How is your home studio?

1Patrice Vigier · 02 Nov 2007 18:43

Tell us how is setup your home studio

or ask question about that subject

or make suggestions.

1Patrice Vigier · 07 Nov 2007 13:12

Does somebody has experienced PC and MAC? What is your verdict? Which one is better?

Ben · 07 Nov 2007 16:12

I have been using a Mac for some years now - I find it is far easier and more reliable than a PC. I like to get on with things and for this the Mac just 'works' fine for me. On my Mac I run Logic and Pro Tools - these are both amazing. I tend to use Pro Tools a lot as most studios run this and it means I can work on bits in my own spare times as well as take sessions to studios and visa versa. I have to say for song writing and jotting of ideas Logic is a superb tool and prefer using this to Pro Tools at the moment. Garage band comes standard on every Mac and is also a fantastic tool to use as well - simple great and effective.

1Patrice Vigier · 09 Nov 2007 10:21

I have a PC for my music with a AMD dual core a Fireface audio card and Cubase and it works fine...

ped · 09 Nov 2007 14:58

I use (at home) Ableton Live and Reason, and my bass goes into the programme through my Bass Pod XT Pro. I also have Cubase 3 which is great, but I am still trying to work it out - setting up the pod as the ASIO driver is doing my head in!!At the actual studio we use some kind of Mac with Digital Performer - it seems excellent.

Fredrik Pihl · 09 Nov 2007 15:38

I use a PC computer with a Steinberg Project card soundcard.Cubase SX 2.0, Sonar 4 Producer edition,Reason 3.0, Wave Lab 5.01, Soundforge 8.0, A lot's of plug ins and a few secrets....

1Patrice Vigier · 12 Nov 2007 17:51

I recently purchase a RME Fireface 400, I was about to buy a TC Electronic, but for different reasons I did not, but one of them was where the device was made: in Thailand. I was shocked... I have, of course, nothing against Thailand, it would have been anywhere else it would have been the same, I'm expecting a brand like TC to be made and controlled where they are located.

It is the same for Ampeg that is now made in Vietnam; it is shocking...for a high end brand.

M'I right or out of date?

Chris Carter · 12 Nov 2007 20:29

Unfortunately most audio gear is made in the far east, and that is due to cheaper costs. However there are still companies that make their own stuff. Mark of the Unicorn don't make their own stuff, but I know for a fact it's not built in the far east. Rode are an australian company that make nice microphones, all built in house.......... All is not lost.

ped · 12 Nov 2007 20:32

Everything should be made in France

Chris Carter · 12 Nov 2007 20:36

As peddy said, I use a dual processor G5 Mac with MOTU Digital Performer. Really stable stuff. The Mac just does it's job and I don't have to worry about how many tracks I can record on at once. Digital Performer has always been a bit of an under dog amongst audio software. It rivals Pro tools in what it can do, but tends to be used more in the film industry for scoring music to video.

Solgon · 24 Feb 2008 12:57

You're right Patrice, Ampeg products are now "made in Vietnam"... It's a shame to me.Just have to seek for an old SVT valve serie :(Anyway, the RME products are very good and reliable.Using Mac or PC depends, IMO, on your way of using computers.Personally I will try to find an old Tascam mix/recorder, which, to me, is the simpliest way to record and also one of the best mic preamps.I also heard about the Korg MR1000 being a monstruous machine for very high quality recording.Using the new sony 1 bit universal file format, it appears to help you record, mix, master, any source with ease, high quality, and also to save your project in an universal file type allowing you to import/export in any professionnal software.It's smaller than any "D-3200-like" and is provided with a powerfull software too.So : Great for home-studio or even nomad recordings.Still have to try it.I'm gonna get some info thanx to a customer whose gonna get one during march... cannot wait !!!;?]

B · 13 Mar 2008 21:13

Home recording is something I'm looking to get into, and I'm new to this, so any help will be really appreciated! I'm looking for a simple set up as I am a real technophobe lol. I've not got a great deal of space so I'm interested in a laptop. That way it saves space and I can easily get it out when I get inspired. Perhaps software like cubase where I can create drum/bass/keybord tracks etc and can record my guitar over the top and burn onto CD, create mp3's ect... So yeah...something pretty simple and relativley cheap too! If anyone has got any ideas/advice/suggestions that would really help cos I don't know where to start! Cheers Brad

1Patrice Vigier · 13 Mar 2008 21:56

Of course I'm not a specialist, but I recommend, any PC fast enough. The most important is the sound card, I use RME and it works very well with my Sony Laptop. Also Cubase is very complete and you can find freeware plugins to get some good effects.Enjoy

Michel Sigwalt · 18 Mar 2008 16:56

1Patrice Vigier wrote:Of course I'm not a specialist, but I recommend, any PC fast enough. The most important is the sound card, I use RME and it works very well with my Sony Laptop.

" Here " its' an RME Fireface 400 with a Dell Inspiron 530 / Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz : works like a charm !

1Patrice Vigier wrote:Also Cubase is very complete and you can find freeware plugins to get some good effects.Enjoy

Samplitude and it's hybrid audio engine is great. Now it's included in Magix's " Music Studio 2008 " - much less expensive than Samplitude 10 ! - ----------------------------------------------- Here are some of those free p-i : => http://www.vigier.fr/forum/message.php?id_question=843 Regards MS

vguru · 01 Apr 2008 00:41

Brad,If you're primarily recording guitar and need MIDI just for drum tracks, I'd suggest Sonar. I have Cubase and I love it but it's a production tool, really. Guitarists will rarely use most of its features. Sonar is similar but the one nice thing about it is the MIDI editor. It is very easy to generate new drum tracks on Sonar, it's a bit of a bother with Cubase, still manageable. If you're undecided, check out Reaper (www.*.com/reaper). It's a free tool that has a lot of the features of Sonar and Cubase and is relatively straightforward to use. The MIDI editor could be easier, though.I'd also recommend downloading ASIO4ALL if your soundcard doesn't come with an ASIO driver.Good luck!-Guru

B · 07 Apr 2008 12:47

Thanks for the help, I will check all this out. Brad

Mike Keller · 12 Apr 2008 05:56

Here's mine:

Even though i have the Mac mini, i've only tried out Garageband once- i'm much more comfortable using the Yamaha AW2400 that i already had before i got the Mac. peace, Mike

Raphael · 17 Apr 2008 20:41

You've got a good installation !

Ed DeGenaro · 28 May 2008 03:18

I used to run Logic 4 on up on a PC. When the went MAc only at 5.5 I was VERY pissed off, and switched to Nuendo, a bit later I came across Samplitude/Sequoia which I've used since 5.9 or so, and it's at 10.1 now.It's my fave audio engine, for certain things I will still use Nuendo or Cubase though.Interface...I've used Motu for many years and after the 2496 went to the Traveller since it will work as a stand alone mixer. So when I just want to monitor miked guitars I don't have to turn anything but the Motu and the heads on.Also does a kick * job in the rack as a line mixer.

Duncan · 01 Jun 2008 18:26

In our practice room we use a MOTU 24i/o, with a MOTU 2408, hooked up to a Carillon AD-1 rackmount PC, running Neundo with UAD-1 cards for plugins (they have the best plugin compressors IMO). Thats hooked up to a soundcraft 24 channel analogue mixer, with some extra preamps by TL Audio, TF Pro, and Universal Audio. Mics are Rodes, Shures, and some other stuff, monitored on Tannoys. It seems to all work OK and has been reliable, and was much cheaper than studio time, and it means we can record anytime we rehearse (although a lot more work to get decent sounding demo's out of it than just going to a studio).At home, I use a macbook pro, with Logic 8 (Protools doesn't run on Leopard, or I would use that as I MUCH prefer it, and as Ben said, it is compatible with everyone else). Logic is fine though, but just a bit convoluted I think, Protools only has 2 windows!

megalodon · 16 Sep 2008 19:55

The new Macs are actually PC's with a Mac operating system (OSX). So if you get good pc hardware that works together fine (not only the soundcard is important), then you can have a great computer. Windows XP with ASIO drivers is fine for music creation. It's even possible to put OSX on a pc with a few tricks. Apple doesn't want you to know this ofcourse.So when you're a PC user, the trick is to choose your hardware carefully. The chipset on the motherboard is just as important as the soundcard. When it comes to the correct hardware, the people at Apple already did the thinking for you - that's a benefit indeed, but macs are still more expensive then PC's, which ofcourse sucks.Anyway, if you want to learn more from people who actually know what they're talking about (most people who just say Macs are better usually do not have much computer knowledge), I recommend www.audioforums.com

Thierry · 16 Sep 2009 17:41

I record on Mac (with garage band), and my wife on PC (Pro Tools). When I finish all the tracks, my wife does the mix with Pro Tools (I would love to know how to do it by myself, ... but ....)

Shred87 · 05 Jan 2010 18:52

Records with my pc AMD 3.2ghz and a saffire pro 24 audio board, palmer pdi09 speaker simulator .... about the software I like cubase Sx that for me works fine