many questions

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CrIdD

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Currently im using just about every sonic foundry product made(acid pro,sound forge,etc), i make trance type (techno) music useing loops. I would like to add a modeling synthasizer, drum machine and any other equipment to make my own loops ,and then edit and mix it in the computer. i want to beable to out put all audio to an amplifier and studio monitors ,wether its from the keyboards, or just playing an mp3 through the PC. my questions are...

1. do i need a sound card, or midi interface, or both ? and what type ? (what type of inputs and outputs will i need?)

2. am i better using a software sequencer or hardware ?

3. is acid pro and sound forge good enough for midi work, or should i go with something like cubase vst or the likes, for editing, mixing, and sequencing? i like to be able to paint tracks where they need to be like in acid pro.

4. will i need a seprate hardware sampler?
 
1) Probably both. At a minimum you would need 1 MIDI In port and 1 MIDI out port and stereo digital audio in. Note: these do not have to be on the same device. For example, I have a MIDI interface that connects to the computer's USB port, and a separate 6-in, 6-out (4 analog, 2 digital S/PDIF) audio interface.

2. I say software, hands down.

3. As far as I know you can't really do anything with ACID and MIDI except slave to an external MIDI clock for a timing reference; Sound Forge has some more features but will not record MIDI sequences or anything like that.

4. Not necessarily. There are software samplers like the GigaStudio that are fabulous (though to really use it to the max you might need a second computer dedicated to running it). Even the SoundBlaster Live card offers a pretty good sampling engine using a file format called Sound Fonts that is great considering you can get the card for $50 or slightly more. (I use one of these cards as my only MIDI synth and sampler).
 
Ah come on, I'm just another knucklehead... I just read a lot. ("Doctor, he's... bookish. What am I going to do?"
"Don't worry, ma'am, he'll be fine if you get him an electric guitar.")
 
Thanks AlChuck !

Isn't the soundblaster card pretty cheesy considering whats out there for pro audio? i have a soundblaster live card, but i want only the best sound quality.


Isn't it possible to play a few notes on a synthasizer and then save it into the PC as a wav file? Then edit it through sound forge and mix it in acid pro. that was what i was hoping to do, but if i go out and buy a bunch of synths and drum machines, i want it to be compatable, if not can you recamend a good sequencer program that is compatable?

also regarding the sound card, there are several diffrent types out there, like

ADA Converter
MIDI/SMPTE
Multi-Out
PCMCIA
S/PDIF
Stereo-Analog
Synth/Sample cards
Synth-Cards

how do i know what kind of card is right for what im trying to do?
 
I would suggest you have a look at the Tascam US-428.
This is a controller which comes with 24 bit A/D & D/A converters and connects to your computer via a USB port.
If you use the 428 you will not need a sound card.
As standard, it comes with a version of Cubase VST, which gives you 8 channels of audio and 16 MIDI, and a discounted price for an upgrade to the full VST version.
Places like Sweetwater sell it for just under 600.
 
Isn't the soundblaster card pretty cheesy considering whats out there for pro audio? i have a soundblaster live card, but i want only the best sound quality.
Click to expand...
Cheesy is a bit strong, but yeah, there are certainly better cards for more moolah.

Isn't it possible to play a few notes on a synthasizer and then save it into the PC as a wav file? Then edit it through sound forge and mix it in acid pro. that was what i was hoping to do, but if i go out and buy a bunch of synths and drum machines, i want it to be compatable, if not can you recamend a good sequencer program that is compatable?
Click to expand...

If that's mostly what you want to do -- record audio from a single source at a time to make loops -- you just need a good audio card with line level inputs. Two in is probably the fewest you will find. Consider more ins though, if you want to record from other synths or other line-level devices and don't want to have to plug and unplug the devices in all the time. Also consider getting one with a digital audio interfacce too. More and more sound-producing boxes are coming with digital outputs and if you have them, you'll want digital inputs on the soundcard. Usually these are S/PDIF.

If you want to sequence stuff, control things through MIDI messages, you'll also need a MIDI interface. Some sound cards include a MIDI interface.

As far as compatibility, you almost cannot go wrong. All synths and drum machines have ordinary 1/4" or RCA line outs, usually at least two for stereo, and all have MIDI In and Out at least. If you have the appropriate hardware on your computer, any sequencing software will be compatible. So you can decide on software pretty much strictly by feature set, ease of use, reputation, etc. and pretty much forget about any compatibility issues.

also regarding the sound card, there are several diffrent types out there... how do i know what kind of card is right for what im trying to do?
Click to expand...
List everything you want to be able to do, now and in the coming months -- record audio from synths, record and transmit MIDI messages, vocals? other acoustic things needing microphones? digital signals? transfer 8 tracks from an ADAT or D-88? synch via SMPTE to video or tape machines? (have I forgotten anything?)... then list what they require hardware-wise to work -- audio line ins, MIDI In/Out, mic preamps? S/PDIF? AES/EBU? ADAT i/o? TDIF? This should narrow the field a bit. For example, if you have a good mixer and good mic preamps or you know for a fact that you will never want to record a vocal or acoustic performance with a microphone, you would probably cross the Echo Mona, Aardvark DirectPro, and SeaSound Solo off the list of choices, since they have mic pres which would be of limited usefulness to you. You'll probably find there are 8-10 cards (or combintions of cards, USB devices, etc.) that will cover your needs. Then you can start to look at reviews, user comments, price, and have a basis for making a decision.

Oh, one last comment -- sjoko2's suggestion (a USB interface) might be excellent for your needs.

(Whew! I gotta stop writing these long replies!)
 
lol, it is long but a great deal of help.
Thank You!

as far as usb interfaces, i heard that using these with win 98 limits you to 16 bit audio... is this true ?

also i was at the music store today, and i think i got hooked on cubase VST. The only thing is it doesnt automatically sync together all the tracks in a project like acid pro, but he said that i could put together a song in acid "syncing it" and then move it to cubase for fine tweeking. Do you know if this can be done vise versa? for an example put together all the tracks i want in cubase, then move it to acid pro for time alighnment and syning and so forth?
 
You're welcome.

Re the USB interfaces, I doubt that there's anything about Windows 98 that would limit audio data sent over USB to be 16 bit. The issue is bandwidth, as usual, and USB is limited in the number of tracks that can be piped down it -- two is typical, though one of them (I forget which) claims 4 simultaneous tracks.

I'm not sure that you could directly transfer a Cubase project to ACID. I suspect you would have to export the tracks to individual WAVs and then use them like any other clips in ACID. Ditto the other way around.

It might be worth inquiring about the new version of Cakewalk Pro Audio, called SONAR -- it's not out yet, due to ship at the end of March. It has ACID-like looping tools and might be able to open ACID files directly...
 
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