Re: [ARSCLIST] Digital Audio Workstation--What would you build?

[David Lewiston <david.lewiston@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello Miriam

> I have been approached with the question of , "If you could have a
Digital Audio Workstation, what would it have?

For the past few years I've been using Samplitude Pro, and I like it a great
deal. People who have used both say that the audio engines of SAW and
Samplitude are of comparable quality, considerably better than the rest of
the field. I would expect Syntax, the U.S. distributor of Samplitude, to
offer academic pricing.

For the sound card, it depends on what's needed. If the student will only
need to bring in / send out digitised audio, then you can look at relatively
inexpensive sound cards (I'm not knowledgeable about these). But if you need
analogue in / out, see whether the budget will cover a really decent card.
In an A/D converter shootout in Nashville recently, I'm told that a Lynx 2
card came in a close second to the $5k+ Daniel Weiss converter, one of the
most prestigious units in the business. Lynx 2 cards cost around $1k. I plan
to install one instead of the Marian card I'm presently using, although the
Marian itself is of professional quality.RME units are also in this "close
second" category. Both go for around $600. If you're told "it's only for
student use, get something cheaper" then I'm sure you'll find a plethora of
possibilities.

Have you established what the DAW will be used for, because these criteria
will naturally determine the needed outboard gear.

Salutations, David Lewiston
The Lewiston Archive, Recordings & and Documentation of the World's
Traditional Music