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Originally Posted by Ciaccona  3. What OS are you using?
Trying to go with Windows 7Rc for now, not too sure if it will cause driver lots of problems, I haven't got too much outboard yet, though. |
I wouldn't recommend a release candidate or Beta version as your primary OS on your studio PC... I'd maybe make a dual booting system or use a second PC
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Originally Posted by Ciaccona 5. How many inputs do you need?
at least 2 XLR now, 4+ would be a better choice for the future.
6. What sample and bit rates you wanna record at?
24 bit, 44,100 and 96,000 depending on the project
7. How do you wanna connect (USB, Firewire, PCI, PCIe)
not too sure yet, I've heard USB is more stable than Firewire. |
No... the truth is that USB relies on the host CPU for things like prioritizing data transfer... Although the bandwidth on USB 2.0 can be decently high, the speeds you get in practice will most probably be a lot lower... Firewire processes data transfer right on the FW chipset... the main problem with stability is that people use firewire chipsets that don't work or work intermittently with audio gear.... Use the Texas Instruments (TI) firewire chipset and you will run into very few (if any) of those problems... I have a buddy who just bought a used DIGI 002... and it would take him multiple reboots before PPT LE would recognize his 002... Windows XP wouldn't recognize it at all as an audio interface so he couldn't use Winamp or WMP with it... I had him install a PCI to IEEE 1394 card from SIIG and the problems instantly went away... Also SYBA, GIGABYTE and E-MU (On their PCI interfaces that give you a firewire port) use TI chipsets, to name a few
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Originally Posted by Ciaccona 8. Will you be using any external gear at all? Mic pres, comps... A/D???
yes, as of now probably 2 pres and maybe a mixer. |
Using Pre's is a great idea... Many interfaces have preamps built in to the interface although they normally aren't as good as a separate preamp.... When using an external pre, you should make sure you connect the pre into a channel on the interface that doesn't have a preamp... or better yet connect it to an A/D converter and then possibly go in digital on your interface....
Either way using external pre's are good
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Originally Posted by Ciaccona If I'd spend that much money and working with Cubase 5 I thought about the Yamaha N12 mixer which seems to be a kind of mixer/firewire interface thing and I could connect multiple monitors... or would I need an additional interface then? Sorry, if this a stupid question... |
A Mixer can be cool... It's just the interfaces I like most happen to be the ones that don't come with mixers...
My recommendation for you would be a PCIE option....
The RME HDSPe Connecting to the Multiface.... It will run you about $1350.00 which By my calculations would be right in your price range....
You'll get a PCI express card which means you'll have super stability with no latency issues... the box it connects to gives you 8 analog, ADAT and S/PDIF I/O.... and the converters are actually pretty good if you use the analog inputs... and there are no mic pre's to worry about since you have your own..... You'll love it....
The fireface 800 is more expensive.... about 1700 US dollars... but you'll get an extra ADAT input and 4 mic pres... And it's firewire... my thing is if you're not gonna be using the extra adat or the mic pres then go with the cheaper HDSPe plus multiface.... Plus the HDSPe setup provides more bandwidth
That is if you are comfortable installing a PCIe card into your desktop... which I am sure you can do... it's actually pretty flippin easy