Newbie Checklist

[hpamckin]

Hi all,

My MR8 is on the way. After looking through the threads Ive figured I need the following to get things running. Please let me know if Im missing anything.

* N-Track Studio to mix down
* Card Reader for my Windows 98
* Download of the wave software from fostex.com to get files to pc
* A mic (any suggestions for a decent cheapie? I see some Nady's for $20)
* Something to record...like a meeowing cat.

Thanks for your help!

[Happydude22]

I just got one too. Get a 512 flash card if you can. I recorded most of the 128 that came with mine & when it came time to add effects & convert into stereo I had to delete some songs to have room to convert the rest. According to the book, you can't transfer mono recordings to your computer so you have to convert them to stereo.

[kdgospel]

As for mics, stay away from the Nadys. If you are wanting an inexpensive condenser look at the MXLs (I have a V67-$100 and I like it). Also heard that the Studio Projects B-1 is good (I think that is the model#?). If you use a condenser you will need phantom power in which the MR8 does not have. I use a Behringer UB802 mixer that has phantom power (approx. $59-$69). If you go for a dynamic mic you will not need phantom power and can just plug it straight into the MR8 but to get a strong enough signal you'll have to crank the trim all the way up on the MR8. You said you have Windows 98. If it does not have at least 128mb of RAM it won't do too well with N-track.

[dave in toledo]

if you mix down to computer, you really dont need a bigger card, its nice but not necessary, break down and buy a good mic, it will be worth it,.sm58
condensors are nice but a good dynamic wil do for starting out

you will need a mixer , the preamps on the mr8 arent hot enough, with the mixer you will get some eq control also....

my old pc ran n track with 128 mdgs of ram, it worked ok, but you will be limited to the amount of effects and the number of tracks, try and use the aux channels for effects, its less cpu intensive

[hpamckin]

Damn. This is getting expensive. Any recommendations on a mixer? I know NOTHING about this stuff. Thanks for the replies.

[radiorickm]

first off, if you are going to be dumping into the computer, using the card reader and waves.exe, you can get by with the 128k card. You can indeed move mono tracks with wave. I dont like to use the computer, so i opted for the bigger CF card. It will be handy for you also, but not a totally necessity.

as for a cheap mike. well, cheap mikes are cheap mikes. I have several Nady's. and i'll admit to one radio shack mike. I also have MXL condenser. If you understand up front that a Nady mike wont compare to a $1,000.00 studio condenser, go for it. Learn how to use it, how to position it, how it sounds, what it makes you sounds sound like. Most of the time, technique and experience play a major part of the "sound" anyway. If you decide to upgrad later, they will still be usable "utility" mikes in the future.

Should you go the condenser route, you will need phantom power, which the MR-8 doesn't supply.

Luckily, most mixers with built in preamps usually supply the phantom power. As a lovely BONUS of adding a mixer, you get some additional control of the sound via the mixer eq's.

Check out www.musiciansfriend.com for "audio analog mixers.

Alesis, Behringer, Yamaha, Peavey, Soundcraft, Makie all make suitable mixers. The small behringer mixer kind of get bashed around here, but most of us have one we use into the MR-8.

This is the basis of a beginning set up. Once you start upgrading, there are is an unlimited amount of $$ you can spend. Probably the first upgrade would be in a "recording" soundcard. then you can upgrade mikes, pre's, and then start adding processors and effects. It goes on and on.

I just added a patch bay...i said to myself, self, (cuz that's what i say when i talk to myself) ... you have a 48 point patch bay. Thats 48 cords to the in's and 48 cords to the outs....84 cords at < $5.00 apiece, $400.00 quick and easy. I rethunk that, and bounght some snakes for about $60.00.

the moral i guess is do your home work, come up with a plan on where you want to go, and then work to get there.

Home recording is fun, and the more you learn, the more realestic your expectation may become.

Compete with Columbia Records you aint gonna do. But you can make very respectabel sounding recordings. Good luck!!

[Jay Tea]

I'm also considering the MR-8, and have no knowledge of recording, and had some stupid questions...

Originally Posted by radiorickm

As a lovely BONUS of adding a mixer, you get some additional control of the sound via the mixer eq's.

Is EQ something that could also be done via a software plugin?

Probably the first upgrade would be in a "recording" soundcard.

If you're using the MR-8 to dump to a computer via USB, what advantage would a "recording" soundcard give you?

Thanks much.

[jwgeetar]

Originally Posted by Jay Tea

If you're using the MR-8 to dump to a computer via USB, what advantage would a "recording" soundcard give you?

Thanks much.

i have an M-audio 24/96 in another computer and haven't really used it yet!(had it 2 years) i'm somewhat challenged in the overall SC-driver/computer recording dept.

thats why i'm going back to what i knew before(4 trk cassette recorders) except with an affordable digital 8 track---this time like the MR8. to me, the hands on knob twisting suits me. at least thats not TOTALLY computer inputted!

[dave in toledo]

if you are using the mr8 for recording and transfering the tracks to the pc, you dont need another sound card , that soundcard is for recording directly into the pc, you have already recorderd the tracks on the mr8

i dont like recording into the pc, to many issues including latency , which you dont get with the mr8

[junplugged]

Originally Posted by hpamckin

Hi all,

My MR8 is on the way. After looking through the threads Ive figured I need the following to get things running. Please let me know if Im missing anything.

* N-Track Studio to mix down
* Card Reader for my Windows 98
* Download of the wave software from fostex.com to get files to pc
* A mic (any suggestions for a decent cheapie? I see some Nady's for $20)
* Something to record...like a meeowing cat.

Thanks for your help!

decent headphones, studio monitors - I put those off for too many years, does your PC have a cd burner? or a big hard drive, I tend to archive my MR8 files a lot to make room on my pc's hd since it's only 6 gigs. I always burn 2 copies on 2 different brands of cdr each time.

[kdgospel]

On the soundcard issue. There is one thing that a better soundcard will give you if you are currently using onboard sound (ie. AC97). Whatever you are using for monitors, whether it be computer speakers or reference monitors hooked to your pc, an inexpensive PCI soundcard will give you a more realistic sound than the onboard AC97 will. I got a Soundblaster PCI128 at www.tigerdirect.com for $14.95 and it enhanced the sound a lot. To me better sound means better mixes.