Hey John, welcome to the forum!

There is a lot of differing opinions on computers.

Most would say go with what you can afford, I certainly did for many years.

Certainly used is great for saving money.

If you have money to spend and you would like to get a new quality computer you may want to do some research on amazon.com by reading the reviews of products. I've found these to be helpful.

I use a white 2GHZ macbook, but I would not recommend it now since apple has discontinued firewire on the entry level macbooks and reduced the overall connectivity on the pro level macbooks in favor of higher quality video. You could look for a white one still, I am sure there are some still around that are new.

I would go for a mac pro if I was making money with music.

I heard HP makes a good PC.

Best wishes on your choice,
Bret

My service hiccuped, this edit is to rid the copy!

Jammster thanks for the advise and i will be sure to check out the reviews on amazon.

Hey everyone,

just wanted to mention that a good used computer that you can upgrade and expand by yourself is much better than a new dell or other imitation quality machine.

Or, if you are not familiar on working on machines you can always get a couple cheap used ones that do not work and try to get them working.

You will learn and grow from your experience and save some serious cash!

Many years ago I acquired some broken Akai Adam 12 track digital recorders from a local discount retailer here in Minneapolis, MN.

It took me some time to get the money together and paid only a $150 per machine.

The machines had been water damaged by a storm that hit the warehouse in Texas.

I had a total of three machines that did not work.

Somehow I was able to make one machine work by making my best judgement on which parts were still good.

Some of the work was just swapping out boards/machines till I got it right.

If you got the nack for fixing things and acquire a good attitude how can you go wrong???

Get some of the best music you like and just keep playing it while you are going about the labor.

Best wishes to your musical journey,
Bret

Welcome to RO John.

When I decided to have a PC in my studio I started googling with combinations of words like: DAW, latency, CPU, chipset, fan noise, TDP, chipset etc. You'll find more as you go. You can start by reading the sytem requirements on your package of Cubase LE. I would take the recommended specs as a starting point. Also determine what will be your typical load in terms of trackcount, VST instruments and FX and compare with DAW PC builds you find on the web.

You do not need the latest greatest (like Intel Core i7). Most of us do not have the latest greatest even for other reasons than cash. With PC parts being as low priced as they are now, I would be suprised if you cannot find the parts to meet your requirements.

i have cubase 4 le and my pc meets the needs and then some but as soon as i add a roomworks se effect it slows everything down and im unable to play the song?

Your PC actually meets the needs to run LE4 - this doesn't include additional plugins.
Reverbs are notorious for munching resources like they were free.

The kind of computer you need isn't so much based on the fact that you want to record as it does on the way you record. For an individual doing typical recording at home, it doesn't take much. About any modern system will do. The problem arise when you start mixing many tracks with many VST's or need redudundant reliability and any number of other factors. I build DAW's as a business. Here's one that will do for almost any amateur recording. Not a commercial, just an idea of what you would need at the most. You could probably get by with less.

http://www.computerhq.us/eshop/10expand.asp?productcode=basic.

I can't tell you why that link doesn't work. It will work if you put it in your browser URL window. It can be stripped of $100-$200 or so and still work just fine for a home computing rig.

hay guys my name is keith, im just getting going with my home recording. i use Cubase SX 3, and before now ive been recording straight through a dynamic mic into the mic jack on my PC (windows Vista). i want to record drums but i cant because i obviously only have one input so cant mic up the drums properly!

i have a powered 10 channel PA system which my band play gigs with, and im wondering if i can record through the PA desk into the PC. is this possible, and if so how would i connect it up??

any help would be much apprecitated guys thanks
keith

A stereo audio interface which accepts whatever stereo tape out you can feed from your mixer would probably do the trick. Although you're going to be stuck with whatever mix comes off your deck.

What kind of mixer do you have?
If your computer USB or Firewire?

There are a billion and one ways to do this. None of them include inserting anything into your onboard soundcard. :P

Hay.
My sig explains all you need to know about onboard sound (not the first line, though).

Basically the onboard sound is crap. I almost get by, but with headaches.

You shall want to get a small 2-channel USB interface and use THAT as inputs if you want any real quality to it.

Also, "powered PA desk" if you run a line from the amplifier to the PC, I don't wanna be there when it happens.
Use the UNPOWERED outputs on the top/side wherever, just do not connect an amplifier output to an input (except on a suitably sized speaker).

codemonkey, i want to use a condenser mic which requires phantom power, thats the reason why i wanted to use the powered desk in the first place, any suggestions?

my computer is usb. you said ill have to use the mix from the desk? but cant i just use the desk more like an input interface and then mix on cubase?

appreciate the help guys
peace

fmw wrote: I can't tell you why that link doesn't work. It will work if you put it in your browser URL window. It can be stripped of $100-$200 or so and still work just fine for a home computing rig.

I can tell you why it doesn't work, even if you copy-and-paste it into the browser url box.

Recommending something you are selling used to be a no-no world-web-wide...might still be. ;)

OK, caboosekk...

The desk is fine to act as preamps/phantom power.

You desk is a mixer. If you want to mix on Cubase or any software, you need AT LEAST the number of inputs (on your actual USB/firewire interface) that you want to record at a time.

(These are expensive).

You CAN however use the desk to mix to a 2-track and record that onto the computer - but you're stuck with it.

You can also get something with a different amount of inputs and use the desk to mix down certain areas - such as drums. Then you can have a drum track, vocals, guitars, bass (4 tracks, for example) and mix THOSE.

oh yeah i see sure of course i couldnt mix it down on cubase sure it would all come in as one track... sorry work with me here im learnin!

in your opinion, if when recording drums, i miked up everything grand and mixed the tracks the levels an all that right on the desk, would i be able to get a decent sound? and have it all go onto cubase as one track? would that be sufficent like? oh mighty one.. :D
thanks

i guess you should just try it out....but i think after a while of doing that, you're gonna want some more control. if you listen to your one track after recorded and think that you need some more snare or bass drum in the mix, you're kinda stuck with what ya got. not to mention if you would want to add reverb and compression on the snare alone, withouth affecting the overheads or the other drums, you wont be able to.
i would save up about $400-500 dollars and see what kinda good deals you can get on a multichannel interface. they're out there for that reasonably low price.

Sufficient -> yes.
Excellent -> no.

You may struggle a little with the snare, without an outboard compressor. However it IS possible to get a good mix.
Every week I try and use headphones to get 2-track mixes off our board and well, they work, but they're not great.

ok. i think ive decided to buy a Line 6 Toneport UX1, run the desk through the stereo moniter input, or just the line inputs, and mix the drums on the desk that way and try to get the perfect sound onto one track. nd then with the guitars and vocals and everything i can just go seperately through the Toneport using the condenser mic. everything sound ok there?

thats a million for the help lads yeyve sent me on my way, appreciate it.