Re: Software

Elson Trinidad (elson@westworld.com)
Fri, 24 Jan 1997 18:11:40 -0800

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. :)

>Finally, you need a sequencer. I use Cakewalk at the moment, which is by
>far the easiest of the PC sequencers to get to grips with. I've played with
>the others though, and if I was spending more of my own money on a
>sequencer I'd get Cubase.

Most of the major sequencer programs basically do the same thing, though
one may have more interesting
editing tools than the other, it's usually very counterproductive to go
switching sequencer programs. First of all, sequencer software A may not be
as extensive as sequencer software B, but in this age of rapidly-developing
updates, in a couple months, sequencer A may get more or less the same
features as B. Second, do you really want to start a new learning curve and
spend hours on a new sequencer manual or do you want to make music? Pick a
sequencer that works well for you, STICK WITH IT, and make good music.

Elson
-30-
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Elson Trinidad

Los Angeles, CA, USA
elson@westworld.com * http://www.westworld.com/~elson
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