PC Audio Interface/Software recommendations

[Ed P]

My son is looking for an audio interface/recording software package that can be used on a PC (I'm not sure if it's Windows or Vista) and costs less than $300. Next year he will be attending Berkely College in Boston, where he will be required to use a Mac G5 and Pro Tools. So his purchase now will be something to hold him over.

Can anyone recommend a good package? I know the Toneport series offers great modelling, but what about the software? It would be great if some drum loops would be included...

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[Ed P]

bump for the evening crowd...

[StuH]

Ed it's tricky to respond here.

With Vista still being fairly new I'm not sure how many audio interface manufacturers have updated drivers available for Vista.

Ideally IMO it would be an easier transition for your son if you went with an interface that had a lite version of protools (Protools LE). Something from M-Audio or Digi Design. Just about every inteface comes packaged with a lite edition of a popular recording package.

Using Vista as an OS can cause some grief. All these Lite Editions of these software programs are based sometimes on older versions of the full blown application, with limitations put in place. Most, if not all were developed when Windows XP was king.

I'm a user of Sonar 6 and I know lots of guys having no problems with Sonar 6 running on top of Vista but lots of guys are having problem running Sonar 5 and Sonar 4 on Vista and have reverted back to XP.

I'd personally hate to say to you go buy such and such and find out your kid is in tears because Microsoft built another piece of junk OS. If he had Windows XP on his machine it would be a different story.

[Tedecaster]

I myself, am new to the recording thing & purchased some stuff within the last year. I think Stu is right & that most stuff is NOT yet supported by Vista, at least that's what I kept finding.

I've heard good results with the M-box & if he will be using PT for school, that seems like the easiest solution. He would then be able to load entire sessions with all the settings, into the console versions of PT that they must use at Berklee.

I think that with straight recording stuff that all the software extras like drum loops, compressors, etc. come with the software not the hardware. I don't know about any of the modeling stuff.