Sound Studio Help/Advise? -Please

[Maets]

I need some advise from those knowledgeable about recording music from guitar, keyboard, voice, etc.

Some background:
6 years ago I had a small recording set up in my basement.  Using a VISTA computer and an Alesis mixer (uses Firewire) and a M-Audio keyboard.  Worked well enough, but for various reasons (mostly a need of the space) I took it all apart and put it away, until today.  I now have control over some basement space and thought I should set the recording studio up again.

Got the computer running and fully updated, but it is VISTA.  Connected up everything.  Went to run the software I had used and it is nowhere to be found on the hard disk.  Very strange.  Tried to reinstall it and it won't install.  No idea why.

So now the questions:

What software should I be using? (Don't want to spend a lot on it)
Is VISTA going to make running new software impossible?
Should I upgrade to Windows 8 on the machine?  Doubt I can find Windows 7 to install?
Will a 6 year old computer run 8?
My laptop works great, but it doesn't have firewire.  Should I go with a new USB mixer?

Hopefully some of you will have great insight.

Thank you!!!!!!!! 

[Maets]

I should add that I want to be able to record at least 4 tracks at once.  What I had use to do that.

[Angus A Fitziron]

Well, assuming you are talking about an Alesis Multimix Firewire then drivers are available for Vista from their web site. Reading the blurb there is suggests that the mixer came bundled with Cubase LE - is that how you remember it? Did you register the s/w with Steinberg because you should be able to find the relevant download somewhere on their site which you should be able to authorise from your account. Full versions of Cubase used a dongle to authorise but I think the LE version used an authentication code.

This web site seems to suggest that you can authenticate trial versions which you may feel is worth a go. Also have a look at Steinberg's support site and look under 'unsupported products' which I think you will need to be compatable with Vista - I saw LE4 in there which should be compatible.

How many channels are you going to run? That is the main factor to consider if an old PC will do the business. If you are only recording - say - 4 tracks of real instruments then it should be fine. Main problem comes when you start running large numbers of virtual instruments with effects and processors tagged in. Probably OK to start with. If you can't get Cubase set up, have a look at Audacity which is free and will get you started. After that a troll round the digital audio workstation s/w vendors may find you some deals on either free 'light' versions, trials or etc. I can't really recommend any as I only use Cubase and Ableton. I have heard good things about Reaper - it's available as a free trial and if you like it then a personal hobby licence is $60. I do suggest you start off with something free so that you get your eye (or should that be ear) back in again and you have sorted all the gremlins out of your system so you don't waste your trial period sorting out probs.

[Maets]

Thanks for the input.  My memory and what the computer shows me do not agree.  Need to figure out better what I was doing.  I was trying to get Cakewalk Sonar to work, thinking that is what I had used, but a little voice is telling me I never got that to work before.

Never tried the Cubase LE that came with it.  Loaded it last night and that went fine.  Have to see if now I can get it to work.  First impression is that it is not as intuitive as whatever I had been doing.

I'll check into Reaper.

[J. Wilhelm]

I need some advise from those knowledgeable about recording music from guitar, keyboard, voice, etc.

Some background:
6 years ago I had a small recording set up in my basement.  Using a VISTA computer and an Alesis mixer (uses Firewire) and a M-Audio keyboard.  Worked well enough, but for various reasons (mostly a need of the space) I took it all apart and put it away, until today.  I now have control over some basement space and thought I should set the recording studio up again.

Got the computer running and fully updated, but it is VISTA.  Connected up everything.  Went to run the software I had used and it is nowhere to be found on the hard disk.  Very strange.  Tried to reinstall it and it won't install.  No idea why.

So now the questions:

What software should I be using? (Don't want to spend a lot on it)
Is VISTA going to make running new software impossible?
Should I upgrade to Windows 8 on the machine?  Doubt I can find Windows 7 to install?
Will a 6 year old computer run 8?
My laptop works great, but it doesn't have firewire.  Should I go with a new USB mixer?

Hopefully some of you will have great insight.

Thank you!!!!!!!! 

I had a Vista laptop for many years, until the laptop crapped out on me.  There is nothing extraordinary about Vista that should 1) erase the previous installation of software, or 2) prevent you from re-installing it or a newer version, unless the software manufacturer specifically forbids the use of anything less than Window 8.  Windows 7 and Vista are completely compatible because they ARE the same operating system; Win 7 is just tweaked a bit to remove the "cyber-nanny" everyone hated in Vista.

[Maets]

It is very strange.  None of the files I created on that machine exist anymore. Zero!  Fortunately I made copies of everything, but there are a couple of programs that I had installed, but not a single file on the disk.  My memory is bad, but there is zero reason I would have erased the data from that hard drive.  Gremlins?  The machine has been sitting unused, unconnected to anything for years.  I guess I did something to it.  Trouble with getting old.

[Angus A Fitziron]

If you are talking about files for music projects (most DAWs store files as 'projects') then maybe yours is one of those that stores a named file but most of the data is elsewhere in a related folder. For sure Audacity does this but by default in the same drive / main folder. Is it possible that you used a remote drive to store the data folder? Unusual but could be a reason for missing data! Most DAWs do similar things but in different ways, so finding the one that best fits into your workflow mindset is the task before you! Hence Cubase LE is not as intuitive as whatever you used before. Although as a long term user of Cubase I still find it difficult hence the attempt to master Live!

Good luck and happy recording!

[Maets]

Thanks for the input.

I think I need a time machine to go back and figure out what I did.

I definitely want something easy.  It doesn't need all the bells and whistles.  I have some songs I want to record for posterity.  Not looking to make it big in the music world.