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Exactly.

About 2 years ago I started gettting interested in recording audio on my PC ... and rather than spend lots of cash on hardware recording equipment I felt that PC recording had more advantages (cost, scalability etc.)

At the time my PC was 100% Linux. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any software what so ever (well.. there was bcast2000 but it had lots of problems with synchronizing tracks). So I made a small Windows partition and found loads of goodies (CoolEdit, Cubase, FruityLoops .. ).

Realizing what was available to me I stuck with Windows and started to get very serious about recording. I decided to invest in equipment and software. I bought a few shure sm57 microphones and when it came to the sound card I decided to get a system called the Aardvark Direct Pro Q10 (here if you're interested) which combines 8 professional grade XLR microphone preamps in a rack mountable unit that connects to a card in your PC.

So .. until this is support on Linux (not very good odds since not only are the drivers required, but also the mixing software), any HDR/DAW software for Linux will not do me any good... which is unfortunate because I would love to throw together a linux box specifically for recording.

- Garett

I would only recommend this to musicians or engineers though, since it's a bit of overkill for RTCW.
Recording? Wow! It is absolutely quiet.

If you want real quality sound, you had better go out and get something that is made for it. This is the solution that I purchased, and it rocks. (I do not work for them, and my needs/wants may differ from yours, so YMMV.) Their soundcard is completely shielded, and silent. I love it.

If you want "tube" warmth, go and get a real tube pre and/or amp. Tubes make a big difference, but not here.

The company is still footing the bill up front. If the record doesn't sell, the artist hasn't lost anything (and actually gained quite a bit).


Here's the obligitory link to Albini's "The Problem with Music". Read it.

In regards to cost of production, these costs are falling dramatically with the advent of high-quality, inexpensive, digital audio cards for pcs(no, I don't work for Aardvark, I'm just a very satisfied customer). I would guess that at least 50% of the "hit" records of the past ten years were digitally recorded using pro-tools, or even less expensive, gear. Cubase, cakewalk, or logic, a decent PC, and a good pro sound card are about the same cost as a decent guitar/amp setup. A good mic/mic-pre/mixer setup will cost another chunk of change, but not too much. There are numerous softsynths and effects packages out there for reasonable prices (or as warez, if you're ethically challenged). $500/hr studio fees for unproven, non-mega-star bands should disappear eventually.

I don't mean to disrespect any audio engineers out there, btw. A really top-notch production job is going to always be a valuable service, and anybody would rather record their master through a Neve board to 2" tape than through a Mackie to their hard drive, but these new methods of recording can, and do, yield impressive results on a budget. Most consumer grade stereo equipment is for shit, anyway, and if you're listening to compressed, lossy audio, then it hardly matters.

Both Echo Audio and Aardvark Pro Audio make a wide range of audio cards with a variety of features. Both companies have a good reputation among pro audio enthusiasts for their high quality products.

• Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU)
  
• Yamaha Although I can't seem to find the popular DSP factory in a few minutes of looking on the site.
  
• Echo Audio make the Gina, Darla, and Layla cards that used to be distributed by Event Electronics
  
• Aardvark Audio
  
• Digidesign
  
• Sek'd
  
• Soundscape Digital Technologies
  
• DSP FX makes an effects processing card