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Hello from Wales

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Topic Hello from Wales
Hello all,
I'm hoping that some kind person will help me with my dilema.
I've read through the newbie section and whilst getting partial answers I'm not really being told what I need to know.
I'm trying to set up a home studio( I don't play but b/f plays drums).
We have a TD-7 Vdrum kit, yamaha midi keyboard, electric guitar + V amp, Behringer mx1804 mixer and roland D-10 active monitors. Here is my problem.... The pc that it's to run to has an ASrock motherboard with Via chipset (north bridge) usb 2.0 ata (south bridge).
I know I should have started with the pc/soundcard and worked around it but I already had the pc and planned to upgrade to accomodate.
Before I go and buy anything else I want to be sure that I can get it all to work when I'm done......can you see the look of disappointment on my kids little faces, if I fail??????( They are all taller than me.....)
Any suggestions gratefully received.
:D
2
Hello badbuffyboo,

Well, you will have to be more specific with your requirements like, do you want a multiple input card and what kind of software do you prefer to run? Usually, it's the software of choice that will determine what kind of computer will be used to run it, not the other way around.

That said, I'm viewing your choice of motherboard with a certain amount of trepidation. I'm carefully watching developments in motherboards lately (since I am upgrading my system) and one of the conversations I had with a knowledgeable fellow in another forum agreed with my views that Via chipsets starting with the KT133 up to the KT600 have been woefully inadequate for audio work. The Via KT8T800, which uses the Athlon 64 cpu, has been acknowledged to be the excellent for audio. Other chipsets to consider would be the Nforce3, Intel 865/875; the jury is still out on the Intel 915/925/955 series.

On the otherhand, I have read posts from others who seem to use KT400 boards without much problem, but I guess they don't stress their systems much. Looking at your gear list, it seems you need a minimum of 8 inputs for tracking but then you have an 18 input mixer going out to a 4 buss. A little more info on what you want to achieve would help us guide you on your way to the dreaded Gear Acquisition Syndrome (GAS), the bane of most home studio musicians - myself included.

Best,
3
Many thanks for the quick reply. :D
The set up has happened gradually. The instruments have been floating about for a couple of years but we haven't really got anywhere in recording. We knew that we would eventually ....We have a couple of pc's in the house. Mine is only an 800mhz with a soundblaster 5.1 card and we have used acid to make a few "tunes". We are familiar with both acid and reason ( can't remember the version off the top of my head).
The pc I want to use is my son's.....( bought ready made) it has a 1.8Ghz processor with a K7VT2 Mobo. Seperate graphics but on board sound. I think I need to upgrade the sound card ( I have one of those very attracive midi connectors..lol)but don't know whether to go PCI, firewire or usb. If the mother board is rubbish...I'd rather start over.I have a mixer with 6mono channels and 4 stereo. I know I need more than one line in/out but don't think I need much more than 2 or possibly 4 as the studio is very small amd they won't all be able to record simultaneously...hell they have to learn to play properly first!. A very dear friend who helped us chose the instruments and told us to stay clear of via chipsets unfortunately is no longer with us and our little fountain of knowledge went with him, yet another example of why it is bad to procrastinate! So we have jumped in feet first and now need as much help as possible.
So, we'll probbaly stick to reason and acid.... cos he showed us how to use them..... anything else pc based is up for review....
thanks in anticipation
:D
4
Hello again!,

I'd steer clear of usb options if you intend to simultaneously track 2 or more sources. It seems the industry is headed towards firewire solutions although for your needs, a pci card like M-Audio would be quite suitable; easy to set up , stable drivers, and works just about with anything. I use an Emu myself but I wouldn't recommend it to a newbie because of the way they did their mixer software - ultra flexible and powerful, but a very steep learning curve.

I checked your mobo and it is a Via KT266A chipset. Curiously, I've been reading a rather technical post about a reviewer using a mobo with the same chipset but running an audio card the same as mine! He has used M-Audio cards without problems on his mobo so there might be hope for your pc just yet. Anyway, should you upgrade, you can always transfer the audio card to the new pc.

Use what you have and get the most out of it before diving headlong into acquiring new gear or pc's. My first workstation was a Pentium 166 with an SB AWE32! I spent a good 5 years learning and mastering midi and audio processing with that rig, also read up on music technology along the way.

Feel free to ask more questions and I, as well as the rest of the more knowledgeable members of this forum, will try to answer them the best that we can.

Regards,
5
Hello again,
many thanks for getting back to me.
I've done quite a bit of reading around and I was hoping that the Audiphile 2496 would work with my mobo. I want to grasp the basics before I go overboard. My problem is my b/f who wants me to know all about mixing and mastering and midi and how to make my own cables and just about everything else studio related... but he wants me to know it NOW!
Can anyone point me in the direction of "Idiot" guides to all the above..... so I can tell him where to start...lol.
I'm looking forward to getting to grips with all this info.....it's been a steep learning curve already..thank you for steering me away from another mountain to climb.
Anyway......time to bulid those speaker shelves.... my little DM-10's came today. (the other pair were faulty..boo..hiss)
Thanks again.
Beth
6
Thanks again,
I seem to be heading in the right direction as I had already found Tweakheads........so that's a reasurrance.
Last night I made a stereo hedaphone extension lead.......first attempt was rubbish but after several efforts, I made 2 working ones. I'm only using cheap cable at the moment.... no point spending money on my first lot.
I've got a long way to go before I even know what all the equipment is.... I'm a trained nurse..... I've never done this kind of thing before.
Anyway, must dash, I'm off to work shortly.... nights..yuk.
thanks for all the pointers...... very very much appreciated.
Beth x :D