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VERY modest recording equipment

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  • 10-05-2007 7:24pm
    #1
    OLP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭


    Hi, Me and a few mates are looking to buy a cheap 8 track recorder, basically something so we can record very rough demo's, for working on songs and giving to engineers so they can get a feel for the song.
    I'm not gonna put up links to stuff I've been looking at as I really don't know alot about them. I'm looking for advice on what the best thing to buy is so we can record drums/bass/guitar/vocals, seperatly of course. Our price range is roughly E400-500.

    Thanks.


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    #2
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Are you looking at a standalone unit or something where you can record onto a PC or laptop?


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    #3
    OLP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭OLP


    Sorry I ment to say that, I don't really know the pro's and con's of standalones vs interfaces, whichever's cheapest/easiest to use really.. either of them is an option.


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    #4
    Doctor J
    Closed Accounts Posts: 11,848 ✭✭✭✭Doctor J


    Recording onto a PC is the most flexible option, though you'll need a PC, obviously. The standalone units are ok, but most of them only have two or four mic inputs, which is next to useless for recording a band. Perhaps a copy of Cubase SX and something like this

    http://www.thomann.de/ie/alesis_io26.htm

    would allow you to record 8 mics at one time. Never used that thing, so I can't vouch for how good/bad it is and it's years since I've used cubase too, but that should work, in theory anyway :p


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    #5
    OLP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭OLP


    That seems perfect really, we have the use of a laptop so thats grand. Do you know if the Cubase software would be licenced because we'd all like to have a crack at it?


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    #6
    frobisher
    Registered Users Posts: 2,413 ✭✭✭frobisher


    It sounds like a stand alone unit would offer you what you are after in the most plug and play and headache free fashion. I'd look for something like a used roland like these (but please base your decision on doing homework rather than my pointers as I don't know these machines intimately):
    http://cgi.ebay.ie/Roland-VS-1680-VS1680-Digital-Recorder-Newest-OS-V-2-5_W0QQitemZ160115389890QQihZ006QQcategoryZ41479QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
    http://cgi.ebay.ie/Roland-VS-1680-VS1680-V-Xpanded-OS-2-5-VS1880-1880-880_W0QQitemZ290113751756QQihZ019QQcategoryZ3278QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

    There are of course other options out there, many of them. they often come up for sale on adverts.ie. Do you have any mics/leads/stands?


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    #7
    TelePaul
    Registered Users Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭TelePaul


    OLP wrote:
    That seems perfect really, we have the use of a laptop so thats grand. Do you know if the Cubase software would be licenced because we'd all like to have a crack at it?

    Check that your lap top has a firewire card, if it doesn't you'll need to buy one. Second, make sure you have at LEAST 1 gig of ram. I guess that interface comes bundeled with LE which doesn't require a dongle but uses a code to install. The licensce agreement states that you can only install it on to one computer at a time, but buying it is better than cracking it so....


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    #8
    OLP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭OLP


    We've decided to up the budget in hope of the option to make good quality recordings, and also we're going to go with a standalone. We're looking at this http://www.thomann.de/ie/korg_d888.htm at the moment, would that do for recording drums/bass/guitar and vocals tracked at good quality?


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    #9
    TelePaul
    Registered Users Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭TelePaul


    Looks good. Though editing on a stand alone is a pain in the ass.


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    #10
    OLP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭OLP


    How do you mean?


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    #11
    TelePaul
    Registered Users Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭TelePaul


    OLP wrote:
    How do you mean?

    I'm not trying to unduly influence your decision, but what you can do with a computer sequencer really has to be seen to be believed...do any of your mates have cubase or pro tools or ableton?


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    #12
    OLP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭OLP


    Nah, the clostest thing I've ever come near to them is playing about with Cakewalk just making drumbeats and stuff. But can't you transfer stuff from a standalone to a PC?


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    #13
    TelePaul
    Registered Users Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭TelePaul


    OLP wrote:
    Nah, the clostest thing I've ever come near to them is playing about with Cakewalk just making drumbeats and stuff. But can't you transfer stuff from a standalone to a PC?

    Yeah but you'll need a sequencer and some sort of interface unless the stand alone has USB.


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    #14
    OLP
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,095 ✭✭✭OLP


    Ummm I think the one I'm looking at has a USB, and aren't there free sequencers?


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    #15
    TelePaul
    Registered Users Posts: 4,093 ✭✭✭TelePaul


    OLP wrote:
    Ummm I think the one I'm looking at has a USB, and aren't there free sequencers?


    Yep you could try Reaper. IMO though you could just record straight to sequencer and cut out the middle stage but editing individual tracks is a good compromise between ahrdware and software recording,


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