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hello.

i live in brazil and will travel to US for business and figure out that would a nice chance to buy hardware for a cheaper price than I can get in brazil.

i have intentions to buy the following as a start:

Audio interface: M-Audio Fast Track Ultra [290$]
Monitors: M-Audio Studiophile BX5a Deluxe [240$]
Microphones: Audio-Technica Pro 37 [120$] or Behringer Studio Cond. Dual Diaf. Mic C3 [53$]
Memory: 8GB DDR2 RAM Memory for the computer (only have 2gb)

1-Does that make sense? Is it a good hardware?
2-Is computer memory really necessary for better performance?
3-Should I buy headphones for mixing? when would I use the monitors, and when would I use the heaphones? (I currently have a koss porta pro, and a koss the plug).

I would like to record voice, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, etc., and start learning the basics of music producing, mixing, etc.

Thanks!

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TheJackAttack Mon, 11/22/2010 - 10:57

Use your headphones to find defects in the actual audio tracks. Use your monitors for decisions on balance, the overall mix, eq, compression etc.

If you computer is 64 bit hardware and a 64 bit OS and the memory controller is new enough, then more ram is helpful. You need to probably have 4gb anyway. You didn't mention what the computer was or what motherboard it has in it or desktop/laptop.

I don't like M-Audio preamps or analog circuitry. As such I can't give a thumbs up for that but lots of other people like them and diversity is what makes the world go around. As to the microphones, I stick with even the low end AT microphones over anything by Behr*%^.

amadeustm Mon, 11/22/2010 - 11:19

TheJackAttack, post: 357289 wrote: Use your headphones to find defects in the actual audio tracks. Use your monitors for decisions on balance, the overall mix, eq, compression etc.

If you computer is 64 bit hardware and a 64 bit OS and the memory controller is new enough, then more ram is helpful. You need to probably have 4gb anyway. You didn't mention what the computer was or what motherboard it has in it or desktop/laptop.

I don't like M-Audio preamps or analog circuitry. As such I can't give a thumbs up for that but lots of other people like them and diversity is what makes the world go around. As to the microphones, I stick with even the low end AT microphones over anything by Behr*%^.

my computer is a desktop with gigabyte motherboard (GA-965P-DS3 rev3), with Intel Core2Duo E7300, 2GB DDR2 Generic Brand. I have intentions to buy 8gb Corsair XMS2 DHX.

i will install win7 64bits and use cubase 5.5.2 or Ableton Suite. Maybe both, or some other software, that depends on tutorials content available on the web.

If you don't like M-Audio, please sugest similar hardware. I would love to consider suggestions from people who knows about it. My idea on m-audio fast-track ultra would be to record guitar and mic without the use of a mixer (something related to the existence of preamps on m-audio fast track, i guess). some friend has suggested me that. but i don't know about its qualities and the cost benefit ratio it has.

my budget is not determined, but i'm not that thrill to spend 800 dolares on that. i only consider it a need, because that's what i want to learn for my life, and not IT, SAP and stuff.

thank you for your time in reading and replying =)

TheJackAttack Mon, 11/22/2010 - 11:28

I don't know that it matters too much in the Fasttrack price range. The fact that one person doesn't like M-Audio shouldn't dissuade you out of hand. If you could put a little more money toward the interface then I do recommend the TC Electronic Impact Twin. You're just starting out so know that your microphone desires/choices will soon change, and the ones you are proposing to purchase will only be a temporary fix and will not see much if any use once you advance further and purchase better mic's.

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