Help for a newbie.....

[Daveyb]

Hi,

I'm just about to move from the world of cassette based portastudios to using my PC. What I want to do is record the sounds on to the PC but use an old style mixing desk (8 channels is all I need) for inputting and then mixing after.

My question is can I use Ableton Live to record the sounds and then output it all to the mixer. Is it possible to get decent quality soundcards with eight 1/4" jacks sockets for output to the mixer and 8 1/4" jacks to input to the pc? I hope I'm making myself understood here but I'm new to all this.

Is Ableton the right choice or for what I want is someting like Cubase easier to use. (I won't be doing anything live or using midi it's all analogue synths and guitars)

Thanks in advance

Dave

[tech1]

Yes, absolutely. Somthing like the FireStudio or 24io will do exactly what you want. Here's some links:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/FireStudio/
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/24ioCore/

There are dozens of other products that also have this capability. These are merely two examples. As far as ease of use in software, that's something you will have to realize first-hand. Demo each and choose the one you like best.

[poorsod]

However, if you're going to be using analog synths (if they have MIDI in) then you'll want to be routing the MIDI through your DAW. MIDI is much, much more flexible than audio because the notes are independant of the sounds.

If you record your synth without MIDI and then want to make one change to the patch you have to re-record the whole thing - a lot more room for mistakes. Easier to record the MIDI notes and then tailor the synth to the music. Nothing's set in stone that way.

It's simple: you send the MIDI from the controller keyboard into the computer (using the audio interface's MIDI in) and then out to the synth (MIDI out), then send the audio from the synth back to the PC. You can then edit notes with the DAW.

I never got used to Live, but I know many who have. I wouldn't recommend it personally - it seems to be too upside-down to me - but don't take my word for it. If you're going with the setup I recommended above then you'll want something more MIDI-centric like Cubase or SONAR.

Ultimately it's up to you, but here's a good rundown of the main features of the 4 main competitors in the DAW field (SONAR, Cubase, Pro Tools and Acid): http://www.digitalmusicdoctor.com/shootout/midi_explain.htm

[lionstar]

I agree with Poorsod, the choice a daw software is large, but you can narrow it down, Ableton Live can record audio but its aimed at the remix/DJ market, Protools, Logic, Sonar & Cubase are aimed at the multi-track recording market. The only difference between them are a few extra features and the GUI. I prefer Sonar6 PE, it can do so much, but thats my choice. As for sound cards, if its PCI you could get an M-audio Delt1010 cheap, and its firewire you could look at the Edirol FA101 of Presonus etc.

For multi tracking do not go for USB its not really up to it yet.

Happy recording.

[poorsod]

The main thing about Live is that it's laid out totally differently from the other DAWs. So if you're a seasoned Live user but you want to engineer for yourself in a pro studio (using Pro Tools) then you have to learn everything all over again.

The timeline in Live is downwards and the tracks are laid out left-to-right, a big break from the other MIDI and audio-centric DAWs. Plus, you can't see enough detail in the audio clips for my liking. I need to be able to see where the peaks are to match up the drums, since I do quite a few mixtapes.

Ableton is definitely optimised for the live user (hence the name), because it's got a blazingly low-latency design and a pretty good engine under the hood too. It's good at multitracking, which is useful when you're taping a live performance with several musicians on stage.

If all you're doing is acoustic multitracking then go for one of the Big Three: Pro Tools (M-Powered or LE if you've got a bigger budget; the HD version costs thousands), Cubase or SONAR. I would recommend PT if you're using no MIDI at all because it's totally unrivalled for the number and quality of audio plugs available.
If you're using MIDI with analog or virtual synths (like me) then you should consider SONAR or Cubase. Word on the street is that SONAR's on top at this stage.