[musictlk] home studios: Mac vs. PC and control surfaces?

[Daniel Romero]

Hi Sheri! First off, will you send me some of the outtakes of your
work? I'd like to hear some of the swearing moments. Lol Just playing
with you.
It really all comes down to comfortability. So far what I've learned
is that you have more knowledge with PC's over Mac. This isn't to say
you couldn't or should learn Mac, but it would be a tedious process
due to the fact that you're only familiar with just audasity. Here's
what I'll recommend, unless someone has an lots of other choices for
you as far as a portastudio. Fix up your PC, and start diving into
things such as Reaper, or Cakewalk's sonar with the scripts from
dancing dots; CakeTalking. ProTools is great but takes a lot to learn
because you'd be learning another opporating system, and from what it
seems, you need to get  this equipment, semi quick, correct? So if you
need/want too, fix up your PC, and if you financially can't aford
sonar and the scripts right now, Reaper is out there for free and I
believe the full version costs $60 if I'm not mistaken. Now you're
looking for a control surface. I don't know much about this yet as I
haven't purchased one, but on the Reaper e-mail list, I was following
a conversation thread about the Behringer BCF2000. There is supposedly
a plugin for reaper that makes the control surface accessible. If/when
I can, I will find more information out for you. i hope I was some
sourt of helpful. Take care!
-Dan

On 5/14/13, Sheri Beth Wells-Jensen <swellsj at bgsu.edu> wrote:
> Hi, Folks,
>
> I spent some time listening to the (really well done) podcasts from Dancing
> Dots about setting up home music mastering equipment.  As a result of this,
> I'm ready to upgrade and have questions of anyone who has a home studio and
> works with projects larger than 2 or 3 tracks.  I've been using Audacity
> which works... it works like driving a tank, but it works.  Hence, my
> excitement when I heard how easily things can go if you have the right
> equipment.
> I'm tired of hacking; I want this to be fun again.
>
> I'm not (and don't currently have) a keyboard player, so I'm not interested
> in a keyboard with a midi as such.  We need multiple tracks for things like
> banjo, bass, ukulele, sax, flute, guitar, vox and percussion, and I'm
> serious about doing the recording right and getting the effects the way I
> want them.  My day job as a linguist also requires me to make clear speech
> recordings and edit them well.  Again, I've been using audacity, but that
> causes me to swear bitterly and sometimes throw things... *smile*
>
> I'm simultaneously about ready to give this blasted old PC of mine the boot
> out the door (It has failed me for the last time!), and so I'm trying to
> figure out if my recording needs and my computer needs ought to unite.  So,
> my questions:
>
> Do any of you use a stand alone piece of equipment like Portastudio?
> I ask because I'd really like to have a control surface: that sounds to me
> like the easiest way to manipulate things partly because, although I use
> VoiceOver on my phone and JAWS on my computer, I  really prefer to work as
> much as possible without voice.  I'd love to have braille access to all
> this, but I understand if that's just not workable.  Things go so much
> better if I have braille access!
>
> I'm quite willing to make the jump to a Mac Book if that's the best way to
> go... Anyone out there use a control surface with a Mac?  Or would I be
> better served by a PC that has better manners than mine does?
>
>
> Thanks in advance and my apologies for the combination of rant and
> questions.
>
> Peace,
> Sheri
>
>
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-- 
Daniel C. Romero
Bergen Community College '14
Host, imager, and producer, The Dan ShowLive
Cell: 973-842-1600
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