High quality recording music from Krome to computer

[kolasinski]

Hi,
Sorry for my poor English - I come from Poland, but I hope you will understand my question.

I would like to record music from my Krome in high or more than medium quality. I want to record it to my laptop so it is obvious that I need an external audio interface/sound card.
I don't know anything about this kind of recording, I don't know which kind of audio interfaces I should choose. I am considering to buy something like ALESIS Multimix 4 USB or Behringer Xenyx Q802USB. But still don't know anything about quality from these devices.

I would like to record solo piano songs, or 10-track multiple-instruments songs.

I would like to spend up to 400$ for audio interface and cables.

Could you recommend what would be the best choice? Or maybe there is other way to record music on computer in good quality?

Last question: which recording software do you recommend. I was using Audacity but the quality of recording was poor (I could hear some quiet noises)

Thanks a lot for help!
Mikolaj

[michobo]

hej

Pomyśl o Integrze od Rolanda
To znakomity synth i pierwszoklasowy interfejs audio wysokiej jakosci
Kupiłem za 5500 w PL


Think about Roland Integra
This is first class synth and top quality audio interface (96 kHz/24 bit)

[SanderXpander]

Something like a MOTU Microbook seems like a great solution for you. Definitely better than your average Behringer, Alesis or M-Audio stuff, and quite light and portable for use with the laptop. You should be able to make good quality recordings with that. As for software, basically I would recommend picking one and really learning it. Audacity is perhaps not the most common one but should still give good quality with a good soundcard. I personally use Sonar but that's definitely not as big as Cubase/Protools/Logic/Ableton either.
Any specific style you do? Any gear other than the Krome? Do you want to use your software in a Live situation too? Mac or PC?

[kolasinski]

Michobo - thanks for reply, but as I said, I can spend $400-$500, not more... :/


SanderXpander - thanks! I just read a bit about MOTU Microbook and it seems to be a great solution!
I wanted to record solo piano playing jazz/blues, and record multi-track songs for short movie clips, websites and so on (sounds like: piano, drums, strings, guitar).

-I use Krome and SV1, but for recording I wanted to use mainly Krome.

-I need software only for home recording, not for live situations.

-PC (is it a real difference between using pc/mac while recording? I was considering buying a mac but I am not sure if it can give me a significant difference in quality. Can it?).

What is also important for me is to record multi track songs with NO delay in recording next tracks. I am sure that MOTU Microbook will guarantee that?

Thanks for reply!

[SanderXpander]

The Mac people will tell you there is a big difference, because they need to justify to themselves that they have paid so much more for their computer. I have used both Mac and Windows and while Mac is slightly ahead in a few very specific areas concerning audio/midi, I don't believe this is actually anything you'll notice in 99 percent of situations. Some software only works on Mac, but then some software only works on Windows. I would say for your purposes, both are equally capable.

As for delay, I'm not a hundred percent sure what you mean but you may be talking about recording latency, where there is a slight amount of time between you pressing a key and hearing the sound. Is depends on multiple things but a big one for sure is the soundcard and the driver. The MOTU should do a ton better than the built in soundcard.

I asked about your music style because programs like Ableton and Reason are especially well suited to electronically based music. They can do other things but they have real strengths in that area. Since you're not really into that I would suggest a more mainstream package such as Cubase. Using something that many other people use will ensure support and compatibility. But even more than recommending a specific package, I would recommend you take the time to really learn some shortcut keys, watch tutorials, find editing tips etc.. It'll speed up your workflow incredibly compared to just installing it and starting to record on day one.

[kolasinski]

Thanks a lot! Now I know what to do and what to choose
I meant exactly this delay that you wrote about.

Again, thank you very much for help!

[alexdx]

About Audacity. I mean it is a good starter point for your home recording. When I started with home recording, Audacity was sufficient choice. Now I'm using a different program, but Audacity still used for quick record some "ideas".

[Craig E]

Hi. Take a look at the Steinberg UR28M, it's very good quality for the money, easy to use and comes with a version of Cubase to get you going