Possible New setup: Help please.

[mad flows]

Yo i'm about to setup a studio and i need some imput on what i need. I rap and make beats so i need everything not just a production setup, i got a list of what i'm thinkin of gettin and some questions. so if ya'll could help me i'd apreciate it.

I wanna have a computer as the center of my studio, but don't know what to get, i aint try'n to go past 2 gz but want 3.2ghz a gig of ram and and 2 or more hard drives. i'm thinking of those musicxpc's but they only got 3.0ghz and carallion looks cool, but for my price range they only have computers with 1 harddrive.ohand i don't want to get one built. can ya'll point me in the direction for a good pc with what i want in mind.

I also need to get a soundcard, i need bomb ass sound quality and be able to hook a key board into it a mic pre and hopefully later on some outboard gear or mpc.

this is what i'm already decided i want.

cubase sx 3.0
focusrite platinum compressor/ limiter mic pre
rode nt1a condensor mic

i want an mpc bad as hell but don't got the dough right now, so i'ma cop the mpd16. would any of ya'll know what software i could use with the mpd

Thanx

 

[Formant024]

all work with the mpd, all that has midi that is, which is mostly the case.

If I were you I'd get the pc assembled by yourself, it's not that hard and a lot cheaper. Stick to Pentium motherboard and processor and get at least a 2Gb of ram, a small HD as a system disk and a bigger one for the data. A videocard that supports a dual out ( for 2 tft's ) and a good audio farmcard.

MPC is nice, mpd too, but I'd definitely go for touchsensitive keyboard first, you can still use that to bang the drumsamples.

 

[Cold Truth]

really, you got what you need already in cubase sx.

next question: are you sampling or not? if you arent sampling, then you will need a sound module or keyboard. if you are, cubase will do just fine- but you may want to check out cool edit, FL and REASON anyways... get the demos of those and see what fits you best.

i know you dont want to build a pc, but seriously- how much $$$$ are you working with? because you will also need a sound card and monitors or headphones, and you wont want to skimp on those.

as far as the processor/board type go, an athlon 1800 and up should do you well- athlons work really well with cubase sx (i had cubase sx 1.6 and an 1800, now 2.0 and 2400-soon to be 3.0 and a 3200.....)... but pentiums have their little reputation so go with what you are comfortable with- but dont just accept that the pentium is better by word of mouth, as everyone hates on AMD anyways, and athlons actually performed favorably in a test by stienberg....

 

[mad flows]

i'm not sampling off of viynl or nuttin like that. but i heard for the mpd they got like certain programs with drum samples to use wit it. if i do get a custom computer where would you suggest to look at. and oh what sound card would you suggest that has good quality and will let me plug in an external mic pre to it, so i can lay my vocals down.

 

[Formant024]

Better start off with giving your budget for the setup because there's loads of options.

 

[Cold Truth]

BUDGET, please. this affects a lot of things.

 

[Manji]

you could buy MTV music generator for playstation 2

 

[Equality 7-2521]

all work with the mpd, all that has midi that is, which is mostly the case.

If I were you I'd get the pc assembled by yourself, it's not that hard and a lot cheaper. Stick to Pentium motherboard and processor and get at least a 2Gb of ram, a small HD as a system disk and a bigger one for the data. A videocard that supports a dual out ( for 2 tft's ) and a good audio farmcard.

MPC is nice, mpd too, but I'd definitely go for touchsensitive keyboard first, you can still use that to bang the drumsamples.

is 2gb of ram really that necessary? i thought 1 gb is plenty....

 

[RigorMortis]

if you are a gamer and more into visual ish go for athlon if you are going for beats i would skip the athlon and go for pentium.. cause when it concerns that there is a difference.

 

[Rhythmikal]

you could buy MTV music generator for playstation 2

lol you really dont wanna do that.

sAfE.