I want to Quit

[Bobbosaurus]

At least you've confirmed what I've observed about the industry- they've gobbed down these computers and software with so much crap (I believe "Bloat" is the proper term) that they can barely do the things "obsolete" machines could do 10 years ago with much less capacity.

 

[happyrat1]

There are cheaper solutions. Maybe a $300 refurb would do the trick. But you'd have to have the know how and patience to make it work with an OS like Linux and associated apps to make it run smoothly.

Assuming you're trapped in the M$ universe, I'd have to say that $500 is the minimum you'll have to spend to start with something reliable and fast enough and with enough longevity to last 5 - 7 years.

Besides, I dunno about you, but I use my computers for a LOT of other things besides recording MIDIs and MP3's. I do a pretty good job of getting my money's worth out of my $500 machines.

 

[Bobbosaurus]

I hope something works- this has been an extremely negative experience, when music should be positive. This recording problem has been a huge obstacle to my whole musical "life" for years...

 

[happyrat1]

The problem is that music is an expensive pastime to pursue. Commercial artists like Peter Gabriel think nothing of dropping a $100K on a fairlight and it's only in the past decade that hardware and software prices have dropped to a level where an average enthusiast can produce a studio quality recording in his own basement.

Even so, it still costs to create a basic, functional setup and aside from keyboards and instruments and pickups and mics and amps and mixing boards, it's still pretty much a $1000 deal to put together the computer and required software to create those CD quality recordings at home.

Sometimes it's possible to limp by with cheaper, older used hardware and free software, but depending on your needs your music will suffer for it.

I don't want to give too many specific recommendations but here's a few general guidelines to help you spend your money wisely.

Get something that's multicore and minimum 2.4 GHz with at least 7200 RPM drives to do your recording.

I advise against picking up anything with Windows 8 and instead recommend you stick with Win 7 for an OS.

Don't try and record directly to MP3 format. Instead, record as 44 KHz WAV and convert to MP3 with conversion software afterwards.

Do clean out all spyware and viruses and factory loaded crapware from your system before you try and use it for recording. Try and keep the resident programs running in the background to a minimum. Keep your virus checkers, spyware cleaners and OS patched and up to date.

Or, if you insist on doing it on the cheap, look around for a used Mac Mini and dedicate it to your recording. Be prepared to sink a few more bucks into software and accessories however as software doesn't come used in pretty much any platform these days. Licensing and protection schemes pretty much prohibit it.

With any luck, depending on what you already own, you can set up a DAW and Digital Recorder for about $400 - $500 and chalk it up to the price of doing business.

Think of it this way. You wouldn't ever consider spending $100 on a bottom of the line Casio and expect to record a hit single with it, so your audio recording tools will pretty much ending up costing you at least as much as a couple of good monitors or a decent quality keyboard. A good craftsman doesn't skimp on materials or tools.

Gary

 

[delaware dave]

The PC you use for recording should not have internet capability. Then spyware, adware will not infiltrate your PC and Anti-virus programs are not necessary to be running on your PC. Additional MS security patches are then not necessary either. The PC will run without incident.

 

[Bobbosaurus]

No one seems to recommend a stand-alone unit. Does anyone use multitrack recorders? Every suggestion seems to be another computer, and take multiple hours to clean it out etc. I'd rather spend twice as much for a hardware device... if it actually worked right out of the box.

Don't forget- I want to export to mp3 as well. Every piece of software (so far) requires the Lame encoder, which means going online and installing it (even Crap-Walk which said right on the box it exports to mp3, but didn't. So I called them, and that was another nightmare)

Can anyone recommend a hardware unit with better than 50% fail-rate?

 

[Joe Garfield]

I can relate to many parts of this thread. The first thing I think of is expectations. I got my first guitar with the expectation that I would be great at it. Reality set in pretty quick and I was disappointed and discouraged. I have taken breaks from playing guitar but find that I can not live without one (could probably substitute keyboard for guitar or something).

Taking a break is a good thing. Telling yourself 'never' just adds more pressure. Do what you need to do to get through today, and do the same tomorrow.

Now I have the expectation that making music is not easy, but I enjoy how I feel during and afterward. If I'm not having fun, I put my instrument down and walk away, knowing I can come back to it whenever I feel like it. Maybe it's in an hour, maybe a year, it doesn't matter. I enjoy it a lot more now, and actually have improved a ton since I am more relaxed and enjoying myself.

I was going to suggest a stand-alone recorder. In this digital age you need high computing power to keep up with everything. You clearly don't have it with that older computer. That's fine, but you should try to work around it instead of trying to make it work. You should be able to find a used recorder for not too much money. The first thing that came to mind is what people use to record live performances. The concerts I go to allow recording, so I see guys all the time with long range mics and little recorders. But this is just recording, not studio editing. Maybe you need to take a break from trying to edit since that requires computing power and software. You could try a multi-track recorder and re-record tracks or something.

One thing you can do is use libraries for internet access, maybe you can download and print PDFs or sheet music and bring it home. You might find a lot more peace by taking the technology out of your home or life. I know I am happiest when I spend the least amount of time near my computer.

I have struggled with hobbies and thought about 'quitting' - but the hobbies are mine because they express part of who I am. I can't force my brain to dislike things that I am innately passionate about. Usually when I had these feelings, it was because my expectations were too high, and mostly, it's because I was trying to make things into something they weren't (a $100,000 house will never be the Taj Mahal, a $300 import guitar will never play like a $4000 hand-made hollow body, and a slow old computer will never keep up with modern day software). When I stopped trying to make things into what they weren't, I found a lot more enjoyment in life in general.

 

[Bobbosaurus]

I've found something which may break the "recording barrier"- a small digital recorder designed with Luddites/"12 o'clock flashers" in mind. It's not intended for pro audio so I don't expect pro sound, but it should be good enough to do a "demo" mp3. (saves/exports to mp3 or WAV without all the BS of a computer)

I need to break the barrier to free myself up to get back into the music again. If nothing ever comes of it, so what- if I come up with something worth recording professionally I know several studios I can go to.

It's such a shame that our wondrous supercomputers have been ruined by these bureaucratic, bloatware-infested, planned-obsolescence memory-hog operating systems. (Right now my Firefox would be crippled were it not for "Flashblock" and "No-Script"- and Chrome is even worse!)

Last time I tried to download/print sheet music it was an absolute nightmare, just as horrible as trying to record.

So you're right, I should stop trying to make things into what they're not- and until a good OS comes out (and things like Flash go away) computers are NOT tools for making music.