Budget PC recoding studio.....and more....
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Posted on Jul 27, 2002 09:38 am
aLRoiD
Member Since: Jul 27, 2002
Hi fello recordin guru's....i just got into home recording
So,i was just wondering whether you guys can help me build a pc which allows me to play games and do home recording at a budget price???
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Jul 27, 2002 12:45 pm All we can do is try, but how good it winds up being is dependent on what that "budget" is :-)
Pick the right sound card and it can easily handle both tasks, and also maybe use an AMD processor which will save you many, some high-end sound cards don't like AMD though...only real Intel...so again, it depends on how much you want to spend.
Jul 27, 2002 01:00 pm this is true. budget will determine a fair bit of things.
also, a lot of games are not really happy with pro sound cards.. sure theyll work.. but theyll also crash from time to time.
they just dont aim to support the pro cards drivers. go figure =)
Jul 27, 2002 01:08 pm Actually, I think it is just as much that the pro-sound card manufacturers that really don't care if they support games...it's really not their intended use. But now with Windows ME/2000/XP and the WDM drivers standard I think the cross compatibility will be a lot better. COmpanies like M-Audio, Echo and others are highly supportive of the WDM standard and are working to improve their use of it. I think the game makers will be too, so you may be able to have the best (or close) of both worlds...
Hay, I can dream can't I :-)
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 28, 2002 03:08 am i know AMD real Cheap but it heats up easily...hey what if i get and Creative sound balster live Extighy Platinum EX???? is this good for recording????coz i intend to build a pc with a budget of about Ringgit MAlaysia 6000(roughly USD 2000) i know its really low for this kinda thing but i'm new so i'll start of small....=)
Jul 28, 2002 03:27 am hey man i fr malaysia 2, with RM6000 u can get a very good stuff in Malaysia u know...if u r not looking for a big mixer, multiple input soundcard.
what i suggest is u go to Low Yat plaza and get a AMD pc where 1.6-8 MHz with at least 256RAM and remember select a good motherboard.. don think tht it s not imp.., n also get ur Creative Audigy Sound card ..dun buy the extigy if u don need it to be portable coz it s not as good as Audigy, it might coz u bout RM2500.. then u might need at least a good mic for ex Shure SM58 may cost u RM400..rem buy this mic at Bently ...otherplace is abit exp..then u might need a mixer but juz for beginer u need not to go for high end mixer, juz get a 8 channel Eurorack mixer (MX802A) it probaly cost u bout RM800 at CHamber music in Sg. wang. u might need some acc like mic stand, cable, etc.. rem don go to get a karaoke mic for recording, it won satisfied u ...
Jul 28, 2002 06:30 am AMD Heats up easily? all CPU's heat up, just spend a couple bucks on decent fans and air movement in your case and you'll be fine A LOT of home studio run on AMD. I prefer Intel, but many use AMD. RAM is cheap, so buy as much as you can (512 MB being cool!), USD 2000 is more than enough to build a decent PC, you could do much better than a Sound Blaster for recording. SoundBlaster Live or Audigy for your gaming would be fine but SB just does not cut it for recording, some use it but I don't recommend it. Look in this forum, there are dozens of good sound cards linked up to Musician's Friend that you could look at.
What other gear do you have, you mentioned wanting to build a PC for this budget? DO you also need mics, mixer and all the other stuff that JoonHoL mentioned? If so, the mixer he mentioned, the Behringer 802 is what I use, I love it.
My biggest comment is still to NOT get a SOund Blaster for your recording purposes if you can afford not to. The sound quality is not very good with them. They do a fine job with sample, loops and MIDI, but not that good with recording live instruments.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jul 28, 2002 09:46 pm Although we do not suggest the sound blaster card's for pro recording. The fact that you want to game with the same box present's a small problem. Some game's still use a combination of audio and general midi sound and require the use of a card like the SB. This is however like we have stated B4, not the best choice for recording, but it is a decent place to start.
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 29, 2002 01:21 am if I get an Intel i'll be really happy coz i would be able to play my games and record music....dB Masters:which sound card would you suggest is best for me??? I really wanna play games y'know???
JoonHoL: Hey which part of M'sia u staying in??
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 29, 2002 01:33 am oh yeah what programs do you suggest i use ?? Pro-t ools???Cool Edit Pro??
Jul 29, 2002 06:02 am I can't really recommend a sound card without knowing something...how many tracks are you going to need to record at any one time? Are you recording live drums? (which would need at least two tracks itself, usually 3 or 4 or more).
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 29, 2002 09:32 am yep i think i will be recording drums
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jul 29, 2002 08:53 pm Well, you can go with any of the card's from M-Audio. I have used them with both older and newer game's, and they work just fine. But again, if you have some of the older game's, and even a few of the new one's. They require both audio and general midi sound.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, SOME GAME'S REQUIRE A SOUNDBLASTER TYPE CARD BECAUSE THEY USE BOTH THE AUDIO AND THE GENERAL MIDI SYNTH SOUND SET. WHICH IS A STANDARD SOUND SET OF INSTRUMENT'S AND SOUND EFFECT'S THAT ARE ALL BASICLY THE SAME FROM ONE GM SYNTH TO THE NEXT, ALTHOUGH THE QUALITY CAN BE BETTER OR WORSE.
As far as software goes, I would say to stay away from pro-tool's as a beginer. It is not a program to take lightly, as it is very deep and also pluggin in wise, everything is proprietary. Meaning you can only use their pluggin's. No direct X or VST or anything of that nature.
So stick with the basic stuff for now, Cool edit is OK, Something from CakeWalk, as they have recording software from the very simple all the way out to the state of the art DAW software.
So if you have any of those type game's, you can either go with a SB type card, or a pro level card and add a genral midi synth as an outboard piece of gear.
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 30, 2002 01:12 am actually i have been using /exploring with pro-tools........but what do you mean by 'So if you have any of those type game's, you can either go with a SB type card, or a pro level card and add a genral midi synth as an outboard piece of gear. '???? i don't really get it.....*BLUR*
Jul 30, 2002 08:05 am i m from KL, where u fr aloird? Dbmaster, regardin the SB Audigy card, i m not using this card coz i m still using the SB live but i m plan to buy it ...coz SB live is 16bit only rite... n in malaysia is abit expensive for us to get those pro sound card.. so my point is isit worth for me upgrade my card to Audigy (24bit) i m normally recoding live intrument....but i m not recording any drum sound, i using fruity loops for drum
LokiCone PokerMember
Since: Apr 07, 2002
Jul 30, 2002 02:11 pm I actually use an Audigy and have had LOTS of problems with it. I really don't reccomend it to anyone for recording. You can find decent cards around the same prices.
Jul 30, 2002 04:21 pm Actually, JoonHoL, I have read a lot of reviews of both Live and Audigy and the Audigy gets totally trashed on FAR more than the Live! ever did, by gamers and recording people alike, I would stick with your Live until you can afford to go with an M-Audio, which actually is about the same price as an Audigy Platinum here in the states...
Jul 30, 2002 05:49 pm $2000? Well....I spent a little under that and built my own system. Soyo K7V Dragon+($100)an AMD Athlon XP2000($150) 512Mb DDR memory($150) CoolerMaster w/400watt power supply($150) Geforce2 AGP 32Mb($50) Seagate Barracuda HD's,30Gb and 60Gb($200 for both) 2 17" monitors($89 each)MS ergonomic keyboard($20)MS Intellipoint mouse($20)and a Polk Audio 5.1 speaker system($80). Bringing us to around $1200. Which leaves you with just about enough to grab a Yamaha DS2416, if you can find one, last I checked on e-bay they had one bundled with the AX44 external bay and Minnetonka's MXTrax Software for $400!!!!!
That's a hella good deal!
The card has actually been discontinued as far as production. But Steinberg, Cakewalk, e-Magic(mac only), and Digidesign continue making new software for the cards.
Oh, and the Soyo DRAGON boards all come with 6 channel audio hardware!(S/PDIF I/O, FiberOp I/O)
Anyways....that's what I work on, and I haven't had any complaints from my customers. Yet ;)!
JTSMember
Since: Jul 10, 2002
Jul 30, 2002 06:58 pm a quick question...
why do people use two monitors?
Jul 30, 2002 07:37 pm why not use two? it's more space for all the plugin and other windows running during the average mixdown...
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 30, 2002 08:54 pm JoonHoL I'm from KL too!!!!!!
Yea and to have 2 monitors u need a compatible VGA Card...with two output plugs.....and its much easier to control the mixing if u do recording and edit much easier..
btw if i get M-audio would i still be able to play games....
How Do you hook up the mixer to the comp?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jul 30, 2002 11:26 pm OK aLRoiD, I will try to make this a little simpler to understand.
Some game's on the PC require a sound card that is capable of doing 2 thing's. Playing back audio or wave file's the game uses during play. The other thing is most of the SB type sound card's also have an onboard synthisizer built into them. For the most part their sound set's consist of the general midi sound set. Soem game's use the built in synth to play back sound effect's and music and such durring game play. So if you don't have a card with a built in synth for those sound's, you will have to have some other synth somewhere, like your outboard rack hooked up to the midi out of your PC being told what sound's to play durring the game.
Hope this get's it for ya.
MitchMember
Since: Apr 14, 2002
Jul 31, 2002 01:08 am Hmm....I don`t know a whole lot about recording yet, but I do know that its probably best to have a computer for recording only. It doesn`t even have to be the newest design.
I know that here in the states you can get a NEW, GOOD BRAND (can`t remember the name) 800-900MHZ Intel for 500-600 dollars, so here`s an idea;
Buy two computers $1000.00-1200.00
Buy 256 RAM $60.00-70.00
Buy Echo Mia SC $200.00
Buy software $100.00-300.00
------------------------------------
Total $1700.00 maximum
Then you can have a PC for recording and one for games. Then you can spend the rest on mixers and mics and stuff.
Maybe its a dumb idea but it doesn`t sound bad to me... :)
Toodles!
Jul 31, 2002 07:59 am yah man...the Audigy here is selling at RM260 bout US60 bugs n i found tht the M-Audio is much more ecp than tht rite? and the other problem is i m using AMD PC so i worry it s not work well in my PC as well...anyway i ll keep in view now ...
THanks.....
ALOird which part of KL u fr? r u pro musicsian ?
Jul 31, 2002 04:07 pm M-Audio will work just fine with AMD as far as I know...There are some card makers that have probs with non-Intel, but M-Audio is not one of them that I have ever heard, or that I remember hearing anyway...
the Audigy here is selling at RM260 bout US60 bugs n i found tht the M-Audio is much more ecp than tht rite
what the heck does that mean? Type out words if you want to be understood...or at least use common net-words...
if you are getting the Audigy for 60 USD that is not the Platinum is it? I think the platinum is the only one with 1/4 inch ins and outs and such...if a soundcard doesn't at least have 1/4ins and outs for analog line ins (or RCA in some cases) it really isn't worth messing with, those 1/8 ins and outs suck...
MitchMember
Since: Apr 14, 2002
Jul 31, 2002 07:28 pm Yeah they suck. Plus when you try to plug in a 1/4" with a 1/8 adapter, it pulls down on the input, which is really bad for the connection. Trust me, I did it once and there were bad results.
Mitch
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 31, 2002 07:46 pm can you record music with out any mixers.....and user multiple inputs(eternal hardware) for microphones????? like those products that M-audio has??
JoonHoL:i'm not really a pro musician ....i'm still in school but I'm in the last year........I just wanna start a band and make demos....=)
Jul 31, 2002 09:33 pm Ya, you can recording without it, but I wouldn't recommend it...you do need some sort of preamp, be it from amixer, or directbox or something...or the sound will be...well...not that great...
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Jul 31, 2002 10:33 pm oh ok....are there like 2 track mixers of three track mixers???are there any drum programs???
Aug 01, 2002 05:31 am The greatest drum sequencing program in the world is Fruity Loops service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear it is the program I use and many others here, it make drum sequencing easy and actually some people make their entire songs in it.
I have rarely seen a 2 track mixer except for DJing and stuff like that which is really made for a different purpose. The smallest mixer I would ever recommend to anyone is this little 6 channel behringer service.bfast.com/bfast/c...mp;bfmtype=gear that sells for $79 USD, personally I use the 802 from Behringer and it is a great sounding little mixer.
Aug 01, 2002 07:40 am sorry dbmaster for makin u confuse or my words,
yup tht is not platinium, juz the normal SB Audigy DE, one more stupid Question .. do they make any different if i m upgrading my Live to Audigy coz i m only rec AUDIO sound only..
anthr thing is i found 1 MAudio sound card in musician fren finders web..blem 2448, it s juz 70bugs only..it s good? but i check with the distributer in Malaysia ..no such model in Malaysia......what they hv for the cheapest is delta2496
aLRoiDMember
Since: Jul 27, 2002
Aug 01, 2002 09:47 pm hmm JoonHoL have tried asking them whether they can get it???
