What exactly does a digital 8 track do w/ the mpc?

I've been planning on getting a roland vs880 after hearing good things, but how exactly would it help production in accordance with the mpc? What exactly could it help me with? And is it easy to use? Thanks in advance!!!

Dunno particularly about the VS880 in specific, but a multitracker is a good addition to any recording setup. Let's you record and mix multiple instruments, tracks, and what have you, and bring it all back down to a smooth stereo (and sometimes surround) set. I know Roland was there first on the portable digital recording studio tip, and they're supposed to still be on top of it.

I've used a Boss (the Baby Roland co) recorder (BR-8) and a Yamaha AW16G (recently sold, but was an awesome unit) and more tracks is always better, especially if you have multiple modules recording simultaneously or have 8 outs. It's so much easier than recording two tracks over and over, syncing over MIDI or whatever and muting the other tracks. Also gives you decent built-in effects, EQ and so on, lets you record fader movements for fading tracks in and out, etc.

Good luck with whichever unit you end up with.

-tank.

thanks for replying...so basically it's like a mixer that records, right? so does this mean it would help for example, to boost up drum sounds to hit harder or whatnot? also is it easy to use?

basically is it worth buying to replace my current mixer (a 3 channel gemini 676 which is an okay mixer - not very good)? and if i were to set it up, basically i would connect my turntable and mpc to the 8 track and use it like any other mixer right?

sorry for all the questions, i just want to make sure before i get it. thanks again!

I owned a vs 880 for a couple of months before trading it in for a Ensoniq ASR-X Pro. I don't regret it. After the initial follow up, I wanted to upgrade to an 880 ex. for that fact that it can record at 20 bits and 48kzh. I bought mine with one manual missing, but bought the turbo start video cassette to get started. I also bought a six gig internal drive for it. A noticeable difference is four inputs recording compared to six inputs. Also, the ex comes with backlight, tilted screen, and two effects cards. The efx-2 card gos for atleast $200 bucks on ebay. I owned a vs 1880 without the vs-2 effects card/ Email me at [email protected] if you want an honest buy. I record with my pc so don't use the VS to often. Like I said, we'll meet half way and we can work something out. If you go with a VS 880, I have an extra effects card that I will sell for the vs 880 (original) for $50!)

UNSYSTEMATIC wrote:I owned a vs 880 for a couple of months before trading it in for a Ensoniq ASR-X Pro. I don't regret it. After the initial follow up, I wanted to upgrade to an 880 ex. for that fact that it can record at 20 bits and 48kzh. I bought mine with one manual missing, but bought the turbo start video cassette to get started. I also bought a six gig internal drive for it. A noticeable difference is four inputs recording compared to six inputs. Also, the ex comes with backlight, tilted screen, and two effects cards. The efx-2 card gos for atleast $200 bucks on ebay. I owned a vs 1880 without the vs-2 effects card/ Email me at [email protected] if you want an honest buy. I record with my pc so don't use the VS to often. Like I said, we'll meet half way and we can work something out. If you go with a VS 880, I have an extra effects card that I will sell for the vs 880 (original) for $50!)

i might take you up on that offer. but first i want to research everything and see if the vs880 would satisfy my recording needs.

i had one more question i forgot to mention in my last post, since the 880 has a hard drive, would a zip be necessary? and if so, i have a 250mb scsi that i use for my mpc, would i be able to utilize that for the 8 track or would i need a new one? thanks!

No, zips won't work with most low-end digital multitrackers. (some of the more expensive gear has SCSI outs, etc) My old BR-8 recorded to zip rather than internal hard drive, and there was a free program from Boss to convert individual tracks to wavs, which was useful for further tweaking on PC.

Essentially a multitracker is a mixer that records, but it's called a multitracker for the ability to record multiple tracks to mix, not the ability to mix many tracks. The lowest of the low end still only allow two channel recording at once. Basically all modern multitrackers will allow you to boost low end, do minimal EQ, etc. Ease of use varies from machine to machine. Simple stuff is pretty simple on any given machine, at least if you've used a multitracker before.

They all have transport controls- the Stop, Play, Record, FF and RW type buttons which often have additional controls for jumping to cue points or the like. They have the faders, of course, and they have the ins and some sort of interface for patching ins through EQ, dynamics and effects and routing them to specific tracks for recording. They also have facilities for bouncing tracks- that is, recording an effect on top of a track to have a new version of the track with effect recorded, thus freeing the effect bus to use elsewhere. This can also be used to squeeze multiple drum tracks together onto a single stereo pair, if you'd mic'd the drums using a 3 or 5 mic setup, for instance.

Most multitrackers will have facilities to record 1/4" inputs, that is a separate L and R channel. Some will allow RCA ins or occasionally a 1/8" TRS stereo in, like that found on car stereos these days. What you will not find on multitrackers is a phono in. You'll need a separate phono amp if you're getting rid of your DJ mixer.

And I'm out!
-tank.

thanks a lot tank! so say i got the 8 track and got rid of my mixer. to get everything set up and started i'll need that phono amp you were talking about (by the way, where can i find one and how much are they?) but besides that what chords do i need to set everything up?

Depending on what 8 track this is and how much gear you have you may still want a mixer, just so you can hear sounds together while concocting those beats. If you're using just the MPC any multi-tracker will do you fine. If you're trying to record other instruments as well, you're going to need a mixer still so you can hear them playing together unless your multi-track has enough ins on it to support all your gear.

The phono amp is for running straight from your turntable to your MPC. That way you can grab samples and then pop them into the track, then record from the MPC to the 8 track.

You'll need a set of RCA to 1/4" stereo cable to run from the phono amp to the MPC, a set of 1/4" cables (just use unbalanced, nothing as small as the 880 is going to have balanced ins anyway) and whatever cables you need to connect from the multi-track outs to your speakers. That all depends on what speakers you have and what out capabilities the multitracker has.

Here's a few phono amps to check out.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid ... id/180616/

http://www.zzounds.com/item--RLLVP29

I use the second one and have been impressed with the lack of buzz. Far quieter than cheap DJ mixers, though my old Behringer DX1000 might have been quieter.

Peace
-tank.

so if i keep my mixer, would i use it as the main and connect the 8 track turntable and mpc to it?

Alright, clarification time.

If you're going to be recording more than just your MPC and your multitracker has only two ins, you will need a mixer to route everything down and still be able to hear everything at once during production.

If your multitracker has enough ins to hear all during production before you record, fuhgettabout the mixer. Don't need it.

Another thing.

What are you using the deck for? Are you just sampling, or do you scratch? If you scratch, it's probably better to hang on to the mixer for a few reasons. First, you'll still have a crossfader and cues so you can make quick cuts (which would be a joke with a multitracker's post-record fading, the faders on a multitrack are nowhere near as slick as a DJ mixer) and/or play simultaneous to your MPC recording, thus enabling you to do an entirely live set. (change up patterns in real time, mute tracks, solo and drop everything back in, scratch on top of it all) The other thing is that you can sample off vinyl without disconnecting from the mixer, which I'm sure you do now.

So, yeah. If you keep the mixer, scrap the phono amp idea, route everything through the mixer straight to the multitrack, and monitor from there. simply fade out all the tracks you're not recording (or mute on the MPC or other multi-track device) and record. You'll want MIDI cables for syncing your multi-track to the MPC so it records the exact same point every run through. (make sure your multitrack has MIDI Out at the least!!)

peace.

001101=thync|tank=000111