Portastudio 2488 neo - Alternative for new PC?

[Luke55]

Hello everyone!

My father owns a tascam portastudio 2488 neo and he has heavily used it over the years. His 50th birthday is coming up and he has stated he'd preferably enjoy something similar but on a new PC. I have absolutely no problems building a PC for him and I'd just like some advice on the matter!

I'm assuming its definitely possible to get the same sort of setup on your portastudios but onto a fully working PC with the right software instead. Instruments are just plugged into the tascam using audio jack plugs, so I'm assuming all that needs to be done here is have a sound card that supports this (which most do anyway).

Its just really hazy right now. Just need a portastudio-similar environment but on a PC instead. What software do people recommend using? Cubase? Anything easy to use would be a plus.

Thanks for the help and sorry if I posted in the wrong place.

 

[Roundhill]

Don't take this the wrong way. I'm only trying to help.

There is no way a PC will ever be similar to a portastudio. On a PC everything must be done with a click of a mouse, opening countless windows to get to the screen you want, unless you buy an external control surface. They are quite expensive.

On a portastudio, its all done on the mixing board on the machine.

 

[Luke55]

Not taking it the wrong way at all. I have no experience in this department and naturally a PC has many, many options... I mean, I would of thought it might of been easy to edit tracks/have more and the like, rather than a small screen on a tascam, for example.

If you and others suggest the same, investing in another tascam that's better/more up to date would still be an option too. I just thought a PC might open a few more doors and make things even easier.

 

[Roundhill]

I haven't had much luck with my newer portastudio so I can't recommend any. And you are correct - the PC has more options. I don't use a PC for music because I work with one all day and I really don't want to use it for my hobby. Eventually, when my recorder shoots craps, I will then decide what to do.

Anyway I think the following thread will give some insight into building a PC for recording music. The thread starts about five years ago, so some parts may need to be updated. Good luck.

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/mus...io-pc-thread.html?highlight=building+computer

 

[cmaffia]

As already stated, the "Portastudio" experience is very different than the PC DAW experience. It's like comparing a car to a boat. Yes they are both vehicles but they have different requirements and skill sets. If you decide to go the PC DAW route my recommendation would be Cubase. It's fairly intuitive and you get A LOT for your money with the Pro version. You'll also need an audio/MIDI interface to go with that PC. Tascam makes a few:

http://tascam.com/applications/musician/pc_audio_interface/

If your dad wants to come close to a standalone experience then a control surface would be a great addition (Something like the Nektar Panorama P1). The PC route can get expensive very quickly but you have the flexibility to add things later if you want. Once everything is set up and working correctly, it's quite satisfying. Even though the PC can be temperamental, it allows you to do a whole lot more than a standalone device. Some may disagree but I strongly recommend dedicating the PC for only DAW software and usage. I would go as far as disabling the Ethernet port and only enabling it when you need to activate software or update drivers. When it comes to driver or software updates, if it's not broke don't fix it! I've followed this rule and haven't had any OS issues in the last 3 years. Last recommendation would be to image your system once everything is playing nice with each other and always backup your projects.

 

[JasonJS]

I was a computer "expert" on PCs up thru '08.

The PC route to recording is way more complicated and expensive than the stand alone solution. Where the Stand alone "just works" because it is task built for the purpose, the PC route means learning the entire DAW software and how it requires things to be done. WHile a DAW is way more capable in almost every regard, the learning curve is extrmemly steep. If your Father has a good computer aptitude and would do well enduring the countless hours of serious learning, he may well enjoy and thrive on a PC... If his goal is to make music...s tick with the stand-=alone solutions.

 

[Arjan P]

I would say if you really master a machine like the 2488 neo, the step to PC is only logical if you feel restrained by the 2488s limitations. There must be a reason your dad wants to step things up, right? Yes, setting up a DAW and learning the interface and somewhat different terminology will take effort and time - but you'll open up so many possibilities that once the setup is done you'll (well, your dad will) have a blast!

I'd also recommend Cubase (perhaps the Elements or Artist version) with a good interface that caters to your needs - read "has the amount of inputs and outputs that you need". Don't use the standard PC audio interface, you'll be disappointed in its capabilities. Cubase is intuitive and offers a complete package for music making and composing. Music making is not restricted to stand alone units by any means!

 

[Luke55]

Thanks for the comments folks, I really appreciate it.

I'm still a little torn between the two here. One of the disadvantages would be learning the whole Cubase scene and how to use it effectively. Time isn't exactly on his side and I'm sure he'd prefer just to get into making music straight away. I have no doubt he'd take the time to learn it but its just another hurdle, yknow?

The posts here have been very helpful and I believe a further conversation with him on the matter might help at this stage... and to fully understand the needs I'll try and discuss the advantages/disadvantages of both options with him and post back later on!

 

[Luke55]

So I went ahead with the PC option. We're now looking into an audio/midi interface. I've had a quick shop around and a good portion of them are £80+. I'm not looking for cheap cheap cheap, but I'm not looking for something super flashy either.

Something similar to this would be very ideal;
http://tascam.com/product/us-2x2/

Providing it works well enough with Cubase thats all that matters. From what I can see we don't need bells and whistles; just something that will record the instruments into cubase.

At this stage I'm not sure if I need a sound card or not? I haven't bought one in years given that motherboards come with a handful of jacks. I know when I try to open Cubase i get a warning saying 'The currently installed soundcard driver does not support Direct Sound Input. Recording audio is not possible. tho the above interface is surely all thats needed to record 1 instrument at a time etc?

Mostly just referring to the jacks on the right side which are on my motherboard.

 

[Arjan P]

Hi Luke, good to hear back. You won't go wrong with the US2x2, and its price point is good for a basic quality interface. There are loads in the same range: Steinberg has some good and affordable ones, but also Focusrite or Presonus. They should all come with an ASIO driver, that is best used with Cubase.

You certainly won't need a sound card - your new interface in fact IS the sound card. It is also recommended to disable the onboard sound in BIOS. Good luck!