[wbeacham]

I'm looking at setting up a home system and I need some direction. I have a PodXT and midi keyoard and I have about 600 bucks to do this. I have looked at krk and m-audio monitors rokit5's aand BK5's also do I need a mixer or just a good sound card. I have Acid Pro 4 and Sound Forge 6 software. I want to be able to use the monitos for every day playback and record as well. Any help would be great.

 

[Goport]

monitor speakers are designed to give a flat response and can be very unforgiving for generic pc sounds. you won't damage them though. I got a cheap pair of Behringer MS16's and a Behringer Eurorack 1002 mixer. this set me back about $120 in your currency. Any 24/96 soundcard can be used to get great results and there are some pretty good bargains around at the moment. I have a terratec dmx 6fire because it was pretty cheap and has a front breakout box. but with even an M-Audio Audiophile 2496 or a E-MU 0404 card you are going to get good results for little outlay.

My advice is start small - it will meet your needs for a good while. My friend has built a studio the around the same time as I did. He spent over $8,000, I spent $600. I have already recorded enough originals to fill a cd and he has yet to even figure out how to get a good vocal sound. And he is still spending. :lol:

Your software is more than up to the job BTW.

One more thing to bear in mind is most pro soundcards do not have midi wave tables on them. if you use midi and don't have a dedicated unit you might want to invesigate getting a few gm softsynths.

 

[wbeacham]

Thanks for the info Goport. I am looking at the M-audio monitors the Behringer 10 or 12 input mixer and the E-mu 0404 sound card. I have a midi keyboard and a PodXT 2.0. I think that should do me quite well and set me back about 500 to 600 dollars.

 

[bluesplayer]

I think also that it is Worth considering looking around for a good quality SH tone generator . Yamaha MU 100 s are a worthwhile purchase . they feature 2 mic pre amps , realtime effects , also built in guitar pre amps , and they also have drum kits galore , 1024 plus xg midi voices , plus because your using a external midi sound source youre keeping the work load from your processor , resulting in a better latency , less pops and clicks . :thumb:

 

[wbeacham]

bluesplayer, if I had another 1200.00 I would look into the sound modules. I'm no pro and I just want a good solid system to play through and do some recording with.

 

[bluesplayer]

Fair dinkum mate

 

[pego]

your podxt IS a soundcard

Thanks for the info Goport. I am looking at the M-audio monitors the Behringer 10 or 12 input mixer and the E-mu 0404 sound card. I have a midi keyboard and a PodXT 2.0. I think that should do me quite well and set me back about 500 to 600 dollars.

Your podxt IS a usb (asio) soundcard. No mic in, that's true.

And why a mixer with so many inputs and a soundcard with only 2 ins? Do you have that many hardware synths to route in the soundcard?

The M audio monitors suck, all reviews say so.

If you wanna record many inputs at the same time (a band?) have a look at presonus firepod or something like that (comes with Mic preamps, and a copy of cubase LE). If you don't need that many ins, presonus firebox.

If you don't need vocals or mic ins, podxt will do, better buy a copy of cubase SE then and good midi softsynths (especially DRUMS: battery2 + drumkit from hell 1 or DFHS), a good midi keyboard is essential then.

Hugo

lessons:

http://www.pego.be

backing tracks:

http://www.weedbackingtracks.com

 

[stingx]

Listen to Pego. Use your PodXT as the soundcard. Update everything to the latest to take advantage of the newest drivers. You can use USB to connect to your pc. You will have to connect a headphone to the pod to hear anything, or run powered speakers out of the two line outs (1/4" TS). It is very good used in this capacity.

I also cannot recommend Cubase SE enough. Spend the cash on it, use the XT and be done with it all for dirt cheap. The sound is up to you, though...shit in=shit out. :thumbup:

 

[pego]

Cubase SE 2

Since steinberg released studio case 2 that includes an upgraded version of Cubase SE, the "on itself" version of Cubase SE 2 will not be long.

Cubase SE 1 is based on SX 1, and cubase SE 2 will be based on SX 2/3. This way projects made with SX3 will be compatible with SE 2.

I also own a terratec mt88 Eight channel in (asio) soundcard, but since I discovered the asio capabilities of the PodXT I just use the pod with my laptop. The mt88 is gathering dust until I will record my band.

A very good investment if you insist on pârting with your cash is TFT monitors. Done with the rumble and rattle caused by screen interference in your pick ups.

My audio monitors are tannoy reveals. I am very pleased with them.

Hugo

http://www.pego.be

http://www.weedbackingtracks.com

 

[pego]

One More

And for recording guitar tones there is really nothing that compares to the PODX .

Not only for the sound quality (that is a matter of taste), but because it's the only real low latency solution there is.

You CAN for instance use guitar rig or amplitube software with your soundcard set at it's lowest latency.

But if you do some tracking with heavy (and the good sounding ones are heavy) softsynth load on your system, you will have to raise the latency of your soundcard to playback / record / track without glitches. At that moment real time playing through these software amp sims becomes a pain.

Not so with the podxt. since simulation is dealth with in hardware in the podxt, the sound is immediate, regardless the buffer settings for your soundcard / software (eg cubase).

My 2C

Rant over .

Hugo

http://www.pego.be

http://www.weedbackingtracks.com