should digital conversion be limited?

[drex]

Studio professionals! I'm back with another question, if you don't mind... How important is it to limit the amount of digital analog conversion?
HELP

Doesn't the signal change each time it hits a new piece of gear?
Is it a wasted effort considering this?

 

[Fade]

I want to see what @thedreampolice has to say about this. For me, sure the signal gets degraded as you convert but at what extent? I always prefer to back up a bit and think about what's recorded first. "Garbage in, garbage out". Are you talking strictly digital sources like from synths and whatnot?

 

[thedreampolice]

Yea I need to know more information on what you are trying to do. So if you can give me some examples we can discuss those. But in general yes you should limit the conversions. That beeing said the high-end converters like Apogee Symphony for example, could handle quite a few back and forth. In a modern studio though I cant imagine why you would need to do too many conversions.

 

[drex]

If I even know what a studio is...
My modern studio is from the early eighties with my PC being the only thing modern.
I think I'm building my set-up, tbh idk what I'm doing, I'm just plugging stuff in and hoping it works out, with a little research here and there.

So, I want to start with vinyl and cut drums from it to get my hands and ears sharp.
these chops will go from wax to preamp to mpc to pc, as wavs for storage and manipulation(editing, effects,whatever).

does it make sense to go for the warmth and richness of vinyl if you're just gonna crush it in your pc?
and if I like the way the mpc crushes it, what will my pc do to further flavor the sound?
should that be avoided or is that really only something a robot would hear? (this close to buyin a reel)
I can't hear it now, but is that because my ears are babies?
Will I regret not getting the 350 tube pre or will I regret spending more than 50 on a throwaway gemini mixer?

I want it to start off as audiophile as possible, I want to be able to hear all the lost range and musical nuances in my vinyl so I can get a better feel for what the artists and engineers before me have done. rn I feel like I'm in the louvre wearing shades.
Then when I want to snatch something off a disc I can sample with a sw sampler or the mpc2kxl, edit as needed, seq wherever, and mix (on PC?)...
But the way it is now, my whole thing is incomplete and without a solid direction, just having a general idea it's difficult for me to know what my next step should be. That's why the question about being aware of conversions. If I know I need to be careful there I can continue to narrow my choices and options down.

I hope this clarified up my predicament, thanks for the help

BTW
It kinda feels cheap to ask, but If someone could help point out holes in my line I would appreciate it...
The last thing I want to do is buy the 499.99 "studio in a box" kit, no offense to who did that, just not my style
I'm selecting gear for my personality, I want a lights out, dank funk, basement workflow, that involves more banging and twisting, than dragging and dropping.
END GOAL
A rugged dusty and refined full power full production set up that goes from demo to ready for mastering in one location. This environment would get all the way out of the way of my writing. and keep me in my creative space.