I personally like the tubepre although most people don't. If you're going to spend a couple hundred anyway I'd save up for at least the brick by groove tubes, IMO its the lowest cost real mic pre out there. I think you can get one for $350. The comp 16 won't help you learn a damn thing, it has presets on it and thats it, you're stuck with whatever compression presets they use which to me is insane considering all the adjustments that can be made to a compressor. Not trying to disuade you from anything but use the pre's on your interface and save up for a real tube preamp not the cheapies.

save ur money and get one of the RME firewire boxes...good stuff!

Well most of the stuff I will buy used if I can. I cant afford the RME interface, thats well over a grand. I am thinking about just getting the MOTU 828 for now and a Tubepre. Should be enought to get me started. My friends Mackie mixer has 4 dedicated mic pre's on it so that is something I can use for drums, which would be helpful.

shredz wrote: save ur money and get one of the RME firewire boxes...good stuff!

Some of us can't afford to save for forever to get the "good stuff". Why not just take what you can get and figure out how the squeeze the good stuff out of it? That's what recording is all about. ART. Recording is supposed to be an art - an art of getting the most out of what you have available. So you're not going to have audiophile-level quality with a $100 piece of gear... use those flaws to your advantage! Take Nirvana's "Bleach" for example. It was recorded in a room about the size of a bedroom on 6 tracks of an 8 track machine with SM57's and carpet on the walls. Make the most from what you can. When you can afford to upgrade, upgrade. However, choose your "expendable" first purchase wisely. Anything that you'll lose more than 25% on by reselling as used isn't really worth it.

Use your ears to justify your purchases.

You won't be upgrading from the MOTU pres by buying the presonus. Save up for something else. As for EQ, I would say use plug-ins. Save your outboard gear budget for things your DAW won't do.

So which software will you use?

I was thinking either Cubase or Tracktion unless you can recommend something else. Ive been messing around in Tracktion and I like it alot. Easy as hell learning curve.

Hows the presonus firepod firewire interface? Thats got 8 built in pre's so I wouldnt need to upgrade for awhile.

Amen Brian!

If the meat is good to begin with, it is hard to f*** up the meal unless you burn the crap out of it.

What you need to decide is how much TIME you have.

If you have just ONE CLASS A FOTHERMUCKING good channel, you can spend A LOT of time overdubbing tracks and mixing and still get a killer project.

But if you have the $$$$$ you can spend less time overdubbing and then concentrate on the final mix and get the same quality product out much faster.

TIME VS. MONEY... The bane that binds us all!

Yes, the Firepod is great for someone looking for a package that will get you recording out of the box. Its pres are nothing special either. I think it comes bundled with Cubase. Tracktion is fine, and free right? I use Sonar and totally dig it. I have an MBox too but can't bring myself to ever use PTLE.

Sooner than later, you'll want to get a nice channel strip so you have at lease one really nice pre. There are many to choose from, depends on your budget.

AG

Is getting the MOTU 828 MKII as much of a risk as it seems? I hear all these problems users are having, such as dead screens, irregular sounds through the outputs, and just plain dead units. Id like to go for the 828 only because I wouldnt be upgrading for awhile.

I love mine ... no problems (crossing fingers). I run with XP, too. Go figure.

I also have a dell laptop with I can hook the 828 into if I want to record somewhere else. That's handy. And, if I ever went to the dark side and bought a Mac, it would be compatible.