It is a random piece of equipment that I have zero interest in.
I would think that "I just don't want that at this time" is a good enough justification. This is supposed to be fun. Why would I do something I don't enjoy? I might well be wrong, so what. I mean no disrespect by this: you do what you like, and your choices are plenty eclectic. I am all for it! I go my way in a similar spirit.
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Okay then, if you want something that can fit on a memory stick, its probably going to be the installer for a VST host/recording program, and some VST plugins. You can take it where you want, but you have to install everything on the target computer. You may also have to transfer licenses to the new computer in order to be able to run the software. It can take some time to get it up an running. Reaper is a program that can be run without paying if you don't mind the nag screens, but last I tried it the SQ was pretty bad (as they were resampling everything and not very well at that). Better to take your own laptop with you and an interface such as a Scarlett 2i2, or better. I run Samplitude X3 Suite, which is a professional recording program that and also be used for real time monitoring with effects. However, real time buffering on a PC makes the sound come back some time after you play it. Thus some people can't play because they are listening to an echo of what their fingers are doing. My daughter is like that, she can't tolerate any time lag before she hears herself playing. To get an idea of the timing we are talking about, good players can start and stop notes on time to about 5ms or less. Therefore buffering latency roughly >5ms can be a problem.
The nice things about boxes such as Randy is suggesting that they are designed for minimal latency, so they are more practical for live playing. Also, Abelton Live is a Windows app which is intended for real time performance, but the computer and interface buffering have to be fast enough too. Also, you will need to license on the PC where you want to use it.
EDIT: Also there are some programs and plugins that can work with a USB hardware license key, but the software still has be installed on a PC to run it.
The nice things about boxes such as Randy is suggesting that they are designed for minimal latency, so they are more practical for live playing. Also, Abelton Live is a Windows app which is intended for real time performance, but the computer and interface buffering have to be fast enough too. Also, you will need to license on the PC where you want to use it.
EDIT: Also there are some programs and plugins that can work with a USB hardware license key, but the software still has be installed on a PC to run it.
You are only describing your self. I love your approaches when solving own needs, but we all have individual situations. -Being financially, distance to neighboors, amount of space we can occupy from the rest of our family and so on. Don't be discurished if any or all your good suggestions are not considered. They just won't fit everyones needs. No problem!
Its a diy forum, but I wouldn't hesitate to make a thread asking if I should buy a new Onkyo amplifier or choose the Cambridge GXA-81 instead. Its not frowned upon, and only would be if forum was flooded by such requests. I would expect suggestions about diy alternatives and might be persuaded by them.
Your Roland suggestion is good for certain uses for a certain timeline, but its another Gadget. How many of us feel we have to few gadgets? We all have too many gadgets.
Your suggestion about powerful neutral sounding sub/sat system is the best suggestion of all in the thread although I was originally against it. A set of powerful active monitors with bluetooth 5.3 would be even better since it would also cover the whole family 's needs for stereo music for many many years.
Cheers!
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Would these be too ugly on the shelfs? I dont know quality of Harbinger
Cheers!
Would these be too ugly on the shelfs? I dont know quality of Harbinger
Cheers!
Totally neutral sound I think, but will they be loud enough?
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/6025144154252048/
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Harbinger looks good condition. Initial prize 200 dollars. For two or just one?
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Go here just for the experience 😊?
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Don't know the power of these Edifiers.
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This is a DIY site you know... maybe you should try in a more music instrument site?
//
Well, he's actually connecting a mixer to the PA, and that will work fine. They could even add keyboard and a microphone, DAW and drum machine, make it stereo with a second unit - whatever. Practice with a prerecorded track. No problem to practice on this gear. They already have pre-amps and effects, so they obviously know something about sound and playing! If they want to record, they are ready too. (Which is a lot of fun, my daughter loves recording and hearing herself afterwards
). In the end, if you want to share your music, you will have to record it, and then your in room guitar-amp sound is lost. You will have to make something translateable using a mic and use studio monitors and regular speakers to evaluate the result. Not a guitar amp. For me, as a teen, the home studio was a HUGE motivation, and I spent countless hours practicing and recording. My noisy Musicman guitar amp was only used for band practice and live events. Do you play much yourself, Mark?
Asio is only a link in the chain regarding latency, hardware capability and 'pipe' used to communicate through the computer have much more impact.
Asio have been developed by Steinberg ( Cubase editor) circa 1995 to allow a way for native audio ( iow not using soundcard with dsp on them- as the first protools using TDM) to be stable and direct path ( not running through windows sub layers) to audio hardware. So yes it is optimised to be low latency at this stage in the computer.
Some soundcards use dsp to take in charge audio flux and it can help to have low latency and other capability availlable ( low latency monitoring, routing, real time analysis, effects,..). Rme hdsp series are a good example. Once paired with Asio it allow for a very low overall latency and general system stability ( i've run my Rme/Cubase at 1,5ms latency each way, 3ms overall - I/O). It lowers the number of chanel availlable on my computer though but it's rarely an issue.
'Pipe' through the computer are now very fast and high bandwidth capability so except if they have issue with orders of infos sent/received ( some prioritised os features over other flux in the past iirc) there is few issues this days. In 00's it was different hence the Protools TDM domination in studio world: the dsp based solution offered a nearly independent from the OS audio system. Even seen some Mac crashed during recording session but Protools still recorded until computer power was shut down... a real advantage when you are paid for the record you make! It's questionable if needed for amateur though.
Choosing linux as os is a difficulty in my view. Almost no pro gear have Alsa drivers so it's gambling wrt stability and sound quality.
Don't take me wrong it can work and maybe at first try but if you prefer to do music than debug or optimise...?
Professional choices are made with some goals in mind ( being able to produce whatever happen is one of them) and there is reasons for the existing system/ norm to be there. Most solutions have been time tested and prooven. As a result you'll often find studio world to be pretty conservative regarding gear used.
It change a bit with new gen though, they are more used to digital and prone ( victims?) To try new things all the time...
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Seems likely. Are there linux guitar and or bass guitar tone stack plugins that make it easy to dial in a good tone? Are there linux nonlinearity plugins using dynamic convolution and or Volterra series modeling to sort of emulate a small tube amp? Probably not much if any of that type of instrument sound processing. '
IMHO even static nonlinearities are hard to do well in DSP because something like a diode curve produces wideband frequencies. The curve would have to be modeled not to produce higher frequencies than fs/2. Usually those things sound better if the plugin upsamples to much higher sample rate, then does the effect processing, then downsamples back to the DAW sample rate. For Windows, there are some VST plugins that give you the option to upsample or not. Upsampling usually sounds better but uses more DSP resources, so it may be used only for final mixdown. However, in that case the difference in sound may alter the mix balance.
That said, Crocobar has a little practice amp to compare with what he can do in linux. Maybe we will find out at some point if he would be willing to express on opinion on the differences in good sounds he can get.
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I can relate my experience here. My work has been entertaining small crowds in small venues with a mix of prerecorded and live material using a small ensemble of performers and large collection of instruments in a FL studio sequencer. Latency cannot be tolerated in such an environment. From day one I have been advocating saving up and getting dedicated hardware based setup with some computer integration, citing my own system:
Delivery is via 3 sets of z623s for seated, one set of z623 for sound desk monitors and one pair of Samson 15" two-ways facing the floor. The 4 subs from the z623 has been ample and the pair of 15" Samsons can't even hope to provide any detail on the electric bass guitar lines on their own. At home, only a single set of z623 is used on the desktop. The rest of the system sits on the home studio desk and is disconnected and taken with the sound desk for work
All this is managed by a Roland MX-1. This unit has a comprehensive chain of effects and filter patches that can be applied per channel and per beat step all in hardware over 18 channels. All this can be mixed on system together with multi-track instruments coming in over USB then passed on to the internal master effects that is applied to the mix, then there is the king mastering effects that can be applied to the mix for a polished recordable signal
The MX-1 is fed by a Roland DJ-202 via a stereo analog input for live latency free remixing
A Roland JDXi sits on a dedicated USB channel on the MX-1 and becomes one of the live instruments with many high quality sounds from the Roland library in latency free hardware form factor. A second line from the bass also passes through this synth and uses the auto note feature to play one of the 4 synth parts. One of this units synth parts is dedicated to a full Roland drum machine and there is a 4 track hardware sequencer onboard that can capture anything playing on the synth
The other 4 analog channels on the MX-1 is fed by the group outs on a Yamaha MG12XU
A Bass guitar, an electric guitar and two vocal mics plug into this on the four channels that feature compressors on the inputs. Main vocal mic plugs into the JDXi synth which also has hardware autotune as well as comprehensive vocal effects
This setup started some years ago with only one Bheringer mixer and Samsons for floor and z623 for desk and all processing on the computer. The Bheringer didn't take long to end up in the bin and after that I just took my time and worked towards first getting the Yamaha console as a reliable workhorse and then the rest of the gear over the following years
For not much more than $3k over 5yrs, I have managed to end up with a modern, sophisticated, latency free system that incorporates major PC integration, live instruments from a small ensemble and 4 vocalists. All the equipment is compact and fits a 2m desk. For a lounge room or porch. Just one set of z623s is ample
With my electronics sorted out, now I am on a mission to upgrade the speaker system to something that deploys and travels more efficiently. All this happens with visiting shops to audition gear, making the effort to go and see action to see how it's done and how the equipment manages
Going around forums presenting selected bits of information and responding by abstaining to elaborate on request just smacks of trying to create a contentious discussion to sit back and milk validation and that kind of forum etiquette is what I meant by displaying poor form
Randy,
Your gear is digital so please don't say 'latency free': it's not.
By nature system have at minimum 1/fs latency for each conversion stage ( ad and da) and then latency into software ( there is no real time with digital) and 'pipes' ( USB being one of this 'pipes' and by far not the fastest...).
You probably doesn't feel the latency when playing ( it's the raison d'etre of hardware gear for live act) but it's there be sure. Ergonomy is another factor but i mostly agree gear dedicated to a task by 'big' name manufacturer are thoughts to be used in the situation they are designed for. It makes a tremendous difference to 'open generalist' software which can do everything but user needs to set up to do so... it's not as easy to operate.
If you doubt about latency make a simple test: send two same signal from a generator , one into your 'live setup' to an input on soundcard another with the signal send directly to another input of soundcard record both at same time and then compare both in timing. It'll be eye opening.
What Mark told about latency is a truth: up to 5ms latency goes unoticed by the vast majority of people. And this is a chance as otherwise digital would be moot for live events.
Remenber the thread where we met: i've been advocating a 90's style set up to Crocobar for the same reason you choose your live gear, it enable to play rather than doing technology related thingy instead of focus onto the important things when starting to play an instrument ( see Mark's previous comments, i feel the same).
Your gear is digital so please don't say 'latency free': it's not.
By nature system have at minimum 1/fs latency for each conversion stage ( ad and da) and then latency into software ( there is no real time with digital) and 'pipes' ( USB being one of this 'pipes' and by far not the fastest...).
You probably doesn't feel the latency when playing ( it's the raison d'etre of hardware gear for live act) but it's there be sure. Ergonomy is another factor but i mostly agree gear dedicated to a task by 'big' name manufacturer are thoughts to be used in the situation they are designed for. It makes a tremendous difference to 'open generalist' software which can do everything but user needs to set up to do so... it's not as easy to operate.
If you doubt about latency make a simple test: send two same signal from a generator , one into your 'live setup' to an input on soundcard another with the signal send directly to another input of soundcard record both at same time and then compare both in timing. It'll be eye opening.
What Mark told about latency is a truth: up to 5ms latency goes unoticed by the vast majority of people. And this is a chance as otherwise digital would be moot for live events.
Remenber the thread where we met: i've been advocating a 90's style set up to Crocobar for the same reason you choose your live gear, it enable to play rather than doing technology related thingy instead of focus onto the important things when starting to play an instrument ( see Mark's previous comments, i feel the same).
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