DAW vs. Digital Recorder & DAW

[Spillenger]

I am a simple acoustic musician. I use Sonar 3, but I don't use 95% of its capabilities. I don't use MIDI, I don't use many effects, I don't use loops. I just play real musical instruments and sing. And I record these things with a microphone.

My question: What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of (1) recording, mixing and mastering with Sonar and a stand-alone mixer, and (2) recording with a Boss or Fostex, for example, stand-alone digital recorder, and then mixing, EQ-ing, and mastering with Sonar?

Does anyone use the second set-up, and if so, why?

Thanks.

Paul S.

 

[oh_the_blood]

i use a fostex vf80ex and i love it.
built in cd burner, mixing on board, phantom power.

sounds good when i record, so im not complaing.
and only cost 500 bucks with its case on zz sounds

woot.

 

[sloom]

My question: What are the relative advantages and disadvantages of (1) recording, mixing and mastering with Sonar and a stand-alone mixer, and (2) recording with a Boss or Fostex, for example, stand-alone digital recorder, and then mixing, EQ-ing, and mastering with Sonar?

Does anyone use the second set-up, and if so, why?

Thanks.

Paul S.

I often use a Tascam 788, and then I might import to Sonar Home Studio 4 (and a couple other progs). Why would you do this?

You can take your recorder outside your studio space (your friend's house, another part of your own house- like that fun reverber-y stairwell), and as long as you can get electricity to it, you can record... then bring your machine back and mix in the box. Your software will probably have better fx and editing capabilities than your recorder, and you can burn your sessions to DVD for backup when you're done- as well as a closely edited track to a CD.

The PC presents a whole world of new troubles and logistics to get by, but if you do a lot of recording, etc, and want to learn to produce some slick results, the PC is a good way to go.