How do you take away from lo-fi DIY sound? No issue really just me thinking on the keyboard. Computer recording isn't limited like an external box. So you aren't going to see 8 tracks or 12 tracks. Some read "unlimited virtual" others may ( http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ ) actually have a track limit, so obviously you want to move around that one. But look at it first to see if it has limits that would not limit you.

Tracktion ( http://www.mackie.com/products/tracktion3/index.html ) is a good entry level user friendly software with no track limit iirc.

Rather then get a real good audio I/O interface, which many would say do, you should just poke some plugs into the music "in" side of your soundcard, helps to maintain that diy lo-fi sound. No reason to upgrade and get real quality now!

Let me know if I can be of any further help, old sounding last century lo-fi music is where I excel!!!!

How would I plug into the computer though? Just a 1/4 inch to USB converter cable or something or what? As I said I have a macbook.

And I do have protools which I've heard is THE I/O interface to use, but it seems very complicated which isn't really what I'm looking for right now. I suppose in theory it would be best to learn how to use that to get the best of both worlds, and eventually I probably will but...

Oh and it's pretty easy to take away from a lo-fi sound. Just because something's lo-fi (Ween, The Unicorns, The Moldy Peaches) doesn't mean that tone and whatnot aren't just as important as on a hi-fi coldplay recording or something.

what i believe he means by interface is a hardware interface, not software....like for ex. - m-audio fast track usb. - it has an xlr in and a line in....it then connects through usb....however it would be wise to get a multi input interface. - most multi channel interfaces connect using firewire, but m-audio, line 6, and tascam are all making usb 2.0 interfaces that support up to 8 simultaneous inputs.

Pro Tools is a DAW, a Digital Audio Workstation, not an interface, which is a piece of hardware, like Jordy said.

solely out of curiosity, how do you just have ProTools without an M-audio interface or 00x, or bajillion dollar DSP card?

iamfrobs wrote: solely out of curiosity, how do you just have ProTools without an M-audio interface or 00x, or bajillion dollar DSP card?

Good question. I'd like the answer to that one too.

Some of these questions just make me want to drink more... Raspberry flavored water.

While ProTools does appear to be quite confusing initially? It's really no different from any other confusing program, which are most. Most of what you have done with your 8 track recorder isn't much different than working with software. You know, stop, play, rewind, fast-forward and that incredibly important button with the red dot, record. Channel "record ready"switches. Input volume controls. All that stuff, is mimicked in software. That with all of the other goodies built right in. And you already have it in your ProTools. You just have to use the interface, that came with your ProTools. Plug in a couple of $100 SM57's and you'll be really livin'. You'll never have to know how to say anything intelligent again, because you have ProTools.

I like that raw sound also. So generally, I take out all of the electronics from my console and just bypass all those noisy circuits. I read once a long time ago that the best sounding electronics is just a straight piece of wire. So when I purchased my used Neve, I took out all of those nasty transformers & transistors. And it no longer distorts my Sound Blaster card on my e-machine. It's much lighter now and easier to move to the dumpster when I can afford my new Beringer.

Trying not to slat myself too hard.
Ms. Remy Ann David

if your computer has a firewire input, i say go presonus fp-10 all the way. it has 8 class A inputs, and comes with software to use. and it's $400 at musiciansfriend.com