What do you mix to most of the time?
- Thread starter BigKahuna
- Start date
GT
New member
Ginzoo,
I use a mixer with view meters, and set it up so that when the meters are in the red it coincides with the level going into the vcr.
It takes a little trial and error, but once its set your done.
I really think you will like vcr much better than cassette.
If you do get a vcr make sure it has index search, and is Hi Fi stereo.
I have had really great luck with Panasonic VCRs.
I use a mixer with view meters, and set it up so that when the meters are in the red it coincides with the level going into the vcr.
It takes a little trial and error, but once its set your done.
I really think you will like vcr much better than cassette.
If you do get a vcr make sure it has index search, and is Hi Fi stereo.
I have had really great luck with Panasonic VCRs.
aliengroover
New member
I use both a standalone and a computer burner, and I can tell you that I love the standalone way more. It's just like a DAT or cassette deck. I just burn off a variety of mixes on it (RWs and Rs) and just compile the final mixes onto the HD and do a DAO.
Also, more personal CD players and boom boxes allow for playing of re-writables. Especially Philips and Aiwa. Just check the package. But, to me, it doesn't matter. Blank CDs are just too cheap (cheaper than cassettes, and definitely DAT) to worry about reusing one (I've never done it, only erasing one or two tracks to save time).
Also, more personal CD players and boom boxes allow for playing of re-writables. Especially Philips and Aiwa. Just check the package. But, to me, it doesn't matter. Blank CDs are just too cheap (cheaper than cassettes, and definitely DAT) to worry about reusing one (I've never done it, only erasing one or two tracks to save time).
At one time or another I have mixed to almost all of those media. Not for clients, just doing my own stuff. My opinions -
1) If I want something quick and dirty (works in progress etc.) , I mix through the board to a cassette. Very portable, very cheap, reusable. A nice cassette deck with Dolby C sounds plenty good enough for this purpose.
2) Prior to starting to collect plug-in effects, I liked mixing to DAT (although I had to borrow one). Nice sound quality, good metering, easy to use.
3) Now I do almost all mixing (except situation #1) on the PC, then export to a 44.1/16 Wave, burn it to a CDR. NOT a CDRW. Portable, plays everywhere, and at less than $0.50 very disposable.
4) When my band gets together to have the classic drunken jam session in the studio where there is no intension of creating a finished product, a VCR works quite nicely. You can record good quality, run 2 hours or more without changeing tape, and its cheap. Plug it into the board and forget about it. Listen to results, laugh about it, then re-use later.
My 2 cents....
1) If I want something quick and dirty (works in progress etc.) , I mix through the board to a cassette. Very portable, very cheap, reusable. A nice cassette deck with Dolby C sounds plenty good enough for this purpose.
2) Prior to starting to collect plug-in effects, I liked mixing to DAT (although I had to borrow one). Nice sound quality, good metering, easy to use.
3) Now I do almost all mixing (except situation #1) on the PC, then export to a 44.1/16 Wave, burn it to a CDR. NOT a CDRW. Portable, plays everywhere, and at less than $0.50 very disposable.
4) When my band gets together to have the classic drunken jam session in the studio where there is no intension of creating a finished product, a VCR works quite nicely. You can record good quality, run 2 hours or more without changeing tape, and its cheap. Plug it into the board and forget about it. Listen to results, laugh about it, then re-use later.
My 2 cents....
I had a question directed towards those of you using a stand alone CDR - I 'got a stand-alone(Philips 775) not too long ago and I love it! But when I mix to the CDR, It seems like I have a lot more hiss than I ever had with a regular tape mix. The sound is good as far as the instruments are concerned - they sound crisp and clear - more so than my mixes on to tape.
I did a mix on tape and then put that mix on a CDR. Then I did basically the same mix directly to a CDR. And I found that the mix I put on tape and then put on a CDR had a lot less HISS. Am I doing something wrong - has anybody else noticed anything like that?
I assume that the reason the tape gave less hiss is because the tape/stereo has DOLBY C/B noise reduction and the Stand-alone has no noise reduction. If this is the case, is there any components which would help eliminate the hiss when going strait to the CDR. And if not, does anybody know what I should do? I'm kind of new at the whole CDR mixing thing.
By the way - my tracking machine is a Tascam 488 8-track analog machine.
I did a mix on tape and then put that mix on a CDR. Then I did basically the same mix directly to a CDR. And I found that the mix I put on tape and then put on a CDR had a lot less HISS. Am I doing something wrong - has anybody else noticed anything like that?
I assume that the reason the tape gave less hiss is because the tape/stereo has DOLBY C/B noise reduction and the Stand-alone has no noise reduction. If this is the case, is there any components which would help eliminate the hiss when going strait to the CDR. And if not, does anybody know what I should do? I'm kind of new at the whole CDR mixing thing.
By the way - my tracking machine is a Tascam 488 8-track analog machine.
aliengroover
New member
Part of it is that you're getting hearing more of the hiss because you're recording to a medium that has a fairly wide dynamic range. I've never had any problems with hiss recording to CD when I used my 9 year old Tascam 4 track (I've got a 788 now). Is the noise reduction on the 488 on? Are you recording at a fairly high input level?
Well sarna - I have no PC to mix to. That would be great, but I have an iMAC - and there is no ports for soundcards.
But yes alien, my DBX(noise reduction) on the 8-track thing is turned on. As far as input level, if you could clarify what you mean by that - Do you mean when I'm actually recording to the 8-track machine, or are you talking about the input level on the CD-R? I think you mean tracking my instruments louder, maybe that will help.
After more mixing, I have definetly decided I like the CD-R much better in comparison to mixing on tape. OTHER THAN THE HISS - WHICH I THINK CAN EVENTUALLY BE REMEDIED, The sound is just remarkably superior, I would suggest a CD-R to anybody mixing to audio tapes. And I'm sure PC is even better, but for now I'm in mixing heaven. Shit almost sounds half decent now. Higher frequencies don't cut out as easily. Each individual track/instrument sounds clear. And I can make 5 different mixes of a song, decide the best, and copy it to another CD without much if any loss of quality. It's great. I feel like audio tape was stone-age equipment. It almost makes me think more and more about going to some kind of digital tracking machine.
But yes alien, my DBX(noise reduction) on the 8-track thing is turned on. As far as input level, if you could clarify what you mean by that - Do you mean when I'm actually recording to the 8-track machine, or are you talking about the input level on the CD-R? I think you mean tracking my instruments louder, maybe that will help.
After more mixing, I have definetly decided I like the CD-R much better in comparison to mixing on tape. OTHER THAN THE HISS - WHICH I THINK CAN EVENTUALLY BE REMEDIED, The sound is just remarkably superior, I would suggest a CD-R to anybody mixing to audio tapes. And I'm sure PC is even better, but for now I'm in mixing heaven. Shit almost sounds half decent now. Higher frequencies don't cut out as easily. Each individual track/instrument sounds clear. And I can make 5 different mixes of a song, decide the best, and copy it to another CD without much if any loss of quality. It's great. I feel like audio tape was stone-age equipment. It almost makes me think more and more about going to some kind of digital tracking machine.
SPINSTERWUN
Active member
I mix to my PC hard drive.
Then, I mixdown the song to 2 channels.
If I want the song to sound warmer then I send it to the VCR.
Then, from the VCR back to the computer.
Then, I mixdown the song to 2 channels.
If I want the song to sound warmer then I send it to the VCR.
Then, from the VCR back to the computer.
Roel
That SMART guy.
sjoko2 said:
Hmmm... Nothings happening to the quality... BUT CDR's and CDRW's will loose their data in time! It's 'guaranteed' to be over 40 years, but they are not permanent! (Guaranteed means, in very bad circumstances, sahara and the like, maybe 40 years. Otherwise longer... Still beats magnetic tapes, however.
)sjoko2 said:
Let's not forget DVD-R and DVD+RW... DVD+RW is the answer of Sony and Philips. Still not recognized by the DVD forum, but they will push it up anyway... In a few year (2->4), DVD writers will be very common. I'm in involved in development of the little black box inside, that takes care of all the obscure magic. (We call 'em 'chwipzzzz'...)
VOXVENDOR
New member
...Im one of a few who have been using the latest technology... Get this!!!....No Cdr, 1/4", VCR, Hardrive!
We uplink directly into the listeners brain via serial port....The company who developed this is making billions, and I heard through the grapevine that Alesis turned down an offer to manufacture this system, so they could continue working on the billion unit selling Microverb 4............ Sorry, too much coffee today, and alot of bullshit.. I use the CDRW700, by tascam....and love it, and the price can't be better. (It's rackmount configuration is handy also.)......Joe
We uplink directly into the listeners brain via serial port....The company who developed this is making billions, and I heard through the grapevine that Alesis turned down an offer to manufacture this system, so they could continue working on the billion unit selling Microverb 4............ Sorry, too much coffee today, and alot of bullshit..
I use the CDRW700, by tascam....and love it, and the price can't be better. (It's rackmount configuration is handy also.)......Joe
darrin_h2000
Banned
mini disc wheres my peers
i used to use a tascam 7 in per sec reel
after that broke down i went to a hi fi vhs which was good while i was still making cassetes
but the mini disc was the best choice i could of made by far
after seeing my friends get dats and have a ___load of problems with them acting like cassette deck eating tapes and such a new digital format came along with 24 bit d/a converters guaranteed not to be eaten , no heads to clean and instant acces to material at the push of a button without rewinding hardly no down time at all. ability to arrange order of tunes on the disk. optical input to stay in the digital domain and at 44.1 sampling rate so theres not any crap from my soundcard when i go to burn a cd. high quality 24 bit a/d out to go to my rack of mastering effects. into my audiophile card for the best analog/ digital before the burner does its work.
MD is the shit why would i get anything else.
besides optical outs are all my korg d8 have besides the analog 18 bit outs.
sorry about the rant but where are my mini disc brothers out there
i used to use a tascam 7 in per sec reel
after that broke down i went to a hi fi vhs which was good while i was still making cassetes
but the mini disc was the best choice i could of made by far
after seeing my friends get dats and have a ___load of problems with them acting like cassette deck eating tapes and such a new digital format came along with 24 bit d/a converters guaranteed not to be eaten , no heads to clean and instant acces to material at the push of a button without rewinding hardly no down time at all. ability to arrange order of tunes on the disk. optical input to stay in the digital domain and at 44.1 sampling rate so theres not any crap from my soundcard when i go to burn a cd. high quality 24 bit a/d out to go to my rack of mastering effects. into my audiophile card for the best analog/ digital before the burner does its work.
MD is the shit why would i get anything else.
besides optical outs are all my korg d8 have besides the analog 18 bit outs.
sorry about the rant but where are my mini disc brothers out there
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Re: mini disc wheres my peers
Just be aware that it is NOT CD or DAT quality recording... MD uses a lossy data compression (not to be confused with a compressor!) that saves space by throwing away portions of the music signal the algorithms calculate are being "masked" by other areas of the signal.
The algorithms are pretty good, and the results are far better than cassette or arguably HiFi VHS, but it is NOT considered a proper mixdown format, nor is it on par with DAT or CD.
Bruce
Well... if it works for ya, great!darrin_h2000 said:MD is the shit why would i get anything else.
besides optical outs are all my korg d8 have besides the analog 18 bit outs.
sorry about the rant but where are my mini disc brothers out there
Just be aware that it is NOT CD or DAT quality recording... MD uses a lossy data compression (not to be confused with a compressor!) that saves space by throwing away portions of the music signal the algorithms calculate are being "masked" by other areas of the signal.
The algorithms are pretty good, and the results are far better than cassette or arguably HiFi VHS, but it is NOT considered a proper mixdown format, nor is it on par with DAT or CD.
Bruce
darrin_h2000
Banned
what was once new and full of bugs does get better with 6 generations. on the second generation of these machines home recording magazine rated them as good as dat as a mastering medium( by the way im not using the format that the yamaha rigs are using . im using a 24 bit machine that is indistingusable from dat . other than the dat hassles.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
Complete nonsense....darrin_h2000 said:...magazine rated them as good as dat as a mastering medium....
...im using a 24 bit machine that is indistingusable from dat . other than the dat hassles.
Care to explain exactly how a lossy audio storage medium can EVER be as good as a storage medium that doesn't throw away a portion of the signal????
Please... you CAN get good results, no question, but don't fool yourself into thinking the media is better than it is!
Bruce
sjoko2
New member
1 - DAT systems are outdated and were never really good - I have never used them for mastering full stop.
2 - The mini disk format is exactly what it is, a nice miniature storage format. Its format is, like Bruce stated, based on a compression format which is not exactly perfect. Mini disk will therefore never be able to take the place off, or be a substitute for, a 'normal' digital medium.
2 - The mini disk format is exactly what it is, a nice miniature storage format. Its format is, like Bruce stated, based on a compression format which is not exactly perfect. Mini disk will therefore never be able to take the place off, or be a substitute for, a 'normal' digital medium.
Sennheiser
New member
I am currently mixing to cassette, but I am starting to flirt with mixing to my PC using...never mind. I think that's a bad word here from most of what I've read about it.
I haven't tried dumping the computer mix back to cassette yet and I do not have a stand-alone burner. That is something I'll be getting a little later down the road.
I'm just starting to record again after about a four year break, so I'm lacking some equipment right now. Not to mention being left behind in the technology department. I have a lot of catching up to do.
But I can't think of a better place to do it than right here.
I haven't tried dumping the computer mix back to cassette yet and I do not have a stand-alone burner. That is something I'll be getting a little later down the road.
I'm just starting to record again after about a four year break, so I'm lacking some equipment right now. Not to mention being left behind in the technology department. I have a lot of catching up to do.
But I can't think of a better place to do it than right here.