What's your maching have in it?

[gordone]

Dell 4550, 2.53gHz, 512MB RAM, Delta 44, XP Home. N-Track 3.x. Haven't upgrade to 4.x because 3.x works fine (remember, if it 'aint broke, don't fix it!)
System Drive - 60GB 7200RPM, (not sure of brand, it's the one that came with the Dell)
Data Drive - 40GB, 7200RPM Maxtor
CD/RW

 

[Toker41]

62 tracks seems like a little overkill for a couple of acoustic guitars and a few vocals, doesn't it? Or are you talking about a whole CD?

It is a lot of overkill. It was really the frist song I recorded after putting the system together. When I started recording it I was using a Soundblaster Livedrive which would record 2 mono tracks with each take. I couldn't get it to stop doing that, so I just kept the extra track. I switched to the delta about a third into it, and no longer had that problem. Once I started mixing it I noticed that if I dropped on of the doubled tracks recorded with the Soundblaster it got thin compared to the new tracks done with the delta. So I ended up keeping double tracks of the basic guitar tracks, and some of the vocals. I also ended up using 2 different mics, and a direct for some of the guitar parts. There is also a mandolin that used a couple tracks, and I kept all the backing tracks on seperate tracks. There is really a lot going on in that song. The trick was to get it to sound like a couple guys in a room with a couple guitars. I tried to make it big, but keep it "airy". That is not the final mix, but I'm pretty pleased with it. I had a learning curve to get past since I have only recorded in anolog studios in the past, and by the end of that song I had figured out that I didn't need a third of the tracks I used. Guess I just wanted to test the limits, which I've always felt restrained by in anolog stuidos. Even with 32 tracks I never liked the fact that there was a limit.

 

[Gidge]

HP Pavillion 500mhz Celeron
380 MB Ram
30 GB Maxtor Hard Drive for Audio
Delta Audiophile 2496

 

[PhilGood]

It is a lot of overkill. It was really the frist song I recorded after putting the system together. When I started recording it...

Yup! I've been there before!

 

[PhilGood]

When I started recording it I was using a Soundblaster Livedrive which would record 2 mono tracks with each take. I couldn't get it to stop doing that, so I just kept the extra track.

Just some advice for users who can only record stereo tracks while doing a mono track. After the track is done, go to the track menu and split the stereo track, then delete one of the rendered mono tracks. It saves processor resources.

 

[IronFlippy]

I don't have N-Tracks on my computer yet, but I will when I get back to my room from work. =P

Athlon XP 3000+
512MB RAM (getting 512MB more when I can afford it)
80GB and 40GB WD drives (getting a 120GB when I can afford it)
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
ASUS A7V600 Motherboard
Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro

and then a bunch of random fans to keep everything cool. I use Silicon Acoustic's silent fans, and Zalman quiet heatsink.

In addition to the RAM and HD, I intend on getting a sound card specifically for recording. As good as the Revolution is, it is NOT a card for recording. Any recommendations for a college student on a (small) budget? Or should I just go for an external device like the MBox?

 

[cellardweller]

How many tracks do you need to record at once?

 

[Toker41]

I don't have N-Tracks on my computer yet, but I will when I get back to my room from work. =P

Athlon XP 3000+
512MB RAM (getting 512MB more when I can afford it)
80GB and 40GB WD drives (getting a 120GB when I can afford it)
M-Audio Revolution 7.1
ASUS A7V600 Motherboard
Sapphire Radeon 9600 Pro

and then a bunch of random fans to keep everything cool. I use Silicon Acoustic's silent fans, and Zalman quiet heatsink.

In addition to the RAM and HD, I intend on getting a sound card specifically for recording. As good as the Revolution is, it is NOT a card for recording. Any recommendations for a college student on a (small) budget? Or should I just go for an external device like the MBox?

On a budget I would go for the Delta 1010Lt.

 

[5 String]

Stable is relative. I think the majority of my problems were from when I was only running 256 of ram, also when I was using a version of N, older than 3.3.
I also used to use MUCHO plugs, excessively...

How about OS?

XP ~ Anybody else use a seperate boot menu with fewer services running? I cut my load drastically by trimming the fat, all the crap running that I didn't need (most of it).

This thread has cheered me right up.
I've got a sweet home system but now I need a portable multi record rig.
I'm doing alot of bass playing behind acoustics this year.
May have some Reggae to do in Crystal Palace if i can make the rehearsals.
Me in Wales rehearsals in London. Transport = Transit = lots of diesel.

I've been checking out a deal on a Toshiba Equium 2.8GHz Cel and I was worried it might give problems with SX.
I think I'm going to buy it as soon as after reading this.

Cubase.net forum turn their noses up at Celerons.
My plan is to record to ext Firewire HDD and from an external Firewire interface Edirol or similar using a PCMCIA Firewire card converter or vice versa.
The laptop will need some more memory than the shop are bundling but hey!

Re XP dual boot
After some searching and posting on here and the Cubase forum I installed XP alongside the existing 98SE and stripped XP right down for music only.
The XPMusic site has a good check list including some 'don't bothers' to scotch a myth or two.
Since I did that I've had no trouble on the home machine.
Zalman Reserator kills most of the noise.
Next stop watercooled PSU?
I bought an Akasa 120mm PSU but it's no quieter than the previous Thermaltake Butterly (2 x80mm fans) for all the hype. Thermaltake had a nice light show as well.

Retail mania is taking a grip.
Currys of all places has the best deal on the Equium.
Go figure!!

 

[5 String]

Sit Rep

Somehow I've managed to come back with a Fujitsu Siemens Amilo Pro V7010 and not an Equium.
The Equiums were out of stock and then I saw this similar price on a genuine Pentium 4 @ 3.06Ghz.

Actually what's confusing me is that the GFX specs quoted in the shop were ATI Mobility Radeon 9000 IGP with 128Mb Of RAM.

I get the thing home and I'm checkin it out and whaddya know?
There's only 32MB of graphics RAM

I've checked ATI's site out and

http://www.ati.com/products/MobilityRadeon9000/index.html

There's three kinds of 9000
1. up to 128MB (I'm guessing shared. It doesn't say)
2. 32MB (64bit)
3. 64MB (128bit)

The FugiSiemens site quotes DVMT which suggest that the GFX card borrows system RAM dynamically.
I don't know if it borrows on top of it's on chip RAM or if its only the 'up to 128MB version that has dynamic memory size.

This is a puzzler.

I feel like going back and asking them if they've given me the wrong unit .
Somehow I suspect that it's just the advertised specs that are wrong or misleading, to the shop staff as well as me.

 

[5 String]

it's always the simple, obvious, staring you in the face stuff that you miss isn't it?

Max RAM share setable in BIOS. 16, 32,64,128MB.