DAWs, I have questions!

[jordanb]

Hey guys,

I'm not too much of a newbie to the recording world; however, my latest desire puts me in a new area. I've recorded on computers and tape multitrackers for the better part of the last 7 years. Yet, in that time, I've been completely ignorant of Digital Audio Workstations. I've recently been fed up with the unreliability of computers and want to move away from them, but I don't want to give up digital recording.

So to get to my point, what's good these days in terms of stand-alone digital recorders? I don't want anything too pricey. I'm also willing to buy used gear. I just want to make sure that I don't buy a piece of gear that I will regret. Any suggestions?

 

[manning1]

jordan.
there are plusses and minuses whichever way you go pc or standalone.
i'm a computer engr....and i will say that there are many of us on this bbs , and many other forums who run pc's day in/out with no problems.
and never get a crash (myself included). what ive found is a lot of folks new to recording often get a hand me down computer from someone in the family and if its not set up correctly or very old they immediately think its no good.
it might be a simple remedy for your own system.
if you post some details on your system. i'll make suggestions that might not cost you anything. worst case if your pc is a lost cause then go and get a standalone. just be aware there are many different ones.
just to give you an idea to think about...a while back someone posted aghast at the price he would have to pay for a replacement knob on a standalone. also there is the issue of can you get it fixed ?
friends of mine have had some problems like this in the past.
particularly with used units.
anyway - up to you. if you want me to take a stab at what your problem might be. post your pc confign /sound card etc.
i'll make recommendations. and theres no skin off your nose if you then still want to look at standalones. fair ? peace.
ps...i have to collect my wife from work now so i cant hang around here.
i'll check back in a few hours.

 

[jordanb]

Here are the specs on my computer:

AMD Athlon 2700+ processor
1 GB PC3200 DDR RAM
120 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
Delta 44 soundcard w/the breakout box
Cubase SE
Windows XP Pro

I guess what really has me burned about this is that I actually built this computer specifically for recording. It'll crash every once in a while, but it's so random that I'm not even sure why it's crashing. In addition, the Delta 44 is giving me headaches. I keep having routing issues. One day I'll be able to record just fine, the next I won't. It's just very frustrating , but I sincerely appreciate the offer of help.

 

[manning1]

jordan.
comments.
1. excellent pc config..
2. but only one hd.
twos best otherwise you get windows contention with applications.
8mb cache for tracks.
3. ensure your dma is enabled on hard drive.
do you have dma enabled ?
before we go further whats in your pci slots ?
also - did you put in a cheap power supply when you built this pc ?
random crashes can be a number of issues. incorrect power might be one.
maybe a bad mainboard/memory. get back to me.
i would advise a tek check your build at the earliest.
also - what brand of mainboard ? chpset ? whose ?
ps....also tell me if you have any net high speed dsl stuff installed/network cards.

 

[fraserhutch]

I guess what really has me burned about this is that I actually built this computer specifically for recording. It'll crash every once in a while, but it's so random that I'm not even sure why it's crashing.

Check your system event logs for clues as to why your system is crashing.
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;308427&sd=tech

If you post some info from these logs we might be able to more easily help you out. Look for warnings and errors.

 

[tylerxxx]

i have a yamaha aw16g, i like it.

but lets just say that i'm currently saving up for computer gear.

 

[smithy]

Here are the specs on my computer:

AMD Athlon 2700+ processor
1 GB PC3200 DDR RAM
120 GB 7200 RPM Hard Drive
Delta 44 soundcard w/the breakout box
Cubase SE
Windows XP Pro

I guess what really has me burned about this is that I actually built this computer specifically for recording. It'll crash every once in a while, but it's so random that I'm not even sure why it's crashing. In addition, the Delta 44 is giving me headaches. I keep having routing issues. One day I'll be able to record just fine, the next I won't. It's just very frustrating , but I sincerely appreciate the offer of help.

You might consider having another harddrive dedicated for your audio files. Having it the same partition with you operating system will create havic with resource sharing. It is best to have on separate drive sfor your operating system and another drives for your files so their won't be any conflicts.

 

[A Reel Person]

I'm not a 'puter or DAW-standalone recordist, but...

I think the Tascam 2488 is currently the best DAW value in it's class. It sells new for about ~$1100. It records up to 8 tracks simultaneously, with 24-bit/44.1kHz data to a 40Gb hard disc. It has 4 inputs on XLR's w/phantom power & 4- 1/4" input jacks, (8-input channels total). It masters & burns CDr's in an onboard CRr recorder. USB port is provided for easy migration to the PC. Including: 3-Aux-Sends, 3-band fully parametric EQ, several internal effects, records MIDI tracks & has a built in 64 voice MIDI general sound module. It imports/exports WAV files and backs up hard drive with the CDR. It's hard to do better in DAW's for the money.