Topic: Can Wavelab 6 ESSENTIALS (not full Wavelab) still do matrix (live + sbd) mixing?

[landshark]

Hi all -

Well, I now have enough gear that I'm thinking of taking the plunge into trying to matrix 4 channel (live plus soundboard, or 4 channel mic) recordings.  I'm planning on using my Busman Mod MR-1000 plus mics for the live, and my MR-1 for the soundboard (where its so-so preamps hopefully can't hurt anything).  I may also use the MR-1 plus my MixPre if I run an additional set of mics.

Based on what I've been reading here, Sony Soundforge (which I have) can't really mix four tracks into two with any degree of control - it's a cut and paste and hope for the best approach, and 50/50 in terms of weighting of sources.  Let me know if I'm wrong about this.  It does sound like Wavelab's "montage" is pretty good, or Sony Vegas.  I plan on using the approach of syncing the beginning of the tracks, seeing how much drift I get, and stretching/shortening one source to match the other. 

My question is what is the lowest level of Wavelab or Vegas I can use and still get 4 channel mixing?  Wavelab offers "Wavelab Essentials" for $99 rather than $500ish, and Sony Vegas has a couple different offerings (basic, platinum, and pro) also with some serious differences in price.  All I really need is a good way to mix the resulting 4chan into 2chan.  I know Audacity is an option but never really got the hang of the interface - I could never seem to get things to sound "right".  Of course, it's hard to spend another $500 on what is for me a hobby, so if there's no reasonable alternative I'll try Audacity.

Anyone have any suggestions, both on the software front as well as my plans for hardware?  Any suggestions on the best options for 4chan mics (I have omni, card and hypers)?  I'm thinking omnis plus cards would be a good mix.

Thanks in advance!

Mike

edit:  I just saw that Soundforge 9 (I have Soundforge 8  ) mentions multitrack recording - anyone have any experience with this?  I'm thinking an upgrade version of this might be cheaper....edit 2 - yep, upgrade from Sony is $134 and they indicate Soundforge 9 has multichannel unlike Soundforge 8...http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/soundforge/compare/versions).  Anyone use Soundforge 9?

[JasonSobel]

Anyone have any suggestions, both on the software front as well as my plans for hardware?

I highly recommend Samplitude.  $50 for the "SE" version, and it'll do everything you need it to do, and plenty more as well.
http://www.samplitude.com/eng/seq/index.html
http://www.samplitude.com/eng/sam/se.html

[landshark]

Thanks Jason!