8 Track Recorder

[ACEtone]

If you want to do 'proper' multi track recording on a computer (I never use 'PC' as it implies Windows!) you basically need an audio interface - how many channels you want going in and out is all a matter of $$$ - and the software 'host' of your choice; Protools LE, Ableton Live, Tracktion to name but a few. And making sure that the two are compatible.
There are probably e-bay solutions to this kind of situation but you really need to know what you are getting and whether or not it will work with your OS.

The hardware computerwise is a hard to answer question. A lot of people think they need to have the newest and fastest to keep up but it is really a matter of how many tracks you want to simultaneously record to individual (separately editable) tracks. And again what OS you computer will handle.

A rehearsal studio I use gets by on a fully miced up room through a mixer to a G3 Mac 500mhz (way old). But you just wouldn't want to do much editing and effects on a machine that slow. they also have some other hardware in between the mixer and the computer, in particular a compressor. Way more hardware than I posses myself.

This is a complicated subject I can't really do justice to but I'm always happy to help if I can.

At home I've got a 1.25ghz Mac (about 5 years old) running Protools LE with the PT Mbox audio interface. Only two channels in/out, but it works for me as I'm usually building tracks, track by track rather than recording more than one instrument or musician at a time.
Recent addition - a Fostex spring reverb. A whole heap of fun with that throwback!

Always interested in discussing this stuff so if I can help further, PM me.

respect...

[Guest]

nuff respect but i have a question,
if you have only 2 channel out (as i also do) how you mix up your tracks? i need to have this mixer in front of me with nuff fader and all effect on it so i could mix up tracks live but for this you need usb mixer or a better soundcard. wats your solution on this? or do you mix tracks with mouse?

look, this way i mean it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-KsWcv6YnM

flying a plane

[ACEtone]

DonDigital,
you need an interface that can take in and output as many channels as you want to mix on the REAL mixer.
The interface tells the computer what to do, basically. As I said - more channels, more $
Within the computer you can do all the mixing you want - but not hands on- unless you have a USB/Firewire Mixer. an analogue mixer is dead in this equation.
What you need is something like one of the MOTU interfaces - lots of other alternatives. I'm still too $ poor to get too much into looking for this stuff.

These days i mix by mouse - not ideal but if you have a natural mixing mind you can mix like live. It just takes more takes!

Hope this was helpful...

[bullit]

Sorry for my slow reply, and thank you for your big replies!.

From what yoru saying to Don, it sounds like you need a fireface or something, which has like 8/12 inputs and outs and a firewire into the pc.

this kind of interface goes between the pc and the (analogue) mixer (?) and allows the digital signals from the pc to be sent down through jacks into the mixer.

What id be quite keen to do is either this, or hook up some 16 track reel to reel, recording to the reel then back off that onto cd whatever. But 16 track reel to reels are almost as expensive as some kind of fireface/pc interface so it'd be possibly easier to get one of those and record direct to the pc, then to single/double track reel and then off to cd.

i like the hands on with the mixer thing, i think i could get into having the pc as an interface too, but love to have a big mixer for the last stages of mixdown.

I have a bunch of gear, delays, compressor, limiters, cd recorder to play about with the sound, trying to sort it so i can get some local talent in there at the moment, keep finding excellent guitarists everywhere i go.

[ACEtone]

Computer -> USB/Firewire Audio with multiple I/Os -> hardware mixer.

The multitrack sequencer (Protools / Ableton Live / Tracktion etc.)hosts your individually recorded tracks. If you want to mix live on a real hardware mixer you would have all of the tracks playing back at the same time, through the audio interface into the hardware mixer.
Essentially like replacing the tape deck with a computer.
The important part is the audio interface. There are many different products on the market with many different configurations but it sounds like you need something like this:
http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/828mkII
I'm not talking about one of the firewire mixers - just the interface.
I think these and earlier models can be found on e-bay but personally if I could afford it I'd prefer to buy new.

I absolutely agree on the hands on thing. I have wanted a solution to this problem for a few years and the solution always seems to be $ which is not viable.
I have done live mixing from tapes and it is a great experience and whenever I get some time and money and a chance to do some live stuff I'm hoping it will be with the basic set up I described above.

then throw in some spring reverb, phaser, delays and the kitchen sink...

[stepping razor]

It seems to me that why get a 8-track or 16-track recorder if it dosen`t have 8 or 16 outputs and inputs.
It used to be passed through the mixing desk onto say a 16-track 2 inch tape and then played back through the mixing desk to mix down onto a reel to reel 4 track via patch bays.
The problem i have with all the new techno wizardry is that it misses out the basics of studio engineering so you then have to get another piece of equipment for that to work.
Too much pc compatable just to get it back into analogue.
The best CD recordings is where it dont go though a computer.
The mixing desk should be the center of the studio not the pc computer.

peace

[ACEtone]

this might be a more affordable solution if still considering the computer to analogue mixer route:
http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/F ... -main.html
4 analogue inputs / 10 analog outputs

If part of the intention is to do live mixing - do you really want to handle more than 8 tracks/channels?

And just because you have a certain number of channels does not mean you have to use them all!

While I agree to some extent that the old ways of recording sound best - if you can't afford the equipment does that mean creativity should be left only in the hands of those who can afford the expensive equipment or who can afford the time and money to go to a 'real' studio?

Personally I think the analog vs computer argument is over and done with...both are good ways of making music and can complement each other nicely if the humans operating them know what they are doing.

[stepping razor]

There are quite a few multitrack workstations on the market, that are multi track recorders and mixers all in one and built in interface and usb.
Korg D3200 32-Track Recorder
http://www.turnkey.co.uk/product/Korg-d ... -recorder/
and for more multitrack workstations:
http://www.turnkey.co.uk/products/multitrack-recorders/

peace

[bullit]

Yeah fair enough that kind of stuff works if i dont mind the digital aspect, i guess i might have to incorporate some digi somewhere to make it all work