Musically Inclined...?

Hey Atma, Coz, frEk, anyone else who knows

My band and I want to record some tracks for a demo CD. I already have a mixer, mics, and a keyboard with MIDI capability. I was looking for a sound card for my computer that will basically eliminate the need to buy an expensive multitrack recorder.

If possible, I want to be able to record a couple of live tracks simultaneously (i.e. drums and bass) to separate tracks in Cubase (I don't even know if this is possible...). I'd also like a little MIDI cabability.

I know Atma already recommended the M-Audio Audiophile 2496 to someone, and I wonder if this is what I need, too. Or if there is something new out there that is better for around the same price or a little more.

Thanks for any help here.

Chris

well it really depends on your budget limitations. for something like 200 bucks you can get an m-audio delta 44, which has 4 inputs and 4 outputs. with that you could record 2 seperate stereo tracks or 4 mono instruments/inputs simultanously in cubase. however it doesn't have any midi as far as i know. if you wanted to spend even more and wanted more inputs/outputs, they have the delta 1010 which has (you guessed it) 10 inputs and 10 outputs. it also has midi, and for that price you wont find anything with that many i/o or midi. there's a lot of other cards out there as well. you might want to just call up sweetwater and ask to talk to someone who's really knowledgable with soundcards. that way you can tell them exactly what you're interested in acheiving and they should be able to lay the options out for you within your budget range. the people there have a lot of years of experience with music technology--most of them are studio engineers or musicians and they have all the latest stuff at their disposal, so they can be really helpful. anyway, good luck!

Chris, since you're near LA, pump Sweetwater for info, then check Sam Ash, Guitar Center, and some of the other larger music stores for better prices. Sweetwater is a bit expensive.

yeah it really all depends on what price range you're talkin, the audiophile's only $150, it's pretty much the cheapest card around that'll be suitable for audio stuff but if i were looking for something in that range i'd spend an extra $50 and get an echo mia midi card. the mia midi has the same features as the audiophile (spdif i/o, 1 midi i/o, and stereo analog i/o except the analog is 1/4" balanced instead of rca). the delta 44 is like $230 for 4 1/4" i/o but yeah, no midi/digital (delta 66 has digital ($280) and you can always get a 1x1 midi interface for like $40). i'm not really a big fan of the m-audio stuff myself, the omni studio is cool for 4 ins ($430), but your payin for 2 mic pres which you already got in the mixer, but yeah the delta 1010 (8 analog i/o, spdif, and 1x1 midi) does have pretty good converters in it for the price ($600)(not the 1010 LT, there different cards but the LT is cool if you need a whole lot of inputs for only $280). there's also things like the digi 001 too for $800 which has pretty good connectivity but if you think you're really gonna be into doing this there's alot of really good cards (rme) for around a grand, some'll even let you ditch the mixer all together (aardvark q10, motu 896), but yeah then you're not really getting around the cost of a multitrack with cd burning capability (more flexible recording on the computer though).

http://www.maudio.net/products/m-audio/delta.php
http://www.echoaudio.com/Products/
http://www.digidesign.com/
http://www.aardvarkaudio.com/aasd-v1/index.html
http://www.motu.com/
http://www.digi-club.de/english/hdsp/multifa.htm

oh yeah, you are on a desktop computer right? none of those cards will work directly on a laptop, save the rme and the motu 896 (motu's for old men though) but there's alot of options for laptops too. what's your computer specs anyway?

Quote:

(motu's for old men though)

:cuss: :cuss: :cuss:

Thanks for the advise guys :rock: :rock: , I'll probably call Sweetwater in the next couple days.

Well, I haven't gotten my new computer yet, but I'm going to build an AMD Athlon XP 2.4GHz with a 120GB 7200RPM HD, 512-1024MB of DDR-RAM, then I would add the soundcard I buy (obviously). Oh yeah, how important is a video card? Do I need a really good one, or is an average 16MB video card good enough? I'll probably install Windows 2000 Pro and Cubase 5.1 or SL (if I can get my hands on it)

As for the music hardware side, I have a Behringer UB1622FX-PRO mixer, a QSC 300W amp (I forgot the model, but it's mainly for practicing with the band), a couple of Shure SM58 mics and I play a Yamaha S80 keyboard. I use a pair of Denon headphones as monitors, but I know I'll have to get monitors or monitor headphones too. :sad:

I know none of my equipment is real good, but I've recorded some stuff on my old crappy computer one track at a time using Cubase 5.1 and it still sounds pretty good, but it just takes a long time, and forget about more than, like, 5 tracks per song with effects.

I'll build the computer sometime in the next week and a half. If you guys have any more suggestions (that won't break the bank too much) keep them coming... :thumup:

And Coz, man those alien avatars are freakin' me out. :slap:

As it turns out, the salesman at Sam Ash was able to talk me into getting a Delta 44. Very nice stuff. But why am I so weak... Anyways, Coz, I was wondering if one of these mysterious "Care Packages" could find it's way to my house... :thumup:

Thanks for the advice guys. I'm getting started now. :rock: :rock:

I'm outa the care package buisness...ever since I sent 10 fukkin CDs to FD in muthafukkin England and he never even said thanx! :slap:

I've spread enough love around here, one of these selfish bastids that I spread it too can spread some of thier own now.

I would say meet me in LA at the show on the 16th, but that promoter's lookin mighty shaky at the moment! :sad:

That's cool. Thanks anyways Coz. If it works out for your show in LA, tho', I'll be there.

Hey FD, way to go, jerk face! :cuss: :cuss:

Juss playin'. :mrgreen:

Cool. :cool:

10 cds?? what the hell did you send fd anyway..

the next time i go and buy some cd-rs i can make copies of reason or other audio apps for people who want them.

I sent him a shitload of apps, softsynths, plug-ins, and sample CDs.

And the Reason CDs on top of it!

HERE'S AN IDEA FOLKS!!!

Since you guys want this stuff, go out and buy some blank CDRs and send them to Atma, or whoever else is willing to make copies for you. Perhaps that would make some people more appreciative! :wink:

Quote:

I'm outa the care package buisness...ever since I sent 10 fukkin CDs to FD in muthafukkin England and he never even said thanx! :slap:

You lying bastard, I made a whole post to thank you for it.

It went something along the lines of "damn thats a shitloada cd's" then about 500 thumbs up icons.

and you said somthing like just dont get your ass sued

but fine.

fuck ya old man! :cuss: :cuss: :cuss: :cuss: :cuss:

They don't use the phrase "thank you" across the pond huh...and I remember no thumbs up signs either! Fukkin limey bastid! :slap:

what exactly is 'limey' anyway :P

limey....a person who eats limes (usually british)to prevent the onslaught of scurvy..... :thumup:

Quote:

They don't use the phrase "thank you" across the pond huh...and I remember no thumbs up signs either! Fukkin limey bastid! :slap:

oh shove em up your ass you stupid yank poofter

whoa... dont forget coz has admin status. he might just ban your ungratefull ass!

Go kiss ya queen mum's rottin bum, ya blood puddin eatin mad cow havin Revolutionary War losin piece of shyte!!! :flipoff: :flipoff: :flipoff: :flipoff: :flipoff:

shite

I spelled it the Irish way, cause they hate the english too!!! :flipoff: :flipoff: :flipoff: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

ROFLMMFAOL!!!

Whatever.

Seriously I can't believe you think I'm not gratefull but whatever.

FD, I ain't mad, never had been. If I was you would've known it. It's like lending money (or gambling which is what me and the Mrs. will be doing this weekend...WOOHOO!!!), I consider the money never to return the moment I decide to fork it over. In that way I am never really disappointed, or pissed at some good friend, and if the money does come back I'm way ahead!

All I was noting was that you never did use the words "thank you"! Still haven't.

I was brought up, maybe a bit old fashionedly, to use that phrase whenever warranted. I know some people have a hard time saying it...and that's cool...but I REALLY appreciate it being reciprocated when I go out of my way to do things for people.

I mean, I only went through my entire collection of sample CD images that I had painstakingly downloaded over a good period of time, added every sound app and softsynth and plug-in that I could find laying across several of my archive CDs (had to be well over a hundred). Compiled all of them into...let me spell this out...SEVEN CD's!!! Added the 3 Reason CDs as well!

THAT'S THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF SHIT THAT TOOK ME WELL OVER A YEAR TO STEAL AND ACCUMULATE!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Hmmm...not to mention (though I will! :rofl: ) that I had to use 10 of my CDRs...the time to compile and burn them all...had to go to Staples and BUY a special package to ship them in...actually twice cause the 1st package wasn't adequate...then wait in line at the post office to pay the almost $10 in shipping to send all this shit to a person across the Atlantic Ocean that I have never met, and who didn't have to lift a finger or spend a moment of his time other than what was required to OPEN THE FUKKIN PACKAGE!!! :cuss:

Please forgive and indulge me if after all this my old-fashioned and maybe a bit senile ass is actually checking to see if I ever get a real thank you or not. :sad:

I mean, I remember that post when you received the CDs, and you were blown away by how many. I really don't remember the thumbs ups, but they could've been there. To me though, a thumbs up relates how truly happy you are...and I'm glad that you were happy, but a simple "thanx Coz" right before your masterful tribute to your happiness would have at least appeased this old man into thinking that somebody actually appreciated what went into creating that happiness.

I actually thought that maybe you were so happy that you had overlooked it, but as the months went by I realized it was just probably not in your nature to say thank you to people. Since I didn't like the feeling of being underappreciated, never have, I resolved for it to be my last care package...so as to not end up holding resentment against those that I consider friends. I am also a bit disappointed that after trying to create a spirit of giving amongst us friends here, I have not seen it reciprocated amongst those that I have given to towards others. :sad:

I guess I really shouldn't be surprised, I have long known that the world is a selfish place...and us Westerners are by far the most selfish of the lot! :sad:

So anyway FD, I'm not pissed or mad at you, and I still luv ya bro...I've just been fukkin with ya! :slap:

Still, the fact that you STILL CANNOT BRING YOURSELF TO SAY THANK YOU shows to me that I did indeed make the right decision in KEEPIN MY SHIT TO MYSELF!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

And you're still a limey bastid!!! :flipoff:

Thankyou

It was never my attention to make myself look ungrateful.

I just though that you acknowledged by obvious happiness and I thought it was a case of "nuff said"

Now, Maybe its just my way but if you had made some sort of point about it at the time, even jokingly I would have been more expressive in my appreciation.

Don't think for a second that I wasn't touched by the gesture, not only because I got something for free but because to me it was a compliment that you'd go to that effort for some limey you'd never met. That made me feel good about myself because I felt I must have some good attributes for a guy to dip into his own time (and his lovely money) for someone who was of very little real significance, a fat white kid from England to be blunt.

And I say this know only because you pushed me but yes I am grateful, extremely grateful.

It just embarrasses me to say it, I don't know why.

I also avoided the subject because im sorry to say ive achieved very little with the software you gave me and that REALY DOES make me feel ungrateful

but still...............

[size=24]THANKS BUDDY

:thumup: :thumup: :thumup: :thumup: :thumup: :thumup: :thumup: :thumup: :thumup: :thumup:

hey coz, wanna make a trade? samples for samples for the next gathering. i don't need loops or multisamples, just individual drum hits. i gotta buncha stuff, so fire up the burner for me and let me know what you need cuz it's a good size list, if you can clear out a good 15-20 gigs a space i'll grab all my stuff

You're quite welcome FD, and thank YOU for appeasing my old arse!

If you got anything really interesting or out there FrEk, bring it on the 9th. Our tastes differ quite alot but I'm sure you got plenty I could use. :thumup:

And bring PLENTY of CDRs...you can pick your way through my collection! :mrgreen:

Quote:

I've spread enough love around here, one of these selfish bastids that I spread it too can spread some of thier own now.

i TOLD you i was gonna paint your steps since i already gave away my dollar on the radio.. :poke: :poke: