VIDEO: Ask Joe #2 – Hard Drive Chipsets, Virtual Instruments, and More

Here’s the second edition of “Ask Joe.” If you’re new to Home Studio Corner, “Ask Joe” is basically a question-and-answer portion of the blog where I address questions submitted by readers via the Ask Joe form. (I tried to post this last night, but YouTube wasn’t playing nicely.)

I mention at the beginning of the video how the previous video was a bit on the long side (10 minutes!)…but this one ended up being 8 minutes. However, I’m only dealing with four questions today.

Video Summary:

0:25 – A good all-around virtual instrument package?
1:44 – Hard drive chipset for Cubase?
3:13 – Good audio interface for a band?
5:57 – Using a Yamaha PSR keyboard as a MIDI controller?

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Carlos Mitil

Hey Joe,

LOVE your site man! Does the quality of the keyboard effect the midi data that’s being sent to the DAW in anyway? I’m currently using a Yamaha Psr and virtual instruments that come with Protools (minigrand, xpand, etc.) and want to get a better piano sound… Should I be considering a new midi controller or a dedicated piano software?

Thanks for your help,
Carlos

http://www.homestudiocorner.com Joe Gilder

Yeah, the keyboard does play a roll, but not in the quality of sound. It affects the quality of the performance. For example, if your keyboard isn’t very sensitive to different changes in velocity (how hard you hit the notes), then the performance will probably not sound as good as a controller that really captures those subtle velocity differences well.

In the end, though, it’s up to you. I’ve used a PSR to get great-sounding MIDI parts. But it takes more work than a nice 88-key weighted controller/keyboard that may cost $2,000.

http://audiogeekzine.com ~Jon~

yes Joe, it’s oxford 911
Here’s a less expensive alternative to a glyph
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/firewire/1394/USB/EliteAL/eSATA_FW800_FW400_USB

The Lacie D2 and the Seagate Freeagent xtreme are often used in studios.

You can get an enclosure pretty cheap, and buy any size drive separately too.

Specifically what you’re looking for in a reliable external recording drive is:
7200 RPM
Oxford 911 chipset (934 for SATA drives, and 912 for FW800)
Firewire 400
Fan optional