starting fresh also

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wolfneck

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Just like that last starting from scratch one I to am looking at just getting going and could use some advice. I have roughly 2 grand to kill off the bat and can add more to the mix later. I don't expect to make super recordings with that amount but enough to make cool demo tapes for sending to friends and family, and maybe the local college radio station. I have been looking through the Musicians friend catalog (dangerous magazine) and can't seem to decide what I want. I like the TASCAM 488 but should I go to digital because the Fostex 8 track digital with 250mb zip drive is 20 dollars more. I am also concerned with ease of use. I have no clue what I am doing on either system. I just know I want to use a drum machine, me and my buddy playing guitars, find a bass somewhere, lay down some hard core rock/metal, then just get sloshed and attempt vocals. Well I guess I should use that Ovation once or twice also. But I do know about effects somewhat and love to tinker there so I don't think I am to useless. I also saw that Alesis ADAT Studio pack for 2 grand and wondered if that is a good option. Well can't wait to hear any replies you may have. I would like to afford that nifty RP-21 too so low cost is good. Thanks to anyone with ideas.
 
If your talking about gettin' sloshed and recording hardcore metal... I think I am the authority here...
If you have 2 grand to spend(or even if you had less) I'd have to recommend going the PC route. This comes from a person(more or less) who never touched a PC untill about 6 months ago.
You can get a PC that will do the job for under a grand... $500 or so for a sound card, $250 for software... That leaves room for a mic or two or a tube preamp...
This is my setup(Wave 8*24 running Cool Edit Pro)... This lets you record up to 64 tracks which is more than any sane man would ever use. ( One day I will do a song using them all !!!)
This setup is a great foundation to build upon... ( you can go a cheaper route... get a 4 channel soundcard and N-Track) Then get ready to nickel and dime yourself to the tune of another couple grand... depending on how good of a sound you want to pay for...
My advice... get yourself a rich girlfriend who likes music.

---S8-n
 
Hey SN-8 I like that Idea of the PC for recording, do you think my little 200mhz 2GB laptop will do the trick, I still have half the hard drive empty. Well I also was kind of thinking of a new computer. Anyway, how do you hook a guitar up to a computer? Would you mind if I snagged your e-mail address and used you for an answer guy if I do go with the PC setup? Can I just run an effects processor like the RP-21 straight into a computer without it blowing up? One more for now, Is there a book out there such as Home recording for idiots?
 
Whaddaya mean book??? This whole website's fer idiots!!!
Just kidding... You can feel free to email me whenever... But chances are you will find an answer if you search this site long enough...
I'm not sure, but I think that the problem with a laptop system is the fact that you can't install a pro-quality soundcard. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.
I was pondering the possibility of bringing a laptop to a club and running it straight through the board... then I gave up hope.
On a positive note... (I avoid these) you don't need a badass computer to record audio... A cheapass Celeron(?) or AMD will get the job done... There are lots of good deals on computers that would have been considered top of the line a few months ago...
Looking through this months issue of PC WORLD I see that COMPAQ has a 466 Celeron for $599... but that assumes you pay $400
for a year of Compuserve internet service...
So lets disreguard that... you don't want to be stuck on CompuSuck...
O.K. that's $1000 for a reliable, fast PC...
Companies such as Micro Express offer badass systems (PIII 450) in the $1000-$1200 range...
If you wait a month they will be even cheaper...
My advice is to pick up a computer magazine(I have good luck with PC World) and check out the ads... Prices are at an all-time low...
As always,
insincerely yours,
Lord of all that is dark and foul,
Humbly,
S8-N
 
i have a crappaq... dont bother with them... a pentium is better for audio recording because its better at floating point operations...i have no clue what that is... but its good .. :D .. there are plenty of books on home recording...just stroll down to barnes and noble youll find at least a dozen... ah geez...gotta run...pizzas here.. ill finish this later !!!

- eddie -
 
Thanks for the advice folks. I have a buddy whose brother is a computer sales type guy and a good deal is, well you get the idea. Anyway, I can hook up with a good computer deal and I do have some computer knowledge and figure a fast processor such as a 450 pentium and a minimum 8GB hard drive should do the trick. I figure that computer will run nothing but the studio setup. Hell I still have the laptop for the dinking around on the net, it works fine for that. As for the book thing, unfortuatly I live in the back woods of the upper penisula of Michigan (Ted Nugent teritory) and there isn't a good bookstore within a couple hundred miles. So the best option is to order a book in this case and I don't want to play that take a chance on a 30 dollar book sort of game. Well I do seem to figure things out well on computers usually but, I think the problem will be hooking things up. Do those really good sound cards come with a jack that you can plug an effects loop into or how does that work? What is the exact link between the intsrument and the computer? Is it a 1/4 inch jack or a microphne cable type jack or what? I read some things on the website here but I didn't quite get it. I think I need the setup in front of me and just go to town. I figure about 1200 to 1500 for the computer and then whatever effects and things such as Mics I can add. You did say 64 track studio right S8-N? That is friggin amazing. Well thanks again. Ps Sorry about the mis-spelling on the last one there S8-N. Don't come get me yet, my demo isn't done.
 
Hi Wolf,

I agree with S8-N... Go with a pc system - I would have one built tho instead of going with a "compaq" or "NEC" or name brand whatever... It's easier later on down the road if you want to expand your RAM, or whatever... Get a SCSI hard drive too - better for audio recording/playback applications from what I've read (mostly on here somewhere - ain't this a great place to learn :))

As to your question about sound cards and their jacks - the better sound cards will have 1/4" or better jacks rather than the mini-plugs which are on most "standard" computer sound cards...

I just went with the DMAN 2044 - 4 in and 4 out 1/4" jacks... I'm running Cool Edit Pro software too... And will soon have a Mackie 1202VLZ mixer hooked up - it should be here any day now.

I'm still in the learning stages but I hope this helps!

Melissa in Tennessee
 
Hi Wolf,

I agree with S8-N... Go with a pc system - I would have one built tho instead of going with a "compaq" or "NEC" or name brand whatever... It's easier later on down the road if you want to expand your RAM, or whatever... Get a SCSI hard drive too - better for audio recording/playback applications from what I've read (mostly on here somewhere - ain't this a great place to learn :))

As to your question about sound cards and their jacks - the better sound cards will have 1/4" or better jacks rather than the mini-plugs which are on most "standard" computer sound cards...

I just went with the DMAN 2044 - 4 in and 4 out 1/4" jacks... I'm running Cool Edit Pro software too... And will soon have a Mackie 1202VLZ mixer hooked up - it should be here any day now.

I'm still in the learning stages but I hope this helps!

Melissa in Tennessee
 
I had to mail order every bit of my setup off of the internet. I installed my WAVE 8*24 and a CDRW into a Gateway PII450 with no problems... and I am an idiot!!!
So yer 200 miles from a bookstore??? Here in Pensacola I'm about 200 miles from anybody with a brain... Good thing this BBS exists... HAIL DRAGON!!!!!!
 
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