What computer, interface and DAW are you using to record with?

[RCM 800]

Mixcraft is actually very friendly to lots of people who are school 4 track players like us. It's the first DAW I tried personally after working with others using just about everything out there. I tried Pro Tools and Cubase myself and still like Mixcraft better and have decided to just stay with it. You might give it a lot. It's pretty affordable and they have done quite a bit of tutorials on Youtube which have been amazingly helpful in learning the DAW. They are about to release Mixcraft 10 coming down the road here, and it should be even more user friendly.

Mixcraft 9 Recording Studio multitrack recording software.

The Easiest Music Recording Software For Musicians. Stay In The Creative Zone.

acoustica.com

Thanks bud!

 

[TonalEuphoria]

Thanks bud!

My pleasure. You're welcome. If it ends up working for you, that's great.

They also have a good forum. I haven't joined into it as much as search out threads for answers, but it is pretty nice though.

Mixcraft is just a more traditional setup, simplified way of going about to me. I look forward to what they do with version 10.

https://forums.acoustica.com/

 

[steveb63]

Dell, Reaper, Universal Audio.

 

[Michael Roe]

I just got me a new system a few weeks ago.
A factory refurbished Dell Alienware, AMD Ryzen 9, 32 GB Ram, ITB M.2 SSD, GeForce Nvidia 3080 TI and water cooled processor with an extra case fan, W11. I got it off of Dell's Ebay store. I noticed a few days later that the same model was being sold for $650 more!
I think maybe someone made a mistake and I got a really great deal on it.
It runs like a champ! It will handle a lot more tracks, Vst's and Vsti's than my old system.
I use Presonus Studio One Pro for my DAW.
For my interface it is either my old Presonus Studio 192 USB 3 or my UA Apollo Twin.

 

[Cal Nevari]

So many people seem to use Pro Tools still even with how much more the cost is compared to other DAW's. It is considered the industry standard by many. There are so many great DAW's out there to me.

I have a subscription still for Pro Tools that I bought and tried, and I own and tried Cubase. I've worked around Reaper, Ableton Live, and FL Studio a little bit in other people studio besides, but I still favor and have decided to stick with the one I started using in my own studio and find the most sensible layout and fucntion controls. Which is Mixcraft, and currently Mixcraft 9 Pro. They're running a beta test now on version 10 and I look forward to what they may have improved. I use PC. Personally I have never been wowed by the Apple products and operatiing systems. I was using a larger tower running an i7 Intel with 32gb of ram with a Focusrite 4i4, but have very recently bought a new Minisforum mini pc with a Rayzen 9 6900hx processor and 32gb's of DDR5 ram, that I will upgrade to 64gb's somewhere down the road here. Definitely a much faster computer, but I am still setting it up and getting used to it.

What are you using?

MOTU M4 into Mac Mini running Garage Band is more than enough for me and more than I’ll Ever use…

 

[aikiguy]

I use a PC with a Tascam US16x08 interface and Cubase Pro 11 as a DAW. I have some outboard preamps and other outboard gear, but lately have been finding myself pretty impressed with the Tascam pre’s, as well as the native Cubase plug-ins. I will be upgrading to Cubase Pro 12 this week.

After it’s all said and done, I use Wavelab Elements for mastering, whatever the latest version is, which I believe is 9.

 

[Maxbrothman]

Does anyone here use any sort of DI box with their guitar before going into a Focusrite audio interface?

I use a cloudlifter with mic'ing my cabs, which keeps the signal nicely even but I often find the gain on the Focusrite to be very hairbreadth finely tuned so it's easy to jump from the green to red. if you go direct.

You have PAD options as well as selecting an instrument or device with my 18i/20.

Also what are you waveforms like? Do they cover most of the timeline width without clipping or more in the middle or even a flat line with the occasional bump?

 

[TonalEuphoria]

Does anyone here use any sort of DI box with their guitar before going into a Focusrite audio interface?

I use a cloudlifter with mic'ing my cabs, which keeps the signal nicely even but I often find the gain on the Focusrite to be very hairbreadth finely tuned so it's easy to jump from the green to red. if you go direct.

You have PAD options as well as selecting an instrument or device with my 18i/20.

Also what are you waveforms like? Do they cover most of the timeline width without clipping or more in the middle or even a flat line with the occasional bump?

It really depends on your interface and the mic you're using. The SM7B is pretty notorious for needing a cloudlifter. But some interfaces put out enough clean gain to not need it. And other mics don't need it at all. I'm far from the expert recording engineer though. I go into my BAE 1073 most of the time with microphones now though. And the difference is well worth it to me.



As for the waveforms and you clipping out so much, are you using compression?

 

[Maxbrothman]

It really depends on your interface and the mic you're using. The SM7B is pretty notorious for needing a cloudlifter. But some interfaces put out enough clean gain to not need it. And other mics don't need it at all. I'm far from the expert recording engineer though. I go into my BAE 1073 most of the time with microphones now though. And the difference is well worth it to me.



As for the waveforms and you clipping out so much, are you using compression?

Thanks.

I am wondering more about guitar lines, though. In my Focusrit the levels can be hard to keep within a range depending on the guitar. PAD and or switching to INST instead of DEVICE is a start but the gain dial can be a hair's breath in changes.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

Thanks.

I am wondering more about guitar lines, though. In my Focusrit the levels can be hard to keep within a range depending on the guitar. PAD and or switching to INST instead of DEVICE is a start but the gain dial can be a hair's breath in changes.

If you're miking your cabs, you should still run the mic with compression when recording it to control that clipping. And maybe you should invest in some different mics that you don't have to push as hard to get a clear recording, but at a lower gain level.

 

[Ronquest]

I am wondering more about guitar lines, though.

Try running a pedal between your guitar and the interface. Something like a clean boost, EQ or a multi FX pedal set clean. This will help with setting line level and can make the guitar to interface sound much better.

 

[Ronquest]

Studio
Mac Mini M1 8g/512g
Arturia Audiofuse Studio 18x10 with Behringer ADA 8200 for drums only.
Reaper 75%
Logic Pro 25% mostly for Logic's Drummer

Basement Work Bench for Testing Amps and YouTube
Win 10 AMD, Old School 8 core.
Motu M4 / Line 6 Toneport UX8
Reaper 100%


I've tested lot's of DAWs and have a real hard time leaving Reaper, there's just always a way to do something if I need to and the community support is great and I've never felt like I didn't get 10 times my money's worth. Reapers fast, low CPU and priced great.

Logic does offer a lot if you're wanting to start making music fast with loops and the drummer is awesome for getting down to business. I have a few nice drum programs and have used EZ Drummer for years and it has great sounds, but it sucks if you don't know what you want and need help with ideas. Sure buy midi packs and sample till your fed up, no thanks. If you have a Mac and haven't tried Logic, try it free for 30 days. The "follow setting" lets the drummer play to your playing (recorded) and the ability to change style/player and grooves on the fly should not be missed.

 

[PiZet]

I've been using Cubase as a DAW since version 5 (I'm on version 10 at the moment). The audio interface is an old and worn-out Lexicon Alpha. I adhere to the principle that if something works, there is no point in buying a replacement, but Lexicon barely works, so I'm considering switching to something from MOTU

 

[PelliX]

Thanks.

I am wondering more about guitar lines, though. In my Focusrit the levels can be hard to keep within a range depending on the guitar. PAD and or switching to INST instead of DEVICE is a start but the gain dial can be a hair's breath in changes.

A lot of Focusrite interfaces are a little hair trigger depending on your position of the gain control for that channel. Don't forget, though, that it's a fully digital system in that sense and you're aiming for about -18dB with peaks a bit higher, but never, never hitting 0dB. If you come from the analog world (where going into the + wasn't always a bad idea), this can take some getting used to. Around -18dB the interface has the most dynamics and best clarity in general. Peaks of up to about -6dB are fine.

 

[giblesp]

Kemper - RME Fireface UC - Reaper.
Adam A5X monitors.

Excellent home setup.

 

[johan.b]

I've been running Reaper for something like 12 years now.. since version 3.. it's so easy on the processor I've got no problem running it on an the same old laptop I originally installed it on...

... but sometimes I long back to the tascam porta one, thinking what I could do with the accumulated knowledge and understanding of how things work...
J

 

[lespaul339]

I'm using the M1 iMac, Logic Pro X, and Focusrite Clarett 4 pre interface along with my Scarlett 2i2 interface.

 

[TonalEuphoria]

I'm using the M1 iMac, Logic Pro X, and Focusrite Clarett 4 pre interface along with my Scarlett 2i2 interface.

I'm curious as to how much better you find the Clarett's pre's compared to the Scarlett's. I'm running a 4i4 now, but I tried out a Clarett and returned it because the interface and software were giving me all kind of errors, lockup and lag with my past computer and software. Now I have a BAE 1073 DMP and a Golden Age 3A compressor I go into before my 4i4, but I am still curious. They market the pre's on the Clarett's as being such a step up.

 

[lespaul339]

I'm curious as to how much better you find the Clarett's pre's compared to the Scarlett's. I'm running a 4i4 now, but I tried out a Clarett and returned it because the interface and software were giving me all kind of errors, lockup and lag with my past computer and software. Now I have a BAE 1073 DMP and a Golden Age 3A compressor I go into before my 4i4, but I am still curious. They market the pre's on the Clarett's as being such a step up.

It does have a better preamp than the Scarlett. It is noticeable. I use the clarett for all of my “polished” recordings. That being said, I still use both to record. The scarlett is a nice on the go unit because it’s bus powered. So I can just bring that and my laptop and pretty much record anywhere. So it works good to record jams with friends and things. But to me the clarett is worth the price difference and a noticeable step up from the scarlett. I haven’t had any issues with my clarett acting up like you described. But mine is the original clarett and not the newer clarett+.

 

[PelliX]

The Scarletts and Claretts to a degree had significant changes in the preamps over the various generations. For example the gen 3 of at least the Scarletts and Octopres has their 'AIR' preamps which emulate the ISA 110 preamps. Is it *so much better* than the first two gens? I'd have to A/B that.

I mainly use a Scarlett 18i20 and a cheap Behringer ADA8xxx as an ADAT extension. The Behringer is used for the 'less demanding' inputs if at all, but it's not that bad really. I also still use the preamps on my Xenyx mixing desk for dynamic mics a fair deal - there's something lo-fi in there that really works for certain things, my voice included. Acoustic instruments using a large condensor? Straight into the Scarlett.