That's a fine interface. Nothing wrong with your interface. Your software, not so much. You really haven't included any specifics as to your recording process? My simplest answer would be ProTools 10. That version will now allow you to use any hardware you want. It doesn't have to be Avid/Digi hardware anymore. $600 and you are good to go. It's still quite remarkable software even though I'm not hot on ProTools. I'm still running version 7. It's OK but it's not my favorite software. I might also recommend MOTU Digital Performer. Though that's more costly than PT 10. I also recently heard that Adobe Audition is now Mac friendly. I love Audition and have been using it since before Adobe purchased it. I don't do any MIDI so I'm not quite sure how capable their latest version is in that area? I read it had been integrated into their latest Mac friendly version. And that's a little less money than PT 10.

Milwaukee, the King of beers.
Mx. Remy Ann David

Remy,

Thanks for getting back to me and sorry I've been so delayed with my response. I'll have to look into protools as I have on messed around with it previously. As for as more specifics on my recording process- I dont do much MIDI myself, typically i'll either connect my condenser mic through the firebox and record away(for vocals, acoustic guitar) or ill go direct with a keyboard, electric guitar or bass.

I guess in order to be more specific about my previous post, garage band was fine for the most amateur tracks i was recording but since I am feeling more ambitious and intend to record a 5 track EP I'd like to have a program that had more mastering capabilities.

Thanks again for your feedback,

Chores

P.S. I am not sure if you live in Milwaukee, but I am currently going to school there, its awesome!

Coming from Detroit & St. Paul, I've actually never been to Milwaukee. I haven't got all cheesed up yet. I just think there are too many holes in Wisconsin Swiss you can't do anything about it. At least you are triple hopped. But I do dig champagne in beer bottles. Draft champagne that is. Because I've Red their other stuff is pasteurized. So I'm not much into warm milk and cooked beer. I've never played with Garage Band and really have no idea as to its limitations? I think you just have to be careful about getting oily stains on your carpet? You just have to lay down a dry sheet of tracks for a proper recording to be made.

No sheet.
Mx. Remy Ann David

There is no need to have any question about Pro Tools as Avid has a free 30 day trial. You can see for yourself if it suits you. You will, however need an iLok. Any laptop is a precarious situation for PT as it doesn't play well with motherboard graphics. That said, I have successfully run PT 8 on a Macbook but I wouldn't want to do anything intensive with it.

As Mike pointed out, laptops can be limited when it comes to ProTools. And that's because they are doing everything in real time. That actually requires more powerful DSP capabilities than the average laptop can deliver. With programs like Adobe Audition, Sony Vegas, you at least have the ability to render it out. ProTools doesn't work that way. So when it's workflow versus budget, I find that ProTools falls short for the average user. Not that I haven't run ProTools on a couple of my laptops but I don't utilize many DSP functions because of its lack of the ability to plug-in other DSP processor cards into PCI slots. That's more for the big boys with the big toys and the budgets to match. So if you want to spend $20,000, then it's not an issue. If you have less than $600 to invest, then it's an issue. You can still get away with running a couple of compressors and some reverb on a couple of tracks but you'll really be limited to that. And it still might hicup.

A laptop will perform adequately for basic recording and overdub purposes with ProTools. Then you could take your basic tracks to someone who has an actual full-blown desktop ProTools system that has multiple DSP processing cards for your final mixing needs. And that's the beauty of ProTools. It's the closest we have to an industry-standard production system. Everything else is desktop/laptop CPU oriented production which has its limiting factor based upon how many CPU cores your computer may have. I'm still just barely getting by with 6-10-year-old laptops and desktops running a single Pentium 4 and/or early dual core CPU's which is still adequate for my needs but just barely by today's standards. And I don't do Macintosh. So a lot of my mixing is still in the analog realm which I actually like. Because it moves at the speed of light as opposed to 3 GHz which is like a snail moving through molasses in February.

Escargot anybody?
Mx. Remy Ann David