in it. That is called XLR, and that is what a mic cable plugs into. It also shows a "+48V" led. That shows if phantom power is on (switchable to the right). There is also a "gain" knob. That controls how much the pre-amp amplifies the signal. So whoever told you it has no preamp is retarded. It looks like a nice unit, but it doesn't have MIDI capability.

MAudio Firewire Audiophile 2496 Audio Interface:

I hadn't seen this before. It looks like a firewire version of the classic audiophile PCI version (which is a great unit). It does not have a pre-amp (and thus no phantom power). So you cannot directly hook a mic up to this. You would need to buy a separate preamp. But it does have MIDI.

Is your budget for the interface <$200?
 
Hey about your computer..

i was just doing some research and it seems you were right..pentium M and centrino are basically the same thing.

Wow so if i get the pentium M 1.73GHz laptop that'd be fast.

anyway..lol

I read a few sites saying that this audiophile thing does not work well at all with dell computers- most users who said these seemed to be on a pentium 4 processor.. im wondering if i should chance it- yikes. they sell those here locally but probably a bit more expensive..maybe i could test it out then return easily if it doesn't work. but then again you say there is no preamp. I think i want one with a preamp built in.



Yes i would say my budget for this soundcard should be around $200.

i'll check out the 2 you posted.

again, im only using this for vocal recording with that marshall v67, and recording MY synth sounds. In the future i may be recording guitar because i want real guitar sounds. but im assuming i would record that the same way i would my synth sounds.



Now here is a question-

#1 the solo.. from looking at it did you gather it is geared for guitars?? im wondering if my synth can plug into that so i can record my own synth's sounds.

I got confused cause it said this "In addition to the 1/4 in. guitar input right on the front panel,(so is this input ONLY for guitars?) a professional XLR microphone input also lets you record vocals and acoustic instruments.(does this mean record acoustic instruments FROM the mic, or you can actually plug the instrument INTO the soundcard?) There are also dual line inputs for effects, drum machines and other outboard gear. (does this part mean i can plug my synth into it?)

as far as midi goes---the solo doesnt have one right. in that case.. would i beable to somehow plug my synth into the computer itself(if my computer has midi) and do it that way yah? and if my computer doesnt have midi im sure there is like some external cheap midi thing out there somewhere.



#2- i think i might have to pass on audiophile, heard too many bad things about that with dells. however, i might not be getting a dell.




"That controls how much the pre-amp amplifies the signal. " so i have to control it..is it hard to do??



thhhhaaaaaanks again.
 
pdadda said:
If you can spend just a little more, check this out:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/UA25/

Someone said it is only USB1. Check and see if that's the case. If it is, FORGET IT!


Also check this out:
http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--BEHBCA2000
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ooh first one is roland. I <3 roland.

I'll do some google searches and see if it is only USB1. (That's the slow one, right?)


#2- heard baad things about that brand, and that looks complicated lol I'll do searches on those too, though.

those prices aren't bad if its worth it. I just won't want to spend i guess more than 250$ preferabbly.


Seems the use of USB on soundcards isn't rare.. I guess it isnt too bad.. i'll open up to that since for my next to nothing recordings it should be ok!





what about the firebox? there's one up for bid on ebay :cool:
 
If it's a 1/4 input, you can plug a keyboard in.

The firebox is great. It has a port that says MIDI/SPDIF on it, but it's not a standard MID port. I don't know what that's about.

Yes, USB1 blows horse schlong for audio.

You need to plug your keyboard into a MIDI port if you want to use it as a controller. I don't know of any laptops that have a MIDI port. If you don't understand MIDI, you should look for some tutorials. It is way too complicated for me to get into here, and I only understand the basics.
 
pdadda said:
If it's a 1/4 input, you can plug a keyboard in.

The firebox is great. It has a port that says MIDI/SPDIF on it, but it's not a standard MID port. I don't know what that's about.

Yes, USB1 blows horse schlong for audio.

You need to plug your keyboard into a MIDI port if you want to use it as a controller. I don't know of any laptops that have a MIDI port. If you don't understand MIDI, you should look for some tutorials. It is way too complicated for me to get into here, and I only understand the basics.
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my old laptop did and i would plug my keyboard into it and use the keyboard as a midi controller on FLstudio

so yeah i understand the basics of it as well..just wasn't sure if it would be any different if i had a soundcard plugged in and the midi directly plugged to my computer- sorry.

weird about the whole "non standard" midi thing. well im in no rush, i will keep looking

i really appreciate your help A LOT you dont know how much this has helped me. i actually know what im doing now lol still a lot to learn of course, but i know enough to get me kickin'


its just that oneeee question i dont understand yet.


here it is:

when i record MY synth sounds onto a track..you said i can edit it, right? my question is..is editing it going to be the same way you would edit a track that you recorded midi-style?

or is it a whole new deal since you would actually be recording the synth itself?


please answer that because depending on the answer is going to make me rethink a few things that would be important to have definitely decided on before purchasing!!

thanks again!!
 
lyricist said:
when i record MY synth sounds onto a track..you said i can edit it, right? my question is..is editing it going to be the same way you would edit a track that you recorded midi-style?
Click to expand...

The easy answer to that is no. Editing audio (the actual synth output) is a totaly different (and more difficult) animal than editing midi recorded from a controller. You won't be able to just slide a bad note down a half step, or remove a ghost note that your finger just lightly tapped on the keyboard like you can when using a piano roll or staff or event list or whatever. You really need a midi input to do that.

The more difficult answer to that is yes, but to a point. You need more specialized software and plugins and the tend to not sound as good as if you had played perfectly to begin with. Even then, I don't know of anything that can remove a bad note from a chord, or change pitch of something, or quantize anything, etc. nearly as easily as you can with midi. If you just want to move parts of songs around, that is pretty easy though.

For people used to editing midi with midi tools, I'd recommend getting a sound card with midi ports on it.
 
gawd..didnt think anyone would ever answer that question- THANKYOU!



Atleast it is possible to record my own synth sounds, though. Just can't mess up. :p



Hey listen- On my synth I can record songs with multiple tracks and save them on the synth, i can also edit them on the synth itself. This just came to my mind..Can i make the song on my synth, save it on my synth..then plug the synth into the sondcard via audio(so it is MY synth sounds, NOT midi sounds) and record the song i made on my synth into its own layer on whatever editing/recording software im using? (Even though I know, it wont be an EDITABLE layer. so basically i wont be playing live, but rather playing, and recording onto the computer, the synth song i previously recorded on the synth itself). Also, can I record vocals at the same time as i am recording the synth song, via audio, into it's own layer as well? and then even maybe add some midi on it's own layer later on?


Eg...there would be 5 layers perhaps

layer 1. uneditable synth song
layer 2. vocals
layer 3. uneditable synth sound
layer 4. editable midi sounds
layer 5. uneditable guitar sound

make sense?

(plssss say yes i can do that! that would be so good for me!) hope this is understandable! :)
 
lyricist said:
Eg...there would be 5 layers perhaps

layer 1. uneditable synth song
layer 2. vocals
layer 3. uneditable synth sound
layer 4. editable midi sounds
layer 5. uneditable guitar sound

make sense?

(plssss say yes i can do that! that would be so good for me!) hope this is understandable! :)
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Yes, you can do that if you replace the word layer with the word track :p .

About recording vocals while you're bouncing from the synth into the computer, that would depend on the sound card. I'd recommend overdubbing the vocals afterwards. As far as recording midi after all the audio is recorded, most software would allow you to do that.
 
Basically you'd do this---

Create the synth song on whatever it is you're using
Record (bounce) that to track 1.
after that- record the vocals to track 2
 
Kryptik said:
Basically you'd do this---

Create the synth song on whatever it is you're using
Record (bounce) that to track 1.
after that- record the vocals to track 2
Click to expand...


AND can i can record vocals while the track ( :p ) is playing back to me?(after ive "bounced" the synth song to track 1)

youre probably thinking "duh how else would you know when..." but im just asking to make completely sure.

yew sed-
" As far as recording midi after all the audio is recorded, most software would allow you to do that." well hopefully i get a software that does- theres no real way to know until you actually have it and use it?

well, would i be able to record one synth track as audio.. then record a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc synth track as audio while previous, recorded, tracks are playing back to me? would that also depend on software? or is that HOW you record things...? i dont see how it would be possible any other way.. you're timing would have to be incredible.

this is why these questions were so important to me because i figured it would have an effect on what i purchased. and i know for a fact im going to want to do what im asking..if it's possible! do you know any specific software which would allow me to create several layers of different things (midi, audio, and vocals)

well i really appreciate you two helping me. i'm glad i didnt give up with not coming here for lack of answers. ah, persistence has paid off.





ugh, sorry but im going to have to edit this to ask another question :o umm
what if i have music as an MP3 that i want to add vocals to? can i export that mp3 into the software and record the vocals onto that? is it possible the software i get may not allow me to do that?






pdadd(sp) that ua-25 soundcard IS infact a usb1. The firebox sounds good. i wont be buying these things for a few more months (Cos the new laptop is gonna empty me out :p ) so i'll be checkin ebay for the firebox
 
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lyricist said:
AND can i can record vocals while the track ( :p ) is playing back to me?(after ive "bounced" the synth song to track 1)

youre probably thinking "duh how else would you know when..." but im just asking to make completely sure.
Click to expand...
Yes I am thinking that :p and yes you can.


yew sed-
" As far as recording midi after all the audio is recorded, most software would allow you to do that." well hopefully i get a software that does- theres no real way to know until you actually have it and use it?
Click to expand...
Most if not all now adays will allow you to do this. I just remember the times where this was barely workable and really buggy with lots of crashes. I haven't really had a need to do this with what I have now so really can't tell you how certain software will perform.

well, would i be able to record one synth track as audio.. then record a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc synth track as audio while previous, recorded, tracks are playing back to me? would that also depend on software? or is that HOW you record things...? i dont see how it would be possible any other way.. you're timing would have to be incredible.
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Yes, you should be able to do this with any tracking software. Even if your timing isn't incredible, you can always do a retake, or just slide the clip so it is in time with the other track. Make sure you have a count off at the beginning of the song so you know when to start the song on the synth.

this is why these questions were so important to me because i figured it would have an effect on what i purchased. and i know for a fact im going to want to do what im asking..if it's possible! do you know any specific software which would allow me to create several layers of different things (midi, audio, and vocals)

well i really appreciate you two helping me. i'm glad i didnt give up with not coming here for lack of answers. ah, persistence has paid off.
Click to expand...
Hey, my DAW isn't working right now, so thank you for giving me something to do :).

ugh, sorry but im going to have to edit this to ask another question :o umm
what if i have music as an MP3 that i want to add vocals to? can i export that mp3 into the software and record the vocals onto that? is it possible the software i get may not allow me to do that?
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This definitely depends on software. Some will convert the mp3 to wav, some won't. I think WindowsXP might have a program to convert it, but I'm not sure. Anybody else know about that?

pdadd(sp) that ua-25 soundcard IS infact a usb1. The firebox sounds good. i wont be buying these things for a few more months (Cos the new laptop is gonna empty me out :p ) so i'll be checkin ebay for the firebox
Click to expand...
Definitely try and go for FireWire if you can, you'll be alot happier when your track counts/plugin counts start going up :).
 
thanks a lot sir. u answered everything clearly.






i actually have a converter that can switch mp3s to wav. but i didnt know u had to do that before you could do what i need to do.


i'll have to load that onto my new laptop so i can record over the song.


thanks again *thumbs up*
 
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