PC hardware for my new MIDI synth

[pfk]

Yo all!

I've been lurking around for quite a while, but finally got my courage up to writing something

I tried making some SIDs a few years back, and now I wanna havw a go at PC music. To start off with a bang I just bought myself a used Korg N5 synth, even though I don't know how to play it. I'm gonna hook it up to my computer, and that's where I'm hoping for som help from all you experienced musicians. I know squat 'bout MIDI, so I'll probably ask alot of stupid questions

First off, I'd like some opinions on my PC. It's a bit old, and I guess music stuff takes alot of resources. Specs are:

PIII 800 MHz
200 GB HD
128 MB RAM
SoundBlaster Live!

I know the soundcard is poor, but will the rest do? In particular - do I need lots more RAM? Is there a cheap sondcard that'll do a better job than the SB ones, without costing me a fortune?

Any suggestions on good music software for beginners is also very welcome. Sequencers, samplers, mastering - all these words just make my head spin at the mo', but I hope "learning by doing" is A Good Thing

Thanks in advance for any help, and cheers for all the great musc and retro nostalgia I get from R64 and RKO!.


- pfk

[Chris Abbott]

MIDI sequencing isn't hardware intensive: I did BIT 1 on a P133, for instance, and it barely broke a sweat. With outboard equipment such as the N5, the keyboard is doing all the work.

where it gets hairy is: 1) lots of audio tracks, 2) Lots of audio effects, 3) Softsynths and Softsamplers.

Then you need every single Hz you can get your hand on, and Ninja hard disks


Chris

[DHS]

My only advice is to get some more ram.

cheers.

[ifadeo]

welcome to the board....


the sblive is a nice card to start, esp. you can load soundfonts into
ram, and there tons of free soundfonts in the web.....

btw. the audigy player costs only 79,-€....



cheers ifadeo


p.s. i prefer my waveterminal 192m

[Matrix]

sound fonts ?

[Feekzoid]

Welcome to the board pfk :)

I own a N5 also, was the source of a lot of my intrumentation in my early stuff, now it tends to just be used as the midi-master keyboard. Your choice of software will affect how much/how easy you can use the N5 to compose with.

If you use a commercial sequencer like Cakewalk or cubase then it will be pretty easy, since those programs have instrument bank files specifically for the korg. If you use an "alternative" software solution - like I do - eg Renoise then you're in for more difficult time since it doesent directly support external midi hardware, you kinda have to program it yourself.

@Matrix:

Soundfonts are instrument banks used by EMU hardware - including soundblaster cards from the AWE32 to the latest Audigy cards (and other brands of card too) what you basically get a .SF2 file which contains PCM wave samples (more often than not multisamples for different octaves/notes with velocity responsive control)

They were fantastic but have been kind of overtaken by the VST revolution, tho I still have many many soundfonts including some I made myself, tho I dont use them anymore.

[Jan Lund Thomsen]

Yo all!

That you, Per Fredrik ? =)

[XGener8or]

The SB Live! is actually a splendid card. I used one for many years and it was perfect and gave me crystal clear recordings and great effects. So don't look down on it

Oh and by the way, I used to use a 450mhz Celeron for it recording Midi tracks to audio (synths + modules via external mixer + internal sounds from SB Live)

[Matrix]

Feek, i actually have an Audigy card. Ive only every used the sounds already in it !! (and next week i get to midi it upto my PSR-520



Dont suppose you be willing to educate me in the use of (installing etc) and the finding of ? - think im gonna have a lot of fun with these sound font things - would also be really appreciative if you can point me at some amiga/c64 style soundfonts.

[ifadeo]

well, if i remember right there are some c64/synth soundfonts like
vintage dream waves v2, vintage dreams drums, c64bank1 & 2 and
cia sounds.... to name a few...

so if you need a copy of this old soundfonts, send me a mail....


cheers ifadeo

[Matrix]

That would be awesome ifadeo !! - but theres no email on your profile, so, 2 questions, how big are they (one of my isp's can hold 10 meg of email attachements), or i can set you up with my ftp.. whatever is easiest ...

Thx in advance

[ifadeo]

That would be awesome ifadeo !! - but theres no email on your profile, so, 2 questions, how big are they (one of my isp's can hold 10 meg of email attachements), or i can set you up with my ftp.. whatever is easiest ...

Thx in advance

you've got a mail....

[Matrix]

Synth & Fx Cool ta man - now to figure out how to work with em.... ive not got the music room sorted yet so gimmie a week or so.... but if (as i suspect) i can play these with my midi keyboard, treating the audigy as an addon sound module/processor, then i think were in the honeypot !!

I may just get hooked on soundfonts

Thx for sending some Much obliged !!

[ifadeo]

no problem, i hope you like them....


here a little link where you can find some stuff:

http://www.analoguesque.com/sffreebies.htm

http://www.synthzone.com/soundfont.htm



cheers ifadeo

[Matrix]

HAHA oh sweeeeet ty man - i just deiscovered my AudioHQ isnt working, sumthin about not being able to find some .AHQ files, so im gonna need to reinstall anyway, but all i feel is fun on the horison now

U da man TY