Noobie: Best Hardware for home using Live

[hubatz_]

Hey,

I'm totaly noob in ableton (and english as well ).

What is the best hardware for starting with ableton?
And the best OS is Mac or Windows?

What soundcard is the best for homeuse and does it make sense to use a
MIDI-Keyboard when i can't read notes and never done this before?

Tell me how you began (hardware / software) and your experience with it.
Save me from mistakes by telling me of yours

Greets,

Hubatz

[andydes]

For starting, you need the following:

A good computer (Mac or PC makes little difference).

And that's about it as long as you have some half decent speakers to play through.

Unless you're really filthy rich, you don't want the best hardware.

The biggest mistake you can make is to buy lots of expensive equipment because people tell you you need it. Wait til you feel limited with what you've got before buying new equipment, then you'll have a better idea what you need.

You'll get a better answer if you tell us:

1. Exactly what you are doing with Ableton. (DJing / Recording live instruments / making beats 'n' bleeps).
2. If you have any experience with other music programs / hardware.
3. Any equipment you have (computer / speakers / intruments / decks).
4. Your budget.
5. Are you working alone or in a band. What do they play?
5. How sreiously you want to take this.
6. Anything else that might be relevent.

Otherwise, someone will tell you to get a soundcard with 2 inputs only to find out you need to record an entire orchestra.

[laird]

Wait til you feel limited with what you've got before buying new equipment, then you'll have a better idea what you need.

Excellent advice, for both noobs and the most jaded old G.A.S.-sufferers.

[Marx]

Go with a small MIDI contoller/keyboard and a Trigger Finger so you can launch clips and have a few faders and knobs.

I'm not sure if ableton is still selling hardware bundles, but I bought Live 6 when it first came out with a Trigger finger. It was 600 bucks for the boxed program, and after digging a little deeper on the site I realized that they were selling the Boxed Live with a Trigger for 600 bucks in their Bundles section.

[membrain]

For starting, you need the following:

A good computer (Mac or PC makes little difference).

.

Something only a PC user would say

the rest is really good advice. There is a benefit to getting each piece of gear as you can afford them, you get a chance to learn it before something else comes along.

Start with a Mac laptop (use headphones and the computer keyboard), next buy a combined controller keyboard and audio interface, get some monitors.

[hubatz_]

thx for your advices, nice words!

I want to create some minimal techno / peaktime techno
and technical house. For sets i'll take vinyl...
So just for producing tracks or track fragments.

Got no experience with any music-software. So i bought hands on ableton and other hands on productions.
it's very helpful by the first steps.

My budget is very limited 150 € a month for vinyl, equipment and other stuff

I'm working alone with a laptop: p4 /windows xp / onBoard sound

What do you think about the Korg K25 and the Evolution UC33 Controller when i realize to go deeper?
Is a Trigger Finger and a Keyboard required or just one of them?

[jez3122]

The micro korg would be a good buy,
it's got a decent keyboard, pads, faders and sliders....all for around 190 quid

and Pc or mac makes no difference.....ignore the comment " its only something a pc user would say" because it's wrong and it's only there to throw up the PC/MAC debate again......Which i'm sure we're all sick of

[elektrodisiac]

the evolution x series midi mixer with crossfader is a nice value IMO. $120 usd cross fader, 8 channel control and 10 midi triggers. USB powered compact, and fells sturdy to me...

imo i like it

[elektrodisiac]

id also say to work the demo until you feel that your at the point where you have something decent to record. I had the demo open on my mac without closing the program for atleast 3 months with no equipment before I felt it worthy to purchase 6LE, not even the whole package.

i feel that with this program, one of the most amazing products i have ever seen, you need to baby step before you can even walk...i was sooo overwhelmed when i first downloaded the demo. that and the 350 page user pdf..

[WttS]

For starting, you need the following:

A good computer (Mac or PC makes little difference).

.

Something only a PC user would say

the rest is really good advice. There is a benefit to getting each piece of gear as you can afford them, you get a chance to learn it before something else comes along.

Start with a Mac laptop (use headphones and the computer keyboard), next buy a combined controller keyboard and audio interface, get some monitors.

hm.. I would actually disagree, a PC would be your best bet (my opinion though, you don't have to agree), I say its your best bet because if you do get big into using ableton and you want to step it up and get new hardware it would be much easier to do with a PC. Besides its easier to go onto newegg.com, make a cheap comp, than to buy a mac laptop and use just headphone, you could even through in some speakers for a decent price.

But whatever thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it

[membrain]

Opinions are just opinions.

The mac vs. pc debate continues because there is no simple answer to the question of which is better.

If you already have a pc, go with that. Use what you've got and just start making music!

I bought a laptop because I am a gigging musician and dj and it's powerful enough to do production work as well. I bought an apple because of the amount of musicians and djs I saw in professional situations using mac laptops and after asking them why, the general comment was the reliability and quality. After using pc's and having now owned three mac laptops, my opinion is that I prefer a mac laptop. This is not a debate, it's my opinion. I gave it because I was asked to. I will change it if I find a good reason to. In the mean time I will continue to write, record, perform, edit, learn, play and entertain with my mac computer. Good luck to you all, I hope not too many people agree with me, that would be boring and I wouldn't have to think or articulate my thought processes and opinions.

[membrain]

I've been buying music gear for a while now, and have worked in a couple of musical instrument stores as well - buy hardware from larger, older brands if you can. Their gear is often more reliable in a mechanical sense than newer companies. Definately go for the Japanese based companies like Korg, roland/boss, yamaha . American and english companies seem to fall down when it comes to making anything. Great sounding gear, but not very reliable.

I'm talking post 80's digital era gear. American and English companies made some of the most iconic audio gear in history.

[Atomikat]

hm.. I would actually disagree, a PC would be your best bet (my opinion though, you don't have to agree), I say its your best bet because if you do get big into using ableton and you want to step it up and get new hardware it would be much easier to do with a PC. Besides its easier to go onto newegg.com, make a cheap comp, than to buy a mac laptop and use just headphone, you could even through in some speakers for a decent price.
But whatever thats my opinion and I'm sticking to it

And I have to disagree...I use mac and got "big into using Ableton" as you said, and then I did step it up and got new hardware and it was much easier in Mac (in Windows is a PITA)to make it work. BTW I went to newegg.com and the cheap stuff they sell works on macs ,too...
Definitely only a pc user would say Mac/Pc makes little difference and only a Mac user would say "there is" a difference...
What?...yep I'm a Fanboy

[Tekkas]

next buy a combined controller keyboard and audio interface


Why a combined controller and audio interface?
I initially purchased a NI Audio Kontrol to use with a laptop but ended up buying a desktop pc instead.All i needed was a controller, so i got an maudio axiom 49 (which i would solidly recommend BTW) but after having stumbled across this thread i am starting to wish i had done a little more research!What are the advantages of a combined controller/interface as opposed to a seperate setup? Is it just a mobility issue or are there some serious advantages to be had by combining them?

Cheers

[membrain]

next buy a combined controller keyboard and audio interface


Why a combined controller and audio interface?
I initially purchased a NI Audio Kontrol to use with a laptop but ended up buying a desktop pc instead.All i needed was a controller, so i got an maudio axiom 49 (which i would solidly recommend BTW) but after having stumbled across this thread i am starting to wish i had done a little more research!What are the advantages of a combined controller/interface as opposed to a seperate setup? Is it just a mobility issue or are there some serious advantages to be had by combining them?

Cheers

It's mostly mobilty and simplicity of setup for me. I suppose I think about things like transport to gigs, setup time, available power points and where am i going to sit all these little boxes. It's also cheaper if you are going to need both. USB is a wide enough interface for control data and say 4 channels of in/out and can be a bus powered device. Anymore audio channels than that and you really need firewire.