buying dimpro and? (help please)

The new version of Sonar (8) is going to come with Dimension Pro. Not sure which edition, though. I bought it for $99. If I had it to do again, I'd put the $99 towards Kontakt 3. To me, DimPro hasn't figured out what it wants to be. It's a little bit synth, a little bit orchestral, a little bit rhythm section (a little bit country....., etc.). Kontakt 3 is the same, but with a much larger library. There hasn't been a huge amount of 3rd party sound library support, either.

Sorry, I didn't read your thread thoroughly. You were more interested in a MIDI controller guitar, which I know nothing about. Thanks muso_price for the input. With no shortage of Sonar users playing guitar as their primary instrument, I'm sure you'll have no shortage of responses in a short time.

Hey again, and thanks for all the responses. Would anyone else be able to say whether danterbill's experience with midi guitar is still the case today? Because I was intending to record..

Whoops - sorry about that.. Just read your username ;)

I'll check that thread out - thanks :)

Now I'm very confused. I'm trying to figure out what all of these things are, but at the mo I have absolutely no knowledge in this area. I play guitar. A nice acoustic steal-string.. I don't even own an electric.. (but want to) I have a little mic that goes straight into my pc (and freeware recording program), which works well enough, but obviously not well enough for where I want to go with it.. So bear with me.. (- read, ”be gracious, and please help the fools of this world”..) =) Am I correct in this explanation to myself, or where have I got it wrong?

To be able to create instrument sounds in (for example) DimPro, and mix them with actual real audio sounds to create songs (niice moron) you need (for example) the following :

*A Roland-ready Strat. (Because it has a midi pickup built in which sends signals to):
*A ( JLH2 suggests) GI-20 interface. (Which does what exactly?.. Does something which is needed to the midi-signals before they get over to the computer to actually trigger chosen sounds in chosen sound-library thingy?):
*A chosen sound-library thingy. (In this case DimPro, because it seems pleasant enough)
*A sequencer/DAW-thingy.. Like Sonar8, coming out soon, can't find a price for it but the producers version is meant to have DimPro.. (For recording audio into, and mixing with ”fake”-sounds)
* A good mic (which most probably needs):
* Phantom power (can I get that from a:
* Pre-amp (and if so, can that same pre-amp be used to connect the guitar to an actual):
*Amp (so that I can hear what I'm playing, if that is in fact what the pre-amp is needed for, and not for further connecting with the midi-stuff)
(* A computor which won't die when I start up the programs.. I have a laptop with an 80 GB harddrive.. and an external storage thingy, if that makes any difference.. People tend to mention sound cards too.. Don't know about those (I mean, my laptop does make sound, it's not stone age)- anything you need a specifically really good one of? - have read there are external ones there too..)

Is that it? Do I need anything else, or is there anything in that list that I don't need? Have I completely misunderstood the function of any of those things? Are there any good all-in-one gadgets out there I could get to minimize the risk of getting something I can't use/the wrong things? I do want to get good things - I'm working an absolutely aweful job right now with the purpose of being able to afford these things..

Have also recently realised I own a largish (old-ass) keyboard (casio CPS-7) which has midi in/out. Never noticed that before... If I got a ”midi to usb”-cable, would that at all work as a controller for DimPro? (I don't mean instead of the guitar - still think I want that, but it could maybe be good to have both options for different use.. or something..)

Many many thanks for answers. And for maybe not rolling your eyes at me too much right about now..

(This is really in the wrong thread now I suppose.. Can it be moved/Can I move it?)

ORIGINAL: Vhue

Now I'm very confused. I'm trying to figure out what all of these things are, but at the mo I have absolutely no knowledge in this area. I play guitar. A nice acoustic steal-string...

...Many many thanks for answers.

I'm a HUGE proponent of making whatever it is you have RIGHT NOW work...but...IF you really think you need to spend some money...off the top of my head...I'd suggest picking up SONAR 8. This will give you the full version of Dimension Pro (and a boatload of other stuff that will make your head hurt for a while). You can then use the MIDI to USB interface with your old Casio keyboard as a controller to play in parts to be played back with Dimension.

Since CJ doesn't frequent this forum, you won't have to wade through his insistence that you get "a good sound card". That will come soon enough if you find that you are making headway with SONAR.

My personal opinion remains that trying to record MIDI with some sort of MIDI-guitar is sub-optimal. You will have spent a LOT of money and subsequently not have much to show for it. (Performing with MIDI-guitar is a different story...but not what you asked about.)

...and by the way...unless you have indeed stolen the strings on your guitar...I'd say it was a "steel" string.

Vhue,

The Roland-ready Stratocaster has 3 standard Fender pickups (analog) and one Roland MIDI pickup. The midi pickup senses string vibration and sends it to the GI-20 interface module. The GI-20 analyzes the frequency of the vibration and determines which note is being played, and analyzes the strength of the signal to determine if that note is "on" or "off". It then sends this information as a midi signal to a midi input on your soundcard, then an application like Sonar can place it into a midi track for you. The pre-amp that I use boosts the signal from the Fender pickups and then passes it on to the analog input on the soundcard. Without the pre-amp, the signal strength is really weak, giving you a very quiet recording that you will have trouble bringing up to the volume levels that your other tracks are recorded at. The pre-amp that I have will also boost the strength of a microphone signal if I were using one (so far, I don't bother - my vocal recordings sound similar to a bull frog who's mate has found a better lily pad).

So far, Dan's post is the most important for you to keep in mind. Buying piles of equipment and accessories right off the bat will guarantee that you'll be spending most of your time wallowing in frustration untill you get it all figured out. You should take time to learn the application that you have and how to interface it with the equipment that you've got. Look at the options that are available to you - If you're famaliar with your accoustic guitar, maybe just using a mic to record is a first good step. A midi guitar can allow you to set down midi tracks faster than hunting and clicking with a mouse - but - a mouse will cost you 25-40 bucks, and a Roland Strat will run you 630 bucks and you'll end up attaching it to a 450 buck interface module. As you progress and you find that you really need to add another function, research what that added function requires first, then plan your budget.

Be patient. This is a long path that you're starting on and it is going to take time, research, education and, from time to time, cash flow. Don't let the kids starve while you're trying to figure out a better way to whistle...