Ableton Forum

Alright,I'm lost on the software/interface side of things...

I want to record my guitar direct(and bass when I get a cheapo)vocals,edit drum maps/patterns and have a midi controller keyboard to add some flutes,orchestra sounds e.c.t. and edit maps as well.

I'm not sure on what I need and whats compatible.

Ive got $2000 to work with(Its actually $3000,but I need to build a computer tower).

I have a Boss GT-8 for my guitar already,but assume I need some form of firewire box(since the tower has no soundcard).

Ive seen presonus firebox and such...not sure on what to get or if I need a soundcard.

For software,I'm obviously looking at abelton(for price since its $200 cheaper than cubase).

heres what ive been looking at...

*PreSonus FIREBOX 24-bit/96kHz FireWire Recording System

*Ableton LIVE 24-Bit Recording Software

*Edirol PCR-M30 32-Key MIDI Controller

Do I need something like DFH superior for good drum sounds and some sort of synth plug-in for strings/orchestra stuff?I have good akg headphones,so do I need monitors?

Those are the main issues.Any hardware and software advice would be great.Thanks in advance!

heres a link to the sound capabilities I hope to achieve to some extent http://www.symphonyx.com/media/the_accolade.mp3

p.s seems like an intelligent forum![/url]

Hey, $3K is a very nice budget. Here's how I'd spend it:

1. Since you want the most power and you have not mentioned mobility, I'd get a desktop/tower. You might also consider a cube PC with LCD monitors, so that you are somewhat mobile, but if you stick with desktop componenets, you should be able to build a really good PC for about $1K - $1500. If you want good specs for a PC, check the forums of private message me. In general, you want as good a motherboard as you can afford (ASUS is one of the best) with probably an Athlon chip, at least 1gb of ram, and at minimum, two 7200 RPM hard drives.

2. Definitely go with Ableton Live, as it's VERY powerful in ways SX isn't. But rather than start a flame war, let me just say that both apps have strenths and weaknesses. For Live, if you're doing a lot of audio work (meaning not just softsynths but also external audio sources like guitars and vocals) then it's a good idea to get an external audio editor, as Live doesn't have one built in like Cubase does. But that will add another $200 to the total to get Sound Forge. Then again, you can use Sound Forge (which comes with CD architect) to master and burn your final projects too, so there are lots of benefits of having an external audio editor.

3. The Presonus firewire cards are all very good. If you want to go cheaper, the older M-Audio Delta series are all very good, with super low latencies. They're older, but rock solid for 24-bit 96khz recording. Firewire is good if you want to be able to move your soundcard from one system to another, but if you build a tower, you can go with a PCI card like the delta series. The Delta 66 is less than $200, has 4 analog inputs and outputs, and midi.

4. For sound modules like strings, I'd stick with Garritan Personal Orchestra. It's about $200 and comes with all the strings and orchestra you'd need. For additional softsynths, check KVRAudio.com for a plethora of softsynths. You can sort by user ratings and check out the top 20 list to get a fairly accurate representation of what musicians consider to be good softsynths.

The Edirol midi controlers are good. If you need to shave some costs, also look at Evolution midi controllers. They're build a little cheaper, but they perform just as well, but the build is a bit on the cheapo side. Still, I prefer my Evolution to my Edirol when it comes to controllers.

About the link you sent, first, why the hell would you want to "achieve" that?!?!? Kidding. Well maybe not....

But to answer your question, you can most certainly achieve that in Live, and a whole lot more. Once you realize that audio in Live is completely elastic and bendable in many many ways, you will be able to take a composition like the link you posted and shred it in a variety of ways. Your guitars will scream, or chop, or ripple, etc... The short answer is yes. The long answer is that with Live, large-bossomed women will throw themselves at your stinkin' feet.

Hope this helps. If you want more details, PM me.

You could clip one corner by using a "free" audio editor instead of something like Sound Forge. Maybe put the money towards a nice Trigger Finger surface for laying down beats.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net