Metropoulos Forum

I just recently acquired Cakewalk SONAR 8 and I have a few questions.

Is it possible to do a simultaneous multi-track recording?

What interface is best recommended? (I am on a bit of a budget on this one)

I am also building a new computer based on an Intel Core i7 processor and any recommendations for sound cards would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,
Zach

You can record multiple tracks at once, if that's what you meant -- I have Sonar 6 and usually run each microphone on a guitar cab to its own track to blend as I see fit.
Whatever you use for a recording interface, make sure it handles the monitoring/speakers in a way that you like -- I have nothing but glitch problems when I try to run a sound card and an interface both with Sonar, they just never play nice together. Currently I'm using an Edirol FA-101 (? I think that's the model number) which has a monitor out -- so I get no glitches as long as my laptop's onboard sound is disabled and all networking is also disabled (wireless and wired both!!!) A separate recording hardware profile is essential to shut down all the extra hardware you don't need when recording.

I got the Edirol new for under $300 by the way -- not sure what the budget is for your project.......my only complaint is the lack of software input monitoring, a little trial and error with test tracks is needed to make sure there's no clipping.

Yes the multiple tracks at once is exactly what I want. I am looking for something around 12 channel recording at once, but 8 will do just fine. I want to record my band in the studio and usually do "live" recording sessions as to me generally sounds closer to what my band actually sounds like.

Maybe I was misinformed about the soundcard, so if I have a USB 2.0 or firewire interface I can monitor directly with that and therefore do not need to spend money on an extra sound card?

It may depend on the interface, but I think a lot of them do have a monitor/headphone output anymore. It was part of the reason I went with the Edirol, as well as up to ten simultaneous inputs (ten simultaneous outs as well) although two ins and two outs are optical which I don't really have a use for.......

I'd been fighting with the combination of an interface for the inputs and a sound card for the outputs for too long though. At best I got rhythmic bursts of static, at worst both playback and mixdown were unusable digital distortion nightmares -- and all the buffer and hardware settings I could find to try weren't helping.