Re: Software

Mark Allerton (Mark@warmspot.compulink.co.uk)
Sat, 25 Jan 1997 10:49:55 +0000

At 18:11 24/01/97 -0800, you wrote:
>At 12.22 AM 1/25/97 +0000, Mark Allerton wrote:
> >Firstly, if you want to so a lot of sampling on a PC, get a soundcard like
>>the AWE-32. If you add some additional RAM to it, you can do a lot of the
>
>The AWE-32 is the standard, and I have one, but if you're serious about
>sampling, or even digital audio recording on a PC,
>the AWE-32 won't cut it. It's good enough for doing just sounds, but if you
>get into multitrack digital recording, it's rather limited, especially in
>duplex mode (if you download the duplex drivers from www.creaf.com). Duplex
>mode lets you listen to your sample as you record another. An AWE-32 will
>let you do this, however, the playback quality will only be 8-bit rather
>than 16-bit. The best hardcore digital audio cards out now are the Card D
>Plus (about $3,000 US) and another, whose name escapes me, but it's
>equipped with pro XLR ins/outs, rather than the cheap 1/8" jacks. Of
>course, if you can easily afford those soundcards, then you can also afford
>that $10,000 laser-stylus turntable as well. :)

Duplex mode becomes a non-issue for sampling if your samples are loaded
into the AWE synth as SoundFonts, rather than just played back via the SB
Audio out (i.e as part of audio tracks in any of the sequencers.) But for
straight hard-disk recording, you're right - the AWE32 can't cut it. The
other downside of the AWE is the analog circuitry is not of "pro" quality -
so you'll get more noise on both the recorded input and the final output
than is really ideal. That said, it's not that bad (always use the line out
though - the built in power amp is appalling.) The upside is that they cost
160 quid now. If you've a little more money to spend, then some of the
Turtle Beach cards offer much better noise performance (and full duplex.)

One piece of software I should have mentioned in conjunction with the AWE
is Vienna 2.0, which you can get from Creative's site - this is essential
for turning those ReCycled beats into SoundFonts for the card.

On the sequencer front, you can get save-disabled demo versions of both
Cubase and Cakewalk from the companies' respective web sites (Steinberg &
Twelve-Tone - look them up on Yahoo.) I guess I'd have to agree with
Elson's comments on switching packages (though I never had any trouble
learning new bits of software :-)) but I have to say that I think the
pattern features in Cubase look like _major_ timesavers.

..Mark..