Sound recording
Hi all,
I'm buying a Dual-CPU G5 for sound recording, video editing and photo editing uses, other then regular uses.
Question, A Dual-CPU G4 (lets say 933mhz+) will be good enough for my needs? cause I can most likely get it for nearly half the price (used).
About the audio recording, I need some advice regarding what gear should I buy.
About Firewire audio interface's, I saw 2 I liked:
-Digidesign 'digi002'
-Tascam 'FW1884'
Will I need to buy a seperate audio software or it's included?
I will need to record my band, meaning drums (me) that will probably need 4-5 mic's, 2 guitars and vocal.
Any other gear i'll need other then microphones and other small things that I should take into consideration?
Thanks alot.
I'm buying a Dual-CPU G5 for sound recording, video editing and photo editing uses, other then regular uses.
Question, A Dual-CPU G4 (lets say 933mhz+) will be good enough for my needs? cause I can most likely get it for nearly half the price (used).
About the audio recording, I need some advice regarding what gear should I buy.
About Firewire audio interface's, I saw 2 I liked:
-Digidesign 'digi002'
-Tascam 'FW1884'
Will I need to buy a seperate audio software or it's included?
I will need to record my band, meaning drums (me) that will probably need 4-5 mic's, 2 guitars and vocal.
Any other gear i'll need other then microphones and other small things that I should take into consideration?
Thanks alot.
Comments
well, his budget is kind of limited, so a g5 is probably out of the question, unless they release new ones soon, which would drop the cost of the current ones, combined with the rush of people selling their old ones to get new ones, he could probably get a great price.
So, there was that option, but also, he could get a DP 1.0 ghz g4 or something and then get a MOTU 828 audio interface.
Personally, I think that an upgraded iMac(they should be along any day now) would serve his purposes just fine, but he's set on getting a tower(he's more or less a PC user, but overall he's not very computer savvy)
either way, I think you'd be best suited waiting a little bit, the 3.0 ghz. g5s are supposed to arrive this summer, when they do, the current crop will go down in price about $2-400
as far as interfaces, most interfaces come with some software, but it's usually nothing that special(Read: limited) depending on how serious you are getting, it may or may not be enough for your needs.
2. MOTU 828mkII - This is the best firewire interface you can get in your price range. It is not limited to working with one piece of software like Digidesign gear. Plus it works great with MOTU Digital Performer 4 which has now been optimized for Panther and is a much better app than Protools for sound recording.
3. Your decision on a Dual G4 vs G5 is a tricky one. For audio, a Dual 1.0 or 1.25 G4 will be fine. You can run plenty of tracks with plugins and not have to deal with latency. Plus you can always add dsp cards for processing power. However, if you are going to be editing uncompressed video and or HD material, you may want to step up to the G5 range.
Since it sounds like you are just starting out, I would suggest spending your money on the MOTU 828 firewire i/o, the software you want to use, and a dual G4. You can always update later and the dual G4 will be more than powerful enough to record and mix your band.
But anyway, for an extra $500 it's worth to buy a G5 over a G4, I think, I will see because i'll probably only be getting it after price drops when G5 towers get an update...
Anyway, I don't think I'de want to use a RACK style interface, but a mixer style one.
Thanks alot.
Originally posted by Noleli2
As far as software being included, Digi002 definatelty includes Pro Tools LE.
And it only works with ProTools.
MOTU's 828 comes with their AudioDesk software. Plus it works with 100's of other programs that you may want to use in the future.
If you are buying a new system remember that you'll get iLife including Garageband. Garageband is a great way to get your feet wet learning how to record audio. Once you've mastered GB then you can drop the money to move up onto something more powerful, like DP or Logic.
I think a audio interface style will be more comfortable, and I like the Tascam FW1884.
I don't need any really advanced software options that GB and the real hardware options on the interface won't give me.
Some more questions:
-Why is the Digi002 about $1000 more expensive then the FW1884?
-The FW1884 has 8 mic inputs, I might need more, sinse my drums might require more then 5 mics (and there are 2 for the guitars and one for vocal), the expension I saw for the FW1884 (here: http://www.tascam.com/product_info.php?pid=345 ) will add inputs?
Thanks again.
why is the Digi002 about $1000 more expensive then the FW1884?
Because its Protools.
-The FW1884 has 8 mic inputs, I might need more, sinse my drums might require more then 5 mics (and there are 2 for the guitars and one for vocal), the expension I saw for the FW1884 (here: http://www.tascam.com/product_info.php?pid=345 ) will add inputs?
I don't think those add any inputs. They only let you control more channels in your DAW software. Since you sound like you will be using GB those aren't necessary as I don't think you can use a control surface with GB.
If you are set on getting a control surface style interface let me suggest the Yamaha 01X. I think you would get a lot more use out of it as opposed to the Tascam. The Yamaha can function as a stand alone mixer, whereas the Tascam is only a controller. Additionally the drivers for the 01X are built into OSX as part of mLan. You will be all but assured a smooth experience with the interface. Last I think the Yamaha is a lot higher quality than the Tascam. Yamaha has a lot of experience in high end audio.
Here is a link to the 01X.
2. Anytime you buy ProTools gear you can be gauranteed of 2 things:
A. You are paying too much.
B. The hardware will only work with ProTools.
I am not suggesting that you shouldn't buy the Digi 002, but you should just be aware of what you are getting in to.
I work in Film/television where ProTools is king. And it makes everyone's life easier. It is great for Audio/video Post Production.
However, if you are looking to record a band, there are countless reasons to look at other hardware and software combinations. I strongly suggest Digital Performer.
Ultimately, the sound of your recordings comes down to the digital to analogue conversion process at some point. Spend your money on the hardware that converts your signal first, and then on the software.
Originally posted by tphss
About the audio recording, I need some advice regarding what gear should I buy.
About Firewire audio interface's, I saw 2 I liked:
-Digidesign 'digi002'
-Tascam 'FW1884'
Will I need to buy a seperate audio software or it's included?
I will need to record my band, meaning drums (me) that will probably need 4-5 mic's, 2 guitars and vocal.
Any other gear i'll need other then microphones and other small things that I should take into consideration?
Thanks alot.
i've got a MOTU 828mk2...good solid piece that i recommend, but let's get to the most important part: your budget
you'll need 4-5 good mics for your drums (why get expensive hardware when you're gonna use cheap mics?)
for recording you'll need powered monitors and/or quality headphones
(gotta mix it right)
if you're recording as a group you'll likely need a headphone amp so all of you can hear mix/click track/ at once
so as far as getting audio into the computer, maybe even consider a used digidesign 001, that uses the same Pro Tools LE in the more expensive
if you want sliders and extra mic inputs, look to buy a mixer, then feed that into the computer input...
and extra hard disks(internal/external)...
and don't forget cables, they can add up quickly!
Originally posted by tphss
Hi all,
I'm buying a Dual-CPU G5 for sound recording, video editing and photo editing uses, other then regular uses.
Question, A Dual-CPU G4 (lets say 933mhz+) will be good enough for my needs? cause I can most likely get it for nearly half the price (used).
About the audio recording, I need some advice regarding what gear should I buy.
About Firewire audio interface's, I saw 2 I liked:
-Digidesign 'digi002'
-Tascam 'FW1884'
Will I need to buy a seperate audio software or it's included?
I will need to record my band, meaning drums (me) that will probably need 4-5 mic's, 2 guitars and vocal.
Any other gear i'll need other then microphones and other small things that I should take into consideration?
Thanks alot.
You will be much better off with the dual G5 -- it is a great machine for audio work. Note: You will really want at lest 1 GB of ram in it.
As for the interface, it depends on which program you are going to use. There are four choices when it comes to muli-track recording on the Mac: ProTools, Logic, Digital Performer, and cubaseSX.
The Programs
Digidesign's ProTools is a hardware/software package that is the standard in studio recording. It is probably the most strait forward and easiest to use DAW, but limits you to Digidesign hardware, doesn't handle MIDI as well as the others, and is much more expensive then all other options.
Emagic's Logic is the one that Apple bought last year. It is the most complex and has a steeper learning curve then the other DAWs, but it also has the most features. Logic Pro is probably the best deal out there, it comes with an awesome array of soft synths, reverbs and other goodies. It is also the most efficient DAW when it come to processor usage.
MOTU's Digital Performer is digital audio and MIDI sequencing program that is powerful, but a bit easier to learn then Logic. It is a long time Mac standard and has some really cool features (I really like POLAR).
Steinberg's Cubase might be a nice choice if anyone could ever get it to work. (I'm kidding to some extent, but it is so buggy on the Mac that I could not recommend it.)
Interfaces
Basically if you want to use ProTools you will have to use a Digidesign interface. If you are going to use DP or Logic you have several choices -- here are the two that I recomend:
Metric Halo's Mobile I/O - This is the one that I think is best. It unarguably has the best preamps of any of the A/D interfaces. It is modular, so you can add more inputs as needed, and it is quite portable, making on-location recording a bit easier. There are several models to chose from, all of which are great. On the downside it is not the cheapest interface.
MOTU's Audio 828mkII - This is a very popular interface. Its preamps are decent, and you can always add another 828mkII if you need more inputs.
If you really want a controller like the digi002 or FW1884 you can always get a Mackie Controller that will work with any interface and program.
BTW: The Tascam FW1884 that you mentioned has had a lot of driver issues, I think that most them have been resolved, but if you decided go that way, make sure it will work with whatever program and hardware you end up using. Some people I know love it, others have had real problems. (One real down side of the FW1884 is that you can't add more inputs.)
Welcome to the confusing wacky world of audio recording on the Mac (sometimes I long for my old 16 track reel to reel and Allen & Heath mixing console).
Its a killer unit, there is nothing out there quite like it.
Mike Byrne
Originally posted by jivebaby
Actually the FW-1884 can have up to 18 inputs including the 8 built in mic pres. Using the two digital inputs, the coax and lightpipe its possible to attach 10 more mic preamps. I have my focusrite 428 connected to the lightpipe and regularly record 14 tracks at a time. Also, the FW can function as a standalone mixer and it works well with mac and PC if that is an issue. I record using my powerbook and mix on an athlon 64 both running cubase.
Its a killer unit, there is nothing out there quite like it.
Mike Byrne
True enough, I didn't think about the digital inputs, I was just disappointed that the expansion modules only added more faders, and not mic preamps. You still run into a dead end faster then you would with the MH or MOTU options, but as far as I recall, in over 20 years of recording I've never used more then 16 audio inputs at one time, so a maximum of 18 isn't bad at all.
Which version of cubase are you running? I was a long time Mac Cubase user, but I had so many problems with SX that I had to switch.