help

Posted on

Inactive Since: Jul 15, 2004

hey.. ok learning here and i cant find a post that answers all my questions so here goes...

im a singer songwriter and ive been using an old cassette multitrack to record my stuff for too long and i want to go digital. all i really want to record is me on vocals and guitar

im pretty much set on buying the m-audio 44 card. is this a good choice? whats the difference between this and the MAudio Audiophile 2496 card? how come it doesnt have a breakout box like the 44 and how would u record stuff on with it?

also i heard somethin about pre-amps for microphones? can someone enlighten me

and is there nething else that i would need apart from microphones. (i have cakewalk and cool edit pro software)

thats it i guess.. please help

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Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jul 15, 2004 03:38 pm

Welcome to HRC.

There are many articles in the tips sections and in the FAQ that will help explain the process to you, some are very introductory.

Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003


Jul 15, 2004 06:41 pm

if i remember correctly, i think the main difference is that the 44 doesn't have midi capability. it may be superior to the 2496 in other ways, however. i purchased the 2496 because i knew i'd be using a lot of midi. there are write ups of these cards in the gear bag

Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002


Jul 15, 2004 06:48 pm

the 44 is 4 in and 4 out, all analog, thats it.

2496 is two analog ins and two analog outs, MIDI in and out and S/PDIF in and out.

They use virtual identical drivers and performance regarding latency and bit/sample rates are the same.

Phatso
Member
Since: Mar 31, 2003


Jul 15, 2004 10:13 pm

Hmmm. Personally, I'd prolly just keep on keeping on with the cassette multitracker, but if you absolutely MUST have digital, make sure your computer has some serious mojo in it. Purchasing a bunch of harware and software only to find out that your computer isnt up to snuff in the thick of an inspired moment REALLY sux! Trust me! If you dont think your computer is machine enough to do the job, you might look into a digital multitracker. Boss offers some decent ones for not too much money. You could prolly find a BR-532 on ebay or something for a good price. You could still do editing and stuff on you computer with Cool Edit Pro. If you have faith in your compters abilities, the 44 should do you good since you dont seem to need midi capabilities. You would get sound from you guitar/voice to the soundcard (through a mic) via either a mic preamp or a mixer. I'd recommend getting a 2 bus mixer. This'll give you the ability to listen to your guitar part (through the bus) while recording over your vocal part. Plus, it'll open doors for you later on down the road if you ever need to expand to, say, mic'ing a drum kit or some such. Once you have a mixer, you'll prolly wonder how you ever lived without one! Behringer has some really good ones which come with IMPs (Invisible Mic Preamps). If you decide to go with a Mic preamp, Presonus has some wonderful sounding ones for not too expensive. Someone else will have to give you more info on Mic Preamps, though. I went with a Behringer mixer and been very happy with it, so I havent done much experimenting with them. Hope this helps. If you have anymore questions, post em. These guys are the best!

Member
Since: Jan 18, 2003


Jul 16, 2004 12:53 am

i love the title of this thread

Inactive
Since: Jul 15, 2004


Jul 16, 2004 05:26 am

hey thanks for all the help!

yea my PC is pretty good 1.8ghz and 768mb ram. its 3 years old so i'll be upgrading it soon neways.

i will be able to record 2 inputs at once yea? and do i absouetly need a mixer or a mic preamp even tho the m-audio 44 has a breakout box?

Prince CZAR-ming
Member
Since: Apr 08, 2004


Jul 16, 2004 09:02 am

yes, you will be able to record 2 inputs at once.

Yes you will need some type of preamp to boost the mic level signal up to line level signal. If you get a small mixer, they will (normally) have pre-amps built in. These pre-amps are usually not considered to be top-o-the-line, but will do well for starting recorders.
Also, if you want to expand (record more than 2 simultaneous tracks) in the future, you could mix the input signals on the mixer, then route the mixed signal into the two input channels of the sound card.

If you want a step up, you can purchase a 2 input pre-amp. You would have better (and/or quieter) signal, but be looking for ways to route your monitor signal.

I'd say the 2496 (150$us) and a small 6 or 8 channel mixer (~70-80$us) and you should be in good shape for single person recording (of 1 or 2 tracks) and playback/recording.

Your PC seems very capable for recording. I was doing single takes with 5 tracks playback on a 333mhz a few years ago.

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