hey all, i finally got my very 1st computer! - a 2009 24" imac 2.66GHz with 4GB RAM and HD ramped upto 640GB running OSX 10.7.4 (Lion).. now for the soundcard/daw..

i don't know a lot about computers as i'm an old analogue synth muso but have done a bit of research into audio interfaces/daws and have basically whittled my choices down to either the roland quad-capture or native instruments ka6 but the roland comes bundled with sonar which isn't mac-compatible.. have heard of people doing windows/bootcamp thing but not sure if i want to go that route.. NI has cubase which would be good for me but have heard of some users having trouble with latency or otherwise.. perhaps i should forget about the bundle and just get logicpro..

is there anyone out there using the roland or ka6 that can ffer feedback or even just suggestions for my set-up?.. thanx

It depends on lots of things, but let's try and sort this through :

1. I would shy away from the Roland - their units are ok, but you could probably do better and software-wise it's no good for you
2. The KA6 is appealing as it has the latest Cubase LE. Can't be bad
3. But what are you going to be using the interface for?? Mic'ing things? just line inputs for synths? how many channels at a time?
4. What's your budget? I know it's 'as little as possible' but realistically what are you talking about?
5. I'm a Cubase to Logic convert - I love it to bits. But do you need all that power? How about looking at 'Reaper' ? It's quite cheap and if you just need audio and a bit of midi it's pretty darned good
6. I have a preference for Focusrite so I'd recommend looking at some of their range. Their support is pretty good - which is rare these days.

Finally, have you had a play with Garageband yet? It's incredibly fun to use and there is a free plugin somewhere which lets you use midi if you need to run stuff that way. It's on your Mac already and is a great introduction to DAWs - basic, but usable..

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Veni, Vidi, Aesculi
(I came, I saw, I conkered)

Quote Dave B:

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...have you had a play with Garageband yet?... ...It's on your Mac already...

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It might not be on your Mac if you didn't buy the iMac new. If the operating system has been re-installed from scratch (clean install), then the iLife Apps, including Garageband, won't be there. If the OS was upgraded, rather than a clean install, then they should still be there.

If its not on your mac, you can buy Garageband for £10.49 from the Appstore

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www.Lozjackson.com

Quote Bossman:

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Quote Dave B:

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...have you had a play with Garageband yet?... ...It's on your Mac already...

---

It might not be on your Mac if you didn't buy the iMac new. If the operating system has been re-installed from scratch (clean install), then the iLife Apps, including Garageband, won't be there. If the OS was upgraded, rather than a clean install, then they should still be there.

If its not on your mac, you can buy Garageband for £10.49 from the Appstore

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And it would be daft not to at least try GarageBand as your first DAW - it's not as basic as some people seem to think and I often use it instead of Digital Performer or Logic both of which I have and use. Sometimes you don't need all those features.

I'd also recommend a second hand motu 828 mk2 if you can get one as they will stretch to most needs and have a lovely clean sound.

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iMac 27", DP 7.2, Melodyne CRE8, Motu 828mk2