Newbie upgrading from BR532 to...

[lemonchili]

Hello there

I'm new to this forum, and I'm sure there's been a lot of posts similar to this but, here goes anyway...

I'm a singer-songwriter-guitar/bass-player living in Brisbane, Australia. I work in air-conditioning monday-friday and I play bass for a band called the Blues Doctors a few nights a month.

I've been using a Boss BR532 for about 5 years for recording my own songs, and while I've got good enough results out of it for me for simple demos, I can really only fit one song to a memory card which is a pain, plus the vocal effects are a little limited... and the eq is a pain to use... and the screen is small... etc etc.

My setup is very simple, cheap and cheerful - guitar through a Line 6 amp into the BR532, bass direct or through my Zoom effects unit or through my Ashdown head, drums (if any) by Boss DR-3, vocals with Behringer B-1 condenser mic through small mixer into the BR532. Acoustic guitar direct into the BR532 and/or with mic.

I don't use any external effects, though maybe this is something I should look into... maybe a compressor unit?

I'm looking at upgrading to one of the following:
Fostex MR8HD-CD
Fostex MR16HD-CD
Tascam DP-02 (HD+CD version)
Tascam 2488MkII

Any suggestions on which might be best for my simple setup? They all seem to do what I want, 8 tracks is plenty for me, but I'm not sure which would be easiest to use, and which has the best built in effects.

Any thoughts appreciated
cheers,
chili

 

[lemonchili]

From reading a lot of posts on here it would seem the clear preference is to use something like Reaper instead of a "studio-in-a-box" style unit...

I've now loaded Reaper on my PC and wow, it's actually pretty easy to get up and running. I've created a project from stuff I recorded on the BR532 and am playing around with it, trying to work out how to eq stuff and add effects etc. I'm using the PC's built in sound card so I'll need to look at getting a proper sound card I guess.

Is there anything wrong with recording the tracks on something like a Tascam 2488 then transferring to Reaper to mix? The reason I ask is that my home PC is not a dedicated music machine, it gets used for everything else too (email, ebay, games etc etc), so I don't think it's up to the task of recording reliably with an interface unit.

(FWIW The purpose of the demo's I'm trying to record is two things - so I can listen to the songs and refine them for live performance, and for my drummer (and guitarist when I find him/her) to listen to and learn the songs).

 

[dualflip]

I would recommend using a computer and a sequencer software like cubase, protools, logic, sonar, etc..., its much more versatile and youll have a lot of extra features and plug-ins.

 

[lemonchili]

I'll look into it more, though I don't really need sequencer software or much extra effects.

For a *basic* home setup are most people using a separate PC purely for recording/editing?

 

[KineticSound]

The PC route is just another way to go. I don't know that you want to think of it as "sequencer software" per se, but more of "software that makes your PC your multitrack unit". The interface you choose really becomes the hardware I/O for the PC software.

I'm in the minority on this site, but I like the dedicated DAW approach. I have a Tascam 2488mkII that I use to record rehearsals, as well as a Yamaha AW-2400 (my main box). I like these units because (a) I like faders, etc that I can touch (you could also accomplish that on a PC by buying a large control surface, true) and (b) it's extremely portable. I can pack up my 2488 and a couple of mics, head over to our rehearsal space, and be up and tracking rehearsal in minutes. There are portable laptop rigs out there, but this works well for me.

I don't think one is necessarily better than the other; just different solutions for different needs. The PC environment will completely blow my rig away when it comes to editing capability (why I often transfer wav files from my AW-2400 to the PC for editing). On the other hand, my rig is both stable and portable, with controls I'm comfortable with.

Also, you listed a HUGE range from weak to powerful in your list. The Fostex recorders (I don't mean to give offense to anyone who uses one) are a toy. Frankly, the 2488 is on the edge of that as well (cheap plastic & flimsy feeling). You might take a hard look at the Yamaha AW-1600 before you part with your cash. A used Roland VS studio might be a good fit as well.

David

 

[dualflip]

Well yes thats what i meant, a multitrack software, sequencing, you got the point. You are right in the portability issue, but perhaps a laptop with a small M-audio interface will also be portable, i still think a pc with a "multitrack" software will do a better job, and bring more options to the table, you wont be limited to use only a few number of tracks,fx, eq, etc. at the end i think youll be saving some money also..., but hey thats just me.

 

[lemonchili]

Hmmm, lots to think about before I start handing over $$$...

While I don't doubt the capabilities of a decent PC set up, I like the idea of a standalone recorder for a few reasons - It's a setup that I'm already used to (we *fear* change...lol!), I can leave it in my music room with all my gear plugged in and use it basically as a mixer while I'm writing and practising, and I like having faders right in front of me, plus units like the 2488 have plenty of inputs. Being able to take it to a rehearsal room is also a plus.

Roland VS unit is definitely more than I'd like to spend, but AW-1600 is a possibility, it's not that much more than a 2488. From looking at the manuals the AW-1600 looks more complicated to use than the 2488.

My PC is in a separate room, our office/study, plus my other half uses it as much as I do. I suppose I could buy another PC, and soundcard, and an interface. We have a laptop at home but it's a fairly basic one (Celeron processor I think, 40GB hard drive) so I'm not sure how it would go with running an interface, plus I guess you're limited to the laptops onboard sound card.

 

[KineticSound]

Roland VS unit is definitely more than I'd like to spend, but AW-1600 is a possibility, it's not that much more than a 2488. From looking at the manuals the AW-1600 looks more complicated to use than the 2488.

Think used! I've seen 1600's on eBay for around the same price as a new 2488. The Yamaha's are tanks & used should hold up fine. Same with the Rolands; a used VS-2000CD might set you back about $750.

Yes, both the AW-1600 or a VS-2xxx are more complex machines than the 2488, but also much higher quality. If ease of use is your modus operand, a 2488 would be a good choice.

 

[lemonchili]

Both the AW-1600 and the 2488 are pretty scarce used around here, but I'll look into it, and have a look at what I can get a new Yamaha for.
The 2488 is appealing and top of my list at the moment, but I'll see if I can have a play with an AW-1600 in a shop somewhere.
Thank you both for your thoughts.
cheers,
chili