Show Of Hand For Entry Level Software And Hardware, Recommendation Options

[lantzn]

Hi All,
I've spent the last week looking into all the possible ways on getting my son's band's music into my computer to edit and burn. I'm talking entry-level here. It seems that most of the high-end products from all the software companies are just now showing up for OS X. I'm sure the entry-level software will follow.

Here is the software I've looked into.
Steinberg Cubase SX released, no mention of a VST version yet.
Emagic Logic Platinum released, no mention of MicroLogic AV yet.
Digidesign Pro Tools announced, no mention of LE yet.
MOTU Digital Performer announced, no mention of entry-level software yet.

I've looked into the following hardware.
Griffin iMic
MBox
EMI 6/2
Midiman/M-Audio USB Quattro and Duo

I want to stay away from the PCI stuff because we have a G4 tower and iMac and want to be able to swap the hardware between the machines. Ultimately I want a piece of entry level hardware that will work with all the entry level software that will make it to OS X. The Midiman stuff looks to be vary promising and already has Jaguar drivers! I'm going to a demo they are having next Friday in Seattle.

I'd appreciate any thoughts on the entry-level software that currently exists for OS 9 from the four software companies above. This will help me decide when they release their OS X versions. I'm interested in a modern GUI and a fairly easy learning curve. I did notice that some of the software was geared more for the midi stuff while others for the band music stuff. I'd rather be able to buy a VARIETY of less expensive software to go with my hardware then a single expensive high-end product.

thanks

[Levon River]

Synthetic has a very good point about the inevitable desire for more control, features, and tracks--it's just like model railroading.

Seriously, the hard truth is that "entry level" and computer recording don't "mix" (pun intended) well. At least not well for any result you'd want to play for anybody. And *any* level involves a lot of work, so why go to all that work and then find yourself halfway through limited in possibly important ways?

You can get ProTools Free for the best price in town and have eight tracks to get your feet wet with. But then you're going to find out that you want to separately mix the kick, snare, and hihat from the crash/toms, and suddenly you're already running short of track. You're about to derail. Choo-choo!

I have questions, too: is your son's band strictly an audio-only recording situation? Do they have any synths? If so, there are *enormous* benefits, often, to having the keyboard player put his/her part(s) down as MIDI (sometimes with audio going down at the same time), because a recorded MIDI part is much easier to tweak and edit than audio--if you decide you want to add a third chorus, for instance--and then you can have the MIDI drive the synth playing that killer piano patch. But more than that, later you can route that same keyboard part to a *more* killer piano sound you've found on a soft-synth. And more than *that*, you can change the part to croaking frogs if you decide to, later in the mix.

I could go on (just ask anybody here ), but I'm hoping you're getting the picture. If you strictly want to record audio, Deck 3.5 does that in OS X right now, number of tracks limited only by your own system (I think). Deck doesn't have any integrated MIDI editing, although you can bring a MIDI file into the program and sync it--somehow. (Sorry--last time I used Deck was early Deck 2.)

But as Synthetic said, talk to a pro, like at Sweetwater, and plan toward your intended result--not against a learning curve. Computer audio and MIDI *have* a learning curve. Just dive in and learn as you go. Plan on enjoying tearing your hair out.

There are plenty of people here who know the ropes and will help you through rough spots--which is more than many of *them* had when *they* went through it.

All of the software you named does essentially the same job. They all go about it in fundamentally the same way, with some stylistic and functional and even proprietary differences. They *all* have learning curves. But they all make music. And that's what keeps us all coming back for the bruises and frustrations and "Why is no sound coming out?!?!?!" episodes while our bank accounts dwindle.

It's just like when the little light wouldn't come on in the station house when the train pulled up to it. ("Why won't the light come on?!?!?!?")

It's a sublime madness.