WHAT ELSE DO I NEED?

[jameswales]

Ok. So I now have a good idea of the type of computer I want for my new home studio, and i've decided I want to work with Cuebase.

What else do I need?

I want to record live instruments as well as prgramming them in as well!!!!

What else do I need? And I mean everything. Is there a website, that can run through exactly what I need to set up my studio?

[Nightwolf]

Do you have an idea of what audio card you plan to use? A good recording audio card with multiple ins and outs would be a plus, although some folks just use the soundblaster series. How do you plan to "program in instruments"? What os do you plan to use? Do you plan to use MIDI? There are some good tut's at the top of this page for that. The more we know about your intended set up, the more input we can offer. Try making a list of intended instruments and hardware as well as intended recording techniques.

Hope this helps, it can be confusing at first (well later too)

Good Luck,

John Nightwolf

[jameswales]

Do you have an idea of what audio card you plan to use? A good recording audio card with multiple ins and outs would be a plus, although some folks just use the soundblaster series. How do you plan to "program in instruments"? What os do you plan to use? Do you plan to use MIDI? There are some good tut's at the top of this page for that. The more we know about your intended set up, the more input we can offer. Try making a list of intended instruments and hardware as well as intended recording techniques.

Hope this helps, it can be confusing at first (well later too)

Good Luck,

John Nightwolf

AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I didn't realise it was so complicated!!!! The honest anser is, I don't know!!!!!!!!

The last time I used Cuebase was when I was doing my A level Music Tech course about 8 years ago!!! We did use midi then, but sometimes the music didn't sound very good, maybe it was just me!!!!! I was able to program or sequence music into Cuebase just using the mouse. I know that takes time, but sometimes it useful to be able to do!

But to be honest, I really don't know what I am doing, or where to start!!!!!!!!

[Nightwolf]

Think about getting cuebase bundled with an interface. Like this

I'm not endorsing this system, just trying to give you ideas

[jameswales]

Think about getting cuebase bundled with an interface. Like this

I'm not endorsing this system, just trying to give you ideas

Thanks for that. What exactly is the MI4 for? Is that the interface? Dopes the program allow me to sequence music in?

Sorry for all the questions!!!! I really don't know what i'm doing here, do I?!!!

[john]

S'ok James. Everyone starts somewhere.

You need an external midi interface if you have external midi triggers (keyboards, midi drums, guitar or mixer etc.) or have external midi modules (synths/keyboards, samplers, midi controlled mixers, midi controlled effects etc.).

You need a decent method of audio input and output. The M14 does both audio and midi (4 audio I/O design, 16-channel MIDI I/O) and it plugs into your usb port.

[jameswales]

S'ok James. Everyone starts somewhere.

You need an external midi interface if you have external midi triggers (keyboards, midi drums, guitar or mixer etc.) or have external midi modules (synths/keyboards, samplers, midi controlled mixers, midi controlled effects etc.).

You need a decent method of audio input and output. The M14 does both audio and midi (4 audio I/O design, 16-channel MIDI I/O) and it plugs into your usb port.

So basically thats what I need if I wanna record guitars, keyboard etc onto the program?

Can you sequence drums in with this program? How do I get different sounds on there? Do I get them from the keyboard?

[john]

So basically thats what I need if I wanna record guitars, keyboard etc onto the program?

Can you sequence drums in with this program? How do I get different sounds on there? Do I get them from the keyboard?

You can get sounds from a variety of sources including external midi sound sources such as keyboards, synths, drum machines and samplers, from your soundcard (if it has a built in synth, I don't think the M14 has this) or from software synths and software samplers. There are lots of options in all three areas. I have external midi sources, my sound card can act as a synth, and I use software progs, though not many. Hari or Atom2 could probably advise you better on the software synth options.

I guess the main thing for you to understand (if you don't already) is that midi is control information only. i.e. what note to play, how long, when it starts and how loud etc. It needs something to actually generate the sound. If you rely on a lot of external sound sources you will either need a lot of audio IO on your sound card, or sound card break out box (a box that stands outside your computer. The M14 is an external box, with no reliance on a souncard on the PC, and is in effect a break out box of sorts.), or you will need an external mixer to mix a variety of external modules into say a stereo input pair for importing into your PC.

As you are learning about all this a decent but not to expensive system that gives you the flexibility to try out all or most of these options. As ever with options there are pros and cons:

External, you may have to worry about latency, especially as the M14 is USB based (a communications system not exactly known for low latency for midi implementations. You will need to provide a solution for gettin the sound generated by these modules into your system, and you obviously will use up more space in your studio for more external hardware.

Internal software synths etc generally consume your PC resources, which you probably want to keep for running as many audio tracks in cubase as you can. For example, running a soft synth will use your PC CPU, RAM and hard drive. If you rely on soft synths on their own, you are likely to use more than one. Of course they will be running at the same time as Cubase, and possibly an external sound editor like wave lab or soundforge. All this uses a lot of valuable resources (you can see why I recommended extra RAM!)

If you have a decent music shop near you, why not drop in and get them to demo a few systems or software progs? Bear in mind they are likely to steer you towards what they have in stock, or on special offer. This is great when you know what you want, but look at a few. Try a few different shops. See if you can try demo versions of the software you are recommended or that you think looks good on your existing PC... you get the picture.

I hope this helps!

Cheers

John

[Prometheus]

What I would recommend if you can afford it,

A Mixing desk with as many routing possibilities as you can afford.

A decent 24 bit soundcard.

A virtual multitrack recorder (eg. Cubase)

Monitor Speakers

A reverb of some kind (outboard or plugin)

A good quality Equalizer

A Compressor (outboard AND Plugin)

Time Domain Effects Unit with Chorus, Flange, Phase Sweeping etc. (outboard or plugins)

Condenser Microphones (at least 2 of them)

Dynamic Microphones (as required)

Loads of XLR and 0.25 inch jack cables.

A mastering Suite (there are some freeware ones that let you do parametric EQ and Hard limiting)

A pop shield (I build my own very cheap with tights or socks)

I think that's a pretty good place to start...

[jameswales]

What I would recommend if you can afford it,

A Mixing desk with as many routing possibilities as you can afford.

A decent 24 bit soundcard.

A virtual multitrack recorder (eg. Cubase)

Monitor Speakers

A reverb of some kind (outboard or plugin)

A good quality Equalizer

A Compressor (outboard AND Plugin)

Time Domain Effects Unit with Chorus, Flange, Phase Sweeping etc. (outboard or plugins)

Condenser Microphones (at least 2 of them)

Dynamic Microphones (as required)

Loads of XLR and 0.25 inch jack cables.

A mastering Suite (there are some freeware ones that let you do parametric EQ and Hard limiting)

A pop shield (I build my own very cheap with tights or socks)

I think that's a pretty good place to start...

How much do you think all that would cost?

[jameswales]

How much do you think all that would cost?

Would a ZOOM RFX 220 DIGITAL REVERB & MULTI EFFECTS UNIT be good for the reverb? I think that it also has other effects on, so could that also be my "Time Domain Effects Unit with Chorus, Flange, Phase Sweeping etc. (outboard or plugins)?"

[jameswales]

What I would recommend if you can afford it,

A Mixing desk with as many routing possibilities as you can afford.

What do you mean bty the above? Are routing basically how many channels the mixer has?

[jameswales]

OKAY, HERE'S WHAT I HAVE SO FAR ON MY WANT LIST!!!!

1. SONY VAIO p4 2.8GHZ LAPTOP 80GIG HDD 1GIG RAM

Processor Speed: 2.8 GHz

Chip Type: Intel Pentium 4

Hard Drive Capacity: 80 GB

Memory (RAM): 1 GB

Screen Size: 15.4 inches

Primary Drive: DVD+/-RW

Features: Carrying Case, Firewire, Modem, Operating System, USB

2. Steinberg System4 Bundle Cubase SL with MI4

3. ZOOM RFX 220 DIGITAL REVERB & MULTI EFFECTS UNIT (could this be my effects unit as well?)

4. Monitor Speakers

5. DIGIDESIGN DIGI 002 MIXER MUSIC PRODUCTION SYSTEM (Or Similiar!!)

6. STUDIOMASTER PBQ62 2x31 BAND GRAPHIC EQUALISER

7. dbx 266XL Compressor/gate

8. 2 x Condenser Microphones

9. Pop sheild

10. Somekind of mastering suite!! Can anyone recommend one?

How am I looking?

(Sorry for all the haslle!!!!!)

[Prometheus]

What do you mean bty the above? Are routing basically how many channels the mixer has?

Channel strips are good to have, but I've never actually recorded more than about sixteen tracks simultaneously. I was meaning more the number of group outs, sub outs, Aux outs, lines in, mic in, tape in, direct out etc... I have an old analogue spirit studio in the house, with all these and much more, it really makes a difference for patching signals in and out...

[Prometheus]

OKAY, HERE'S WHAT I HAVE SO FAR ON MY WANT LIST!!!!

1. SONY VAIO p4 2.8GHZ LAPTOP 80GIG HDD 1GIG RAM

Processor Speed: 2.8 GHz

Chip Type: Intel Pentium 4

Hard Drive Capacity: 80 GB

Memory (RAM): 1 GB

Screen Size: 15.4 inches

Primary Drive: DVD+/-RW

Features: Carrying Case, Firewire, Modem, Operating System, USB

2. Steinberg System4 Bundle Cubase SL with MI4

3. ZOOM RFX 220 DIGITAL REVERB & MULTI EFFECTS UNIT (could this be my effects unit as well?)

4. Monitor Speakers

5. DIGIDESIGN DIGI 002 MIXER MUSIC PRODUCTION SYSTEM (Or Similiar!!)

6. STUDIOMASTER PBQ62 2x31 BAND GRAPHIC EQUALISER

7. dbx 266XL Compressor/gate

8. 2 x Condenser Microphones

9. Pop sheild

10. Somekind of mastering suite!! Can anyone recommend one?

How am I looking?

(Sorry for all the haslle!!!!!)

Well, you seem to be well on the way from what I can see...

I use CoolEditPro or Adobe Audtion I think it's called now as a msetring suite...

[Prometheus]

How much do you think all that would cost?

I've got pretty much that set up and it cost me about a thousand dollars, with careful bargain hunting an use of the second hand market...

[jameswales]

I've got pretty much that set up and it cost me about a thousand dollars, with careful bargain hunting an use of the second hand market...

I'm guessing that doesn't incluide the laptop?

[jameswales]

Well, you seem to be well on the way from what I can see...

I use CoolEditPro or Adobe Audtion I think it's called now as a msetring suite...

Is the mixer on my list any good, or is the one at this website any better cos it's ALOT cheaper!!!

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/UB1622FXBehringer_W0...1QQcmdZViewItem

[Nightwolf]

Digidesign 002 comes with pro tools which does the same job as the MI4 and cuebase.

I have the digi 001 myself and love it

[jameswales]

Digidesign 002 comes with pro tools which does the same job as the MI4 and cuebase.

I have the digi 001 myself and love it

Do you mean it is a recording and sequencing program like Cuebase?

Can I use it through Cuebase, or is that a waste of time?