Thread Hello, I need advice

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godrownachild

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1 Posted on 01/19/2004 at 21:37:45

Let me start by saying that I am currently working two jobs for the sole purpose of creating an awesome sounding demo that will hopefully get me somewhere. I play guitar, bass, keys, and most brass and I'm extremely interested in recording/editing with my computer. I used to record bass and guitar lines with my crappy computer mic and do cool stuff with programs like Sound Forge and Fruity Loops, but now I want to really get started. The problem is, the only information I can find online is either severely outdated, or assumes I have a basic understanding of digital recording. I've been eyeing products like the Aardvark AARK 24 and Q-10, but honestly I really have no idea what it can do. I'm expecting to pay at least $5,000 but will gladly pay more if I have to.... please help

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gawain_en

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2 Posted on 01/19/2004 at 23:33:17

Hi,
the first thing you need to do is think about your needs in terms of recording gear. Do you want to buy a new dedicated PC or do you want to work with your current computer? How many inputs and outputs do you need on your soundcard? How many tracks do you want to record at once?

These are the basic questions you should think about.

godrownachild

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3 Posted on 01/20/2004 at 10:51:30

Well, I will probably by a new computer dedicated to recording, since I use my current one to do a lot of different things. I plan on only recording one track at a time (i think that's the way to go to get the best sound quality... but correct me if i'm wrong)

gawain_en

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4 Posted on 01/20/2004 at 11:18:16

If you plan to record only one track at a time, a soundcard with a pair of good inputs should be enough.
There are lots of good soundcards that respond to your criterias. I personally would go Firewire.
The M-audio Firewire 410 has everything you need. You can find similar products in USB by Mackie or Digidesign but I think Firewire will become a new standard in audio recording.
For the choice of software, it depends on your needs and tastes.

You should probably buy a pair of decent studio monitors and a couple of good mics. And you will still have money left for something else.

godrownachild

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5 Posted on 01/20/2004 at 23:08:53

I have a pair of very good headphones that should work pretty good as a monitor... the reason I had the aardvark models in mind was because they were both a soundcard and a bunch of inputs in one (I need to replace my sound card anyway). Also, I read in the introductory guide on this site that a keyboard/mouse will be limiting when i'm editing. Is this true? If so, what are the alternatives? Thanks so much for the advice.

gawain_en

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6 Posted on 01/21/2004 at 00:40:41

My personla opinion is that the Ardvark is rather expensive if you plan to record only a track at once. The M-audio has two mic preamps and line inputs and 8 different line outputs. I saw this interface work and it is a little wonder.

The headphones should do the trick till you decide to buy monitors. Mixing with a mouse and a keyboard is not easy but it should be enought for the time being. You will still have time to think about buying a control surface when you start working on more complicated projects.

godrownachild

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7 Posted on 01/21/2004 at 20:09:47

Alright, one more thing; what would you recommend in terms of mics? Would I be able to use the same microphone to record, say a vocal line as I would a brass part, or would I be better off buying separate, specialized mics for each?

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