If you were buying a new recording rig for your PC/Mac????

Discussion in 'Recording/Live Sound' started by Blueser, Nov 3, 2004.

  1. Nov 3, 2004 #1
    Blueser

    Blueser Member

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    Would you go firewire, or PCI based?

    Which one would you pick and why?

    I am thinking of picking something up, that already has the preamps built in. I want some great sound quality, and I really don't foresee myself ever recording more than 4 tracks at a time. My candidates are:

    **Firewire**

    Motu 896 HD

    Motu 828 Mk II

    Presonus Firepod

    **PCI based**

    EMU 1820M

    Lynx II (but I would need a preamp)


    I already have pretty high powered dual processor P4, and G4 machines with plenty of disk and memory, that should do whatever I need them to do. I also have a pair of Mackie 824 monitors, and a Mackie 1402 mixer that I should start to put to good use. For now I have an SM57 to mic the cabinets, but I will be looking for a versatile condensor mic in the $300 range that can cover vocals, and instrument micing as well.

    I basically want to pick a platform and start to move forward, which I think will help me improve my playing as well.

    Any suggestions?

    Thanks,
    B
     
    Blueser, Nov 3, 2004
    Blueser, Nov 3, 2004
    #1
  2. Nov 3, 2004 #2
    matte

    matte Senior Member

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    Just put together a new rig.
    Dual 2 GIG G5
    MOTU 2408 MK III with PCI 424 card
    No mixer
     
    matte, Nov 3, 2004
    matte, Nov 3, 2004
    #2
  3. Nov 3, 2004 #3
    Guitarzan

    Guitarzan Member

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    It depends on what you want to spend. I recently got a Firepod, and It really is great! And, for the money nothing even comes close.
     
    Guitarzan, Nov 3, 2004
    Guitarzan, Nov 3, 2004
    #3
  4. Nov 3, 2004 #4
    Chiba

    Chiba Gold Supporting Member

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    If I was buying a new rig right now, no matter the platform I'd go with something firewire based because I think the companies are going to phase out support for PCI-based systems at the low end (i.e. not Pro Tools HD level systems).

    Digidesign just released Pro Tools 6.7, which does not work with the Digi001, their low-end PCI system. I think the other companies are going to follow suit soon enough.

    --chiba
     
    Chiba, Nov 3, 2004
    Chiba, Nov 3, 2004
    #4
  5. Nov 3, 2004 #5
    Unburst

    Unburst Member

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    MOTU hardware is great.
    Their software i.e. Digital Performer, was great under OS9, if you want to run in in OSX you'd better have a cutting edge CPU.

    If I was buying a rig from the ground up I'd be looking at one of the Pro Tools systems or maybe Logic 7.

    I'm a long time Performer user but the way it's "performing" for me right now, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
     
    Unburst, Nov 3, 2004
    Unburst, Nov 3, 2004
    #5
  6. Nov 3, 2004 #6
    Blueser

    Blueser Member

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    What software are you running with it?

    THanks,
    B
     
    Blueser, Nov 3, 2004
    Blueser, Nov 3, 2004
    #6
  7. Nov 3, 2004 #7
    Guitarzan

    Guitarzan Member

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    Cubase and Sonar 4 PE. I have not decided which I like better. Cubase is easier yet I feel like once I learn it Sonar will be much deeper and much better sounding. The Firepod is really great.
     
    Guitarzan, Nov 3, 2004
    Guitarzan, Nov 3, 2004
    #7
  8. Nov 3, 2004 #8
    Blueser

    Blueser Member

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    Thanks for the info. Are the built in preamps on the Firepods as good as the other competitors, such as Motu, and EMU?
     
    Blueser, Nov 3, 2004
    Blueser, Nov 3, 2004
    #8
  9. Nov 3, 2004 #9
    heinz

    heinz Guest

    If it was me:

    1) Computer
    2) Lynx AES16
    3) Apogee Rosetta 800 ad/da
    4) Samplitude


    For lots of reasons.
     
    heinz, Nov 3, 2004
    heinz, Nov 3, 2004
    #9
  10. Nov 3, 2004 #10
    Guitarzan

    Guitarzan Member

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    I've never had and Emu but they are certainly eqaul to the MOTU pre's in my opinion. The friepod is a really versatile and easy to use unit. I'm impressed. I'm running latency at 2ms on a p4 3.0 gig machine with a gig of ram. Pretty awesome.
     
    Guitarzan, Nov 3, 2004
    Guitarzan, Nov 3, 2004
    #10
  11. Nov 5, 2004 #11
    Blueser

    Blueser Member

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    I just heard some demo recordings on Sweetwater's website done with the PreSonus Firepod of a funk band done live and they sounded incredible (at least to my amateur ears).

    I am wondering if I should start with something like that. I also heard that the pres, in the RME Fireface 800 are some if the best you can get, but it is 2.5X the price.

    Either way, these units (even the Firepod) has to be a step up from my M-Audio 2496 card, run through a Mackie mixer. No?

    I will be using Sonar 4 with this setup, on a dual Pentium 4 Xeon machine running at 2 Ghz, and 2 GB of RAM. I also have the machine loaded with Ultra 160 SCSI hard drives. Although it isnt the latest processor, I think it should do the job for some home wanking for now. No?

    Sorry for all the newbie questions, but I just want to get something that's simple, and good sounding off the ground!

    B
     
    Blueser, Nov 5, 2004
    Blueser, Nov 5, 2004
    #11
  12. Nov 5, 2004 #12
    ari

    ari Member

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    Go for it. I'm still using my laptop w/ Pent IIIm 1GHz (actually clocks at 700MHz) w/ 256MB RAM w/ Sonar2.2 w/ slow IDE hard drive, and I'm still in business.

    ari
     
    ari, Nov 5, 2004
    ari, Nov 5, 2004
    #12
  13. Nov 5, 2004 #13
    Blueser

    Blueser Member

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    Yup....Just gotta make a decision on the interface.

    Thanks,
    B
     
    Blueser, Nov 5, 2004
    Blueser, Nov 5, 2004
    #13
  14. Nov 5, 2004 #14
    Guitarzan

    Guitarzan Member

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    The fireface is supposed to be awesom but it is way more expensive. Just so you know, the Presonus just released the firebox, its a small version of the firepod.

    firebox

    Oh, and that wasn't just any funk band, Its T.O.P.!!

    Tower of Power.
     
    Guitarzan, Nov 5, 2004
    Guitarzan, Nov 5, 2004
    #14

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