What Else Do I Need For My Setup?, I have a IMac G5 20", DP 4.5, .......... Options

[everybodysnobody]

Hi Everyone,

I currently have the new IMAC G5 20" with 2GB of ram. I'm using digital performer 4.5 and have recently bought a tascam FW1884 for my audio interface. I also have a Korg Triton Le-88 Workstation, Mackie hr824 monitors, 2 AKG C1000S and 2 AKG C3000B mics. I haven't really started recording anything but mostly just reading manuals and playing around with things in digital performer recording keyboard riffs and licks. I'm curious or kind of confused on what else I need as far as compressors, mic-preamps, additional hardware, possibly a midi controller to complete a basic set-up to where I can begin playing around and start to learn the ins and outs of recording live music as well as writing a lot of beats and electronic music. Any advice on how to improve my set-up and maximize my set-up is extremely appreciated. Thank you.

Ryan.

[iscralatchtical]

remember this...you may own an archepalego, but you need a boat to get around.

Before you invest in a microphone preamp, you should look over investing a signicant fund for cables. Monster 1000's, Mogami, etc...do yourself the favor. Even though this may be a few hundred dollars to upgrade everything, you bet it makes a difference in your recording quality.

I also disagree with the generalization that technology is going to get better each day. We should accept the responsibility to do research and know that somethings do, and somethings don't. And also, many a technologies are a farce to their marketing, and we'd be best to heed to caution before we give ourselves to "the next generation" toys. This i believe is true especially in music gear seeing as how solid state amplification technology has simplified yet not surpassed the need and sufficiency of tube amplification. The guitars haven't gotten much sweeter in the past 15 years, and you can certainly still make hit records with tape machines (ie. white stripes). The accomplishments of recent technologies are nothing but caterings to conveniences, which at the end of the day...simplifies, doesn't really better.

Anyhow...i'd go up a few notches on the preamp list and check out focusrite voicemaster pro platinum, grace 101, the fmr line of recording gear, presonus eureka (surprisingly a stand-out from other presonus turn-outs).