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ofajen, Wow!

What a beautiful monster of a deck! :eek::)

Cheers! :)
 
I too wanna play! :D OK, here's my "minimalist" setup, the Tascam 244 as my main recorder. The rest is boxed up:o.
 

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The Ghost of FM said:
IMG_8196.jpg


ofajen, Wow!

What a beautiful monster of a deck! :eek::)

Cheers! :)
Click to expand...

Thanks! It was a long time coming to get it all together and working! I started about ten years ago, but it didn't become urgent until the other 2-track machines went away.

There is a thread about this machine from this summer (actually the first part is in one thread and then a bit more in a second one.) You can see some more photos there, including shots with the transport cover removed. The transport deck plate is milled from 2" thick aluminum, so it is super stable and surprisingly heavy for it's size. In this small console, the thing weighs about 130 pounds.

I had originally planned to change out the rim drive 15/7.5 ips transport for a 30/15 ips belt drive system, and I still have all the parts to do it. However, that also requires mods to the audio cards to get the eq right. I'm not the biggest fan of NAB at 15 ips, but this thing is plenty quiet and sounds amazing, so there is not much incentive to tear it up further when it already works well.

Cheers,

Otto
 
cjacek said:
I too wanna play! :D OK, here's my "minimalist" setup, the Tascam 244 as my main recorder. The rest is boxed up:o.
Click to expand...

I wish my piano were closer to my studio! We have a Baldwin baby grand from about 70 years ago, but it's about an 80' cable run. Usually I just haul the AW1600 up there with a mike and a preamp. That's one place where a standalone unit is really handy.

When you record your upright, do you ever mike from the back (sound board) side? I've generally preferred the sound from the sound board side.

Cheers,

Otto
 
ofajen said:
I wish my piano were closer to my studio! We have a Baldwin baby grand from about 70 years ago, but it's about an 80' cable run. Usually I just haul the AW1600 up there with a mike and a preamp. That's one place where a standalone unit is really handy.

When you record your upright, do you ever mike from the back (sound board) side? I've generally preferred the sound from the sound board side.

Cheers,

Otto
Click to expand...

I'd love to ultimately get a grand but one of those cool old over-designed, flamboyant ones. :D

Yes, believe it or not I found the best and most natural tones from the piano happen to be from the back. I settled on about a couple of feet from the back and about the same from the floor (mic distance wise) but a little closer to the floor. I also noted that the mic would be best placed a bit to the right (from the back) and angled toward the left a bit. I tried all the commonly suggested ways but found from the back being the best balanced and natural sounding.

As is stands now, however, I don't overdub anymore but sing / play at the same time. I'm giving mic placement overdue credit 'cause it really is the most important thing. Try to use ONE dynamic and get a balanced, natural sounding piano / voice, in a less than desirable sounding room. :eek: It's a trip but it worked out well, after hours of trial and error. See that mic there, to the left? Can you believe I settled on that placement there?:D
 
sweetbeats said:
Daniel, are you still using the baffling hung up behind the piano?
Click to expand...

Cory, no, not anymore..:D I actually, one day, decided to play a game called: "How much can I limit myself and still pull off a better recording?". I was surprised and, while always experimenting, perfecting and honing my sills, I think I'm getting better results with less of everything, much less. :eek: I forced myself to go guerrilla on this thing and, rather than reach for that extra mic or whatever, I said "no, lets fool around with this, however long it takes and achieve something significant". See, maybe I'm just the only one enjoying this and to someone else it might be insignificant but it's just something I thought was extra interesting. ;)
 
MANY years ago I sold one of the first 244's to Sheila E when she was working with Prince in Minneapolis. It's really funny, but I can still remember that she came into the store after hours looking absolutely hot. She was in high heels and a long white fur coat. I think I gave her a good deal. ;) I suspect she used the 244 for many years thereafter for writing projects. Talented lady.
 
sweetbeats said:
Yes, my 01X is the same way, but with loud sources I've been totally happy with them, and if I need something else the i88x has two very quiet transparent pres on it and the Digimax FS has 8 pres that I like even better and both units interface with the 01X digitally and patching can be managed either on the 01X or via the GUI interface on the computer...and its nice that all the audio and MIDI go over the one firewire cable to the computer.
Click to expand...

I'm currently attempting to set up a location recording rig in an 8 space rack using two Presonus Firestudios. I suspect they are the same pre's as in the Digimax FS. I've not been successful at all in making them work together. Either one will work fine on its own, but, in theory I should be able to link them with Firewire. This hasn't worked at all. One of the techs at Presonus said to hook them to eachother using a Firewire cable between them. That simply opens two instances of their control software and doesn't integrate into Reaper. I have my first (experiment) session scheduled for next Tuesday and will need about 14 of the 16 inputs. I hope I can find someone Monday at Presonus who has a clue. I'm really NOT impressed with their tech support at this point.
 
ofajen said:
Thanks! It was a long time coming to get it all together and working! I started about ten years ago, but it didn't become urgent until the other 2-track machines went away.

There is a thread about this machine from this summer (actually the first part is in one thread and then a bit more in a second one.) You can see some more photos there, including shots with the transport cover removed. The transport deck plate is milled from 2" thick aluminum, so it is super stable and surprisingly heavy for it's size. In this small console, the thing weighs about 130 pounds.

I had originally planned to change out the rim drive 15/7.5 ips transport for a 30/15 ips belt drive system, and I still have all the parts to do it. However, that also requires mods to the audio cards to get the eq right. I'm not the biggest fan of NAB at 15 ips, but this thing is plenty quiet and sounds amazing, so there is not much incentive to tear it up further when it already works well.

Cheers,

Otto
Click to expand...
That sounds like a massive fun project to restore it! Glad to read you got that all done!

Also, I hope you won't mind but, I took the liberty of borrowing that pic and touching it up a bit...



3M-M23.jpg




Cheers! :)
 
The Ghost of FM said:
Thanks for the compliment!:)

Taking pictures like I do required a huge investment in time and equipment as well as in software and the patience and time to learn it all...and I still have a lot to learn!

This is now my full time hobby and is also something I am trying to do as a living, though this economy isn't really cooperating too well with that. :o

I'm also unemployed right now and have way too much time on my hands so, as a result, I can take pictures all the time and spend almost limitless extra time after that, fine tuning them in Photoshop...which is a whole other world to conquer! :eek:

Do you still wish you could take pictures like Ghost now? :D:D:D:D

Cheers! :)
Click to expand...
Well, since you put it that way!!! The only thing I have that you have is lots of time. I went from unemployment to Social Security. I'm trying to start a small detailing business by word of mouth and also trying to get my recording studio off the ground. I'm now working on a Christian Rap CD for a friend and have 1 or 2 possibilities lined up in the near future. As far as money to invest, not at this time. So your not recording any more? If I remember right you moved and have a small space. Am I right or have you just lost the recording fever? Have good on my friend.
 
dodgeaspen said:
Well, since you put it that way!!! The only thing I have that you have is lots of time. I went from unemployment to Social Security. I'm trying to start a small detailing business by word of mouth and also trying to get my recording studio off the ground. I'm now working on a Christian Rap CD for a friend and have 1 or 2 possibilities lined up in the near future. As far as money to invest, not at this time. So your not recording any more? If I remember right you moved and have a small space. Am I right or have you just lost the recording fever? Have good on my friend.
Click to expand...

It's basically both those events that happened. The move to the smaller space contributed to me loosing the fever to record; that and having a falling out with my band-mate and longstanding friend that, probably even more-so contributed to my change of hobby.

Good luck with your venture! :)

Cheers! :)
 
The Ghost of FM said:
It's basically both those events that happened. The move to the smaller space contributed to me loosing the fever to record; that and having a falling out with my band-mate and longstanding friend that, probably even more-so contributed to my change of hobby.

Good luck with your venture! :)

Cheers! :)
Click to expand...

I'm sorry about your friend. I really wanted to start recording with studio equipment from a person that I really liked from work, she loved the same music ETC ETC. I got back a passion for my music and for recording from her. Long story short, we had a falling out and I was so devastated I was going to sell my gear and stop playing my music. After time I realized that it was the music I had a passion for. Sometimes the songs don't feel the same when I listen to them but I still have the passion and love for the music business as I did since I was a kid. Bottom line is, don't give up something you love because of circumstances. I know I would have regretted it if I would have sold my gear and drums. Music is part of my life and I don't know what I'd do without it. Take it easy.
 
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