Help for a newbee!

[Savannahrenovations]

I will try not to make this too long, but I think a little background is in order:

Back in 1985 or 86: Discover playing the keyboard...fell in love.
1987: Purchased a Roland D-50 (hardwired it to my stereo). Never really learned anything about what it could do, just used the preset sounds. Played for about a year maybe 18 months, then life happened (had to grow up) sold the D-50. Never touched the keys again...until...

30 years later: Did not want to spend much in the event that I was unable or willing to put the time/effort into playing. 4 months ago, bought a Yamaha YPG-235, two weeks later discover this DAW thing. Again, did not want to spend much so with a little research downloaded Mixcraft trial. WOOOOOOW! I had no idea what could be done! Totally blown away! Bought Mixcraft 8 Pro and I was off.

Now I am discovering I have made a lot of mistakes! Bought surround computer speakers, which I have blown. Replaced with proper studio monitors (12" PreSonus Eris). Purchased a Focusrite 2i2 (2nd gen). My keyboard is not the best Midi controller....so that will have to be replaced. My computer will have to at the very least be upgraded (although I have not had any issues yet). Oh, and I have discovered (not purchased any yet) VST instruments. EastWest, Kirk Hunter, Kontakt (NI). Again I am blown away.

My questions:
1. This may come across as oversimplified and harsh, but, is Mixcraft a good DAW for where I am headed? I have read that EastWest does not support Mixcraft and that their latest player (5) will not work. I have also read about issues with NI, and Arturia not playing well with Mixcraft.

2. Like Most people, I am far from wealthy. However, once I commit to something I want the best, most professional results that I can afford. I do not want to throw money into more mistakes. How should i prioritize and focus my resources?
My thoughts on question 2:
1. Make sure My computer is powerful enough to handle my ambitions.
2. Replace the keyboard with an actual midi controller
3. Any advice you good folks here can offer will be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

[Topcheese]

Yeah I could pretty much say the say thing. I was all hardware, but I was really impressed with how far software daws in general have come along. I'm not the expert here, but most of them have demos that you can try out. All I can say is the MC seems to be pretty robust, and I am having a blast with it. Do you mean Kontakt, because 5 is suppose to be supported, but I'm using the latest Kontakt and Reaktor without issues that I am aware of.

My specs are listed below, but it's a Toshiba laptop running a dual monitor setup ... yeah it struggles here and there, but with me it seems I'm still learning it. Good luck and have fun!

[Savannahrenovations]

Thanks for the reply:

When i noted 5 I was referring to EastWest. I have read that the newest player version will not work in Mixcraft. In order for it to work I would have to downgrade to version 4.3.5 I believe.

I guess my question about Mixcraft is: In the DAW world that I understand (which is very little). Mixcraft is on the lower end of the pricing scale (most seem to be over $500). Have I discovered an excellent product at an excellent price? Or is there a trade off I am making?

And yes...I am having a blast! It is becoming an obsession!

[chibear]

I can give you some general answers:

I use Kirk Hunter, Chris Hein, and various other 3rd party Kontakt libraries almost daily in Kontakt 5.5.2 without a hitch. I have not upgraded to 5.6.x because there are many general issues with Kontakt above that that seemed to be machine specific and connected to Windows 10 upgrades that break software (I'm still on 7 BTW).

Same goes for EWQL Play 5.xx. Some ppl have no issues, some cannot get it to work so I'm staying away from the 5 upgrade until I see better signs of stability.

The above comments are relevant to all DAWs. Collectively NI, EWQL, and Microsoft have become pretty sloppy IMO.

The fact that EWQL does not 'support' probably means Acoustica did not grease the EWQL palms enough yet. Play 4.xx is as solid as a rock for me. BTW rumours are Play 6 will be released soon to support Hollywood Choirs, so I would expect more mayhem there.

As far as what can be accomplished in Mixcraft, check my Soundcloud page and also my YouTube channel under the "videos I have scored" playlist. Also there are quite a few videos there about using Kontakt in Mixcraft.

BTW, using the libraries discussed above, my typical orchestra project is around 20GB and my orchestra template is 30 GB, so take that into consideration if you want to go big. Also KH Concert Strings 2 & 3 and the Chris Hein libs are pretty heavy on your CPU.

Have fun!

[Savannahrenovations]

Chibear:

Thank you for taking the time to reply. I was listening to your soundcloud page yesterday...you are a master composer, sir.

Still at the beginning of my journey...I really do not know how "big" I want to go. My concern is more that I would hate to spend $5,000 only to discover that half of that money was spent on hardware/software that I will need to upgrade for another $5,000! When I could have just spent $7,500 the first time if I had just reached out and asked these questions.

The flip side is that if I spend $7,500 and could have achieved my musical goal for $3,500...I am OK with that knowing that if i ever wanted to attempt a piece as great as one of yours that I have the hardware/software capable.

I hope this makes sense.

[chibear]

Thank you for your kind words.

Since you are just starting out, I would suggest an i7 with 16GB of RAM (Make sure you can increase it if need be), at least 2 Drives (1 for OS and 1 for sample libraries and a decent sound card. For beginner orchestra libraries, possibly EWQL Symphonic Orchestra Platinum and/or Kirk Hunter Diamond Orchestra and/or Garritan Personal Orchestra. BTW NEVER PAY FULL PRICE FOR VSTi's. They go on sale several times a year. For instance, Kirk's Diamond Orchestra was on sale for $99 in September. This should bring you in way below your quoted budgets.

As your skill grows, you may find there are certain areas that frustrate you in getting the product you want. There lies a good excuse for future shopping