# Need Help On What To Look For to Record via PC!



## Saffron (Mar 16, 2011)

I hope this is the right section, 1st post here as a new user!

I am looking for something I can hook up to my PC to record, lay and mix tracks. I would be looking at hooking up my guitar, Roland MIDI/Casio CDP-200 and to be able to mix with tracks/blurbs that I have created with FL Studio. Riffs, drum beats....etc (mp3's, .wav...etc)

Laying multiple tracks and editing them is a must but I will never be recording more than one track at a time, one man band. I know out of box programs will be relativly "weak" but I have never used anything, so help in that aspect would be awesome as well!

I was reccomended the Yamaha Audiogram 6, but I have read many poor reviews on it and the whole thing with it being USB 1.0 doesn't sit well with me.

Next up I have read about the Line 6 UX2 which doesn't sound that bad but the guy at the local music store said the sound quality was horrible compared to the Yamaha. Mind you he only had the audiogram 6 in stock but can bring in the Line6.

I am looking for something under $500 give or take.

If you have any thoughts, advice or opinions I would to hear them, even other products that will suit my needs as I have only heard about the above two.

Thanks!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Check out any of the following:

M-Audio Fast Track/Fast Track Pro
M-Audio ProFire610
M-Audio Firewire 410 (no longer sold in store, but usually pretty cheap used)
Edirol UA-25EX
Edirol FA66
Focusright Saffire
Presonus Audiobox

Or any other of a host of USB 2.0 or Firewire Interfaces. Any of these will do what you need. I have the M-Audio Firewire 410 at home and it's great. Does everything I need for my one-man-band and I've never had any need to upgrade.

You definitely want to avoid USB 1.0 - it's waaaay too slow to record with reliably. You'll end up with latency issues if you're multi-tracking. USB 2.0 or Firewire are both solid. Hard to say which is better. USB 2.0 has a fast top speed but Firewire has better average throughput. I'm using firewire and it's great, but I know lots of people who use USB 2.0 and are happy with it too.

For software, I use Sonar, just because it's what I'm most familiar with and I sort of grew up with it. I've used Pro Tools and it's not a whole lot different. Hell, even using Audacity isn't too bad if you're not doing anything overly complex.

For $500, you should be able to get a really decent interface, but you can spend less buying used and put the extra into a nice set of monitors or a mic!


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## Saffron (Mar 16, 2011)

Thank you very much for the various options!

If you had to personally buy one today, what would you pick?

They all look relativly the same to me, I just think the gauges on the Line 6 are snazzy looking, lol.
Do they all offer different "tones" and drum machine functions? Or is that packed into the program that they come with? 

I have Line 6 Spider IV board and head/quad cab ..The Fast Track Pro is looking very nice though!


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

Hey there...I use the Line 6 UX1...it's awesome...I also use the M-AUDIO Blackbox...and a Digitech RP255...all fantastic units...all with the ability to bypass all the fx in order to record just the clean dry signal...

Each unit also comes with free multi-track recording software...and an onscreen software user interface for adjusting parameters of amp models and presets etc...

The Blackbox and RP255 actually perform great with usb 1.0...with zero latency...

You can hear some of my recorded results here...judge for yourself...just click on the black "play" triangles next to the song titles to hear different tunes...

john doe - Musician in Hamilton, ON - BandMix.ca


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## Saffron (Mar 16, 2011)

Thanks!

That does sound really good, I may just further research the UX2.


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## Kenmac (Jan 24, 2007)

Good advice from Jimi and Hollowbody when it comes to interfaces. As far as Digital Audio Workstations go I'd recommend checking out Reaper. REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits It's very reasonably priced and you can demo it without restrictions for 30 days. If you decide you like it, it'll only cost you $40.00 for the discounted license. Good luck with your recording.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Kenmac said:


> Good advice from Jimi and Hollowbody when it comes to interfaces. As far as Digital Audio Workstations go I'd recommend checking out Reaper. REAPER | Audio Production Without Limits It's very reasonably priced and you can demo it without restrictions for 30 days. If you decide you like it, it'll only cost you $40.00 for the discounted license. Good luck with your recording.


+1 It's very intuitive, doesn't take up a lot of resources. I've been seeing a few folks using it for serious recording.


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## Saffron (Mar 16, 2011)

$40 is very reasonable!

REAPER looks like a beast of a program, I will have to check it out.

Thanks!


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## hollowbody (Jan 15, 2008)

Saffron said:


> Thank you very much for the various options!
> 
> If you had to personally buy one today, what would you pick?
> 
> ...


Given that I've used a few M-Audio products before and been very satisfied with them, I would probably stick with their products, unless I decided I needed more than a couple XLR inputs (which I don't, and neither do you it seems).

The Fast Track Pro is certainly a great product, but I might go with the Profire 610 for the same reason I went with the FW410 that I currently have - they both have 2 headphone outs. I use the two outs to either record with another musician simultaneously, or when I have someone sit at the PC to start/stop recording for me when I want to punch in some overdubs or things like that. Having 2 outs also means they have separate volume controls, so if someone likes it loud and the other person doesn't, it's not a problem. This might not be important to you, but it was for me.

The M-Audio stuff is pretty much just an interface, so are the other things I listed, so they don't have onboard effects or amp simulators and that kind of stuff. If you want/need things like that, then the Line 6 units would be my choice.

Also, remember, one of the benefits of an audio interface is that it takes the place of your PC's sound-card, which means you generally end up with better sound when you're playing back mp3s in iTunes, etc.


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## Saffron (Mar 16, 2011)

hollowbody said:


> Given that I've used a few M-Audio products before and been very satisfied with them, I would probably stick with their products, unless I decided I needed more than a couple XLR inputs (which I don't, and neither do you it seems).
> 
> The Fast Track Pro is certainly a great product, but I might go with the Profire 610 for the same reason I went with the FW410 that I currently have - they both have 2 headphone outs. I use the two outs to either record with another musician simultaneously, or when I have someone sit at the PC to start/stop recording for me when I want to punch in some overdubs or things like that. Having 2 outs also means they have separate volume controls, so if someone likes it loud and the other person doesn't, it's not a problem. This might not be important to you, but it was for me.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the information! I don't really need two outs and I like the idea of onboard effects so from what I have read and found out I just pulled the trigger on the UX2! (yay Amazon, saved $65 copmared to down town prices)

I did not know that about the soundcard, that is pretty cool and I don't even know what soundcard I have...just have a 5.1 set up with Realtek drivers...

I will now look into programs (REAPER, Cakewalk....etc) Im am guessing I can not use FL Studio for this application?


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## jimihendrix (Jun 27, 2009)

I use Magix Samplitude Music Studio...$75.50 here...

Long & McQuade - Magix Software Samplitude Music Studio 










Computer music magazine gives away full free versions on their cover dvd too...


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

I've been looking at the lexicon Omega as a really great do it all interface. It's bundled with Cubase too and has lexicon reverbs to boot! Lexicon Omega USB Audio/Midi Recording Interface | Vancouver Montreal Toronto Canada

Never say "I don't really need two outs" because the more the better in time. Lexicon has some smaller models though. I've also considered the Zoom H4 as a sketch tool and an interface.

We'll see what i end up with come tax return time.


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## Saffron (Mar 16, 2011)

Well I have Two balanced 1/4-inch line out and a single line our for headphones, Line 6 UX2 is what I went with.

I also found out that I can use FL studio, which is great as I have been fooling around with that program for a while, though I am still learning new things everyday when messing around.

I will check REAPER out though seeing as how it's free for 30 days but, from what I have found, many people say FL is a tad better than REAPER...seems like Cubase has many fans. I just want something simple to use but relatilvy deep.


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