Hi all: help & advice needed for a newbie!!

M

madmanmoon

New member
Hi
I'm glad I finally found a discussion site on Home Recording. Now for the help!!
I am in the market for a 16 or even 24 trk multitracker. I have various outboard FX and a DAT master recorder (that I once used with a Fostex DMT8).

After a bit of research I am drawn to the Tascam neo 2488 but have recently read good things about the Fostex lr16. It is a home studio rather than a live recording system that i am after, however, and wonder if the overdubbing features of the lr16 would not be totally suited. Has anyone any advice to give on any of these units as the main machine for a home studio that would seek to output as professionally sounding CD albums as possible?

Are there alternative machines that would suit? Or new multitrackers in the pipeline? I have never really got into the computer based set ups (I don't trust computers!) and would prefer stand alone units.

many thanks and glad to be among you!
Madmanmoon, Ireland
 
Jim Lad said:
Doesn't get much better than the Korg D3200.
Look here for a good deal.
http://www.studiotrax.net/forums/showthread.php?t=44623
Click to expand...

Thanks Jim,
since reading your advice on the Korg D3200 unit, i've done a bit of research on it. A lot of people have very positive things to say. there are some reservations about the roller type knob on the right of the unit - is it as bad as some say?

What i was really concerned about however, is that this unit seems to be on the way to being discountinued, at least a lot of major retailers are no longer stocking them. there are some stores still selling of course but I wonder if it is wise to buy a unit that a company are preparing to no longer produce (or am I wrong in this assumption?)

One final question about the Korg - i still have some unmixed 8track recordings on my Fostex DMT8. Given that the fostex has individual outs for each of the tracks, would the korg allow me to record all 8 tracks out of the fostex from their jack outputs?

Cheers and thanks,
Liam
 
Thanks Jim,
since reading your advice on the Korg D3200 unit, i've done a bit of research on it. A lot of people have very positive things to say. there are some reservations about the roller type knob on the right of the unit - is it as bad as some say?

What i was really concerned about however, is that this unit seems to be on the way to being discontinued, at least a lot of major retailers are no longer stocking them. there are some stores still selling of course but I wonder if it is wise to buy a unit that a company are preparing to no longer produce (or am I wrong in this assumption?)

One final question about the Korg - i still have some unmixed 8track recordings on my Fostex DMT8. Given that the fostex has individual outs for each of the tracks, would the korg allow me to record all 8 tracks out of the fostex from their jack outputs?

Cheers and thanks,
Liam
Click to expand...

The roller type knob on the right of the unit is a value dial and is an extremely valuable tool, with a variety of uses. All of the good units have one and I've never heard of any complaints.

I see rumour threads that the D3200 may be discontinued. Korg says "Not". You decide but I'll give you my opinion on that.
Korg made two larger units at the same time as they came out with the D3200 and have retired both of them. The reason was simple.... it's a limited market. The Korg D3200 has never had a face lift, no software updates and most importantly, no MK II and no NEO. Such things only serve to devalue previous models. (Are you listening, Tascam?) Look at the specs. They did it right the first time. And if they do discontinue it... So What?

If the Fostex is recording in a non proprietary .wav format then you have a few ways to get them into the Korg. Save files to disc, transfer to PC etc.. or if it's a proprietary .wav format, "Yes" you can transfer them in real time. Eight lines out of the Fostex to eight lines into the Korg.
The only negative comment I've heard about the Korg is the small screen. With the invention of the 2seemy though, that's been fixed.

http://www.studiotrax.net/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=165
 
Cheers Jim,
You've been very helpful - I also have a stand alone compressor unit, can that be inserted as tracks are recorded or does the korg have compressor patches that may be inserted? Also when data is backed up onto CDr or CDrw is it simple to reload that data onto the machine as an unmixed multitrack recording?

Finally, I was reading about the mastering aspects of the Korg - have you any experience of mastering or finalising songs using these?

Thanks again Jim, you've been a real help - I hadn't fully considered the korg because i felt that 32 tracks were beyond my remit, you've put me back onto it. i admit, though i am still torn between the korg and the tascam neo (price being a factor of course). I have a few album projects lined up and want to create as professional as possible recordings.
Liam
 
Are you sure you're a newbie? I ask because I'm a newbie to audio recording (part of my video internship) and I have no idea what you're talking about :P
 
Hi janep

believe me, i am a newbie, my only experience with home recording is with a now 12 year old 8 track, i fumbled about and got advice here and there. using compressors is just a way to tighten up the signal going to tape so that it doesn't appear too loud in some places and too quiet in others - or making sure it doesn't clip or distort.

the data back up is just saving your work onto disc or other formats, just the same as you would back up work, files or photos from your computer.

it can get a confusing place - the recording world - I try to keep it simple - the songs and the performance are the most important thing....ALWAYS!!
Liam
 
Of course you can use a compressor on the way in.
The link I gave you in my last post is to the Korg site.
Studiotrax, actually but those are the guys who know all about
mastering and so on. A few Irishmen in there too.
I'm still mastering on the PC but do all of my recording on the Korg now.
Great preamps, zero latency and no such thing as a glitch.

JaneP, I'm with you. This guy will probably waltz through whatever he does while I struggle away.

I have a Liam, by the way.
 
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