Message 9/12
Date: 14-Dec-98 @ 08:31 AM -
RE: 100% digital recording on PC - myth ?
Sorry Astro!!
The makers of GIGA basically say it needs a dedicated powerful fast computer. Forget it and take Astro's advice, use a sampling soundcard or a hardware sampler...maybe keep that Roland (Roni Size uses 'em doesn't he?) or update.
If you are trying to recreate real instruments then I guess your choice is a sampling device or maybe a soundcard like the SW1000XG. It has lots of acoustic samples that can be fattened up with the F/X. Also of interest to you it takes a monophonic physical modelling daughtercard, this could be a fascinating area to explore for your lead acoustic sounds, and cheaper than more powerful alternatives like a Z1.
With the audio/MIDI+audio sequencers, yes a lot of the time a good idea is to lay down the tracks dry and apply the f/x. You could feasibly run a soft synth with a simple patch and record a track at a time as audio and load into the sequencer. Poly will be low if the patch is complex even on a PII 450. Some of these soft synths do have simple onboard recreations of analog sequencers you could use instead of cubase, then capture their output to a wave file.
For dance, as Kilo has said, I can't see any point in 24 bits.
The software plugins you mentioned are really great and can give you very professional sounding quality. The main problem is CPU usage. The solution is to apply the CPU-sapping effects offline (not in real time) one track at a time and load the new file with effects back into the sequencer. With a fast CPU this becomes a bit less of an issue. If you get the DSP factory it takes over the mixing and effects in hardware if you want. You can still use Cubase's virtual digital mixer and effects, and the DSP 2416's real ones, giving you the best of both worlds..the flexibility of software and speed of hardware.
Lastly if you're going to buy a new computer and are serious about getting the most out of VST, at least check out a Mac.