New to digital recording?

[3strandchords]

Hi all...

I'm a college music major, toured as a playing pro for a while, now settled down with a family and a McJob. I've mixed live sound in the past and even sent the master mix to tape once or twice.

I'm looking to start learning digital recording... In the near term, I'd like to record simple demo of some tunes I'm writing and build up to some heavier recording in the future.

I like the idea of using computer based solutions (ProTools/CuBase). However, it's all greek to me. A friend does similar work at his house (using Cubase, I think?) and started talking about why I'd need S-ATA drives and all these VSTs that I should look into.

Now, the question: I know what serial ATA drives are, and I can extrapolate (as an IT nerd) why they'd be important for recording. However, I have no idea what VSTs are, how to grow 'em, or cook 'em.

Can someone recommend a good beginners guide (soup-to-nuts type thing) that would help me understand some basics before I go out and spend money on parts of a system that I'll hate 3 months from now?

Thanks, 3strand

 

[noisewreck]

VST stands for "Virtual Studio Technology". It is a plugin standard created by Steinberg (creators of Cubase). Using this standard, many third party developers create plugins (software add-ons) to add further functionality to the sequencers, such as software synthesizers, samplers and FX (reverbs, chorus, delay, distortion, etc, etc, etc).

There are many companies that specialize in developing such plugins. Some of the more notable ones are Native Instruments that develop amazing synths and samplers, Waves, Voxengo, Kjaerhus, etc that develop processors (anything from EQs to Convolution Reverbs and more).

I suggest you check out the Future Music and Computer Music magazines for a little while and you'll start picking things up (for some reason, I find the British magazines much more helpful than the american ones).

Also check out www.kvr.com

 

[astoebe]

a great way to learn about VST and anything with digital recording is stick around here, read and participate....i have learned many good things from this site....and welcome by the way

 

[Mindcore]

excactly..spend a week reading through the threads here, not just the new ones, go back a ways, and you will uncover a wealth of knowledge.

One question will lead to another, and you can just keep following the trail.

After that, a few specific questions that the masters here can answer and you're, well, as they say, rockin