http://www.pgmusic.com/powertracks.htm

Highly recommended

Help us here, Shim... What OS are you using? Win98, WinXP, Vista?

Does your computer have USB ports? USB1 or 2?

What MIDI interface do you have?

What processor, at what speed? (don't worry about the RAM, little is needed for MIDI)

This might help avoid problems down the line...

Thank you Diki and Glenn.

I use a few different PC's, so I cannot really tell you the specs of each (as it won't really help...) They aren't mine. I'm planning on getting my own shortly -G-d willing... What does anyone know about Sonar Home Studio 6? seems nice?

You know what guys, just forget about the whole thing. You were really nice, but I don't want to bother you anymore. It seems I don't know enough about MIDI yet to work with this program. Bless you All. Thank you very much.

Shim

[This message has been edited by shim (edited 04-16-2008).]

You can give yourself SO much grief picking the wrong software, and then assuming that everything else is as bad. What do you expect from free software? If it WAS any good, do you think there would be ANY commercial programs?

Try this first, before you give up. CubaseLE. Cheap, does everything you need, upgrade path later on for when you have the basics down and want to grow...

And finally, if all this computer stuff makes you nervous, if you are about to buy your first... think Different. Think a Mac. No viruses, no Trojans, no spyware, no pop-ups. No problems. If you are doing it all yourself (no close friend who is a guru, obviously, from your questions here ), a Mac spares you the horrors of Vista or WinXP (PC gurus, don't flame me...! This guy is NOT a guru. Would you give a Vista PC to your grandmother, and let her run it all by herself?!).

Everything just WORKS. You pay a bit more for that. What's that worth to you?

A friend of mine bought a Mac computer, but had so much trouble finding programs for it compared to a PC. He eventually returned it for another PC....now he says he's happy with it. There must be a reason the majority of people in the world use PC's ?

[This message has been edited by John DiLeo (edited 04-16-2008).]

Diki, I'm not new to computers! I'm just new to the world of MIDI and softrware recording on PC...

The LE only comes together when you buy something like an interface or something etc.
Thank you Diki anyway, and, no! a mac is way to expensive; besides the learning curve.

Because they are the cheapest? That's what the majority of the world uses for ANYTHING...

Did your friend realize that he could RUN Windows on his Mac? And what was he looking for that doesn't exist in Mac software? A PC program?

But the Geek Squad hate us... No way to sell us unneeded support..! I've been on broadband for about ten years. No virus software, no spyware blockers, only the built-in firewall in OSX (and before that, in OS9, nothing at all!). No viruses EVER. No spyware EVER. My computer, with the minimum maintenance (TechTool Pro once a month) NEVER 'slows down to a crawl', crashes, behaves any different from day to day.

SURE, a 'geek' can keep Windows from doing this... but how many of you are geeks? Or want to be one? You either need a geek friend, or that cost difference between the two (exaggerated anyway because a Mac includes FULL app suites, not crippled demos, shareware and more adware than you can shake a stick at) soon diminishes as you hire the Geek Squad to come fix your spyware riddled PC.

Musicians... What equivalent to Garage Band (probably Acid) comes FREE with YOUR PC? There's a free MIDI sequencer for you, shim...! And audio interfaces, MIDI interfaces, and control surfaces just WORK. No futzing around with obstinate drivers, .dll's and all that geek stuff. It just works...

And, if you pine for the days when you could infect your whole system, just by clicking on a malicious email, well, you can always boot into Windows, and relive the whole horrible experience.

Many well respected computer analysts have examined the TCO (total cost of operation) of Macs, these days, and concluded that they can often be CHEAPER, in the long run, that a PC.

Technology changes quickly. Old worn out excuses can't be applied to state of the art computers. Yes, SOME people will need a PC. But that number drops every day. Especially for home use and music and graphics use, the Mac is the computer for those that don't WANT to have to be a geek...

And it can run native Windows for those that DO

I'm a PC person, and on that platform Sonar 6 Home Studio will do you fine.