NY Chief wrote:Will I need a separate sequencer app to get drums to file for import to track or does the PT software include that? Obvioulsy I would need that if I used separate samples but what discrete and drumkit from hell, fruity loops...all that shit?
Not quite sure I understand the question. Most of the major packages like Cubase or Logic do audio and sequencing. I know PT does sequencing but I'm not sure how robust it is...PT basically started out as audio and they added midi sequencing features. The other packages started out as midi sequences from way way way back...before PT was a twinkle in some engineer's eye and added audio recording as technology got better. Most folks I know with the PT hardware/software setup usually use something else for sequencing.
With sampling CDs, depending on the CD, they come with wav or aiff files at the minimum so you can either import them onto an audio track or into a sampler (be it hardware or software). More advanced CD-roms will support different software sampler formats like any of the Native Instruments stuff (Kontakt, Kompakt, Intakt, etc), gigastudio, akai, Logic's EXS24, etc. Many of the soft samplers can work as standalone software or as a plugin (VST, RTAS, etc.) The audio/sequencing package you choose will support different plugin formats. So, for me, I use Kontakt as a VST plugin in both Nuendo and the old pc version of Logic Audio 5.5. Kontakt can read sample formats from many other vendors and you can tweak and mangle like there's no tomorrow.
If I don't really want to tweak anything and the tempo is fine, I'll just import wav files into audio tracks and arrange them like that...keep everything as audio. Or, I'll program a track, then actually record the VST instrument to an audio track (like a drum track where everything's coming from Kontakt). Then I just use other tools to split the individual drums out over several tracks
Spectrasonics has something called groove control on many of their CDs which basically is that, they've taken their loops and cut them up and created a midi file where each cut is mapped to a separate midi note. This allows you to adjust your song tempo without affecting pitch of the actual instruments.
You can also find plug-ins specifically geared for drums like Battery which also has libraries you can buy. I'm sure there are drum modules as well.
NY Chief wrote:I also like what you said about just the I/O, Nitro. I'd like to try that Neve kit George has been playing with. If I did go that route I would use plugins to software for the pres or would I need hardware (like the kit)?
No, you would need hardware. With any of these, you can't really utilize plugins while recording be it compression, mic pre, etc. (only on playback) ProTools CAN but you need their $$$ hardware. Look at your budget and figure out what you really want to do. Are you just recording one or two tracks at a time? Are you trying to put together something to record a fully miked band? That should determine your inputs/outputs. If i was putting together something I could use in a band situation, I would go with an RME Fireface800. If on a budget and don't need individual tracks, I'd run mics into a 16-24 channel mixer and take the output straight into any 2-channel audio interface > into whatever software, be it 2-channel or multitrack (if you were going to add additional parts to it). If you're only recording 1 gutar or vocal track at a time, then maybe I would build the kit pre and maybe an la2a kit clone so I have at least one "sparkling" signal chain.
