Simple Set Up?, Own ibook800+microkorg... what software? Options

[xingu]

The BigBox was initially supposed to be a time limited offer, but it sold so well that emagic just kept going with it. Can't say it will always be available, but I've heard of no plans to discontinue it.

[rosiedog]

Cool, looks like thats what would be good for me.

Now I have another question. I will need a midi interface to use my microkorg as a midi controller, for the sounds in Reason, right? Also, I will need an audio interface if I ever want to hook up a mic, guitar, or synth workstation, correct? Is ther any midi/audio interface combination unitls that I can get for this reason?

Also I would suspect that I would need a better soundcard then what comes installed in the ibooks, powerbooks, and imacs. Are the available midi and audio interfaces have soundacards built in? Or would I need to by a seperate USB sound card that the midi/audio interface would plug into.

I really appreciate all the friendly help and advise everyone here is offering me, thanks. Much appreciated.
-Jason

[xingu]

Yeah, you'll need a midi interface for Reason and audio for your regular gear. There are some combo units - check out m-audio, edirol, and tascam to start. You'll have to decide how many inputs you need and how much you want to spend. A USB interface should be fine, especially if you'll only be recording one or two audio tracks at a time. There's lots and lots of recommendations in this very forum (especially Getting Started and Audio/midi/dsp cards & Interfaces).

Just think of an audio interface as a soundcard and you'll be set. That's the whole purpose of the interface - getting sound into your computer.

[rosiedog]

Cool, I ll look into it. I need something I can plug my microkorg into to play its audio into logic, and something I can also use another midi controller/keyboard to use reason with. I also want it to be able to plug in a mic, a guitar, a keyboard/synth, and posiibly different sound modules through the audio ins as well. So I gues an all-in-one box would be what i want. A midi i/o for the midi controller/keyboard, and 5+ audio ins for my audio interface-(microkorg, keyboard, mic, guitar, sound modules) Do you know off hand of any combo boxes like what I am asking for? I'll go look and see what is available and what I might be able to get for my needs, and future upgrades(add-hard ware/instuments).
thanks.
-Jason

[Synthetic]

not to add any more confusion to the subject but Mbox is pretty cool. ProTools LE can do midi and does great job of it really. I made the "Galactic Thrush" track on the MacMusic CD totally using midi in ProTools LE with my Digi001 and my CS6x. The only thing about the Mbox is it lacks midi input so would need a seperate USB interface for midi. ProTools LE just lacks some of the cool midi featuies that Logic has but its no problem creating and editing midi tracks in it. Actually if you are just learning midi... it may be easier because its not so overwhelming as Logic to understand and learn. That is what I like most about ProTools. Most of its functions are pretty straight forward as the way it operates

[rosiedog]

Thanks for the advise synthetic. So that waht I was thinking about the mbox....it seems very plug-n-play. Now if I got the mbox to star out with.....could I eventually get logic and then use the mbox for audio and logic for midi? if I could do this would it be a matter of just deciding which program to record my final tracks in?

Also, if I got the Mbox, that would mean I would need to find a midi interface to plug it into right. Do you suggest any good partable midi/audio combo solutions to get if I started out with just Logic's bigbox?

Thanks,
-Jason

[Synthetic]

yep... you can use mbox with Logic... I have Digi001 and I use it with Logic for midi... but when I want to just record audio or sequence audio... I got back to PTLE.

M-audio makes a few interfaces that should serve you well and Emagic makes a few too that are nice... just depends on how many inputs and outputs you think you might want ;-)

[rosiedog]

well to star off all i want is to use reason, with my microkorg, and have another program for recording what i creat with reason and the korg.
I will need an audio interface to play the miocrokorg into the recording program, so I think the Mbox would be a good solution for that. If I want to get another keyboard for a midi controller , I can either get another midi interface for the
mbox and do it that way, or I could just buy a different midi interface and get logic then work between the two programs. Does this sound right?
-J

[rosiedog]

Haha. now I am starting to sound like a broken record skipping eternally...

I am also starting to get a little dizzy from a this semi-confusion.

option 1: Microkorg, reason, Mbox,...

....but then eventually ill need a midi interface if i want to get an extra midi keyboard to controll the sounds in reason. correct? sound good so far?

or..

option 2: microkorg, reason, logic bigbox, and a midi/audio i/o interface..

...i will be able to use a midi controller in the future with this setup right?

lol...and if I eventually add logic bigbox to option 1 it would be the same as adding mbox or protools to option 2....right?lol My final end results seem to be the same with both options. It seems that this is going to be the basic set up I will get.

okay.....so what would you suggest would be the most logical option...option 1? or option 2?

And Last of all...weather i get the mbox or not, what would everyone suggest iI get for a portable audio/midi interface? it looks like I'll need one even if I get the mbox(I will want to use a midi controller with the sound arsenal in reason). Although if I get the mbox I can wait a while before I expand to using midi with Reason.

And then I guess option 3(should probably be option 1): just start with reason and get a midi/audio interface and use the korg as a midi devise. this seems economical, but also kind of a waist of the korg. Plus i'll get the second program very soon after anyways.

sorry about the long winded post.

thanks again for your patients, and for your help and opinions everyone. I have already learned a lot from this thread alone. this whole forum is a great eduacational resource!

-Jason

This post has been edited by rosiedog: Sat 15 Nov 2003, 10:45

[rosiedog]

Hi again. lol this thread is getting old I know.
I decided that I am going to just get the mbox to start....that and the microkorg. The mbox comes with light versions of reason and live and a few other programs that I can learn the basics with.

eventually I see myself getting reason 2.5, and then after that a simple usb midi interface for a keyboard controler for reason's sounds.

and later if I'm still really into it and having fun and being productive, I'll look into logic.


Thanks for all the help everyone. I'll let you know what I end up with when the time comes.
-J


This post has been edited by rosiedog: Sat 15 Nov 2003, 12:46