You didn't mention what PC system you have now, or the sound card you have now.
If you have a Dell with just the SoundMax or whatever else "on board" sound module (built into the motherboard) all you have is the Microsoft Software Synth, which is not very good (and may what you are referring to).
Newer SoundBlaster Live! cards have a hardware synth built on the card which is better than the Microsoft software synth. If you have an Anudy or Audigy 2ZS they have an "A" and "B" software synth built on the board. The "A" synth is the best of the two - I've compared them using "Band in a Box" software and the A has the best instrument sounds.
Another option is the Roland VSC33 software synth, which is almost as good as the "A" synth on the Audigy 2 sound cards. The Roland VSC33 comes with the full Band in a Box software package. I don't know if you can buy it separately. www.pgmusic.com
Cakewalk Home Studio should be about all you need for "recording" software.
I don't use my PC for recording, I use a separate multi-track hard drive recorder, a Fostex VF160.
Thanks for the reply. Let me list the equipment I have and maybe you can give me some more advise. All I have in the way of computer hardware is a run of the mill gateway laptop. I don't have any special sound card installed in it. I like using my laptop because it has Cakewalk Home Studio on it which I have been experimenting with for a awhile now. I like being able to drag and drop events in tracks and so forth. I also have Mackie DFX-6 Mixer with digital effects. I don't have any guitar interfaces yet. I know I will need one of those at some point to be able to record guitar parts. You mentioned you use a separate multi-track hard drive recorder. So you don't think it is a wise choice to use a computer for recording? What do you use to see and manipulate the audio tracks you are working on? Is the multi-track hard drive a stand alone system or is it part of a computer system? What is this Pedal Steel Guitar is the Guitar you mentioned at the bottom of your response? Have you ever used Cakewalk Home Studio? If so, how does it compare to Band in a Box? I know there are a lot of questions here but I have so much to learn about recording that I really don't even know where to start!! Thanks for you advise!!
fireberd
9 Legend
•
33.4K Posts
0
August 12th, 2005 19:00
You didn't mention what PC system you have now, or the sound card you have now.
If you have a Dell with just the SoundMax or whatever else "on board" sound module (built into the motherboard) all you have is the Microsoft Software Synth, which is not very good (and may what you are referring to).
Newer SoundBlaster Live! cards have a hardware synth built on the card which is better than the Microsoft software synth. If you have an Anudy or Audigy 2ZS they have an "A" and "B" software synth built on the board. The "A" synth is the best of the two - I've compared them using "Band in a Box" software and the A has the best instrument sounds.
Another option is the Roland VSC33 software synth, which is almost as good as the "A" synth on the Audigy 2 sound cards. The Roland VSC33 comes with the full Band in a Box software package. I don't know if you can buy it separately. www.pgmusic.com
Cakewalk Home Studio should be about all you need for "recording" software.
I don't use my PC for recording, I use a separate multi-track hard drive recorder, a Fostex VF160.
rah66comanche
2 Posts
0
August 14th, 2005 15:00
Thanks for the reply. Let me list the equipment I have and maybe you can give me some more advise. All I have in the way of computer hardware is a run of the mill gateway laptop. I don't have any special sound card installed in it. I like using my laptop because it has Cakewalk Home Studio on it which I have been experimenting with for a awhile now. I like being able to drag and drop events in tracks and so forth. I also have Mackie DFX-6 Mixer with digital effects. I don't have any guitar interfaces yet. I know I will need one of those at some point to be able to record guitar parts. You mentioned you use a separate multi-track hard drive recorder. So you don't think it is a wise choice to use a computer for recording? What do you use to see and manipulate the audio tracks you are working on? Is the multi-track hard drive a stand alone system or is it part of a computer system? What is this Pedal Steel Guitar is the Guitar you mentioned at the bottom of your response? Have you ever used Cakewalk Home Studio? If so, how does it compare to Band in a Box? I know there are a lot of questions here but I have so much to learn about recording that I really don't even know where to start!! Thanks for you advise!!
Mike