Some Noobie Questions

[rpontius]

OK Caveat I have searched the forums and trying to figure some of these things out. My background is in IT and I have learned about recording/audio etc. on an old school 8 track at a University studio back in the 90's. We brought in bands to setup, mix and record (audio/video) for a weekly program. I'm looking to get back into some of this as a hobby again which is why I am here. So, without scorching me too bad for being a Noobie here we go.

PS I bought a new Dell gaming laptop for purchasing the Total Studio Max. (Looks like it is now the Total Studio Max 2. It covers the requirements for RAM and processor. The sound is onboard.

1. How often does that go on sale? I saw a promo last month when I was looking at this and then it was gone. Like $529 for the Total Studio Max. I just happened to miss it.

2. If I do purchase it or other programs I saw that there is an upgrade program depending on how many products I buy. Do I just register my software if I buy it from a third party vendor if I buy it from them? And then will my software registration still count toward the upgrade program?

3. Is the Total Studio Max a DAW? Some of these other vendors have seem so way overly complex. From what I have seen the IK Multimedia software seems to be easy to use as well as quite robust without being complex. As a techie I like this. Am I dreaming or can this software set up record vocals etc. too if I want to add other instrument tracks in like a live studio environment?

4. I was wondering about this sound driver called ASIO. Apparently I need to be ASIO compliant for sound? What does that mean? I haven't really found anything on Google or this site that really explains it aside from "selecting" the driver. Not sure if that is a pull down menu in the sound area of the computer or what. Could I get a good explanation of what I am to do or if I know I will be compliant?

5. Lastly the whole plugin thing. Can I use third party plugins or just plugins that IK Multimedia sell? This bit is a little confusing.

I just want to say that I am pretty impressed with what I have seen of all of the products thus far and it's like I went to sleep and woke up in the future. LOL. Thanks for helping me out with these questions.

[DarkStar]

Hello rpontius and welcome to the forum.

Don't worry, we do not burn newbies here and don't be phased by the length of this reply; there is a learning curve but you can take it a step at a time.

1 There are different sales at different time for different products. We users do not know when the next one will be and IK Multimedia never announces sales in advance. IF you see the product or bundle you want at a price you like then get the cash together and buy it.

The software downloads are available in your User Account (you will already have a few freebies there) and the sounds library downloads are available for 180 days (after which you would need to purchase a "Download Reactivation Credit" if you needed to download them again - many people just back up the download files to disk.

2 Many of the Upgrades depend on the registration to your User Account of "from any previously purchased product of a value of $/€99.99 or more." And that it the regular list price, not the actual price paid. And, yes, you can buy from a third-party and Register it (but I do not think that second-hand purchases / transfers count). It is NOT the number of products purchased / registered.

3 Total Studio 2 MAX (and Total Studio MAX) is not a DAW; It is a collection of products - sample library players, Amp/Stomp Box/Cabinets gear simulations and a whole stack of effects. Any of the products can be used as standalone programs or a plug-ins within a DAW.

To record vocals, live instrument playing etc you could do that in AmpliTube. Have a look in its User Manual for the features I do not know if Recording is supported in AmpliTube Custom Shop (that is, the free edition).

But, ideally, you will need a DAW. There are many available, from $60 to over a $1000. To get started I would suggest that you have a look at Reaper - 60 days evaluation period, fully functional (and it's $60!). If it suits you then great, if not then there are several others to choose from.

$ ASIO stands for "Audio Stream Input/Output" - it is a way of achieving low latency (a very short time) between playing a note on a live instrument, converting that to digital data, sending to a computer (and to software) then out again to your speakers and then ears. "Compliant" is not a legal thing in this context; it just means that the software supports ASIO drivers - All IK Multimedia software on PCs/ Macs is ASIO-compliant (I do not know what happens on iPads etc).

At the risk of information overload, there is a product called "ASIO4All" which sits between the programs and the audio driver. Several users on this forum have used it to make their onboard sound chips and drivers "ASIO-compliant". That may be worth a look.

Many audio interfaces (not onboard sound chips) come with an ASIO driver software. You install it, then select it in the various software products. Once done you can forget about it.
Sooner or later you will probably decide that you need an audio interface - with inputs for mics and instruments, pre-amps, one or more outputs, headphones out etc.

6 Plug-ins are software modules that run inside (Can be used by) other software products. All DAWs will support plug-ins from third parties. Some IK Multimedia products could be said to support plug-ins, but only those from IK Multimedia. For example, you could consider all the gear models in AmpliTube as plug-ins (logically, anyway). And the T-RackS program allows you to load any of the separate IK Multimedia effects.

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PS I have removed your previous thread as it looks like a duplicate.

[rpontius]

Hi DarkStar (my favorite Grateful Dead tune btw) thank you for the help and not flaming me. So, now I am confused as to what a DAW actually is because I thought I could do everything (record instruments, vocals, effects, mixing and mastering) with the IK Multimedia suite in Total Studio 2 Max? I guess why do I need a DAW? What advantages does it have? And which ones are most compatible with IK Multimedia products? Also do you need a lot more hardware for the inputs and outputs you mention in the ASIO section?

And I think you answered all of my questions though I still have one about the upgrades in the future. So if I buy the Total Studio Max 2 or any other product, as long as I register it here I can pay an upgrade price for new software upgrades of products that I own already? It is a little confusing sorry.

Also I will take a look at some user manuals. I'm not sure I came across them quite yet.

Thank you for the clarification on the ASIO compliance. I saw a link last night that had a walk through on a post on the first page.

Thanks again. And I tried to move the duplicate post but I couldn't find out how. Thanks!

[DarkStar]

You're welcome.

The AmpliTube standalone program does have an 8-track audio recorder:
http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitube4/index.php?pp=at4cs-dawrecorder
(AT4 CS (i.e. the free version) has a 2-track recorder.)

That may be enough for what you want to do (initially, at least ).

You can apply the AT4 gear to the tracks in the project and do some audio editing and mixing. A DAW may also offer:

(a) multi-track (simultaneous) recording
(b) MIDI recording and editing
(c) Notation editor,
(d) comprehensive audio editing,
(e) track composition and arrangement,
(f) a range of built-in instruments for playing and recording,
(g) a range of built-in effects, for mixing or mastering,
(h) ability to support all the TS2MAX products as plug-ins,
(i) ability to support third-party plug-ins,
(j) plug-in automation and control,

and much, much more. Many DAWs are very compatible with IK Multimedia products. Their products are built to various technical standards ("VST 2", "VST 3", "AAX"), which define the compatibility of the DAW and the IK Multimedia plug-ins.

For an ASIO audio interface, you can spend a little or a lot.

Upgrades: the current offer is that the registration of any IK product that is priced over $/€99.99 qualifies you for the upgrade / crossgrade price on many of the products. Of course, this offer may change at any moment. Please note that the TS2MAX UPGRADE is from Total Studio Max only; the CROSSGRADE is from any previously purchased product of a value of $/€99.99 or more.

Going from, say, AmpliTube 4 (the current major version) to AmpliTube 5 or from SampleTank 3 to SampleTank 4 would be an upgrade. Going from, say AmpliTube v4.3 to v4.4 (the current version) is an update and is free.

User Manuals: They should be installed when you install the software. And there is nothing to stop you trying out the Custom Shop (i.e. free) editions of AmpliTube 4, SamplTank 3 and T-RackS 5 right now.

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You could consider this approach:
(a) install AmpliTube 4 Custom Shop and try it out, see if it will do all you need,
(b) consider installing ASIO4All if you run into latency issues (too long a time between playing your guitar and hearing it from your computer),
(c) if AT4 CS (and the additional features and gear one of the paid-for editions of AT4 is sufficient then you may not need TS2Max!,
(d) contact IKM Sales Support, explain your predicament and ask if they would let you have TS2Max at a reasonable later date at the current sale price; you never know.

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And, don't worry about asking questions. Given the range of IK Multimedia products and the even wider range of potential and current users it can take a bit of explanation. Also, these forums helps those with similar questions, but have not yet asked them.

[rpontius]

Thanks again Dark Star. Very helpful and informative.

I'll give you an idea of what I want to do. My friend lives about 3 hours away. He would like to play and share ideas. So, my thought was to get the Total Studio Max 2, a laptop specifically for that program and I already have a work area. I also have some guitars and I could get the iRig or whatever I would need to get a mic going to record a live guitar/vocal or just plug in and lay down some tracks with the virtual amps/mics etc.

My friend is not that technically savvy yet. He does have a big screen Smart TV and Internet. He plays sax and we just want to share ideas mainly. Send tracks back and forth and then add on to the tracks and maybe try some other ideas. So, I thought if I could get him into get the right laptop and the Total Studio Max 2. He could record on a couple of the tracks with ideas and then run some of the effects or processing. Save the file dump in the e-mail/cloud and then I can upload it to the Amplitube/Tracks and go from there.

My friend as I said isn't too technically oriented and I wanted to find some things that were easy for him to use because he can get impatient with being creative but if you open the flood gates he can get inspired and see the potential. From my perspective I see the power of the tools available to me and I am in IT so the technology also amazes me. Especially having all these tools available to you in which that you can really have this great palette at your finger tips. To be honest I was overwhelmed at first in terms of the ability to translate what is in your head to a final project. It was like my mind automatically understood the infinite possibilities and I have been trying to translate that to him.

I also subscribed to Groove3 website which has a bunch of tutorials for DAWs, IK Multimedia products as well as instrument and general audio recording information. My overall thoughts are I want to do it right the first time in terms of investment in the software and equipment on a somewhat limited budget. (I like to buy stuff on sale) I know this can take some time to make these decisions and I don't want to rush into something blindly. (Though that is fun too once in a while LOL)

I do plan to check out the products for the trial periods. So thank you again for the time and suggestions you put into your informative posts.

[DarkStar]

It sounds like you could take the approach I suggested AND go visit your friend with your computer. Then you can work side by side and he / she can see what is possible. It does not sound like you need TS2MAX at the moment. There are several editions of AmpliTube (with different selections of gear).

Then the "only" problem is to sort out the passing of tracks between you both.

Other users may pitch in with some other ideas. Let us know how it goes.

Good luck

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PS
At the risk of complicating things: http://www.ikmultimedia.com/products/amplitubeios/

Also, you may not get it right first time - I certainly didn't

[rpontius]

Hello,

So I have been doing some research on Reaper and other DAWs. It seems like Reaper looks like a good one to start with anyway. I was searching the forums for a compatibility list for IK Multimedia products with associated DAWs. Is there a list?

Or I guess the question for me right now is, will all the IK Multimedia plugins work with Reaper?

Thanks in advance.

[DarkStar]

All the ones I have do!

You should not have any problems. Some Reaper users did run into an issue or two but I think that they have been resolved.

[rpontius]

Thanks Dark Star. I'm still doing research on the input side of things. I was going to look deeper into your recommendation above. Any other users that have any other ideas for input hardware I would appreciate it. I've just been out of the hobby for so long I'm not even sure what recording interfaces I might need for the computer.