Using MR-8 to record demo's as a service?

[Ricklh]

Would it be possible, given the limitations of the MR-8, to set up a small part-time business as a "mobile recordist" who can go around at various locations and record small acoustic or vocal groups who want to make a demo cd but don't want to have to deal with the actual recording process themselves? For example, let's say there's a small acoustic-based band (a couple of acoustic guitars, a bass, a vocalist and back-up vocalist) wants to make a rough demo - they just want to have their song on a disc to give to friends, etc. I realize a lot of overdubbing & bouncing would be required, but would this be possible with this little machine? Maybe someone here does this already?

[ch2os7]

[/QUOTE]I realize a lot of overdubbing & bouncing would be required, but would this be possible with this little machine? Maybe someone here does this already?[/QUOTE]

I am currently working on a project for a soloist. I recorded her vocals and piano on location and in my home studio I am adding drums, synth, bass, guitar, back up vocals, etc.
I'm using the computer for mixing and editing. So far it is sounding really nice. I am doing this one as a favor but I don't see why you couldn't make a buck at it.

[Ricklh]

I am doing this one as a favor but I don't see why you couldn't make a buck at it.

Cool, thanks for the reply. That's what I think, too.

[Rokket]

The MR-8 is totally portable, so why not? Just keep in mind the pre amps are not the best, and it your group is totally acoustic, you may have problems with mic placement, but it can be worked out. I was in a "mood" and recorded myself on my acoustic guitar with a dynamic mic OUTSIDE on the grass. I caught a lot of wind on my recording, but I was able to clean most of it up, and cheated the rest when I added other tracks. If you love and it and can make money at it, why not do it?

[dave in toledo]

i bring my mixer, and mics, extra cf card, record all tracks, do punch ins, move to computer to mix and master, have done demos for 7 bands if you include the two im in.....

[Ricklh]

Originally Posted by dave in toledo

i bring my mixer, and mics, extra cf card, record all tracks, do punch ins, move to computer to mix and master, have done demos for 7 bands if you include the two im in.....

dave & rokket, thanks for the positive feedback. You inspire me to get busy!

[radiorickm]

i have added a mxl v63mbp condenser to my stuff just for this purpose.

the mic can be powered by a 9V batt, or phantom power, which makes it a great comapnion for the MR-8 I think they still have a mxl1006bp (something like that anyway) that you can use on batt power.

Behringer also has a little 5 ch mixer that is battery operated to go with this setup.

make's everything portable and NICE!!!!

[junplugged]

that would be cool, to have a condensor mic, mixer, and recorder all batt pwr.

as for pro recording tho, I wouldn't just use the mr8, unless 2 tracks is good enough, and I wouldn't think so, unless it's a soloist.

[Ricklh]

Originally Posted by radiorickm

...Behringer also has a little 5 ch mixer that is battery operated to go with this setup.

make's everything portable and NICE!!!!

Do you know which model of Behringer? I've been considering one of these for a while anyway. Is it the 602 or 802? Also, how exactly will the Behringer benefit the MR-8? Will it allow more than 2 instruments to be recorded simultaneously?

[dave in toledo]

not going to work, the light for the display wears out the batteries, wont get much recording done, just plug it in, same with the mixer...

the benifit of using a mixer with the mr8

as many channels as you can afford, i use 10 when recording drums....

you get some eq control

the preamps in the mr8 are weak the preamps in the mixer are strong and clean and boost the signal to a proper level

phantom power for condensor mics

extra channels for placing room mics, with the room miced correctly , you can get some good stereo live recording of a whole band....

if you arent mixing on the computer(which you really need to do)
you can use outboard gear like compressors, delays, 31 band eq"s.....

[Ricklh]

Originally Posted by dave in toledo

...if you arent mixing on the computer (which you really need to do) you can use outboard gear like compressors, delays, 31 band eq"s.....

I have Guitar Tracks 2 (8 tracks), so would you recommend I transfer the MR-8 tracks to that program to mix?

[Ed Dixon]

As a business, I think the MR8 would be too limited with just two tracks. Too many groups would have multiple instruments and mics and that really limits what you can do.

For only a few hundred $ more you can get an 8 track machine that is much more flexible, and a 16 track for around a grand.

Your goal would be to go in, record the various tracks quickly, get out, and then mix down later. Time is $ and having to stay around for multiple takes might quickly turn the business in to a minimal profit effort.

Ed

[dave in toledo]

in the big scope of thigs ed is right, but for a small time for little profit and mostly fun, you could get by, but like i said you would be best off with a mixer and multiple mics in the room with a bunch of practice takes to get a decent mix, then have then go at it live,

i did the bands one track at a time, like i said, with extra cf card got all the tracks and then took them home and mixed on the pc....

i only charged them 100.00 for a three song demo cd... worked out great, now its not ready for the shelves at wall mart, but it serves its purpose being dropped off to clup owners with a promo package...

but this is certainly not a replacement for the recording studio...

[Ricklh]

"little profit and mostly fun" is exactly what I'm shooting for here, and to learn, on a very small scale, basic tracking, micing, mixing for solo performers (guitar or piano, or both) or bands with minimal instrumentation who maybe haven't thought a lot about being recorded or haven't had anyone to do it for them. I'm considering doing a job for free to start out with to see if it's something I want to develop further and add additional & better equipment down the road. And the $100 for a 3-song demo is a very reasonable price for both parties, which gives me some idea of what I should be able to ask for at some point.

Thanks for the suggestions, guys.

[Ed Dixon]

With that goal in mind, the MR8 is a pretty good way to get your feet wet and learn in the process. It is very well suited to small groups and can be used for larger groups with a mixer.

Having used both the MR8 and a digital 8 track for similar efforts, the 8 track worked many times better for the mixdown process. Balancing things like bass and vocals is hard to do after the fact without separate tracks.

You can record separate tracks with the MR8, but some folks are not used to the concept of playing/singing to an existing recorded track. It takes some time to find the best approaches that work.

Ed

[Ricklh]

Originally Posted by Ed Dixon

With that goal in mind, the MR8 is a pretty good way to get your feet wet and learn in the process. It is very well suited to small groups and can be used for larger groups with a mixer.

Ed

One of the major reasons I'm looking into doing this is that I'm getting a little bored with recording my own stuff but I feel I have a lot of potential to record & mix so I thought it would be fun to get out of the house and record some real players & singers.

[EddieRay]

Originally Posted by Ricklh

One of the major reasons I'm looking into doing this is that I'm getting a little bored with recording my own stuff but I feel I have a lot of potential to record & mix so I thought it would be fun to get out of the house and record some real players & singers.

I'm thinking of doing the same thing but with a 4-track or maybe even an 8-track cassette deck. Go ahead. Laugh. But with dbx n/r and all the room noise of a live venue and all the tricks available once dumped to a PC, the end results are more than adequate for a local cover band in need of a demo CD.

For what I want to do it's essential that the result clearly show the band was recorded live in a public place. It should leave no doubt in the club owner's mind (or the recipient of the demo) that the band is capable of doing the job.

[ch2os7]

Originally Posted by Ricklh

One of the major reasons I'm looking into doing this is that I'm getting a little bored with recording my own stuff but I feel I have a lot of potential to record & mix so I thought it would be fun to get out of the house and record some real players & singers.

it's gotta be fun...that's gotta be the motive. If you're gonna do this strictly for money you'll need to make a lot bigger investment in gear but if you can do something you love doing AND make a little cash, why not? That's the Entrepreneurial Spirit.

Just curious Dave, how much time investment did you have in that 3 song demo?

[dave in toledo]

lets see, about 6 hours actual recording and another 8 hours mixing and mastering...

about 7.20 per hour hahahahhhahahhaha

[ch2os7]

that's dedication Dave, won't make you rich but hey, you're still up $100. that's better than I can say

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by Ed Dixon

As a business, I think the MR8 would be too limited with just two tracks. Too many groups would have multiple instruments and mics and that really limits what you can do.

For only a few hundred $ more you can get an 8 track machine that is much more flexible, and a 16 track for around a grand.

Your goal would be to go in, record the various tracks quickly, get out, and then mix down later. Time is $ and having to stay around for multiple takes might quickly turn the business in to a minimal profit effort.

Ed

The MR-8 is an 8 track machine. Well, technically it's got 4 mono tracks and 4 stereo tracks, it's plenty! And you can always throw a mixer in the chain and get all the instruments on there.

[kesterdevine]

You guys must be a heck of a lot more "creative" with the MR-8 than I am. And I always considered myself pretty resourceful. Am i missing something?
Ricklh, unless I'm way confused, at the very least, you will need to invest in a significantly larger CF card in order to record anything more than a few tracks on maybe one song, or two if they are super short. And even if you have a mixer with multiple channels, the MR-8 will only allow for two simultaneous/separate tracks at a time. Tricky for drums, but doable. So, just be aware that the mR-8 is very limited without interfacing with a PC and you might be a lot happier paying a little more for a higher model machine. with more storage space and tracks. TASCAM has a new model out the DP-01, that offers a whopping 40 gig hard drive and eight mono tracks. I'm not endorsing it, because I don't own it, yet. As much as I've enjoyed the MR-8, I would never try to use it by itself to record a whole band. Not meaning to dash your hopes. You should definitely dive into recording if you feel drawn to it, just consider all your equipment options carefully. Best of luck!

[ch2os7]

I admit, using the PC/MR8 combo is almost essential for the kind of flexibility you need to make a good quality demo but I was under the impression that Ricklh already owns an MR8 and was hoping to use it rather than invest in a new recorder. If he hasn't purchased one yet, he might be wise to explore his options. I bought a 1GB CF for $49.99 a while back and it really helps. I got a vocal and piano track for 10 songs on the CF with room to add tracks in the home studio. Since I mix on the PC, I move tracks from the mono channels to 5/6 or 7/8 in order to use all 8 tracks then transfer to PC for mixing, effects, editing, etc. It is possible to make a decent demo with the MR8 but if you have the budget, get a bigger unit and possibly simplify your life. Who knows, maybe you'll recover your investment making demo cd's!!!

Originally Posted by kesterdevine

You guys must be a heck of a lot more "creative" with the MR-8 than I am. And I always considered myself pretty resourceful. Am i missing something?
Ricklh, unless I'm way confused, at the very least, you will need to invest in a significantly larger CF card in order to record anything more than a few tracks on maybe one song, or two if they are super short. And even if you have a mixer with multiple channels, the MR-8 will only allow for two simultaneous/separate tracks at a time. Tricky for drums, but doable. So, just be aware that the mR-8 is very limited without interfacing with a PC and you might be a lot happier paying a little more for a higher model machine. with more storage space and tracks. TASCAM has a new model out the DP-01, that offers a whopping 40 gig hard drive and eight mono tracks. I'm not endorsing it, because I don't own it, yet. As much as I've enjoyed the MR-8, I would never try to use it by itself to record a whole band. Not meaning to dash your hopes. You should definitely dive into recording if you feel drawn to it, just consider all your equipment options carefully. Best of luck!

[dave in toledo]

Now stop that hahahahah no really dont mix those tracks down on the mr8, import them one at a time so you get the mix on the computer, not through the mr8, once that is done, you cant change the mix when you hear it on a cd boom box and go , wow that bass is too loud, (or what ever)

import thracks 1-4, mix on pc eq and effects save song, on the pc mix down to the mono .wav file the mr8 needs, and import back to mr8 as a go by, record three more traacks and import them into the pc and repeat as needed...

[Ricklh]

I appreciate the helpful responses and advice, guys. Anyone here using Powertracks for mixing down tracks recorded on your MR-8?