Need your advice for budget recording studio gear

[Torch]

Hi Folks!
I have a friend named James who has a powerful eMachines ET1331G-03w desktop PC running Windows 7. He would like to use this PC for recording and is seeking opinions as to which software and hardware to use for muilti-track recording. He is a singer/songwriter who will be recording music on his own, so at most, he might need a 2 imputs for perhaps recording a vocal and guitar at the same time. His spending budget is roughly $500, but he would like to spend less if possible. with sooo many products to choose from these days, James is seeking advice for tried and true products that function well and sound decent for lead and harmony vocals, guitars, bass and keyboard sounds. It is also imperitive to James that the recording software has built-in drums for creating easy but good sounding beats. James is new to using a computer for recording, but is willing to learn. His goal is for his performances to sound good while using a muiltitrack recording program that is easy enough to learn. I have tried to help hi make decision on what to buy, but the problem is that there is so much to choose from. Where we live in a rural town, there are no nearby music stores where a person can get hands-on experince and trying before buying. In this forum, there are a lot of folks using various PC hardware and software products. The goal here is "effective yet simple". I appreciate any and every reply. If anyone needs any further details, please feel free to ask. Thank you all in advance for your help!!!

Torsh

[cardell]

Hi Torch,

The Zoom H4n is really great:


http://www.zoom.co.jp/english/products/h4n/

Stuart

[Torch]

Oh geesh, Stuart. I misspelled my own username. I am Torch, not Torsh. My bad. Ummmm......my buddy James is wishes to have the ability to record to at least 24 tracks, one or 2 tracks at a time. He is more interested in using a "traditional" audtion-to-PC interface with 2 or more inputs....so the Zoom product would need be to his fitting.
I was doing some research this evening and it looks like the new Pro Tools 9 does not require and specific/particular hardware, so I wonder if that might be the route to go. Of course, that does not mean that a cheapy interface is going to be acceptable because the source signal still has to be of decent quality. Another thing I am considering is suggesting and 80-mile roadtrip to the nearest Best Buy store where digital recording gear CAN be viewed and heard. Hmmmm.

[manninghollow]

Hey Man. NI Kore One USB interface $199 comes with paired down version of Cubase and some other goodies. Grab one and a 7200rpm extra hard drive for audio files. You will be rockin. Cubase is a bit funky to learn, but it sounds good. For $299 I think they have an upgraded version Kore 6. http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/AudioKont1

[cardell]

Oh geesh, Stuart. I misspelled my own username. I am Torch, not Torsh. My bad.

I fixed it...
Stuart

[Kolstad]

Pro Tools can be a great place to start learning, and PT9 with a good interface will definitely hold it's own for your friend no matter how good he becomes.

For budget, I suggest shopping for a used Mbox with Pro Tools 8LE on eBay. If that works for him, he can upgrade to PT9 (as well as an interface of choice), and if not, he'll be able to sell it as fast as he bought it, with zero loss.

If he goes with PT9 from the start, there's a lot of good interfaces around. He can hardly go wrong by picking one he likes and can afford. The mantra is try before you buy.

With the software there's quite a long and steep learning curve, so a dedicated commitment to spend the time to learn is neccessary, no matter what he chooses. It can easily take a year and more to properly learn his way around a recording programme.

With Pro Tools there's lots of videos online as well as books and DVD's to learn from as well, though.

[Torch]

Thank you all who (so far) replied. Pro Tool 9 is definitely a consideration. But the OTHER option that I came across that is full-featured and less-expensive is Acoustica Mixcraft 5. The overal sound quality MIGHT not be to the flagship-status level that is to be expected from Pro Tools 9, but it looks and sounds (after watching some online videos) like it might be an easier tackle to learn and still get good results. However, no final decisions have been made yet.
I would like to ask any and all of you, what do you consider to be an excellent PC Recording interface? As in, what is a universally compatible and superior-sounding unit to plug mics and guitars into? The preference is to have at least 2 inputs, one for a Low-Z mic and the other a 1/4 inch for guitar or bass.

[Cruciform]

Torch,

I started out with Mixcraft. It's actually a very good little package. Can be a little unstable when one has heaps of midi instruments and effects going however, I was running XP 32 with 4gb ram.. Sounds quite decent, is incredibly easy to learn and very intuitive. Doesn't have a lot of features you'd find in higher-priced products but all the main missing points should be addressed in version 6. Major upgrades are generally very nominal in cost, say $20. Minor upgrades are free.

Mixcraft does not have built in drums though. For reference, all these tracks were done in Mixcraft 5. However, I've learnt tons about recording and mixing since then so I've no doubt I could do even better were I still using MC5.

Nowadays I'm a committed Presonus Studio One Pro user though it's not a budget package.

As for a quality PC interface, I'd look at the Presonus Firestudio Mobile or Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6. The Audio 6 comes with a bunch of NI software including instruments and drumkits. If your friend goes the road of a firewire interface check with the product manufacturer to ensure his firewire port is supported.

[charlie2]

I started with pro tools without knowing a thing about it and within a day or two I was recording.

It's easy to get started and then you get deeper and deeper into it as you go. It's really kinda fun

I picked pro tools because it's the industry standard and now that pro tools 9 came out, it's even better

because you can use different parts with it.

If ya need a book; the best book for getting around in pt is" Ignite! the visual guide for new users." get it

with pro tools le 9

Just my 2 cents.

Take your time and brainstorm all the possibilies.

[jdstamper]

Another thing you could do is you, or your friend, could call up your favorite gear retailer, pose your question, and see what they recommend. Most sales reps would be glad to spend some time helping you to meet your needs, and if not, find another.

That said, on the PC I'm a Sonar user, and it's a fine product. I believe they have entry level offerings and possibly free with certain gear bundles.

Good luck. Jim