Help on purchase!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter The Professor
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The Professor

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I'm new to this forum but, I have read some of the post and there is a bunch of good stuff here.

Now to my question. I have been playing and mixing live sound for years and have recorded analog for years. I am now ready to take the plunge to the digital domain. I went and bought the Delta 44 card to familiarize myself with digital recording and am having problems with latency. I understand that it is probably because of the card and my old computer(400mhz).

I have about a $3000 budget and I am wondering if I should go computer all the way or go with the Yamaha AW4416. I have read great reviews for this Yamaha Gear with O2R software inside. These stand alone units seem to be really good.

Any sugestions to go either way would be great. If you guys could tell me what gear you would buy with this budget I would be forever grateful.

Thanks
 
SoMM, I respectfully disagree.

I haven't used the Yamaha, so keep that in mind. I have used a few Roland all-in-one boxes, as well as both the O2/R and the O1V. Yamaha makes great stuff, and if you're into all-in-one boxes, I'm sure that it's a good solution. I HIGHLY advocate the CPU-based solution, for a few reasons:

1) Upgrade flexibility: if you don't like the built-in compressors on your portastudio, you're stuck. If you don't like 'em on your CPU, go get another (free) plugin.

2) Track flexibility: The only limitation to the # of tracks on a CPU is CPU power (processor speed, RAM, HD size & speed, etc).

3) Storage flexibility: Need more space? Buy a bigger HD. I don't know about the AW unit, but many of these make add'l storage difficult.

4) Obsolecence: When the converters on the unit are no longer at the state-of-the-art in terms of bit depth and sample frequency, you're done. With a computer solution, you can buy a new interface, and go from there. You can also buy bigger hard drives, more RAM, faster processors, new motherboards, etc. While this can get expensive, it's at least an option. My philosophy is to buy stuff that I'm not going to want to replace quickly.

5) Audio editing: CPU-based audio waveform editing is REALLY straightforward on a computer screen with a mouse. It is definitely much more complex on a little LCD screen.

Just my 2 cents.

-mg
 
As for gear, I'd look into:

~$1500 on a top-of-the-line computer setup. Look in to building your own.

~$1000 on an audio interface. Depends on what your simultaneous input needs are, how many mic pre's, digital in/outs, etc. You could save money here, or you could go turbo. If money wasn't an object, I'd probably buy a MOTU 896 firewire interface, but that's just me. I don't know much about the delta card, you may want to just use that for now, until you decide that it doesn't suit your needs.

~$500 Software

It would help to know exactly what you want to do (how many simultaneous inputs, mic pre's, etc.) .

-mg
 
If you don't like dealing with computer hassles and quirks and you want something that is component based and upgradeable then go with a seperate mixer and HDR. A Soundcraft M12 and an Alesis HD24 would be a good lower cost setup. You would need outboard processors for compression and reverb but you can buy those used and add them as you go.

You would still use your Delta and PC to record your mixdowns and do any mastering.
 
Thanks for all the info guys.

I saw were some one asked about how I would be using this set-up. I play in a five piece jazz/rock&roll band. With this in mind there is a couple of applications that I would like use this for.

First of all, individual tracking of each instrument; using four tracks for the drum kit and two tracks for the hand drums. I want to be able to cut our own demos and be able to make quality cds to sell. I figure if I can get a good enough set-up now, I'll save thousands in studio cost. That is, until some studio wants to cut our tracks for FREE. ha ha.

Second, and here's the reason I am thinking of the stand alone unit, I would like to be able to track our live shows instead of going live to two tracks. I personaly have never been able to capture what happens at a live show very well in the studio and as you know studio and live are two totaly different beast. Don't get me wrong I love the things you can do in a studio, its just different.

Thanks again for any input!
 
I forgot to address the mixer to the HDR. I am not real familiar with these machines so I need to read up on them a bit. From what I understand you run a mixer into it and I have seen 24 tracks for a decent price, but how do you assign tracks?

I do have a Mackie 1402 vls pro. We use this in rehearsals and some small venues that we play. It might help to tell you guys what I already have, so you could tell me what my options are using my existing compnents. My live sound set-up goes like this:

Mackie 1402 > DBX compressor > BBE Sonic Maximizer >

DBX 31-band EQ > Yamaha Powered Mixer

The Yamaha is an eight channeled powered mixer with three 200 watt amps(right, left & monitor).

I also use a ART tube mic-pre(2 in one rack unit) in several different locations.

When I am just recording practices I use the Art pre > BBE Maximizer > a Yamaha 4-track; using 2 condesor mics panned right and left on two tracks. This is really just to hear how things are working out but we have got into some fairly good venues using some demos made in this fashion.

Sorry to be so long winded but man I love this stuff! Thanks again guys in advance.
 
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