Basic recording software - Cakewalk?

[Kid Brisvegas]

Looking to get started with some basic computer recording and need some advice on software. My goals at the moment are mainly to produce some practice tracks and to learn the basics of computer recording.

Here's what I've got now:

• Dual PIII 733, 1GB RAM running XP Pro
• Soundblaster Live Value
• Behringer VAmp2
• Trusty strat with Kinman's
• Amp
• Cheesy Casio keyboard with MIDI in/out

I know the SB Live has limitations but unless the performance is really bad I'm willing to live with it for the moment.

To round this out, I'm planning to add:

• Shure SM57
• Behringer UB802 mixer/mic preamp
• Software

With the software, I'm looking for something basic and reasonably priced. The choices seem to be Cakewalk Music Creator, Cakewalk Home Studio, or Cakewalk Guitar Tracks. The VAmp does all of the amp modeling I'm likely to need so Guitar Tracks may not be all that useful for me. What I really want is the ability to put down some basic bass and drum tracks without a huge learning curve at this point.

Would appreciate any suggestions on the software or equipment needed to get started.

Thanks

[photoweborama]

Guitar Tracks Pro. I simply love it. I also have N-Track and it's a great program and has a ton of features and power, but with Guitar Tracks Pro I cut production of a basic song down from about 3 weeks (after work time, and fitted around other chores) to about 3 days.

And it's pretty cheap.

Oh yes, here are the links to a couple of songs I used GTP...

Why Don't I Have a Band Blues
Diet Pepsi

Oh, and one more thing... here are all the jams on this forum that I did. All recorded in GTP.. Well the lead guitar parts. Different members on whatever system they have made the backing tracks.

Granted, I'm not the best guitarist, but they were all done in GTP... wow I did not realized I'd done so many jams.... They are listed in chronological order...

ShuffleB
Jam 5
Jam 6
Jam 7
Jam 8
Country Jam
Funky Jam
Mark Dies Empty
LP jam
Moan Jam
Mark's Joint
Mark's weekend
Mark's Angel
Mark's Wham
PC's Jam

[Bob Onit]

The Soundblaster Live Value has no ASIO support so that will be a problem with any Pro recording software such as Steinberg

However, you can use the KX Audio drivers to get around that.
You will still be limited to one stereo or two mono tracks and you will also only be able to record @ 4800

I use Steinberg Cubase SX and have no experience with any other programs so I cant help ya there

[Dale]

I use a Soundblaster Audigy 2 and like Cakewalk products. I am using Home Studio 2004 right now. I like it a great deal. Guitar Tracks is also a great program. I think that HS 2004 has more things it can do, but honsestly I am not too sure what they are right now.

I have not had any trouble with drops or delays and I am not running the AISO drivers that I know of at this point. I am pretty green at all this stuff though.

Dale

[Franklin]

I use Cool Edit Pro. There is also Pro Tools LE...........

[Kid Brisvegas]

Guitar Tracks Pro. I simply love it. I also have N-Track and it's a great program and has a ton of features and power, but with Guitar Tracks Pro I cut production of a basic song down from about 3 weeks (after work time, and fitted around other chores) to about 3 days.

And it's pretty cheap.

Oh yes, here are the links to a couple of songs I used GTP...

Great results. What did you use for bass & drum tracks - Guitar Tracks or something else? Also what was the learning curve like.

Thanks

[photoweborama]

On the songs I wrote I used Fruity Loops on the blues song and on the other I used just a predone Smart Loops and cut individual beats in for accents. Fruity loops comes with GTP as well as the Smart Loops I used. Bass, well it stinks because it’s me...

On the Jam tracks, it's different for each track because other members made them. They are much better than I am.

As far as learning curve of Guitar Tracks, The Sloth Shuffle was my first song done in Guitar Tracks. I was just playing around and trying to figure it out and did this in about an hour....