I do simple songwriter stuff simply as a hobby. No delusions of gradeur! ( my music is sort of like my golf game)
Going to buy a new system for a new room just for my little hobby studio. Not a tight budget but really feel with what I do, money would be better spent on a few room treatments that on gear.
I do one track at a time acoustic guitar, miced amp electric guitar, DI the bass. Use a simple DMP3, VTB1, RNC and use acid loops for drums. No need for lots of I/O's.
So looking for advice and some direction on selecting a Computer and compatible card.

I'd get an Apple Mac. Even a Mac mini would be ok for just basic stuff, but an iMac would step up to the task.

Garageband comes as standard software with the Mac. Simple, easy, effective, has support for ACID loops. Can record 8 tracks at once but you dont need that anyway. 24 bit support. and did I say simple...! If you can use ACID you can use GB.

Youve got mp3 conversion and all sorts of other stuff built into the mac as standard for CD ripping and burning etc. (iTunes). Garageband will now even let you synchronise your music to a quicktime movie.

For an interface, there are so many to choose from it's ridiculous. I'd go for a Firewire based interface, external to the computer.

Personally I have a Digi002R and Pro Tools. This also works well with Garageband.

But you only need a couple of inputs. I'd check out products from Presonus. the new Inspire 1394 looks pretty good.

Also, M-Audio make pretty good gear too.

This setup will last a LONG time, and work really well. If you buy a laptop computer it will also be portable!

hope this helps

Tube

Wow! now that's an option I didn't really think of! But a cool one! So the digi002r works with garage band? If that is true what about the newer m-box? But the inspire is cool also.
What about plugins with Garage band?
Interesting .... got my juices going!!!

I would think the m-box 2 would also work with GB.

Plugins - GB is compatible with Audio Units plugins. I'm not sure about VST and such, and whether there are any wrappers you can purchase to run them in GB.

If you get a Mbox, you might as well use Pro Tools. V7 (when it is compatible with the intel chip mac) will be killer.

All the things taken for granted in most other "composing" type software like virtual instruments tracks, timestretch, loop mangling etc are now standard.

just my opinon

Pro Tools is very easy to learn IMO. Some of the training DVDs are really excellent too and highly recommended.

Hi Rick,

Not sure I can offer helpful advice, but I can spout ideas!

Definitely spend some money on the room treatment.

If I were you, I'd be tempted to pick my DAW according to what software most attracted me...that, and I think owning an Apple would be cool. You might want to download a few different things and try them out.

So that said, Garageband may be a great choice. (Go to an Apple store to check it out...or maybe there are demos online??) It looks easy and convenient from what I've seen (and who cares what I say, we have Tubedriver's personal experience). Apples are great music computers, too, from what everyone says.

You could go the ProTools route, and not that I have experience with ProTools, but I would suggest you at least have other software around that's easier and more convenient to work with. Garageband would fit that bill. I myself have fallen in love with Tracktion2 (about $200). It runs on Mac or PC, and is great for workflow. Also, it handles VST plugs very well. (Garageband doesn't, I don't think, but I bet there are wrappers that easily solve that problem, as Tubedriver suggests.)

I assume you are currently on a PC (running ACID)?

If you decide to go the PC route, you'll likely get more power and memory for the money, but perhaps less stability. I'm having someone build me an audio PC for around $1,500 (including the $200 E-mu 1212m audio card). If it works out and you're interested in a PC, you might want to check this person out. My choice of having someone else build it was 2-fold: 1) try to make the PC as stable as possible (not something I could really do on my own) 2) build a relationship with someone who could help me in times of trouble (even though I'm fairly savvy with the computer...just like to have a relationship with someone who can help me).

One advantage of the PC route is there will be tons more free plugins out there. Of course, this can be a disadvantage, especially if you're not strapped for cash (and can just buy the plugins you like or need), because it can be distracting.

Clear as mud?

Oh...the m-audio audiophile 2496 ($100) has treated me right. I've been told that the m-audio 192 (is that the number??) has better converterse ($180 or so). The E-mu m-series stuff (1212m, 1820m) is supposed to have far superior converters. These are all PCI cards. You may go the firewire route.

I've found the KVR forums to be invaluable places to hang out and learn about free and inexpensive software and plugins. I now have drum samples and piano samples, and organs, and on and on....effects included, that were all free, and that are far superior to what I was using before. Very good stuff. And it keeps getting better, IMO.

Rock on!

You know, one really cool thing about the Apples is that they were designed to inspire creativity. They look the part, and they play the part. They set the right mood, so to speak, and that's very important.

Not that I'm anti-PC's...that's what I use, but I still admire the curves and beauty of the apples, and it is more than skin deep. The heart of the machine "beats" artistic vibes and the hardware and software are designed to be rock-solid in supporting aesthetic passions. IMHO.

Hey thanks so much,
Yea I agree about the design of the Apples.
I have faced this decsion before. When you go into one of the Apple stores, those puppys sure are cool.

I use really simple software that meets my needs. Used N-track for a few years, but recently went to MultiTrack Studio. Very simple program but does everything I need and it is rock solid.
I really loved the thread a while back about home studios killing music. Since then I have been pretty sucessful at keeping my gear lust under control. The result is I'm enjoying the simple process of making more, and I think better music that ever. I know I'm having more fun!
I lurk here and learn... However, I ain't no recording engineer, no more than I'm Tiger Woods! But I love golf.... and I love to write and record.

But now I do have to make the decision on a new computer setup.

Again I know what you mean about those MAC's. But I think I can resist. Don't think the extra expense and need to learn a new system and software that ain't going to improve my music is worth it.

Gotcha, and your software decision is made. Cool.

You just need a system then...and money is no matter?

Do you need it to be mobile? Doesn't sound like it.

I'd suggest you have someone build it for you. Why? They can custom design it for your needs, they will tweak it as necessary, and you don't have to deal with the bloat of an off-the-shelf model. I'm working with "STudio Cat," or Jim Roseberry. He's at http://www.studiocat.com/

He's been great to work with so far (good prices, listens to my needs, and so on), but I haven't received and tested the final product. Others, though, have praised his work.

But if you want to do it yourself, here are some ideas I've gleaned on this and other boards [warning: verbose and perhaps redundant if you've already done a search here and elsewhere]:


Version 1: From Studio forums 8th_Note (11/2005):
I'm going to give you a very specific recipe that should be close to your budget and has worked very well for me. I've been really happy with this setup.

With the software, audio card, and computer detailed below I can record 8 tracks at once and I've had over 45 tracks with numerous plugins on a single project without the computer barfing.

Computer: You are right to be reluctant to tackle building your first computer without some help. I was lucky - my daughter's geeky boyfriend helped me with my first one. If you have a nerdy friend who has done this before I would encourage you to go this route. If not, then an alternate option is to go to one of the small computer stores in your area that build custom systems, spec out exactly what you want (see below) and have them build it for you. Shouldn't cost a whole lot more than buying the parts yourself.

Case: Get a full size case with the capacity to hold 4 hardrives.

Mobo: ASUS A7N8X-Deluxe. This motherboard accepts 32 bit AMD processors and has the N-Vidia nforce chipset which is known to work well with audio applications. It has built in SATA and will support up to 4 harddrives (2 IDE, 2 SATA) which is a nice feature. In its day this board was hot stuff. It's now old technology because of the introduction of 64 bit processors but that means the price has come down for a system that still screams by any standard.

RAM: 1 gigabyte in two 512 DIMMs. This takes advantage of the board's DDR feature.

Processor: AMD 2800 or faster (I have the 2800).

Video Card: I suggest a video card with an N-Vidia chipset such as a gforce 5200, gforce 5700, etc. I have the 5200 and it's everything I need. The reason to go with the N-Vidia chipset is because it is less likely to have any conflicts with the N-Videa chipset on the mobo. 128 megs should be plenty of video ram.

Harddrives: If you get two 120 gig hds to begin with you should be fine. If you can afford bigger go for it. You'll get lots of opinions on the best make but I've had Maxtor, Western Digital, and Seagate and they've all worked fine. Get the 7200 rpm models with 8 meg buffer.

CD burner: Plextor makes a premium model that is expensive but it works very well. Comes with software that will allow you to check for error rate on your burned CDs.

Audio Card: M-Audio Delta 1010. This is a solid digital interface but it might stretch your budget. A new one costs about $400 but you can find them on ebay for $200 to $300. Records up to 8 channels at once and has built in midi ports. M-Audio does a good job with updating their drivers and their support has been good in my experience. Another safe route is a Delta 66 card with an Omni Studio box. I think these are discontinued but you can find them used on ebay for about $200. I have both which allows me to record up to 12 tracks at once.

Software: N-Track Studio is an easy-to-use powerful program that only costs $75. I love this software. I have never run into a situation where it wouldn't do what I needed it to do. It's straightforward and has pretty much all the advanced features you'll find on more expensive programs such as plugin delay compensation, support for Direct-X and VST plugins, MIDI support, time stretching, track freezing, surround sound, you name it. It also comes with a few plugins covering reverb, compression, and delay. One of the nice things about this software is that it will handle as many tracks as your computer will handle. With the system outlined above you can have up to 40 or 50 tracks with plugins before the computer gives up.

Plugins: Hunt around for free plugins first and then start judiciously buying them as you learn what you use the most. You can spend a lot of money on plugins but in my experience they can make a huge difference.

The package outlined above has worked remarkably well. It's very stable, supports a lot of tracks and effects, and sounds very good to my ears. There are lots of other options that I'm sure work equally as well but I wanted to give you a specific example of a system that could meet your needs.

Version 2: From Dusty thread at Studio forums (Apr 12 2004):
Fancy case
ASUS P4800 Mobo w/ Intel Chipset (basically the best out)
2.8ghz hyper threaded 800mhz FSB P4 chip (ht splits the proc making it basically 2 1.4ghz with supported applications).
512 megs of ram (I plan on getting more, but so far I've ran 40+ audio tracks, 5 soft synths, BFD, 2 reverbs, 2 delays, and 10 more misc plugins without running out of resources...
Dual head video card
160 gig SATA (super fast) 7200rpm, 8 meg cache drive
and so on...

Version 3: From Dominus thread at KVR forums (12/10/2005):

An Antec ATX case, MSI 865PE NEO2-V Socket 478 Intel 865PE ATX Intel Motherboard, a P4 3.0 ghz HT socket 478 chip and 2 1gb sticks of PC3200 DDR would put you at your cheapest upgrade point, and you might even get lucky and not have to upgrade Windows.

Dominus build’s PC’s, here is his profile.

Version 4: From bleebsen’s thread at KVR forums (12/9/2005):

My recommended setup is: Athlon64 (x2 if you've got some money) on an ASUS A8-V with Kingston ValueRAM (2x 512MB DDR PC400). Probably 30% cheaper than your setup. Absolutely stable over here with 2 UADs, LAN (FXteleport) and ATI Radeon 9250 VGA card. No dropouts, no crashes, low noise.

Version 5: From http://studioforums.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/19360002...081087451#8081087451 (1/27/2005):
• Intel CPU p4 3.0ghz hyperthreading
• Intel Mobo
• RAM Corsair brand, one step above 'value' series
• Seagate hard disk (quiet)
• Zalman CPU cooler (quiet)
• Silenx or PCpowercooling power supply (quiet)
• CD/DVD R combo drive (sony)
• Video - Matrox Dual Head G550 (if you need dual head, mobo integrated video card if you don't
• Windows XP
• Case - plinkusa.com Aluminum 4U rack $99

Whoa Fox!! You got it!
Now that was helpful.. thanks!

anyone ever use a custom build site like this one?

http://store.sysbuilder.com/index.html

quote:

Originally posted by TheRick:
Whoa Fox!! You got it!
Now that was helpful.. thanks!

Glad it was. I feared it would be overkill.

I haven't used a custom build site. I considered it, but when it came to pulling the trigger on a new box, I decided to try out studio cat. I wanted a person that was easy to talk to. Perhaps "sysbuilder" would be such a place? I don't know.