Home Studio Guys, in Here...Paging Moshy...

[bratfink]

One question I have for the computer people here:

Why is no-one making use of USB 3.0 for recording yet? And prior to that why was no-one using ethernet (RJ-45)?

High data transfer speed for computational work is already on USB3.0 and previously used ethernet. Our CFD cluster at work uses both and there is a phenominal transfer speed. I just wondered why in an industry that puts such a high value on latency they haven't jumped on the opportunity to make use of the latest interface?

[Grim]

One question I have for the computer people here:

Why is no-one making use of USB 3.0 for recording yet? And prior to that why was no-one using ethernet (RJ-45)?

High data transfer speed for computational work is already on USB3.0 and previously used ethernet. Our CFD cluster at work uses both and there is a phenominal transfer speed. I just wondered why in an industry that puts such a high value on latency they haven't jumped on the opportunity to make use of the latest interface?

USB 3.0 is about the same speed as a 2nd generation PCI-e slot. Problem is developers like standards, and USB 3.0 isn't supported by a lot of platforms nor natively supported by any version of Windows at the present time. Add this to the fact that only a select few computers actually have 3.0 slots (And before you go yelling "Use an adapter!", remember that you can only get as much speed as allowed by the port connected to the mobo) and it's not difficult to see why nobody is using 3.0 yet. A lot of times the port drivers malfunction and only transfer at USB 2.0 speeds anyway. As for RJ-45... really?

As for the OP, I pretty much agree with MOSHWITZ. Don't worry about Firewire vs USB for latency, that more depends on your interface drivers than anything. Get a reasonable M-Audio or RME interface ( I have a fireface), REAPER is wonderful, get some amp sims... Don't use the ones in Garageband, they are pretty lackluster. The LePou plugins are great, as is Guitar Rig if you want to shell out some more coin. For drums, I'm a fan of SD 2.0, but have had good results with Steven Slate Drums, especially since they sound great out of the box whereas SD 2.0 can take a lot of work to get the drums sound "proper", as it's very much like a real kit.


EDIT : Headphones -- I don't know about <$100, but I'm using Alessandro MS-1s, which aren't as flat as I'd like but they work. I would recommend the Audio-Technica M50s, despite my relative disdain for that brand. Headphones are better than monitors for this application, becuse they're more accurate and you're likely going to have a less than ideal room for the monitors. Even some of the biggest producers only work with headphones.

And PODFarm sounds great. vildhjarta use it, and you tell me that guitar sound isn't awesome.

[BayRocker]

I'm running an M-Audio Audiophile 192 internal PCI interface and have zero latency issues, it works flawlessly. Not sure if it's Mac capable or not. I went the whole amp sim thing for a while using Amplitube 2/3, various free ones, IR's, etc.... and got fairly decent tones out of it, but have scrapped that whole thing in favor of a microphone in front of a real tube amp! It just doesn't compare. I spent way too much time tweaking when using the amp sims.

As far as a DAW, I've used Pro-Tools in the past, but switched to Reaper. It just made more sense to me. I think it's about $50-$60 and is laid out just the way I like it. I can multi-track to my hearts content. I do have a Quad-Core i7 PC that I built that has 16gb of RAM in it so it's a beast. I run 32 tracks just for the drums.....

Drum sequencer....I use Superior 2. The basic Superior 2 package comes with a meh kit, and I don't use it, but you have to have it to run the expansions. I have most of the SDX and EZX expansion packs but find that I use Metal Foundry and Evil Drums the most. I don't sequence the drums though, I have a rather large Roland V-Drum kit, and play them myself. I don't like programming drums, it's tedious to me...so I just fuggin' learned to play the damn things myself...no drummer to deal with. I have toyed with the sequencer portion and it works great, just sounds robotic to me, so I play them myself.

[MOSHWITZ]

Sup?

Problem is developers like standards, and USB 3.0 isn't supported by a lot of platforms nor natively supported by any version of Windows at the present time.

This^^^


MOSHON
DAVE

[neptoess]

As a computer engineer, I can tell you that the USB vs Firewire thing is literally a crap shoot. Macs tend to be better with Firewire (IEEE 1394), while Windows tend to be better with USB. Electronically, USB is actually better. As for real vs amp sims, for the price of something like Guitar Rig, you could pick up a good recording amp AND an SM57 to record it. Real amps just sound better to most ears.

[mjtripper]

For amp sims check out s-gear, it sounds great and is fairly inexpensive. The only down side is there are no effects except delay - but it's a very good delay.

As others have stated ez drummer is a great way to get going and I still use it for some things but have since upgraded to superior and couldn't be happier. One thing that gets some people is superior isn't processed like some of the other products. It's just a good kit recorded in a good room with good equipment and engineering. If you want a processed sound with compression, eq, etc, you have to do that yourself - it comes with all the plugins needed and some good presets for using them but it's very much like processing a raw kit.

[Grim]

As a computer engineer, I can tell you that the USB vs Firewire thing is literally a crap shoot. Macs tend to be better with Firewire (IEEE 1394), while Windows tend to be better with USB. Electronically, USB is actually better. As for real vs amp sims, for the price of something like Guitar Rig, you could pick up a good recording amp AND an SM57 to record it. Real amps just sound better to most ears.

So not true it isn't even funny. http://www.native-instruments.com/#/...tar-rig-5-pro/

Guitar rig is 200$. An SM57 is $100 alone. You're telling me you can find a good recording amp for $100?

[neptoess]

So not true it isn't even funny. http://www.native-instruments.com/#/...tar-rig-5-pro/

Guitar rig is 200$. An SM57 is $100 alone. You're telling me you can find a good recording amp for $100?

You still need an interface. Guitar Rig with the Kontrol is $369. SM57s are $70 new, cheaper used. $300 can easily buy a recording amp. There's a 6505+ combo for 320 at guitar center. That's a hell of a deal. Yes, without a doubt, you have far more options tonally with guitar rig, but if you prefer the sound of an actual amp mic'd, guitar rig isn't going to get you there. That being said, YMMV. People have recorded very good albums with tone that I'll admit is awesome on Line 6 Pods.