need help with first computer software

[samezvous]

i run a small analog 16 track studio and want to add a digital setup to transfer the 16 analog tacks into digital for editing and mixing. i went to a friends studio recently to do this for a project and was amazed at the loss of quality between the original analog and the analog signal after being transfered into protools. all the depth and low end of the acoustic guitars just seemed to vanish and the project was scrapped. my question i suppose is whether anyone else has experienced this issue and whether the fix (if there is one) is a different program (i.e. protools vs. sonar vs. tracktion etc..) or using different analog to digital converters. i am pretty uneducated as far as computer recording goes (duh) and that is why i am asking this question, so that i buy the gear gives me the greatest possible signal similarity. i want as close as possible, the signal that i put onto the analog tape. what programs and converters etc. would you recommend to get the best results. my budget is about 5 grand. i know this is a subjective matter but the opinions of fellow recorders is invaluable when one can't try out each and every possibility and have not the budget for a poor choice. thanks

[sonikbliss]

i run a small analog 16 track studio and want to add a digital setup to transfer the 16 analog tacks into digital for editing and mixing. i went to a friends studio recently to do this for a project and was amazed at the loss of quality between the original analog and the analog signal after being transfered into protools. all the depth and low end of the acoustic guitars just seemed to vanish and the project was scrapped.

That probably has more to do with the A/D D/A converters & the wordclock being low quality more than anything. With any "low end" digital setup I would highly recommend getting something like a Rosetta 200 for two quality A/D & D/A's. (or the Rosetta 800 if you need more than two I/O's). The Rosetta is actually a pretty decent clock also.

my question i suppose is whether anyone else has experienced this issue and whether the fix (if there is one) is a different program (i.e. protools vs. sonar vs. tracktion etc..) or using different analog to digital converters. i am pretty uneducated as far as computer recording goes (duh) and that is why i am asking this question, so that i buy the gear gives me the greatest possible signal similarity. i want as close as possible, the signal that i put onto the analog tape. what programs and converters etc. would you recommend to get the best results. my budget is about 5 grand. i know this is a subjective matter but the opinions of fellow recorders is invaluable when one can't try out each and every possibility and have not the budget for a poor choice. thanks

As far as a difference in sound between the programs, I'm sure there are some as they all use different algorithms for their processing, but I primarily use PT's so I can't comment on the others. I hear very good things about the "sound quality" of Nuendo though.