hardware vs. software crisis

[tinapox]

i am a songwriter/guitarist/bassist...

i use very simple machines to record basically...the plan was to record my ideas roughly and then find other musicians to add on to my established ideas. i realize that i want to do everything myself...

my main simple recording machine is a yamaha md4 accompanied with the most basic mackie there is.

so.......
lately everybody is telling me to go software...i am hesitant because my computer is older. macs are expensive, i believe. i like to record live...guitar and vocals simutaneously. i am just confused as to whether i would like software...

a reason rep. came into my work tonight and was saying how he uses shitty external equipment and just tweaks everything with software. does this mean i shouldn't invest in a condenser if i DO go software?!

so...do you think it is a wisely-chosen investment for me to change?

 

[crosstudio]

no i don't advise you to change unless you want to be pimped by the gear gods.

if all you need is simple stuff to do rough tunes, and you have that equipment already, just get the most out of what you have.

if however, you want to have those other musicians come in and capture a stellar performance on good equipment on a good PC using good mics going through good mic pre's then by all means start saving your dollars. whoever told you that the signal chain going into the software didn't matter shouldn't be smoking on the job.

btw, welcome to the club fam. you eastside or westside?

if you do decide to go the PC route, I like the tascam us-428 (i have it), and i've heard good things about the tascam us-122. I had the m-audio duo, but it had major flaws in the software drivers. the drawback to the us-122 is that it has no tactile mixer the drawback to the us-428 is that it has no phantom power.

oh, and BTW the d/a/d converters aren't the same ones used in the upper line gear that frontier designs group makes (they sell the us-428/us-122 through tascam), but they do sound very good and the price is reasonable.

 

[tinapox]

thanks for the reply...

i'm considering killing the idea of being rough...and also killing the idea of incorporating other musicians...so i figured that going software would help me be more self-efficient more effectively.

but, uhh...eastside! baltimoreandmoreandmore

 

[fierojoe]

Software can really help you become totally self-sufficient. I do all of my recording in either SF Acid or SF Vegas. The ability to use loops can really expand your music. I would never go back to tape, and I would never go to a "Do-it-all" console. PC is the way to go.