The Day Has Come!

  • Thread starter Thread starter gpaai
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gpaai

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As of today I have the money to go buy what I need to begin recording at home, (or at least attempt to).

Now the nerves are shakin', and the brain is spinnin'. Do I go with a stand alone hard disk recorder or go the PC route?

Decisions! Decisions!
 
I'd recommend PC, but really it's whatever you decide to learn and go for. Both have advantages and disadvantages and can be the 'best,' but you have to get to know it first.
 
The real question to help decide which way you want to pursue is what you intend to record, and how many simultaneous tracks you will need to be able to record.

For instance, if you only want to record by yourself and only need 1 or 2 tracks at a time, then a PC with a basic soundcard will suffice until you learn enough to need to move up to a dedicated studio-grade sound card. You can also go with one of the all-in-one units like the Korg D1200, for instance, but these types of units do not have much of an upgrade path if your needs grow in the future.

If, however, you need to record 16 tracks at once, then a standalone recorder like the Alesis HD24 with a separate mixer and effects gear might be your best bet.

If you are just starting out, I'd recommend going with a PC and an entry level recording program like Cakewalk Home Studio. The time you spend learning the intricacies of that and the process of laying tracks and mixing will not be wasted, and if your needs increase in the future you have a tool that will still find use in your studio for quite some time to come.

Hope this is more clear than mud!!

Darryl.....
 
You cant go wrong with a PC. I used to be against PC recording for whatever my reasons. Once I did it though,I'll never go back.NEVER!!!!!!!!!!

Keith

http://www.keithray.net
 
A word for standalones...

Depending on the $$$ you have, and other things, I'd keep a standalone HD in mind. PC's are great, but will your PC be configured to able to handle quality audio without freezing/crashing? Can you have a PC configured specifically for audio and not load on other non-audio programs? Then great!

Also, will you be happy recording in one location? Non-laptop PC's are not something you want to lug around on location.

However, a portable DAW (8 or 16 track Fostex, Korg, Tascam, Yamaha) is VERY portable and will allow you to produce a finished CD without leaving the box. By and large, DAW's do not have software compatibility issues and their components have been selected from the get-go to be ideal for audio. Price wise, a Fostex VF80CDR goes for $699. and the VF160CDR (which will record 8 tracks at once, 16 through an ADAT interface) goes for $899. These are VERY stable/portable units that will yield great results. Just a thought for consideration...
 
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