PC recording software

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: PC recording software

Originally posted by metafaza:
It's interesting to read different approaches from different people.
I guess, the sound quality is an important issue here. I would see it in two categories:
1) how good has it to be for a sound freak (I'd like to think I'm one)
2) how good has it to be for a 'so called average' listener to sound good.
As for myself I'd prefer everything to be analog (probably just a wish nowadays), but how high would you say (talking about the sample rate) for an average listener? It is a question about doing it for yourself or for other people. From what you guys have said (and what I think) it is much more expensive to satisfy yourself than to get a 'hurray' from a street passer. What do you think, is it worth the money to pursue the 'perfect' sound or just go with what sounds good to the public audience? I guess, it's a bit philosophical, but I think it is a major issue: satisfy yourself or get the crowd happy?

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Right...costs are always a factor...I'm not a musician for a living. I have the M-Audio 2496 audiophile soundcard in mp PC and use guitar tracks pro (32 tracks). The sound quality is there for my ears and very cost effective for what I use it for.

If I was making my living off my music I certainly would have a different approach to what I'd use for a project studio and certaily be spending a hell of a lot more money on it [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Lev]

Re: PC recording software

All the software mentioned above can you get you good sound quality. I would suggest getting a good mic, an SM57 is the most common one, and work on getting the sound you want out of your amp. Those are more important than your software at this point. If you have a good computer and decent software, your sound will be fine. Of course there's a difference from Cakewalk Guitar pro to Pro Tools, but like I said, you can get a great sound from cheaper programs too.

As for the issue of satisfying yourself or making the crowd happy.. that depends on what you're trying to do. From the point of view of a musician, you'd do it for yourself.. as a producer/recorder, you do it for the audience. Your best bet is to satisfy everyone [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[metafaza]

Re: PC recording software

Yes, I've already decided to buy a new computer, but it's probably going to happen sometime next year (too late to ask Santa [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] ) I think I'm going to have a separate audio card just for recording. My current P2 400 with 64MB of memory is an antique nowadays. The good thing is that guitars don't become out of date so fast, especially Jacksons [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

[Shawn Lutz]

Re: PC recording software

get the Guitar Tracks Pro if that is what you are thinking about...it's $99 last tinme I checked..probably cheaper these days. It is really easy to use too..

[Steve]

Re: PC recording software

Originally posted by metafaza:
Hello everyone! [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]
It's my first post on the board. I've been reading it for quite a while and I find it very useful. Anyway, down to the business.
I want to record my 'music' on PC. What do you guys use and/or what you recommend? My current setup is not very top notch, but this can be changed [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] (in the future).

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">calkwalk sonor is great and really user friendly samplitude producer pro is good as well any of the cubebase stuff is good as well but a little harder to use and for mastering I use sound forge 6.0 very user friendly ! best of luck ! //Steve

[Steve]

Re: PC recording software

........ and for sampled drums try and find the drum kit from hell , they sound so real ! //Steve

[Infernal Death]

Re: PC recording software

I use a separate PC for recording. Nothing in there besides my soundcard (STAudio DSP2000 system with 10 channels in/out (each 8 analog and 2 digital) located in a separate 19" rack case because the a/d d/a converters don't like to sit in the pc case) and the graphic card. The more cards you have in your pc the more problems can arise.
I use Cubase SX and i have to say that it's really awesome. Quite some time ago i borrowed Cubase VST 32/5.0 (which was the top cubase at that time) from my uncle and i never got into it. So i switched to cakewalk. But the new Cubase SX is so much better so i switched back to Steinberg.

Although my soundcard is able to record at 24bit/96khz i record at 24bit/48khz. 96khz just eats up so much harddisk space and processor performance (and i don't have a very powerful pc for recording) i think it just isn't worth it. Sure if you have a professional studio maybe you can truly hear the difference but those people usually have the money to have a powerful pc and they don't care about harddisk space.

As for analog gear i build my own. The originals are just too expensive if you want something better than behringer or alesis (which i want [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ). My guitar recording chain is SM57 into self-builded mic preamp (clone from the Amek Mozart consolse, here is a pic

then into a Urei 1176LN compressor clone (pic here

and then into the A/d converters of my soundcard.

I hope i finish soon a real tube mic preamp (no fake tube like behringer) which is supposed to sound excellent. And maybe i get around in getting audio transformers for my Neve 1290 mic preamp clone so i can finish this unit.

@ Steve
I also heard the Drumkit from Hell. Awesome drum samples. How do you use them ? I am in the progress of finding a cheap master keyboard with dynamic keys for using drum samples in NI Battery linked to Cubase. So far it sounds cool but i don't have Drumkit from Hell (just heard samples) so i am wondering if it's worth buying. I just found out that you really should use something like NI's Battery mainly because of the ability to use velocity layers which make the sound much more real (together with dynamic midi keys).

Flo

[Infernal Death]

Re: PC recording software

As far as the drum samples thing goes. Some time ago i programmed two drum computer samples, using different programs and samples.
First one is based on some free samples i found on the internet. Program used is Fruity loops:
http://mitglied.lycos.de/InfernalDea...ood%20Test.mp3
As you can hear it really sounds like a drum computer, not natural at all.
The second one is with different and much more natural sounding samples. Program was NI Battery (although no real velocity layer was used).
http://mitglied.lycos.de/InfernalDeath/NightsHell.mp3
It sounds much more natural but still i am far away from the sound i want in the end. I need to eq those drums in Cubase and i hope with using a midi master keyboard with dynamic keys i can make it sound much more natural. In this example all trigger midi signals have the same strength, means the "virtual drummer" is hitting everything with exactly the same strength which makes it sound unnatural. Oh well programing drum sounds really is hard work.

Flo