Looking to set up multi tracking

[Fraggy]

I want to begin setting up my studio set-up. What I want to be able to do is record a standard 4/5 piece band on my PC. However sooner or later I will be moving to a Mac, so I see no point in buying PC only hardware.
Basically what I am asking is suggestions on what I would need to record multiple tracks simultaneously, preferably on Pro Tools and without having to be stuck to a certain OS.

[Moseph]

I'm not aware of any Windows-only hardware (there is some software though).

Anyway, if you want Pro Tools, you'll need to purchase Digidesign hardware (though Digidesign and M-Audio have the same parent company, so you can purchase Pro Tools M-Powered to use with certain M-Audio hardware devices).

For Pro Tools, the hardware decision is critical, as it will limit your software to a specific version of Pro Tools. If you want good multitracking abilities with Pro Tools for a 4-5 piece band (assuming you want to record everything all at once) then you'll need something like the Digi002r or M-Audio 1814, as well some additional mic preamps of some sort (and in the case of the 1814, software as well).

The biggest problem you'll run into when you do the PC to Mac switch in this regard will be the ability to stream to hard drives. Though OSX reads most Windows formatting types, Pro Tools will not allow you to stream audio/video signal from non-Mac drives on a Mac. The reverse is true for a PC. So you may need to do some OS-level file moving on the hard drives, which isn't a huge deal but is something to be aware of.

[Fraggy]

so how much all in all would it cost... excluding the mics. You are syaing i would need a digidesign unit and some mic preamps?

[Fraggy]

i dont like the idea of having 1 gain controls for 2 channels. and i would prefer more XLR inputs than the DIGI 002 offers, i'd prefer something with faders, and faders for each channel.

[Moseph]

so how much all in all would it cost... excluding the mics. You are syaing i would need a digidesign unit and some mic preamps?

Somewhere between $2000 and $3000 US, depending on your vendor, the exact equipment, and any sales that might be happening.

[Moseph]

i dont like the idea of having 1 gain controls for 2 channels. and i would prefer more XLR inputs than the DIGI 002 offers, i'd prefer something with faders, and faders for each channel.

Each channel will have its own gain controls. That's an essential feature in most audio hardware.

You're not really describing any (affordable) audio interface, you're describing a mixer. The Digi 002 has faders and controlling abilities, but if you want a Pro Tools rig that has more than 4 mic preamps, you're really talking about a Digi Control unit, such as the Icon.

A combination of mixer with many output busses, and an audio interface with multiple seperate inputs will get you the results you seem to be looking for. Keep in mind that you're going to be spending $1200+ for this setup, not including mics or cables.

[shishin]

I use a Mackie Onyx with the firewire option. It eliminates the need for mic pre amps and depending on which model you buy you can have up to 16 XLR inputs. The only problem is that it doesn't work with Pro Tools so I'm not sure if this is useful to you or not. I was originally looking at a Pro Tools set up but I went with this and for my purposes it was a better decision.

[Fraggy]

how much did you pay for the Onyx?

[Fraggy]

so with the onyx i could record say.. 12 channels in 12 different tracks in Cubase? This is really what I have been looking for.

[scheid]

I have an M-Audio 1814 as Moseph mentioned above. It works great for me, I have had no problems with it; the sound quality is superb; very quiet. I typically only record one track at a time, but 5+ inputs (assuming you have multiple drum mics) would not be a problem. Plus, because it is a firewire device, it is very portable and operating system/platform independent. I have used it on my desktop machine and my laptop (one is Windows 2K the other is Win XP) with no problems. I was initially worried that my laptop disk I/O rate wouldn't be able to keep up with the data input stream, but it works perfectly. You can route each input of the 1814 to a separate track in Ableton Live. One downside is that there are only 2 XLR jacks, the rest are unbalanced, so you may need balanced-to-unbalanced adapters if you're plugging your mics directly into the 1814. And those suckers aren't cheap ($15) The M-Audio box is small too, so that combined with a laptop makes a nice portable studio. I think that a lot of Macs come with a Firewire jack (?), but most PC's don't, so if you go with a Firewire device, make sure your PC supports it. Firewire PCI or PCMCIA cards are really cheap, about $25.

I tried the Ableton Live trial that came with M-Audio and was very impressed, and moved up to the full version. It has *never* crashed on me, and I even started to try to do stuff to make it crash just to see if it would. That software is rock solid; I'm positive they have a Mac version as well as a PC version. Plus it tries to cater to live performing and jamming; they sort of built the software around it.

So how much will all of this set you back?

M-Audio 1814: $600
Ableton Live 5: $300

(plus mics, cables, etc., if you don't already have those, and a Firewire card if you need that)

hope this helps

[Moseph]

Remember to specify units for money. I'm in the US, but the thread starter is in Australia. There's a cost difference for both market and comparable money values.

[scheid]

Ahh, good point, Moseph. Hey Fraggy, my money units are US Dollars.

[Fraggy]

M-Audio 1814: $600
Ableton Live 5: $300

The 1814 here in AUS dollars would probably sell for $1600AUD atleast, however Ableton should not inflate as much, I am sure i could pick it up for 500-600. Thanks alot, and any tips on drum mic sets?