Post your recording setups...

Post by **Mike** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:35 am

With pictures if you like...

What setup to you use to record demos/your band? Dedicated Hardware Recorder/Computer Setup?

I have a Tascam 788 that I used to use for recording full band and demos - nowadays I just use it as a sketchpad for new ideas. I might sell it at some point - I dunno. It's got onboard effects/compressors - can record 6 channels at once:

I have this little six track behringer mixer which I used for phantom power and/or mixing several drum mics to a stereo pair for the 788 aux inputs

Nowadays I used Sonar 3 Studio Edition on my PC with a Edirol (Roland) UA-1000 10 input/10 output audio interface.

It has four mic preamps which are ultra quiet and have phantom power and -10db pads. The 3rd channel can be switched to a Hi-Z input for DI'd guitar or bass.

Micwise I have the following:
Shure SM-57 - Used for close micing guitar cabs, snare mic and live vocals
Shure SM-58 - Used for live vocals, snare/tom mic (with shield removed)
Stagg Kick Drum mic - Not sexy or clever - but it does the job.

AKG C3000B large diaphragm condensor - Great on vocals, acoustic, Drum Overhead, Far Guitar Cab micing
2 x Joe Meek JM27 Condensors - Great for all stereo and condensor mic applications

I use Waves plugins.

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 3:48 pm

I can track down pictures if anyones interested, but I basically run a Protools LE system with a Digi 002R as the interface and Mac G4. I've got an Apogee minime that I use for the S/PDIF input on the 002R for an additional two channels of input and also use it as the master clock for the whole system. I've got a Frontier Audio Tango 24 that's an 8 in/8out A-D/D-A converter box. It has ADAT in and out that interfaces with the 002R and gets me an additional 8 channels of input/output. The front end right now is a Soundcraft M-series mixer (12 channel version). I use the pre's in it mainly as the front end to the system; along with the four built in pres in the 002R and sometimes the two pres in the Minime (though in a lot of cases I just use the line in on it from the pre's in the M12). I'm basically setup to track up to 18 inputs simultaneously at this point, which is plenty for most of the projects I work on.

I recently picked up some analog tape machines--2 1/4-in 2 tracks (an MCI and an Otari); and an MCI 1-in 8-track. I'm in the process of getting these setup. I originally was just looking for a 1/4-in 2-track machine to dump stuff onto out of Protools; but through the vagaries of e-bay I'm in a bit more. I'll probably unload one of the two track machines before too long. With the 8-track I also got a new board (Soundtracs 16:8:16) so I'll probably start trying that out to see if I like it better than the Soundcraft. At the very least it's 16 additional pres which should be cool; and it's got enough channels that I could experiment with mixing out of the box as well. Should be fun. With the 8-track I want to try tracking drums and going off the repro head into Protools.

I don't have much outboard processing gear--a few direct boxes, Sansamp bass DI, RNC compressor, some kind of reverb unit (can't think of the name right now), and a headphone amp. I have some of the Waves plugins, along with McDSP and some of the stock digi stuff.

I've got an assortment of mainly budget-level mics:

Condensers: Rode NT2, Studio Projects B3, 2 Marshall 603s, AT 4033
Dynamics: 2 Shure SM57, Shure B58, Shure SM7, Shure B52, AT ATM25, Sennheiser E609 (silver), Sennheiser E604, Beyerdynamic Soundstar

That's it in a nutshell.

Modern Rifles · Post by **Modern Rifles** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:14 pm

I think you should make that 2 track into a four track. Then you can link the 1/4 machines together for 12 tracks of tape goodness.

Al, you have a great set up man. You can really get some great sounds.

Thanks for the Pro Tools Sessions.

Dan

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:16 pm

Haha, yeah I'll look into it. I just need to get some more time down there at this point to figure out what's what.

Post by **Doog** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:02 pm

Boss BR-8..can only record 2 inputs at a time = lo-fi drums
SM57, SM58, cheap but decent sounding dynamic
Phono leads into PC with Live Drive II front panel jobbie
Creative Sound Recorder

And just recently:
Nero Wave Editor
Acoustic MP3 Mixer

..for proper "producing" on demos I've recorded for other people.

Not flash by any means, but I don't wanna find another extension of music to sink more money into..

superfuzz · Post by **superfuzz** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:12 pm

sorry but this is off topic, but im gonna get into recording and such soon enough, can you take a mixer, put all the mics in that. than take a line out from the mixer into a recording device?

Post by **Doog** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:39 pm

Totally, but you won't be able to mix the tracks afterwards, you'll just be stuck with the stereo mix.

a66jagdream · Post by **a66jagdream** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:48 pm

Soon to be mine.

superfuzz · Post by **superfuzz** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:52 pm

Doog wrote:Totally, but you won't be able to mix the tracks afterwards, you'll just be stuck with the stereo mix.

so you record, than you mix? coolsville dude, thanks!

a66jagdream · Post by **a66jagdream** » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:56 pm

In your opinion what is the best interface for a mac?

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:01 am

superfuzz wrote:
Doog wrote:Totally, but you won't be able to mix the tracks afterwards, you'll just be stuck with the stereo mix.
so you record, than you mix? coolsville dude, thanks!

Yeah, that's the best way as then you can tweak the stuff you've recorded and rebalance things at a later date. It requires that you have a system that can record multiple channels of audio though; and it's a bonus if you can get a setup that can record multiple channels (e.g., more than two) simultaneously.

Al_ · Post by **Al_** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:02 am

a66jagdream wrote:In your opinion what is the best interface for a mac?

There are so many now and new ones coming out all the time. What software to you want to use? And how many channels to do you want to record simulataneously? And lastly, budget?

theshadowofseattle · Post by **theshadowofseattle** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:13 am

Fuck all that gay shit you pansies use.

I use a 15 dollar computer mic into my laptop and Windows Sound Recorder. Mix it in FL Studio 4.

louis · Post by **louis** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:15 am

i used to have a set up, but then i lost my sm57, so now its a carefully placed laptop in the middle of the room. its surprising the quality you can get out of it!

BlixaFan · Post by **BlixaFan** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 1:49 am

I've got a firewire solo interface going into my ibook, which runs Ableton Live.

I have an AT 4040 mic that i use for vocals and pretty much anything else...I tend to record guitars straight in though, because the 4040 picks up absolutely everything around,so its not the greatest for micing my amp.

though i havent been recording much at all lately....

RichieDagger · Post by **RichieDagger** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 4:10 am

i have an 'optimus dynamic microphone IMP. 500' that i plug into my computer, record in audacity, export as an mp3 and i'm done

vivadeluxxe · Post by **vivadeluxxe** » Sat Apr 29, 2006 12:10 pm

a66jagdream wrote:In your opinion what is the best interface for a mac?

I use an emi6/2 with my mac

These were great, 6 inputs and 2 outputs at 24 bit all over USB. And they were pretty cheap as well.
When Apple bought-out Emagic, they stopped production of them for some bizzare reason. I always assumed that Apple would bring out an 'i' type interface based on them like they did with Logic, but so far they hav'nt.

Modern Rifles · Post by **Modern Rifles** » Tue May 02, 2006 5:16 am

Al_ wrote:Haha, yeah I'll look into it. I just need to get some more time down there at this point to figure out what's what.

If you need a strong back and a weak mind....let me know. I can lift shit

Post by **dots** » Tue May 02, 2006 6:02 am

right now we go into presonus firepod and then into my laptop running cakewalk sonar 5 producer. our mics are shitty. we need better ones.

johnniespring · Post by **johnniespring** » Wed May 03, 2006 11:17 pm