recording techniques

ok, getting back into game.....do most use computer prgrm nowadays, if so then what prgrm and sound card etc do i need?? If other units what is recommended....
JOUSTINATOR

There are many effective products available for multi-track recording.

thanks for the info, ya, basically i am trying to figure out a easy recording program and then how to set it up on my laptop....

Protools, Cubase or Nuendo, Sonar or Logic are very effective.

ok, so from what i take it i need an 8 input interface and an program to do the actual recording, am i correct. Question--Do i have to buy like protools or cubase and get the interface and program together, or can i buy an interface 8 in and then get a copy of the program somewhere else??
Thanks again....

With protools you're pretty much stuck with having to buy the crappy hardware, but with most other programs you can run any interface. But if you want the best, get RME.

But seriousl, just start making music with what you have instead of shopping lists.

What's makes the RME interfaces better than the Protools Mbox or 001/002? Just from a technical viewpoint or your take on it, no need to start a religious war over DAW interface opinions . Anyway, I've seen this RME stuff mentioned a few times what's the official story on that?? I'm trying to get a little more seasoned in my knowledge of non-Protools DAW's and 3rd party gear.....

well, even the most expensive PT rig has 24 bit internal processing, even sonar has 32 bit floating point.

The RME just sounds amazing, and their technical know how is unmatched, they invented a way to get ADAT Lightpipe to work at 96KHz, the sound is the deciding factor though, just beautiful sound, PT has this weird boost in the high mids and the bass is kinda flat and lifeless. Anything run in PT has this weird character of no character, that's why the pro's don't mix in PT, they take the individual tracks out through Apogees and run each into an SSL to get a good sound. That's over 100 grand just to avoid mixing down in PT. They avoid it because PT is probably the worst as far as summing algorhythms go, many logic, nuendo steinberg users don't take it that far because their summing is much better, but not analog summing better, but much more passable.

Also, Digidesign puts booby traps in their drivers so as to encourage you to use PT and to upgrade to their most expensive stuff, I know many people who have tried to use logic with PT hardware on macs, and at first it works, then in starts getting glitches, then you get audio drop outs. This happens over a few weeks, but then you use PT and everything is dandy.

Logic tried to address it but it is something built in to the PT driver, not just sloppy code, but a boobytrap to boost their rep and pull a tanya harding on the competition. But Apple got them one better, the new version of OS X is supposed to send Digi back to the drawing board where they will have to rewrite their driver to pass the apple test, since the OS will be a new rewritem apple don't play that shyt.

Also, on a dual 2 ghz G5, the digi002 driver had clogged up 50% of the processing power for no reason. Removed the Digi002, used RME, wow, together they use less than 10% of the power when running mad tracks.

Sabotage man, they play really dirty, even some of the reps have admitted that these things are put in intentionally, saying "well, they want you to upgrade to the HD"

sheisty.

I feel ya...Digidesign is definitely a sneaky company. I'm rockin an old 001 with 5.2.1 software in a 32-track 'beta' version. Up until my boy got HD I was damn near neck and neck with his TDM system. Then they upgraded for OS X to the 002 scrapped the PCI hookup for firewire and switched to the 6 series software. I think there is something elusively better about the 001 over the 002, except no 96K support. But, they are slowly withdrawing support for their low-budget products as expected. Why can't they just sell something worth using for $1000-$2000 or so for the mid-range budget cats. I can get an HD1 setup for around $5,500 cause I got a cool hookup at a store, but that's still about $5,000 too much. I mean can you imagine, unless I buy HD no more than 32 audio tracks, that's it's own kind of booby trap or setback as you mentioned.

why do you think they bought M audio? They were making good interfaces and better than protools for less, so they swallowed them to put a leash on how good they could make it that cheap, because they know they can do it, but they wont.

....right, like labels scoop up artists with a buzz and sign them so they can shelve their albums to get them out of the way and do away with any potential comp.....

make sure they don't pose too much of a threat to their main breadmakers.

i know this is mad basic, but i am looking to get acceptable sound recording at a 500 or less budget...what can, should i get..i have a computer obviosly, i used to mix down on a four track cassette recorder for sake...I am conscoius of something that you hear `from a producer(me) is not the end product, studio makes it sound like BUTTER.......yes i am drunk, but do you get my bdrift, i do this for the LOVE, not trying to get a deal, want to make music thatfirst off satisfies me and then others, I am talking shit, i do love it and do it for the love, i probally will NEVER~ get a deal, thats fine, But i DO want to impact others>>>>>>Word Up..
JOUST

If you know and love mixing to your analog 4 track, I would stick with it.

Really, the sound is much better than anything else I am aware of, and if you got it down, there is no sense in trying to switch yet, if it ain't broke...

Plus, everybody and their kid brother has a computer for recording, using analog tape will give you an edge, not a disadvantage, it is actually more reliable than computers as far as storage goes, and if you want to burn CD's, I would just get a decent soundcard with a few good ins, and just send your 2 track from the mixer to the computer and there you go. You can send the tape to get mixed and mastered if that's what you want, or send the digital file.

Spend the money on a good soundcard, and there are many options for free (ahem) in the try before you buy category, so you can see if you like software recording before you commit major cash.

The more I think about it, my favorite albums were all done on tape, the albums that get the most rotations were done on tape, most modern albums don't get much rotation for me, certainly not as much as the old ones, and for some reason, the ones that do get rotation usually used tape at some point in the process (madlib uses tape a lot still).

So rock what you got, you got more than most, and that is an advantage, most long time pros that have a preference insist on tape, it's only when the material needs crazy editing cuz the drummers bad or whatever than digital becomes a necessary convinience.

joustrock wrote:i know this is mad basic, but i am looking to get acceptable sound recording at a 500 or less budget...what can, should i get..i have a computer obviosly, i used to mix down on a four track cassette recorder for sake...I am conscoius of something that you hear `from a producer(me) is not the end product, studio makes it sound like BUTTER.......yes i am drunk, but do you get my bdrift, i do this for the LOVE, not trying to get a deal, want to make music thatfirst off satisfies me and then others, I am talking ****, i do love it and do it for the love, i probally will NEVER~ get a deal, thats fine, But i DO want to impact others>>>>>>Word Up..
JOUST

heys we've been deelin with this recently too an it just so happens that three people I know use m-audio interfaces and Cubase SX. maybe coincidence but the stuff seems to work well. Two friends have laptops and they use the m-audio Quatro and the firewire 410, both less than $350. Another friend uses the m-audio Delta 1010 with her big music computer. My best friend used Cubase SX and a GadgetLabs 8/24 in sync with analog tape machine... or anyway she is working toward getting that together because she is pretty old school and likes tape a lot. She has 2 tascam 238s and a tascam 38 1/2" deck. She has this wild sync machine too called a Tascam mts-1000 that will synchronize the2 tape machines together and also with sequencers and supposedly with the DAW too though we haven't gotten to that yet.

I wouldn't say goodbye to your tape machine it's like analog has it's own sound like Elmacaco says. What Kiira does is record her guitar hot to tape and then dumps the takes into Cubase SX. I am learning to sequence my mpc-60 and I've recorded the individual outs to the Tascam 238... it really sounds good! The 238 is amazing it's an 8 track cassette machine that sounds awesome. It runs at 2x speed so that you get 7 minuts from a 30 minute metal cassette. People say it sounds as good as a 1/2" machine - they're around for about $200 so you could upgrade your 4 tracker, get an m-audio interface and prolly a Behringer or something and be under your $500, just a thought. Here's an oldewr picture of the studio we share but the tape machine rack is on the right outta view. My MPC-60 front and center with a big Tascam analog mixer... armrest equipped yo!