Square ONE Still (S.O.S)

[lyrical_22]

ummm, well
i have the drive is that enough

i'm trying to build my own studio basically i need someone to walk me through it all i am a dj but this is much more complicated that i had anticipated just on my research.
not really sure if i should go analog or digital
still searching for a generic diagram of the ideal home studio so i can try to match as close as possible given my space and own personal style.
4 track vs. 8 track
Cakewalk or Orchestrator
lots of questions anyone with advice throw me a bone.

[DavidK]

not really sure if i should go analog or digital

Digital

Cakewalk or Orchestrator

Cakewalk

4 track vs. 8 track

8 track.

There, you are set. Get to work

[lyrical_22]

what type of equipment should i have to start.
i have a computer with a terrible program which i guess needs to be cakewalk i need an 8 track recorder i have a reciever, tape deck and small mixer, along with a keyboard that has multiple input and output jacks what else am i missing

[DavidK]

First thing is first. What do you have now, exactly?

Computer specs? (Type, speed, hard drive, RAM, etc?)

What do you want to do? (Rap, record the NY Philharmonic)?

How many people? how many things will you recotrd at one time?

Have any mics? What kind of keyboard? Mixer?

Have any money??? (This is the main question)?

[AlChuck]

When you say "8-track recorder," are you talking about one of those recorders like the Roland VS-things (like a digital portastudio)? You do realize that with Cakewalk and a decent soundcard you can get almost as many tracks as you want (depending on the specs and configuration of your computer)? A soundcard with a stereo input will limit you to recording only two tracks at a time, but if you're doing it all by yourself and overdubbing, this is no real limitation. There are also some four- and eight-input soundcards for less than the cost of all but the cheapest MDM (modular digital multitracker).

[lyrical_22]

You do realize that with Cakewalk and a decent soundcard you can get almost as many tracks as you want

ok
so i really don't need the 8 track is what your telling me or maybe i should just hone the craft a bit b 4 i step up to the recorder, i am really feeling like i missed a class every body took years ago. so when it comes to recording the vocals the mic connects to the mixer or is it fed directly into something else. i think my hair is going gray and i haven't even begun yet (whew).
quick relief please.

[lyrical_22]

i don't know all the tech. stuff yet i am really still a newbie man, sad but true. i'm gonna look at all this stuff later on tonight maybe i'll run into ya, hopefully so. u sound like u can put me in the know.
i hope so man,
P.S. - - thanks..

[DavidK]

lyrical, what Alchuck is saying is that you dont need an 8 track recorder if you have a good computer, the computer will be the eight track recorder. Actually, a good computer will get many tracks, much more than eight, so check out your specs on the computer and let us know what you have.

[lyrical_22]

ok, cool.
hey does the Roland Studio Pack come with a mixer and a digital recorder or do i use the PC as the digital recorder and would a DJ mixer with an EQ work if used with a reciever and would i have to get an A/D converter to go from my keyboard to PC or for the reciever and mixer connection.
u guys are all great here.
oh i remember the question was i recording hip-hop and yes i am
so i guess that would effect the set-up and recording huh.??

[DavidK]

the Roland studio pack is a digital mixer and a soundcard that comes with recording software too. It is not a digital recorder, you would use the computer as the recorder. Looks cool, never used one.

would a DJ mixer with an EQ work if used with a reciever and would i have to get an A/D converter to go from my keyboard to PC or for the reciever and mixer connection

Thats all a little confusing, but:

To record with a computer, you need a sound card. The soundcard will have the A/D converters.

Sure, you can use a dj mixer, but that is what the software (cakewalk for example) does.

My advice: download a demo of n-tracks www.fasoft.com it is like cakewalk, and cheap. Read about what it is and what it does, and mess around with it for a while. Once you understand how the computer works as a recorder, you will see if that is the way to go for you. Most people here do it that way, but many prefer the old "8'track recorder" that doesnt use a computer.

[Esquire]

I too am a DJ and had a difficult time understanding all the tech stuff. I used to use a Tascam Porta 7. I was looking into getting a digital 8-track, but I realized that my money was better spent on getting a computer. I got together w/some knowledgeable buddies and basically built the computer from scratch (most of the name brand computers don't give as much bang for your buck as computers that you build yourself).

If you do use your computer, you'll basically insert the computer into your setup pipeline. Instead of outputting your DJ mixer directly to your amp/monitor, you output into your computer's soundcard. You can then output from the sound card to your amp/monitor. I know that for most of you out there this is really, really basic, but it seems like this is the starting point that he/she was looking for. You'll need some software to record your audio (I use N Track). The software will give you more than 8 tracks (assuming your computer can handle the load).

Again, this is basic for most of you, but I know what it's like to be completely lost. Lyrical, do you understand the dynamic of tracks? On a tape-based multitrack, there are 4 tracks. There are two tracks on each side of the physical tape. When you record on the 4 track, you are essentially working with two tracks on each side of the tape, for a total of 4. Let's say you record on track 1, you are recording on 1/2 of the tape on side A. Recording track 2 is equivalent to recording on the other 1/2 of side A. Track 2 is essentially and physically beside track 1 on the tape. When you play it back, the multitracker simply plays both tracks at the same time. Add track 3 and track 4, and the multitracker will play all four tracks. Does this make any sense? On a computer you can have several tracks. For example, on track 1 record a beat. On track 2 record a scratch over that beat. On track 3 record some movie dialogue. You can play back all 3 tracks at the same time. You can add more tracks over those. It's just adding layers. I hope this helps.

By the way, your question re 4 track v. 8 track brought the Mixwell "Fundamentally Sound" mixtape contest to mind. Is that what sparked your interest?