A Little Help Please

[Mrandrew]

I've decided to try software base recording and need help in deciding what to get. I went to Guitar Center and the guy there recommended the CI2 which comes with Cubase AI5 and I notice they also have Pro Tools Recording Studio which comes the M-Audio Fast Track interface.

Don't know jack about either so I'm hoping someone can suggest the best one for a beginner. Pro tools has 60 virtual instrument compare to the 22 with the cubase. Pro tools sells for 99.99 and CI2 sells for 199.00. Because one is lower in price may not be the best to buy, so someone help me out.

[Mrandrew]

Here are links to the products in question

pro tools: http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/ProToolsRecordingStudio.html
CI2/w cubase: http://www.steinberg.net/en/products/hardware/ci2.html

[DeeMee]

I would say do your research. Its really dependent on you and what you think will work best for you. Pick one, learn all the ins and outs of the software and just stick with it. Each DAW is going to have its pros and cons and have its own learning curve, but at the end of the day, its your preference. Do you think you can work in it?

Me, I started out in Reason and I'm still a "Reason Head" to this day. Now I am familiar with Cubase, Sonar, Logic, and Pro Tools (works best for me with vocal production) but my go "to is" and will probably be Reason. But now that I have a new Mac, I did kind of fall hard for Logic.

Check out those manufacturer sites, watch YouTube vids/tutorials, read reviews and make an educated purchase as to what you think will work for you not what someone else thinks or may work for them. Peace!

[docjohn]

D,can you expound a bit on Reason/Logic,friend of mine is looking to go that way.Why not just get a great board,stand alone mixer/recorder cd burner?

[DeeMee]

D,can you expound a bit on Reason/Logic,friend of mine is looking to go that way.Why not just get a great board,stand alone mixer/recorder cd burner?

That's how I started out. My first keyboard was a Roland XP-60 which pretty much was my beginning into the sequencing world. From there I have had a Korg Triton, Yamaha Motif 8, and the Roland Fantom X8. I loved every single one of them.

For me, the leap into software versus staying with just all hardware was expandability. It got to a point to where those keyboards really couldnt handle how complex the productions started getting. I eventually started working with Sonar only to dump my audio tracks from the board into the DAW to get better mixes. I know alot of guys who work on nothing but keyboards and make some GREAT sounding tracks. But now I am hooked on VST's, RTAS, and AU's and I couldnt see myself reverting back. I own a MO8 that I really never sequence on and is mainly just being used as a MIDI controller.