Re: [ARSCLIST] recommendations solicited -- simple analog-to-digital USB setup

[Tom Fine <tflists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thanks for the recommendations so far.

Regarding the software end of it, I think simple to use needs to carry the day. Also, think about 
what a guy who was an audio engineer from the 40's through the 70's would recognize in an interface. 
It's too bad Sony doesn't make a version of Soundforge "lite" (Audio Studio) for Mac because that's 
a very easy-to-learn program to get up and running but there are plenty of extras if you want to get 
curious.

For what it's worth, I've noticed the same computer-comfort divide among older audio guys that I've 
noticed among many older folks in general. Just like so much consumer packaging today is 
user-hostile to arthritic hands and fingers, most computer software is very user-hostile to people 
not brought up in the computer age. This is something to think about on this list, especially for 
folks making archives available to the public. There are many institutional websites that are laid 
out horribly, have tiny text fonts and have search interfaces that one needs a MLS to use. There 
seems to be a whole school of web design -- I would be driven by 20-something consultants -- that 
puts a premium on a cluttered look, tiny fonts and too many choices per page. My observation is that 
many older folks find this very intimidating and confusing, and they just plain can't read the small 
fonts. I think there's a good middle-ground philosophy with anything involving a computer -- and 
Apple actually hits this much more often than the Windows world, but no one hits it often enough. I 
think every step of computer interface design, whether it be web page creation or software 
authoring, needs to be brutal about simplicity. I just don't think most people want too many options 
or complex instructions per screen-view. So it's OK to have plenty of options available, but they 
shouldn't all be presented at once.

The earliest versions of Soundforge were my idea of a superbly simple audio program. You basically 
had a tape-deck-like interface to engage play and record and all you needed to remember about 
breaking up segments was the M for "mark" key. Everything could be controlled by a couple of mouse 
clicks and anyone who ever used a tape recorder would understand the setup. The menus offered all 
sorts of complex options and DSP stuff, but you could easily setup the interface so all you saw on 
the screen was the waveform of your recording and your "transport controls," which is very close to 
how it would be with a cassette recorder (except you wouldn't see your waveforms, but you'd see a 
tape moving in the machine).

Anyway, sorry for a little topic drift. One man's opinions, etc.

Please keep those Mac-centric recommendations coming, and THANKS.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Alex Hartov" <alexander.hartov@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2007 9:39 AM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] recommendations solicited -- simple analog-to-digital USB setup


> Mac is a very good platform to do this, been doing it for years
>
> On the cheap, I recommend "Audacity" a free program that works well.
>
> For digitizing there are many USB or FireWire based external modules  that work well.  I use an 
> Edirol UA-5 which I bought years ago.  It  does 96kHz/24 bits if you want it.
>
> For restoration I don't know of free software, I have been using the  Waves restoration bundle, 
> very happy with it.
>
> All the best
>
> Alex Hartov
> Dartmouth Jewish Sound Archive
>
>
> On Sep 10, 2007, at 8:13 AM, Tom Fine wrote:
>
> > Hi All:
> >
> > I have a friend, an older person, who is very expert in all things  analog -- and has a wonderful 
> > setup for playing tapes and records.  However, he is far from expert on anything computer and is 
> > not  likely to gain the expertise of a 20-year-old ever. He has an iMac  and wants to transfer 
> > some of his tapes and records to digital so  he can burn CD's for his car.
> >
> > I live in a PC world, so I'm not sure what's out there for the Mac.  I think he's OK making the 
> > CD's in Roxio Toast, but what's a good,  simple, non-kludged audio recorder/editor -- in other 
> > words is  there a Mac equiv of Sony Soundforge Audio Studio (ie "lite")?
> > http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/products/product.asp?pid=454
> >
> > And, what's a good and simple-as-possible USB interface for him? I  think he wants to transfer 
> > 96/24, but I think almost any A-D  interace will do 96/24 these days. I don't think he has to 
> > have  balanced inputs and outputs, but something that can handle +4 input  levels would be 
> > preferable. He has no need for mic preamps or any  sort of built-in hardware beyond maybe input 
> > trimmers.
> >
> > So, for the Mac world, does such a simple solution exist? Think the  opposite of what a total 
> > "engineer type" would want (ie as few  useless "features" as possible, as simple and direct a 
> > user  interface as possible -- think of the phones with big number  buttons made for old folks as 
> > a model).
> >
> > Thanks in advance!
> >
> > -- Tom Fine