11/27   Need to build a machine that will be used primarily for recording
        sounds/tunes/mixdowns etc with.  Using cakewalk software (unles
        someone can recommend better).  I've done recording with an
        alesis adat, mackie 24 and other stuff, but not with a computer
        anyone have any suggestions as to 1. what machine i'd want to
        buy, and 2. what components to max out on (cache vs ram vs disk)
        what's a good soundcard - yamaha vs. sb, etc?  thx. - paolo
        \_ wow.  I can't be the only who is doing this.
           \_ You're not, but I do this on a Mac (B&W G3; 9 GB IBM Ultra SCSI
              drive; Vision DSP for recording, Metasynth and Supercollider for
              processing; standard Mac sound hardware). You seem to be looking
              for Wintel advice.
        \_ arent there web search engines or newsgroups that can help you
           out better than the motd? --jon
           \_ try http://www.harmony-central.com
        \_ Cubase VST 24 --shac
        \_ Try going to Computer's and Music (on Mission bet. New Montgomery
           and 3rd St. -- just blocks from the Montgomery Bart). They are
           very knowledgeable and helpful.
        \_ P-II or better, 128MB RAM, big HD if you do lots of editing.
           If you want the best sound quality, get a 24/96 soundcard.
           -- cakewalk user since ver 1.x
        \_ You want to do all this on a Mackie Db8.  It _is_ a PC, complete
           with ethernet, Winblowz, etc.  Connect it down to a Mac running
           PowerTools.  You want to connect to the machine via MIDI, store
           all your mixes, as well as music onto the Mac. Record session
           onto ADAT XT20.  Then play the entire thing through to a sound
           file and burn onto CD.  This makes for the cleanest sound.  The
           Db8 avoids extraneous hardware like reverb, gating, etc. as
           everything is digital.  You will need 2 Db8's however if you
           want true 32 track editing (64 doen to 32).  And the ADAT remote
           controller helps as well (when running 2-4 decks, it syncs them
           all to the same command set).  No one goes to this level with a
           PC.
           \_ Will this run on my c-64?
           \_ I assume PowerTools -> ProTools?
        \_ Is Cubase VST that much better than Cakewalk? I find Cakewalk's
        UI quite tedious and ugly to boot. But I know how to use it.
        \_ ED! ED! ED is the STANDARD!  Recording equipment.

11/27   Question of the day: Does anyone know what will happen if I do:
        tar cvf - big_file | tar xvf -
        Will file get corrupt? This is solaris tar btw.
        \_ Uh. Gee.  You could test it.
        \_ use linux. ride bike. problem solved.
           \_ U53 W1ND0Z3 MAN. W1N98 15 50 KRAD. 1T CAN RUN 3V3RYTH1N6
              THAT L1NUX CANT MAN. SO USE W1ND0Z3 CUZ 1T5 C00L
        \_ Yes.
                \_ I've heard you can screw up and tar over stuff in
                that way and it will be fine as long as you let the
                tar finish without interrupting it.  -ax
                \_ you heard wrong
                \_ I just tried it and didn't have a problem on Solaris 5.7 -ax
                   \_ Did you try with a big enough file?  Just wondering.
                      -- yuen
                        \_ What's "big enough"?  It's nondeterministic.
                        \_ The file I used was 1.2 megs -ax
        \_ Why would you want to?