Thread M-Audio FastTrack / Simple Home Studio Question.
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Guitarfiend
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Hey guys, just happened to stumble across this great site while looking for some answers.
My Dad and I try and get together every now and then to lay down some ideas/tracks on his Roland VS2480 (sweet machine.) Anyhow, we've been trying to setup something for me to lay down some tracks at home.
He surprised me this Christmas with an M-Audio FastTrack USB unit. At first it looked like a great solution but it seems pretty cumbersome. First off, while using it you can't seem to direct playblack through your soundcard (I have an Audigy 2) - you have to select the M-Audio FastTrack driver for both playback and recording. Maybe I'm missing something but I would like to be able to record with the FastTrack unit but hear the output through my PC speakers. I have a feeling this setup isn't supported. Furthermore, the bundled effects software "GT Player Express" seems buggy as heck. The effects processing seems to just randomly stop working after a while.
I know my way around a computer very well (I had better as a programmer
) but I'm a complete newbie when it comes to audio software/recording hardware. So I've been doing some research and it seems like a soundcard might be a better solution. I checked out M-Audio's site and the Audiophile 192 card looked interesting. I would like support for S/PDIF because my amp has digital outputs (Fender CyberTwin.)
I was wondering if you guys could recommend a simple setup for me. Portability is nice but isn't a priority.
Basically I would like to be able to:
-----------------------------------------------
- record my guitar either directly through the soundcard or through my amp via the S/PDIF output.
- lay down some vocals
- record a few tracks (rhythm/solo/vocal etc.)
- MIDI isn't necessary, though it never hurts to have the support.
- be able to play regular audio (MP3s/music, games, etc) through PC speakers without having to reconfigure my audio properties everytime (like it seems I have to do with this FastTrack unit.)
- looking to keep the price between $600-800
My system setup is:
---------------------------
P4-3GHz/1GB/Audigy2/Radeon9800Pro 128MB/160GB SATA2 Seagate + 37GB Western Digital Raptor 10K/Windows XP SP2.
Units I've looked at:
---------------------------
TASCAM US-428 - USB based again, might have same problem as FastTrack
M-Audio Audiophile 192 - heard it was noisy
M-Audio Delta 1010LT - ?
My only real concern with going the sound card route is the internal noise/hums/fans that might get picked up.
Lastly, what do you guys think of CakeWalk HomeStudio 2004?
Any thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much in advance.
My Dad and I try and get together every now and then to lay down some ideas/tracks on his Roland VS2480 (sweet machine.) Anyhow, we've been trying to setup something for me to lay down some tracks at home.
He surprised me this Christmas with an M-Audio FastTrack USB unit. At first it looked like a great solution but it seems pretty cumbersome. First off, while using it you can't seem to direct playblack through your soundcard (I have an Audigy 2) - you have to select the M-Audio FastTrack driver for both playback and recording. Maybe I'm missing something but I would like to be able to record with the FastTrack unit but hear the output through my PC speakers. I have a feeling this setup isn't supported. Furthermore, the bundled effects software "GT Player Express" seems buggy as heck. The effects processing seems to just randomly stop working after a while.
I know my way around a computer very well (I had better as a programmer
) but I'm a complete newbie when it comes to audio software/recording hardware. So I've been doing some research and it seems like a soundcard might be a better solution. I checked out M-Audio's site and the Audiophile 192 card looked interesting. I would like support for S/PDIF because my amp has digital outputs (Fender CyberTwin.)I was wondering if you guys could recommend a simple setup for me. Portability is nice but isn't a priority.
Basically I would like to be able to:
-----------------------------------------------
- record my guitar either directly through the soundcard or through my amp via the S/PDIF output.
- lay down some vocals
- record a few tracks (rhythm/solo/vocal etc.)
- MIDI isn't necessary, though it never hurts to have the support.
- be able to play regular audio (MP3s/music, games, etc) through PC speakers without having to reconfigure my audio properties everytime (like it seems I have to do with this FastTrack unit.)
- looking to keep the price between $600-800
My system setup is:
---------------------------
P4-3GHz/1GB/Audigy2/Radeon9800Pro 128MB/160GB SATA2 Seagate + 37GB Western Digital Raptor 10K/Windows XP SP2.
Units I've looked at:
---------------------------
TASCAM US-428 - USB based again, might have same problem as FastTrack
M-Audio Audiophile 192 - heard it was noisy
M-Audio Delta 1010LT - ?
My only real concern with going the sound card route is the internal noise/hums/fans that might get picked up.
Lastly, what do you guys think of CakeWalk HomeStudio 2004?
Any thoughts or input would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you very much in advance.
Axeman
AFfectionate Poster
I love Cakewalk stuff. Works great! I use Pro Audio 9 still, but I'l be upgrading to Sonar one of these days....
I don't know of too many decent PCI or USB audio interfaces that will do both quality recording and normal PC/gaming chores. I love MAudio's PCI stuff, but their USB stuff doesn't always get the highest reviews because of driver bugs.
If really want to go the dual use/no reconfiguration route, I would stick with the USB type interfaces rather than trying to run TWO PCI audio cards. (I know folks who have made it work, but it's kind of like asking for problems!)
Probably the easiest (and cheapest) way to implement a dual use scheme would be to get one of these:
They're under $40, sound decent, and will allow you to hook up the line out of your sound card to one channel, the line out of your USB interface to the other, and your PC speakers to the Main Outs. If you're gaming, bring up the channel volume of your soundcard and leace the other channel turned down. If you're recording, vice versa.
Added bonus to going this route- headphone jack for late night sessions..... 8)
I don't know of too many decent PCI or USB audio interfaces that will do both quality recording and normal PC/gaming chores. I love MAudio's PCI stuff, but their USB stuff doesn't always get the highest reviews because of driver bugs.
If really want to go the dual use/no reconfiguration route, I would stick with the USB type interfaces rather than trying to run TWO PCI audio cards. (I know folks who have made it work, but it's kind of like asking for problems!)
Probably the easiest (and cheapest) way to implement a dual use scheme would be to get one of these:
They're under $40, sound decent, and will allow you to hook up the line out of your sound card to one channel, the line out of your USB interface to the other, and your PC speakers to the Main Outs. If you're gaming, bring up the channel volume of your soundcard and leace the other channel turned down. If you're recording, vice versa.
Added bonus to going this route- headphone jack for late night sessions..... 8)
The Axeman (##(===> Cuts From My New Blues CD
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