I'll take a stab at this one
One word ---->budget!
I'll use your examples since those are simple and easy solutions and low on
budget.
>1) a small mixing board and effects unit (to
>mess with instruments) to combine the instruments and tables into one line
in to
>the computer.
this is a proper solution however the quality of your recording will depend
on the quality of you sound card.
for example...a small mackie and a single space effects unit will work
this won't solve your multitracking but it's a great way to get multiple
instruments into your PC...
add multitracking software later and you're set. (shamless plug the free
version of pro tools is great!)
let's not get it twisted...
if you shop for a computer wisely...the existing sound card most of the time
it's good enough to
record into using the 1/8 input however the key is to shop wisely.
however with so much product on the market should go with a simple sound
blaster PCI or turtle beach card?
or spend a few extra bucks and get a USB audio interface with better i/o's
(some with 1/4 and digi i/o)
check you budget on that one.
AVOID computers with audio interfaces burned into the motherboard...in
windows it's a pain to disable them
because sometimes windows re enables them...it's also a pain to have to
disable it in the bios if you don't know what you're doing.
>2) a multitrack recording program that would take a line in
>from mixer and mic in as seperate tracks, that would allow me to apply
effects
>to one track at a time.
software? or hardware?
software multitracking programs will only take inputs from your audio
interface...if you have just a regular sound card and a program like
sonar or the (shamless plug) the free version of pro tools you'll have to
unplug and and unplug and unplug all your sources one by one...
add a 4 or 6 or 8 channel mixer and you avoid this or get a break out box or
pci card with multiple in's and use the software's mixer...you'll need lots
of ram and a fast PC for this in order to be able to monitor your sound in
real time. There is a USB box by emagic that has a monitor out that is real
time so check into that.
i don't know why a lot of computer heads knock dedicated multitrack
recorders.
some give you a mixer, effects, and recording all in one...and better
yet...it can be a Mix Down source do dump your computer tracks
some now even allow for mastering and burning to CD so you can do double
burns as well as backups. i digress...
>3) I suppose I could also get a super fancy sound card
>or other thingamajig for the computer. I know nothing about high-end
computer
>music stuff and the options and potential money to be spent make my head
spin.
>So I want to keep it simple.
Keep it simple!
"Dem Dun No Like Me and Me Dun Like Dem"
King Selector PMA
Streaming Media Specialist
pma@xfader.com
http://xfader.com - soon come seen!
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Sat Aug 10 2002 - 00:20:08 CEST