Newb Qs about laptops w Reaper

[tspnyc]

Hi.

I am using Reaper to record acoustic guitars and occasional vocals with microphones, via a Tascam USB-600 interface.

First, can someone please confirm my belief that so long as I am recording in Reaper via ASIO with that interface as the source, the kind of sound card or audio capabilities of the specific computer are irrelevant to what ends up being recorded?

Secondly, when it comes to mixing and Rendering to Wav, can someone confirm that whatever output source I select (DirectSound, Wave Out, WSAPI) for monitoring a mix when not hooked up to the USB-600 unit, does not actually impact the Rendered Wav file?

Thank you.


I recently purchased a Lenovo Yoga 900 and wish to use it for remote audio recording, so I do not have to lug my bigger and more expensive laptop that I use for video editing.

It is my hope that using the Yoga 900 in conjunction with the USB-600 interface will record, mix, and render files with the same quality as my desktop PC and my full-sized laptop with Sound Blaster sound technology.

Please advise.

FYI - For the most part I am recording solo guitar through $500 mics, using the USB-600 preamps, and mixing as a simple stereo field, without effecting the recorded files, other than adding Reaper's Acoustic Guitar compressor during mixing and Rendering. So I do need an accurate aural reference in terms of EQ and special effects when on the road. I just need to get a ballpark listening through headphones. And can then mix through monitors when I get home.

BUT will it matter what computer I am using for the playback?

Also, any opinions on those sound output options, like WASAPI, DirectSound, etc. would be welcome in terms of why someone might choose or not choose them as the playback source.

[serr]

Correct.

You can have any number of audio interfaces connected to the computer. The device or aggregate device you select in Reaper is the I/O that gets used.

PCI "sound card" interfaces and interfaces built into the logic board are still just audio interfaces. No different from USB/firewire/thunderbolt connected interfaces in general concept.

When rendering ITB, any connected audio interface has no bearing on the mix. If you are running external fx live and need to render the mix in real time with your external gear connected through your interface, now your connected interface becomes part of the equation.

[tspnyc]

Cool! Thanks a lot!!

So, even if the various output devices might make things sound fuller or not in my headphones, they are not actually having any effect on what is going on in Reaper or what the rendered Wav actually sounds like, yes?

[DVDdoug]

So, even if the various output devices might make things sound fuller or not in my headphones, they are not actually having any effect on what is going on in Reaper or what the rendered Wav actually sounds like, yes?

Right. It's like you're editing video or photos on a crappy video monitor... You can't see what the image really looks like, but it doesn't hurt the digital video files.

BTW - Audio playback/monitoring is pretty "easy" and your cheap soundcard is unlikely to have audible distortion or frequency response variations. Sometimes you can get noise.

And, sometimes you can get "impedance interaction" with headphones that causes frequency response variations. (Powered monitors present a high-impedance load, so it's not an issue with monitors.) Or, if you like to listen/monitor at high volumes your headphones may not go loud enough (without distortion) with a regular soundcard/laptop.

For accurate monitoring, your headphones/monitors/room are much-much more important than your soundcard.

[richie43]

Keep in mind that the quality of the conversion from whatever interface or sound card used to record DOES make a difference in what goes into Reaper.