Best Analog Recording Program?

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:15 pm

Hay everyone, I'd just like to get some of your opinions on what program you guyz like the best for recording instruments.

I'm just starting to get the hang of Reason 3.0, but this program can't record analog. I'd really like to get a program that can easily master/slave or sync (or whatever you call it) with Reason. There are so many programs out there like Cubase, Ableton, Pro Tools, etc. that I just don't have the time or patience to learn and experiment with every single one to find the best suited for me, nor do I want to arbitrarily choose one without knowing its comparative pros and cons.

My DAW consists of a good PC (built it myself) and an M-Audio Audiophile 192 PCI card. I have my guitar into a pre-amp which runs into the AP192. I don't have a mixer board (yet).

Any suggestions?

Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2007 9:02 pm

I just got an Alesis Mulitmix 8 Firewire, and I must say, it is very good for the money. This way you get your mixer and 10 simultaneous Analog inputs! I use cakewalk's Guitar Tracks Pro 3 (don't be fooled by the name, it will record any instrument you throw at it.) You get cubase le with the Multimix, but only 4 tracks record at once, with GTP 3 you can input up to 32 tracks at once.

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 5:36 pm

just had to stop in when i saw the topic.... seemed kinda strange... and thats because if it's recorded to computer it's not analogue... i see where this is your first post so welcome to the club... i think it's probably a safe assumption that your a real newbie and not a troll (dont disappoint me) so let's continue for a moment...

did the M-audio card not come with a n app of some kind??? it's not unusuall for you to get a lite version of cubase or pro-tools for instance....
i sympathize with not wanting to deal with decisions about which program to buy but gotta tell ya... that's simply the worst mistake you could possibly make... we all have different ways of working... and needs... and ways of conceptualizing things... similarly programs all have atleast slight variations or approaches to recording... different feature sets.... and the ugly trueth is if you cant wrap your brain around it... your not gonna use it... so buck up and do some research itll pay off in spades....

FWIW... you may not need a mixer... though no one will stop you if you want one... give some thought to how many mics/lines you'll need at any one time.... for instance if your tracking a small band... you might only need 4 on the drums... 1 on bass... 1 guitar 1 keys and 1 for a scratch vocal.... on the other hand if your using say a drum machine and tracking the rest one at a time a good 2 channel maybe all you need.... make sense???? just took a quick look at a retail site for that card and am a little confused... in one place it says it's 4 ins 4 outs... another place says 2 i/o's so not sure which to believe.... anyhow good luck.... see ya round the playground...

Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:08 pm

Thanx for the responses so far, and yes, I am a noob to digital recording. I just realized this myself with the "analog" topic thing. The point of this PCI interface of mine is to convert the analog signal to digital, correct? Thus, programs like Cubase record the digital signal and not the analog.

ok, where's my cookie?

True, my Audiophile 192 does come with a few lite versions of programs: Ableton Live Delta, Reason Adapted Express, and a Pro Sessions demo library. The only one I really used was Ableton since I already have Reason 3.0 and Sonic Reality's Gold Bundle of samples and patches, superseding the other two extras.

I messed around with Ableton for a bit, but started using Cubase SX 3 that my friend let me burrow. I think I'll stick with this since he can teach me a lot of things.

I guess I should have been more specific in detailing what I would like in one of these programs, which would be meter changes. I can't figure out how to do this in Cubase, let alone if it's even possible, and I know for a fact that Reason can't do it. See, I'm an amateur composer who is much more familiar with notation than a piano roll graph. I'm just wondering if there are any other programs out there that can switch meter changes within a song.

BTW dementedchord, here are the I/O specs on my Audiophile 192:

Ins: L, R, MIDI, and S/PDIF
Outs: Main L, R, Monitor L, R, MIDI, and S/PDIF

I'm actually going to sell this on eBay once I get another setup. The reason for this is because this card actually mixes the monitor out and the main out signals. I can either get my guitar and my computer sounds only out of my amp, OR I can only get my guitar and my computer sounds only out of my computer speakers! This cannot be fixed in the Delta (the AP192 is part of the Delta series) control panel/monitor mixer/patch bay/router software either. I contacted M-Audio tech support, and the guy with whom I spoke actually had to transfer me to his superior who then informed me that the configuration I wanted was impossible unless I had a mixer board. But if I had the Delta 1010 or possibly another Delta series card, I would be able to route the channels how I would like.

So instead of going from M-Audio to M-Audio, I'm just going to get an E-MU 1616M PCI system. I already spoke with their support to make sure I can get the configuration I wanted, and I sure can. Having a breakout box (if that's what you call it?) on my desk sure would be a lot easier than having to get on my knees and mess with cords around the dirty floor!

Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 1:10 am

You're never going to have the routing and monitoring features you want from a multitrack audio interface card.

For somebody like yourself, instead of an audio card at all, I would think it better if you were to spend $40 on a FireWire PCI card (if your computer doesn't already have FireWire ports) and then purchase one of those FireWire mixers. Why one of those? Because you're then not tied down to that specific computer and PCI card combination. You are free to change computers without having to figure out how to interface or route your signals differently. You are presented with a familiar and usable mixer and interface, with all its functions and glory that can also be used independently of the computer. It is a multitrack, self-contained audio interface that doubles as an outboard mixer when needed.

Which brand might I recommend? Any of them. Why any of them? Probably because there are only so many integrated circuit chip manufacturers and most of the electronics will be more than adequate for most people. You pick out the unit that makes the most sense to you from a physical layout. Its capabilities and specifications will be on a par with most of the other similar units. Will it deliver the ultimate decibel? It will be every bit as good as what you are currently looking at. And your sound and mixes will only be as good as your capabilities.

Now you're talking about the best audio program for recording? I personally like and use Adobe Audition and Sony Vegas most of the time, since I have really no use for MIDI. If I did, I'd probably use Cuebase? I've never really played with ProTools.

Impossibly practical
Ms. Remy Ann David

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