Best recording on Windows XP... having spectrum analyzer lik

[JamesLimborg]

Hello, My old pc computer died. I built a new one... but now my TDAT16 and TripleDAT version 2.53 software won't work. I'm investigating my options. I could either build an old pc computer so I can continue running my TDAT16/TripleDAT software, which I prefer not to do... I'd rather just have 1 computer... OR, I can buy new recording software and hardware, but I require a nice spectrum analyzer like the 64-band one in TripleDAT 2.53 software.

There's scope, and many software programs out there. I'm trying to pick the best hardware and software for me. Just looking for advice as to what to get... and not get. I liked the ability to have as many tracks as I need... not being limited to 8/16/24/32 tracks. I'd like to still use my A16 rack that I use to use with my TDAT16. Most of the time, I record only 2 tracks at a time... so 2 inputs will work for me... my A16 lets me do 16 if I wanted to. I just want to be able to simply record my guitar, vocals, keyboard parts into my computer at a professional high quality. Then I want to be able to edit the samples/tracks easily, moving them around, reversing them, adding effects to them, adding volume and panning changes, etc. I want LOTS of effects built into the system I buy... I like adding effects internally. Finally... I really want a spectrum analyzer like the 64-band one TripleDAT 2.53 had. It shows me the frequencies as the track plays so I can see if there is too much bass/treble... then I can use a built in EQ to form the track to the correct frequencies by viewing the track with the spectrum analyzer. FOR ME... a spectrum analyzer takes all the GUESS work out. It took me years to learn how to properly EQ tracks using the spectrum analyzer that came with TripleDAT 2.53. If I can't see the frequencies a track is playing... I can't set the frequencies it should BE at. I just want a simple bar chart looking spectrum analyzer... the ones I see that other companies make look like a sunset with blurry colors blending together. That doesn't help me. I need to see the regular bouncing lights that are green at the bottom, yellow in the middle, and red at the top. Then I just need compressor, limiter, eq, reverbs, delays, flanger, chorus, transposer, de-esser effects to mix things. The MERGE EFFECTS feature in TripleDAT was cool because it merged the effects I added to the track FAST rather than recording the effects to another track to capture the effects I added... waiting for the whole track to play from beginning to end JUST to add the effects I know I like. Anyways... below is some detailed information on what I liked about my old recording system, and my new computer specs. Hopefully this is enough information for you to help me pick out new hardware and software that will meet my needs and then some. I would like the features of MIDI... where I can use midi to play my keyboard parts... but after I'm done creating the keyboard parts with midi... I want to record the keyboard as an AUDIO file... so I can add the right EQ viewing the keyboards through a spectrum analyzer, then adding effects and saving the keyboard track as a stereo track with all the eq and effects I liked. THANKS FOR ANY HELP YOU GIVE. I loved the TripleDAT 2.53 software and TDAT16 card... too bad it doesn't work on my new computer.

HERE IS WHAT MY COMPUTER IS MADE OF:
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P5B-DELUXE/WIFI-AP EDITION
CPU: INTEL CORE 2 DUO E6400 2.13GHZ
MEMORY: CORSAIR TWIN2X2048-6400C4PRO 240PIN DDR2 DIMMS 800MHZ
VIDEO CARD: ATI ALL-IN-WONDER X1900
HARDDRIVE: SEAGATE SCSI 15,000RPM 150GB
OPERATING SYSTEM: WINDOWS XP WITH SERVICE PACK 2

FEATURES I LIKE from Creamware:
I like the TripleDAT style for mixing my music... Seeing all the tracks from top
to bottom... ability to add or subtract tracks as needed. I use as little as 8 to as
many as 36 tracks at times. In TripleDAT I can edit the track samples volume
and panning, add effects, merge effects, drag samples from track to track, etc.
EFFECTS: I need 8 band EQ, reverbs, delays, limiter, compressor, de-essor, transposer,
chorus, flanger, etc. I MUST HAVE THE SPECTRUM ANALYZER AND VU METER...
WITHOUT them I cannot mix music professionally. I use the spectrum analyzer to
set the right amounts of EQ to the samples/tracks of music I record. I NEED the 64
band spectrum analyzer... very important.

[Herr Voigt]

The old tripleDAT doesn't work under XP. Spectrum analyzers and vu meters are freeware in the scope developers scene. Try a search at the devices section.

Good luck, Thomas

[JamesLimborg]

Thanks Herr Voigt. So if I bought a Scope, then I could probably get a Spectrum Analyzer and VU Meter like the one in TripleDAT 2.53 then... I hope so.

If I buy a Scope hardware card... what's the BEST software to get? There are so many... are there ones to stay away from and ones to for sure consider getting?

Thanks.

[astroman]

the <a href=http://www.worldless.com/sfp/ana.html>Analyzer Pack</a> by Wolf Audio Design will serve you with the spectrum and eq handling.

It (most likely) has the same 'heritage' as the one in TripleDat and is probably even easier to use, as you can modify the eq curve directly in the analyzer display.
Wolf's devices are very good and also very affordable (imho)

On the software side <a href=http://www.samplitude.com/eng/seq/>Samplitude</a> and <a href=http://www.sawstudio.com/index_html.htm>SAW Studio</a> use the same pardigm as Triple.
Both are 'software families' with affordable (some even bargain) and also quite high priced versions.

You will need some time to check that out, but chances are that you don't need any of the 'top' versions.

If I remember correctly both sites will need Javascript for navigation.
In particular the Samplitude site is a bit 'nervous' - just use it as a startpoint to google reviews of the 'lower number' versions, there are tons of. I couldn't povide a better link as I get only German results - it's a very popuplar product here.

SAW is outstanding in ease of use and the 'pureness of the approach' imho, but there are less options for 'affordable' versions, only one to be precise...

nevertheless I found it worth mentioning, as it's an almost exclusive example for a certain style of application programming.
It's more or less a one man's product and the developer has spent enough time as an engineer behind the mixing console to know what the job is about.

EnergyXT and N-Track are worth mentioning on the shareware side of things.

cheers, Tom


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: astroman on 2006-09-09 02:37 ]</font>