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PC-Based Multitrack Recording Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) List
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Last Updated: September 25, 1994
Previously maintained by: Kevin Dangoor (tazzzzz@eecs.umich.edu)
NOTICE: The maintainer of this FAQ is not associated with any of the
companies whose products are listed here. The information contained herein
cannot be assumed to be official. It's just information that made its way
to the FAQ maintainer.
Trademarks are owned by their respective companies.
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CONTENTS
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(#) denotes a changed topic since the last FAQ.
SECTION 1: General Information
# 1.0 Where can I get this FAQ?
1.1 Why multitrack with a PC instead of using tape?
1.2 What kind of hardware do I need?
1.3 How much disk space do I need?
1.4 What multitrack playback packages are covered in the FAQ?
# 1.5 What multitrack record and playback packages are covered?
SECTION 2: Quad from Turtle Beach Systems
2.1 What is Quad?
2.2 How do I contact Turtle Beach Systems?
2.3 How can I get more information about Turtle Beach products?
2.4 What does it take to sync to a sequencer?
SECTION 3: Software Audio Workshop (SAW) from Innovative Quality Software
3.1 What is SAW?
3.2 How do I contact IQS?
3.3 Is it four track, or eight?
3.4 What does it take to sync to a sequencer?
3.5 What is the SAW Utilities Rack #1?
3.6 Where can I find a demo of SAW?
# 3.7 Has SAW been reviewed?
SECTION 4: Session 8 from Digidesign
4.1 What is Session 8?
4.2 How do I contact Digidesign?
# 4.3 Has Session 8 been reviewed?
SECTION 5: Audio Prisma from Spectral Synthesis
5.1 What is Audio Prisma?
5.2 How do I contact Spectral Synthesis?
# SECTION 6: SSHDR1 from Soundscape Digital Technology
6.1 What is SSHDR1 (Soundscape)?
6.2 How do I contact Soundscape Digital Technology
6.3 Has Soundscape been reviewed?
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SECTION 1: General Information
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# 1.0 Where can I get this FAQ?
This FAQ is posted around the first or fifteenth of each month to
the Usenet groups comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.music and
comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard.misc.
It is also available via the Web at URL:
http://www.engin.umich.edu/~tazzzzz/faq.
Stay tuned for this FAQ to start appearing on news.answers and to
be archived at the normal sites.
1.1 Why multitrack with a PC instead of using tape?
PC-based hard disk recording allows for high quality sound and
easy editing. CDs demonstrated how nice random access is for listening
to music, and hard disk recording provides that same advantage over
tape recording methods.
There is another advantage to hard disk recording (or any digital
recording medium) versus analog tape. You have basically unlimited tracks
at your disposal, because you can keep bouncing multiple tracks down to one
without any degradation of signal quality.
1.2 What kind of hardware do I need?
You'll want a reasonably fast computer so that you're not constantly
waiting on the computer. 486SX/33 is an acceptable minimum. You need a
large, fast hard drive (see 1.3 below). You'll need a soundcard (which
card you use will depend on the software and your requirements). You'll
need Windows 3.1. 8MB of RAM is recommended. You'll also need a good backup
device so that you can archive your music when you need to free up disk
space.
1.3 How much disk space do I need?
A lot. If you want to record CD quality music (16 bit, 44.1kHz,
stereo), you need approximately 11MB per minute of record time. If you have
a four minute song that has four stereo tracks running through the whole song,
you need 11MB * 4 minutes * 4 tracks = 176MB. Add another 44MB if you want
to mix down to a two track file.
Keep in mind also that every time you bounce tracks down you'll
probably want to keep the source tracks for future editing. So, you'll have
e. Won't work. Audio data is inherently very
random, and that means it is virtually uncompressable. Also, you'll be
happier without the performance hit incurred by Stacker or DoubleSpace,
especially considering they aren't doing anything for your record time
anyhow.
1.4 What multitrack playback packages are covered in the FAQ?
This FAQ includes sections on Quad from Turtle Beach Systems (TB) and
Software Audio Workshop (SAW) from Innovative Quality Software (IQS). I own
both of these programs, so coverage here should be fairly complete before
too long.
If you have experience with another package that only records a
track at a time but plays back multiple tracks, send me info!
# 1.5 What multitrack record and playback packages are covered?
This FAQ includes sections on Session 8 from Digidesign, Audio Prisma
from Spectral Synthesis and SSHDR1 from Soundscape Digital Technology. The
section on Audio Prisma was submitted by Roger Savoie.
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SECTION 2: Quad from Turtle Beach Systems
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2.1 What is Quad?
Quad is the least expensive way I know of for joining the hard disk
recording revolution. There are two different packages offered by TB:
Quad (software only) and Quad Studio (hardware and software). Quad lists for
$299. Quad Studio lists for $499. Here's a rundown of Quad's features:
* 4 track (mono) or 2 track (stereo) playback
* records either mono or stereo
* Automated mixing (called Turtle Recall). Quad remembers your pan
and volume changes and will play them back.
* Play back and record simultaneously
Quad requires a TB sound card (Tahiti, Monterey or Multisound).
2.2 How do I contact Turtle Beach Systems?
Turtle Beach Systems
52 Grumbacher Road
York, Pennsylvania 17402
800-645-5640, 717-767-0200, FAX: 717-767-6033
Internet email: sales@tbeach.com, support@tbeach.com
2.3 How can I get more information about Turtle Beach products?
I post my Turtle Beach FAQ around the 15th and the 30th of every
month to comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard and c.s.i.p.s.misc. You can also request
the latest copy from me by e-mail, or ftp to ftp.hawaii.edu and look in the
outgoing/Maui directory.
2.4 What does it take to sync to a sequencer?
Sync in Quad is a piece of cake. Quad installs a driver that looks
like a MIDI port to Windows programs. You just tell your sequencer to sync
to MIDI Time Code coming from that "port". The only thing to watch out for
is that it may take a couple of seconds for your sequencer to kick in after
Quad starts going.
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SECTION 3: Software Audio Workshop (SAW) from Innovative Quality Software
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3.1 What is SAW?
Software Audio Workshop (SAW) lists for $599. Here are some of its
features:
* 4 track stereo playback
* Automated mixing (remembers your level changes and replays them)
* Play back and record simultaneously on sound cards that support it
* Non-destructive playlist editing
This is a great feature folks. It's basically a pattern based
sequencer for your audio data. You select a region of a sound file
and then create a sequence of that and other regions playing back
at different times along a track. You don't need to mangle your
soundfile to move stuff around.
* Backup your sound to audio DAT in real time (fast compared to some
backup systems)
All of your sound files are recorded to the tape and a file
containing information about those sound files is saved on one
disk. Even if you don't have a digital connection to your DAT
recorder, the loss in signal quality in going from your sound
card to your DAT recorder should be minimal.
* Does everything really fast. This program appears to have been
coded to minimize the amount of time you have to wait for the
program to do its thing. Everything is really responsive and
quick.
SAW supports any card with a Windows wave audio driver. It has also been
optimized specifically for Digital Audio Labs CardD (IQS recommends this
card for professional quality audio), TB Multisound, SoundBlaster-16, and
Pro Audio Spectrum 16.
3.2 How do I contact IQS?
Innovative Quality Software
2955 E. Russell Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89120-2428
702-435-9077, FAX: 702-435-9106, FaxBack: 702-435-9070
3.3 Is it four track, or eight?
It's a little of both. It plays back four stereo tracks, which is
impossible on a four track recorder. But, you do not get individual control
over the panning of the tracks. SAW does not deal with mono sound files at
all. So, you don't have the control that you get out of an eight track
playback system, but you get more output than you would out of a four
track system.
3.4 What does it take to sync to a sequencer?
SAW takes more initial effort and money to sync to a sequencer, but
with potentially better results. In order to sync to a sequencer, you need
*two* MIDI interfaces that support MIDI Time Code. SAW uses one of them, and
your sequencer would use the other. The MQX-32 is the common interface used
for this purpose.
3.5 What is the SAW Utilities Rack #1?
The SAW Utilities (of which there is currently one rack available)
adds additional processing power to SAW. Here is what is included in Rack
1:
- Wav / Snd / Edl File Format Converter
By default SAW uses 44.1kHz, 16-bit, stereo .snd files. With this
conversion program, you can move between standard .wav files and SAW's .snd
with different resolutions. In addition, you can convert a SAW Edit List
file into a human readable format so that you can have a printed list of
SMPTE times for each event in your project. Finally, you can use the Pack
Session function to create new SoundFiles containing only the regions that
are used in the sequences in your project. This is a great way to reduce
the storage requirements for archiving your project.
- Audio Compressor / Limiter
This module performs four volume processing functions: compression,
gating, normalization and peak limiting. One neat feature: you can set
thresholds for the functions with guidelines that appear on top of your
waveform.
- Equilization
Seven band parametric EQ. You can adjust the center frequency of bandwidth
of each band. Also includes adjustable Hi and Lo-Cut filters.
- Echo Generator
Creates digital delay and repeating echo effects with individual control
over left and right channel parameters (delay time, feedback and strength).
- Auto Panner
Easily create stereo sweep effects, plus create custom pans with up to 100
different points of pan values.
3.6 Where can I find a demo of SAW?
Via anonymous FTP at ftp.vortex.com /audio/saw/saw3demo.exe
# 3.7 Has SAW been reviewed?
SAW was reviewed in the February 1994 issue of Mix.
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SECTION 4: Session 8 from Digidesign
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4.1 What is Session 8?
Session 8 is a hardware and software package. The Session 882
I/O box lists for $2,995. It features:
* 8 discrete inputs and outputs
* I/O unit fits in 1/2 rack space and provides sound that is free
of interference from being inside the computer's case
* Unlike SAW and Quad, you can record multiple tracks at once
4.2 How do I contact Digidesign?
Digidesign
1360 Willow Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025
800-333-2137, 415-688-0600
London: 44-81-875-9977
# 4.3 Has Session 8 been reviewed?
Session 8 was reviewed in the July 1993 issue of Keyboard.
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SECTION 5: Audio Prisma from Spectral Synthesis
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5.1 What is Audio Prisma?
Audio Prisma is a professional digital audio workstation that is
integrated onto a single circuit board and comes complete with Prismatica
software for Windows 3.1 or higher. Features include:
* 12 simultaneous real-time mix-down channels of 16 bit PCM
uncompressed digital audio.
* Drag-and-drop editing. Point-and-click control of track arming,
auto-location, search, punch, scrub and varispeed.
* Nudge or Snap audio events to sync.
* Point-and-click patching completly in the digital domain. Routes
signals between 8 system inputs, 8 system outs, recorder and aux
inputs, with mixer's direct, aux, and master outputs. Your patch
is stored with each project.
* On screen control of 12 channel mixer with automation and MIDI
control. Each channel features 2 band parametric EQ, peak I/O
metering, panning, SOLO, and MUTE, plus automation display.
* All Prisma audio and project files are totally compatable with
Spectral's larger AudioEngine systems.
* All Prisma audio and project files are totally compaItable with
Spectral's larger AudioEngine systems.
* Built-in support for lock-to-black-burst, plus SMPTE (both VITC
and LTC), MTC, MIDI, AES/EBU, S/PDIF, SMDAI and SCSI interface
standards.
* 96 virtual tracks of workspace.
5.2 How do I contact Spectral Synthesis?
Spectral Synthesis
19501 - 144th Ave. N.E.,
Suite #1000A,
Woodinville, WA 98072
tel: (206) 487-2931
fax: (206) 487-3431
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SECTION 6: SSHDR1 from Soundscape Digital Technology
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# 6.1 What is the SSHDR1?
The SSHDR1 (called Soundscape herein henceforth :) performs 8 track
playback using four outputs. It is capable of recording two tracks
simultaneously. The hardware component of the system features a digital
stereo in and 2 digital stereo outs (S/PDIF). The software features a
parametric EQ (8 bands, not realtime), cut and paste editing and digital
bounce. It carries a list price of $3,250 without a hard drive. Additional
rackmount units are $2,925 each. You can get XLR inputs and outputs for an
additional $325.
# 6.2 How can I contact Soundscape Digital Technology?
Soundscape Digital Technology Ltd
Crichton House
Mount Stuart Square
Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF1 6DR UK
+44 (0) 222 450120
Fax +44 (0) 222 450130
Distributed in the US by
Virtual Designs Ltd
705 Lakefield Rd, Suite A
Westlake Village, CA 91361
(805) 495-7375
Fax (805) 379-2648
# 6.3 Has Soundscape been reviewed?
There was a review in the November 1994 issue of Keyboard
magazine.