Too much...

...but not enough yet ;-)

starts at xx.xxx ends at xxx.xxx

Ya, it's gonna depend entirely on what you need to do. You won't have a system worth using without at least $18k, and sky's the limit on the upper end.

Think about getting:

1. Mac w/added RAM + monitor + eyeglasses or a 2nd monitor

2. at *least* a Mix+ System (Core+Farm card) for internal mixing w/plugins

3. interface(s)

4. harddisks + backup facilities

5. software (TDM-plugins that come for a "hardware"-price)

+ specials like hardware controller, syncronizer, wristpad, monthly payings for the credit?

...enjoy

Well, here's what I see as a start...

o PT MIX Plus
o 1 888IO24
o 1 TC Works DSP card
o Dual P3 1+gHz running w2k
o normal plugins (d2,d3,drawmer,etc...)
o Sony Oxford EQ plugin
o Dual 19" Flat screen (not panel) Monitors off of a Matrox G550

Probably gonna get a nice preamp too, Producer Pack maybe? (with AD/DA option)

jz, we still don't know what you intend to do with the system.

Whoa....I wouldn't suggest runnin it on PC. Not coz it isn't stable, but because the plugin pool is pathetic. NO sony plug, no Mcdsp....You'll be about a year behind on all software updates.

Plus that TC dsp card is useless with PT.

And save your self the money...forget the overpriced 888 and get the adat bridge with an RME and a Lucid master clock.

My intention is to do overdubs / editing / mixing with this system. Maybe a couple of basics sessions of acoustic (mainly) instruments.

-jz

Have you given any consideration to your control room acoustics and monitoring? It would suck to sink $80k into gear only to find out your room blows for mixing.

Yes, if you want to use ProTools, the pc will be more trouble than it's worth. Please go with mac.

You will also need a cd burner, a couple scsi drives, a scsi card, and maybe some other form of backup such as AIT. You will also need backup software. Toast for the CDR and Retrospect or Mezzo for tape.

If you're mixing and using the sony eq plug-in, I wouldn't go with less than 3 mix cards. That oxford is a DSP hog, and so are most other plugs worth their salt. Only a few exceptions to that, the most outstanding being McDSP Filterbank and Compressorbank which use very litte DSP yet work and sound great.

For mics, I suggest you get a variety of dynamics, ribbons, small condensers, and large diaphragm condensers, preferably in matched pairs, or at least in pairs of the same model. It's easier to split up a pair to mic 2 different things than to get stuck without a stereo pair of one mic. Having an assortment of mics will give you lots of tonal options.

Like the mics, I also suggest having an assortment of pre's to go thru rather than boxes with 8 of the same pre at a time. If mics are like a painter's palate (paints), then mic pre's are like his brushes, enabling him to determine the texture of each color.

This might seem like over-analyzing subtle crap that nobody will hear, but when used effectively your job will be a lot easier when it comes time to mix. Using the right pre, mic, and placement will reduce the need for compression and eq on every track. The eq and compression you achieve with pre's, mics, and placement will sound better than any plug-in or outboard box.

I would avoid the 888 like the plague. There are a lot better boxes close to the same price. One popular solution is the ADAT lightpipe i/o with RME converters. The only time I would recommend the 888 is if you need 8 channels of AES i/o.

Another point that hasn't been touched on is digital clocking. Some converters have better internal clocks than others, so that will affect how much you need to consider external clocking. (Nanosync, gen6-96, aardsync, etc.)

There are a lot of other issues to cover, but these seem to be the most important for the moment, and will take a while to sort thru.

Hope this helps.