Not Sure Exactly

[JulieGirl]

I am going to buy this:
Dell: Inspiron 15 (1545)
Intel® Pentium® Dual Core™ T4500 (2.3GHz/800MHz FSB/1MB cache)
Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium, 64bit, English
Bright, glossy widescreen 15.6 WLED display (1366x768)
8X CD/DVD Burner (Dual Layer DVD+/-R Drive)
3GB2 Shared Dual Channel DDR2 at 800MHz
250GB3 SATA Hard Drive (5400RPM)
Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X4500HD

I record simple songs. Not looking for high-end stuff. Just give me an SM58 mic/bass/acoustic, and I'm fine. I'm just a 24-year-old city worker and record for fun.

Please, I hope that you could just say something like: "Get Pro Tools XX.X or Cubase X.X and buy 'this exact interface' for roughly $110." I'm looking for a recommendation of a possible setup that you think would be a workable mini-studio.

I know there are sooo many opinions. But what exact setup would be a reasonable choice?

Thank you, and I appreciate it. Julie.

 

[Steenamaroo]

hey there! and welcome!

your price range limits you, so i'm gona go ahead and give a straight answer!

just bare in mind, there are other alternatives, and different people will recommend different preferences.

download reaper for free. Pay the $60 after a while if you feel guilty if you don't it keeps running with a 5 second start up delay.

buy a tascam us122 for $120(i'm hoping the $110 you listed was for interface only)
this is a 2 channel interface. = maximum 2 mics at once.
also. it may come with software...idk.

so then all you need is a mic, cable, and cans or speakers!

58 would be fine, but there are a load of cheap(ish) condensers that may suit you better.
maybe down the line you'd wana look at a cheap stereo pair like samson cO1s for that acoustic guitar.

maybe you don't!


hope that helps

(personally i'd look at core2duo at least, but then, i run a lot of effects and things. maybe you wont be?)

**edit..i'd also recommend an external harddrive, or replacing the built in one with ssd. 5400rpm isn't very good for audio, and recording to the system drive generally isn't standard practice either.
try it out first though. if it works for a handful of tracks well then,,it works

 

[JulieGirl]

This is great.

Man, thank you.

You are so nice to give me all that info!

If I really, really wanted Cubase...

would it install on my Dell (Win 7)?

is there a $150ish interface for it?

If not Cubase...Pro Tools and a $150ish interface?

Julie

 

[Steenamaroo]

no probs.

idk if cubase will run on win 7 (someone else chime in?)

but

cubase is designed to work with any interface (although i'm sure there are rare exceptions)
protools is designed to with digidesign/avid interfaces only (very expensive)
protools mpowered is designed to run with maudio interfaces only.


unless you know how to use cubase or protools already, don't be dragged in by the well known names.
reaper get's huge rep around here.

 

[JulieGirl]

Well...

I have to thank you again. This is amazingly nice of you to help me out when this is probably so trivial to you. Very much appreciated.

Ok, I'll go look at Reaper.

Julie

 

[moresound]

no probs.

idk if cubase will run on win 7 (someone else chime in?)

but

cubase is designed to work with any interface (although i'm sure there are rare exceptions)
protools is designed to with digidesign/avid interfaces only (very expensive)
protools mpowered is designed to run with maudio interfaces only.


unless you know cubase already, don't be dragged in because the name is well known.
reaper get's huge rep around here.

Spot on Paul.....Julie take this info to the bank and save your self tons of money!

 

[Steenamaroo]

@moresound,
cheers. i could get used to you having my back!



to op.
no probs at all

'm sure plenty of reason users will be on hand if you need them.

good luck.

 

[moresound]

@moresound,
cheers. i could get used to you having my back!



to op.
no probs at all

'm sure plenty of reason users will be on hand if you need them.

good luck.

OOPS!!! you meant Reaper right?

 

[Steenamaroo]

OOPS!!! you meant Reaper right?

DAMN, and i was doing so well too


i've let you down juliegirl, and you moresound

i'm sorry! <<dies a little inside>>

 

[JulieGirl]

steenamaroo and moresound...Too much.

I didn't disappear. Was in shower.

steenamaroo and moresound...Can't thank enough.

I'm going to the bank!

Much love.

Julie-grown up-Girl

(actually stepping out here for an hour. any further advice added will be definitely be read by me in an hour) IOU

 

[moresound]

DAMN, and i was doing so well too


i've let you down juliegirl, and you moresound

i'm sorry! <<dies a little inside>>

Nothing that bad. I'm sure it's just the shock of selling your ride for university cost.

Just be careful with the old decimal point with the check book! You don't want to spend 495.00 for a small bag of fish and chips!

 

[Steenamaroo]

haha! been there ma friend!

you've no idea the urges i'm fighting on ebay now that i have some cash! but no! don't think like that!!bad steenamaroo

 

[TeyshaBlue]

Opposing viewpoint:
That's waaaay too much PC for what you're going to be doing. If you are buying that lappy for the expressed purpose of recording music, save some bucks and aim lower. Anything around 1ghz, with 2 gb RAM is more than sufficient to record with at the level of involvement you're talking about. Also, while conventional wisdom says that a 5400 rpm drive is inadequate, I've been using one for 2 years on my cheapo lappy. I routinely record 6-8 tracks simultaneously and most projects run 16+ tracks with a broad selection of FX plugins running. I've yet to have one single problem with this rig. My only regret is the mixes do take longer to mixdown/render than with a more capable processor.
If you are going to be heavily into virtual synths or using an incredible amount of FX, then you might want to look at that Dell. It's beasty.

My lappy's specs are: 2.1 ghz Intel Celeron, 3 gb ram, 160 gb hard drive @ 5400 rpm. I paid the princely sum of $285 for it.

 

[TeyshaBlue]

I like the US122 as well. Nice little interface that used to come bundled with Cubase LE.

Reaper is a nice DAW that has a very small CPU footprint. I'd definately consider it.

 

[Steenamaroo]

Opposing viewpoint:
That's waaaay too much PC for what you're going to be doing. If you are buying that lappy for the expressed purpose of recording music, save some bucks and aim lower. Anything around 1ghz, with 2 gb RAM is more than sufficient to record with at the level of involvement you're talking about. Also, while conventional wisdom says that a 5400 rpm drive is inadequate, I've been using one for 2 years on my cheapo lappy. I routinely record 6-8 tracks simultaneously and most projects run 16+ tracks with a broad selection of FX plugins running. I've yet to have one single problem with this rig. My only regret is the mixes do take longer to mixdown/render than with a more capable processor.
If you are going to be heavily into virtual synths or using an incredible amount of FX, then you might want to look at that Dell. It's beasty.

My lappy's specs are: 2.1 ghz Intel Celeron, 3 gb ram, 160 gb hard drive @ 5400 rpm. I paid the princely sum of $285 for it.

fair points. i've been known to be a bit pc performance on the brain!lol.
guess i'm too used to waves plugs and protools tearin my cpu apart!

 

[TeyshaBlue]

fair points. i've been known to be a bit pc performance on the brain!lol.
guess i'm too used to waves plugs and protools tearin my cpu apart!

I'm running Sonar Producer 8.31 on that lappy...and it's pretty resource heavy.

I'm also running Reaper on a stinkin' netbook! It runs awesome on that little thing.

 

[moresound]

haha! been there ma friend!

you've no idea the urges i'm fighting on ebay now that i have some cash! but no! don't think like that!!bad steenamaroo

Must......fight......urge......to ......click.......bye now.

 

[Steenamaroo]

it's not funny moresound!

literally every bit of gear i own is from ebay it's not an addiction,,,it's a way of life!

 

[moresound]

it's not funny moresound!

literally every bit of gear i own is from ebay it's not an addiction,,,it's a way of life!

Soooooooooooooooo......want to bye a microphone?

 

[Steenamaroo]

what have you got?