Newbie

[jhaywood]

Hi,

My name is John and I play some sax and sing, primarily jazz. I am brand new to the recording business and have a Dell XPS 2010 laptop on order. It comes with a soundblaster card although I understand that sound card is not very good.

I have a Yamaha keyboard with a midi output, but I'm a beginner on that instrument. I also have a mic equivalent to a Shure 58. I have heard that Pro Tools is the standard of the industry and sooner or later you will probably come in contact with it. I'm considering getting an Mbox 2 Mini which has Pro Tools LE built-in. At $295 it isn't cheap so my first question is whether this makes any sense or is there a better way to go for recording and editing. Would the Mbox bypass the computer sound card or would I need a new soundcard?

I would appreciate any help I can get. This looks like a fine forum for people like me.

[brandondrury]

It comes with a soundblaster card although I understand that sound card is not very good.

I'm sure it's fine for playing mp3s. I'd say it's unacceptable for any real home recording.

I have heard that Pro Tools is the standard of the industry

Depends on what industry you are in. If THIS is your industry, you are right. If your budget is less than $2,000,000 for your studio and you don't have Tom Petty on speed dial, Pro Tools is certainly not the industry standard. The industry standard in home recording is blurred because there are multiple options that are all very effective.

I'm considering getting an Mbox 2 Mini which has Pro Tools LE built-in. At $295 it isn't cheap so my first question is whether this makes any sense or is there a better way to go for recording and editing.

"Better" will depend on your needs. I wouldn't go the Pro Tools route for my needs, but that doesn't mean it won't work great for you. Snag it here. I'm a Cubase guy. I'd probably go more of this route. If you outgrow Cubase LE, you can upgrade for half price at Steinberg.net.

[jhaywood]

Brandon,

Thanks for the quick response. I'll take your advice and get the PreSonus Inspire 1394 with the Cubase LE. I used the soundcard wizard and it looks like the Tascam US 122L will work at $150.

[brandondrury]

Sounds good! Let me know if you have any other questions.

Brandon