Noob needs advice on DAW selection

G

GEFool

New member
I need help deciding a few things regarding a recording set up. A few pertinent bits of info regarding this: Acoustic (guitar/mandolin/fiddle) musician. No (successful) recording experience. I have some used equipment bought from friends but eventually just gave up on due to the complicated operation. I just want a simple way to put together practice tracks and demo tracks. I am not interested in learning at the professional recording level.
What I have on hand:
2018 MacBook Pro
2009 iMac (currently idle but willing to dedicate to recording and strip it down to the essentials for that purpose
PreSonus AudioBox USB (2 mic inputs) comes with Studio One2 software
Digidesign 003 Rack interface (4 mic inputs plus)
Old PC dedicated for recording with ProTools 8 LE though not updated

I signed up for ArtistWorks home recording lesson (39.95 lifetime) because my experience with ProTools 8 LE was so much failure. They are instructing with Garage Band and I hope it is simpler.

Finally, I do use a Spire Studio unit to do quick recordings. Maybe that's all I need. BUT.. if I wanted to level up and learn Garage Band, I would like to know which DAW I have would be best and simplest. Would either the Audio Box USB or Digidesign Rack work on my MacBook Pro? Should I use a dedicated computer? I'm clearing out my junk and will sell or dump things I am not using. Which combo of what I have would you use? or is it all just junk? Thanks for any advice
 
All DAWs have a learning curve, and how steep that curve is depends on how good the programming is, and how well it matches with how your brain likes to think about things.

Garageband is a simpler DAW. Reaper is a DAW that is both simple and complicated. You can go from loading it to recording in six mouse clicks (I just tried). However there is a huge amount of flexibility and customisation inbuilt, so as you become more familiar, you can explore more.

The Audio Box should be fine with MacBook Pro, and it is a good interface for starting off with.
 
gecko zzed said:
All DAWs have a learning curve, and how steep that curve is depends on how good the programming is, and how well it matches with how your brain likes to think about things.

Garageband is a simpler DAW. Reaper is a DAW that is both simple and complicated. You can go from loading it to recording in six mouse clicks (I just tried). However there is a huge amount of flexibility and customisation inbuilt, so as you become more familiar, you can explore more.

The Audio Box should be fine with MacBook Pro, and it is a good interface for starting off with.
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Thanks for your reply. I like that recommendation as the Audiobox interface is smaller and will fit on my desk easily. Also, it looks like the Digidesign Rack 003 sells quickly on eBay for about what I paid for it. I'm thinking the MacBook Pro is the way to go too. Although, I loved my iMac, I guess it is too old.
 
I've got a an old imac and to be fair, it's not bad at all. Not sure of the age though - I have the newer thinner one and an older thicker one - Cubase elements runs fine on the older of the two and the thinner one - still not that new is happy with the latest cubase pro 12. The snag of course with old macs is the limitation on the OS - so there will be a point when the latest one it can run, won't be supported. To get going though, just make sure whatever you choose will run on more than one computer you have, just in case - so try the imac for the bigger screen and fall back to the macbook if the performance struggles in any way?
 
I know two people that use the Presonus, one with a Mac and the other with a PC and both work fine and both use Reaper. I have a PC so I have no experience with Garageband so I can't speak to that but I do have Reaper and it's the DAW that I learned on. I won't go on about Reaper unless you want me to but I will say that it's not hard to record basic tracks and do what you want to do. The install was easy and once on my machine I was recording tracks within 15 minutes. There are also loads of tutorials on youtube for any function you can think of which is really nice. The bigger recording challenge for me was micing up acoustic instruments and making them sound good which will be the same with any recording system.
 
Hi GE' and welcome. I know nothing of macs so go by those that do! As far as a DAW is concerned, from a sound quality point of view it really doesn't matter. As said already, they are all a PITA to learn but since it seems you will just need to record the instruments then edit the results to 'tidy things up' I doubt more than a concentrated weekend will be needed. Reaper has to be a no brainer if only for the massive help available online. But, I have two hardware questions for you...

What do you have/thinking of getting in terms of microphones and monitor speakers?
Mics first: My son records classical guitar and uses a Large Diaphragm Capacitor mic, a Mackie EM-91C. Not a very expensive mic but it gives good results we think. You will need a capacitor mic I am sure because guitars and mandolins are not loud and getting a noise free recording with a dynamic mic is not likely. I cannot help you regarding the violin, never had one to try but I have read they are not happy with capacitor mics? I am sure others here can help there.
There is another option. A dynamic (or ribbon) mic and gadget to boost it. Look up "Cloudlifter" and "FetHead".

Speakers to hear your results. Son has a pair of Presonus Eris 3.5 and for their cost they are not at all bad. They will be easily loud enough for your usage I am sure.

Do send clips (320k MP3 attached please)


Dave.
 
Since you are on a Mac you should already have Garageband installed. This is certainly enough to get you started. I've only used it briefly but it seems to cover the basics. If you find Garageband too limiting you can either move up to its bigger brother, Logic, or you can change to something else. Around here you will find plenty of people using Reaper (including me) and it is easy to get started if you want to record real sounds.
 
ecc83 said:
You will need a capacitor mic I am sure because guitars and mandolins are not loud and getting a noise free recording with a dynamic mic is not likely. I cannot help you regarding the violin, never had one to try but I have read they are not happy with capacitor mics? I am sure others here can help there.
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Yes, it is a good idea to think about microphones but I wouldn't agree with violins not being happy with capacitor mics. I've actually recorded some great violin parts with an AKG C1000. Now that may be heresy to some people who say that C1000's are only good for hammering nails, but with the right player and the right placement they can work. Here's an example...



I think most of the instruments on there used C1000's although the vocals were probably done with a VTL CR3A. Nowadays I'd probably use a Line Audio CM3 (which are amazing mics for the price) which also work well on acoustic guitars and mandolins. Unfortunately the recent recordings I've done with the CM3 haven't yet been released.
 
I’d say condensers (sorry Dave, too old to change now) are ideal for violins and strings of all kinds, and it would be rare to ever hear a string section recorded on anything else, but there is a caveat. Rotten instruments sound terrible up top, so a dynamic can tame these a bit, but the whole point of strings in the plural, is the chorussy type bigger sound that has lots going on above 6 K or so, so top end accuracy is important. If you close mic an orchestra, on stage for example, then clip on mics are now very popular, and you can’t clip on a dynamic, but a micro head condenser doesn’t annoy the players that much.

on the DAW front the critical thing is to download the demos and try them out. It’s how they do things, not what they can do now. BUT once you start using any of them seriously, changing is a really unpleasant experience.
 
rob aylestone said:
I’d say condensers (sorry Dave, too old to change now) are ideal for violins and strings of all kinds, and it would be rare to ever hear a string section recorded on anything else, but there is a caveat. Rotten instruments sound terrible up top, so a dynamic can tame these a bit, but the whole point of strings in the plural, is the chorussy type bigger sound that has lots going on above 6 K or so, so top end accuracy is important. If you close mic an orchestra, on stage for example, then clip on mics are now very popular, and you can’t clip on a dynamic, but a micro head condenser doesn’t annoy the players that much.

on the DAW front the critical thing is to download the demos and try them out. It’s how they do things, not what they can do now. BUT once you start using any of them seriously, changing is a really unpleasant experience.
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Sorry Rob, just something I picked up. Maybe it was people trying to record violins in small, grotty rooms with less than decent mics and even less than decent know how!

"Old" mate? I have been calling 'em capacitor mics for at least 60 years because they have little to do with Leden jars or steam engines. But, I have all but given up the fight now. I shall always use the correct terminology but shall not attempt to correct others. I am ok so long as we all know what it is we are talking about, there is much confusion with terms and outright BS in "audiospeak" so as long as we knows!
And after all..."That which we call a Rose..."


Dave.
 
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