In Reply to: musical hopefuls ask for advice posted by hobbes and clarissa on January 30, 2000 at 16:48:41:

: hi! we are hoping to put together a band. so far it's just the two us, and the only gear we have is

: - a qs8 (which is why we came to this board)
: - a guitar and amp
: - a computer with cubasis
: - and our lovely voices

: we obviously need a lot more gear but there are so many options we don't quite know where to start. right now we're focusing on drums and recording equipment. here are the questions we have:

: (1) in terms of recording gear, we've been looking at ADATs versus four-tracks. ADATs seem like the way to go, though they're a lot more expensive... how much do they start at? are there any models that you'd suggest? we've also been told that four tracks are on their way out... what are the advantages of ADATs, and do they have to be hooked up to a computer to be used?

: (2) the drum sounds on the qs8 are difficult to work with. they don't sound quite like the real thing, and it's hard to create loops with a keyboard. would you suggest a drum machine of some sort? also, what kinds of tweaks would you suggest to make the drums from the qs8 sound more realistic?

: thanks for your advice!

: h and c

Hello H & C. My suggestions will require a pretty quick computer, but you may already have one. Cubasis, in my opinion, leaves a lot to be desired(no offense to its designer). Try PowerTracks($29.99US) from PG music(www.pgmusic.com). This sequencing software has 48 tracks, these can be midi or audio or any combi of both. PT has rendered effects you can use on audio as well as a wave editor. There are a whole slew of midi tools in this program including a nice midi mixer. Sound quality(audio data only, QS's midi is not affected by poor sound card quality) will depend on the quality of your sound card and speed of your computer.Very high quality snd crds can be had for a song these days. If you use your pc(200mhz+) for wave storage your hard drive will have to be huge and fast(u can get a 13gig for$110).There are a variety of great programs that turn your pc into a multitrack digital recorder. Drum wise chk out QS Preset 1 120 "DM5 drums". A stereo setup is important for good drum reproduction.(FYI PT has a drum pattern generator and 100 drum pattern presets).ADATs start @ about $1350US. Check Riks Music @ www.riksmusic.com for good prices. I don't work for any of these people, I am just trying to share my actual experiences with each. Best of luck to your projects. Feel free to email me -Michael(QS7 owner)