Plain Vanilla Soundcard ???

[Kemmrich]

I just bought cakewalk home studio 2002 and I am setting up my wife's PC. I was planning on getting a mutlitrack recorder, but I may just use the PC as a multitracker to save some money in the short term.

Questions:

1.) Probably will be 90% midi -- can I get by with recording from the "microphone in" on the standard soundcard (creative sound sound blaster audioPCI) or is that a hopeless case?

1A.) If I can use the mic in -- are there mic adapters from the shure 58 to the small jack (jack spec is ???) on the pc?

2.) If I need to get a sound card, are there any inexpensive external boxes that contain both audio inputs and midi? (I have a opcode midiengine note/1 -- but updated sofwtare drivers are nowhere to be found!). I want an external one so I can use it both on my wife's PC and my laptop.

Thanks in advance,

Kevin

 

[Gidge]

1 - depends on how serious work you are doing.....if you are doing important projects, id get a cheap preamp and go into the line in...Midiman Audio Buddy is a nice pre for $75.....

2- yes

3 - what do you call inexpensive?.....

 

[Kemmrich]

Plain vanilla soundboard??

3.) How expensive?

I figure I should base everything on the Fostex vf-16 with the cd/r. That costs $900, so if I could get an nice external midi interface/sound card and a mic preamp for $300 - $400 then I would be in pretty good shape.

Thanks for your response,

Kevin

 

[powderfinger]

1) you can record through the line in if you have a mixer or a pre. i used to do this with my mixer....i have since bought an m-audio delta card......if you are looking to cut ends, here is my suggestion.......if the tracks you are going to record are instrumental, the stock sound card will be ok (not great, but manageable)......if you are going to do vocals, get a new card, it will be well worth it

2) as i said above.....i used my mixer to do this (behringer mixers go for less than $100)

3) look at the m-audio stuff www.midiman.com, they do have a product that does both for a reasonable price...can't remember how much though