DAW info needed

[WilliamC]

is something like this what I need?:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 20234&rd=1


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 99704&rd=1

which of the two?

[syrupcore]

william,

the extra hard drive will cost you about 100 bucks. it just lives inside your computer along with the other harddrive. nothing else needs to change.

I think you really would be best off following sserendipity's advice. Buying a complete machine from a builder who specializes in computer audio is one way to make sure you have something that will work. If not that, then just get a decent Dell or something. the specs above are what you're looking for. Figure out what audio card you want/need and then spend the rest on the most computer you can afford.

will

[syrupcore]

is something like this what I need?:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 99704&rd=1

which of the two?

the second one is close to what you need. instead of getting something external, when you get some one to put together your machine, just ask them to add another hard drive. externals are great but only if you need it and I doubt you will.

by the way, I recorded to my system drive for years without problem. so there.

[sonikbliss]

Here's a thread on a couple hard drives.

[WilliamC]

wow you guys are just fantastic.
Ive gotten so much information-much more than I figured I would get.
The main reason this makes me so happy is because I am convinced I'm not the only computer dummy out there.
I would like to end this thread with this-
what books cover the fundamentals on daw's,recording,mastering,etc that you guys would recommend to someone starting out?
I've already ordered bob katz book on mastering,although I figure it's not too basic.
any suggestions guys?

[Mr. Dipity]

got it sserendipity.Now can anybody explain to me the final question-at least in this thread... what did bliss mean about me not recording to my system drive and needing an extra hard drive for audio?
After this,I'll just dedicate myself to reading thread after thread and sucking it all up for future use.You guys have been fantastic-I thank you so much.

It's just recomended. It's not required, by any means. If you start multitracking, you might have performance problems issues with fewer tracks.

[WilliamC]

thx ss-and thats some interesting stuff you guys are doing at groove.I've already signed up for the next cd.
Best wishes,
william.

[WilliamC]

I know I'm not supposed to ask anymore questions here-but heck that was self-imposed....

I'm wondering if there's any sound quality difference if one records directly to the Pc through its soundcard as opposed as to hooking up to the interface or analog 4 track.I'm thinking of selling my analog tascam 4 track but I wont if you guys tell me its necessary for my Pc recordings.

[WilliamC]

ahhh-I bet george martin never had dumb questions like these,
somebody should comission him to write a recording encyclopedia.
Ive never seen anybody capture low frequencies like this fellow.

[sonikbliss]

I know I'm not supposed to ask anymore questions here-but heck that was self-imposed....

I'm wondering if there's any sound quality difference if one records directly to the Pc through its soundcard as opposed as to hooking up to the interface or analog 4 track.I'm thinking of selling my analog tascam 4 track but I wont if you guys tell me its necessary for my Pc recordings.

you should get an interface that hooks up to your computer and record directly into it. the sound cards that come stock in PC's are generally poor quality.

I'm not sure what kind of 4 track you have. if it's cassette it's not worth the bother, if it's at least a 1/2" reel to reel machine it could be useful for tracking drums or bass (if you want the analog sound) and then you can record them into your computer and do the rest of your recording in the computer also.

hope this helps, Jason

[WilliamC]

thx jason.Yes my 4 track is the cassette mk-2 portastudio.
So I guess I'll be ditching it or selling it.
I also wish there was a songwriting section cause thats my forte and I could contribute something instead of asking dumb questions all the time.

[WilliamC]

I wonder if something like this would do-it's only got two inputs but for my purposes....I'm just a songwriter who sings and plays a MIDI keyboard so I'll prob be recording one channel at a time-if thats Ok with you guys...lmao!!

[Al_Huero]

Whatever you need. Not sure what specific unit you're referring to.

Basically you're going to pay for the quality of the converters and mic pres (if it comes with any) that the interface unit has. Converter-wise you'll want something that can do 24-bit audio files as a minimum; and though somewhat debateable, probably not worth paying for anything much over 48 kHz if you're just starting out. You'll need something with mic pres to adjust the gain level of any microphones you may be using on the way in. These can either be separate from your interface unit with the converters or built in. As you might imagine, there's a range of quality when it comes to converters as well as mic pres; and even more so in interface units that combine the two. If you know what your budget is there are probably some recommendations folks can give you.

[WilliamC]

thx al-I was referring to an interface on e-bay(tascam)about $130 worth.I forgot to place the link.
I believe it had two midi ins.
as for the budget,I'm looking at $1500 to $1800 for all the basics and am planning to buy anywhere from may-july.
Am I going to need a phantom power for the mic as well?
Ive already read that soundcards should have full-duplex capability.
Thx for answering.

[megajoe]

The Mbox hooks up to your computer via firewire. It has mic pres, does the same thing a soundcard would do, and comes with pro tools. It's between $450 and $550, depending on what plugins you want. Not everyone likes to use Pro Tools though, it's just my reccomendation.