Equipment for recording many channels simultaneously and having enough outputs?

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Uge

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Hello folks! I'm new guy here! I'm working on a personal solo album and I thought it would be cool idea to join a recording forum to get some new knowledge/perspective about many things concerning to recording and stuff like that. Then I found this Home Recording page! Looks very interesting, cool! :)

QUESTION: What kind of equipment should I have when I should be able to record 10-15 drum mics simultaneously with getting each channel for separate tracks to recording program? I've seen there is some Firewire/USB interfaces with quite good prices, but seems like the maximum amount of the output channels is very often 8. My necessity is only home studio recording (album making by myself as it seems to me) so I don't think I'm looking for too expensive equipment.
I don't know too much about these things, so I ask for help from more conscious! Would anyone illuminate about these things? Suggests? Links? Thank you very much! :)
 
I don't use a puter to record so someone else will have to suggest interfaces for that many channels. I know they are out there so I'm sure someone will be along shortly..
but may I ask why you'd use that many mics on a set of drums? Or is it a percussion section?
Because on a set of drums you're gonna get a ton of phase issues with that many mics and I don't think you'd really improve the sound. The norm seems to be 4-6 mics and I, personally, have gotten to where I use 3 or 4 ... fewer mics means less phase cancellations.
 
One mic for kick, a trigger for kick also, two mics for snare (top/bottom), one mic for five toms (three rack toms and two floortoms), two overheads and if necessary also mics for two hi-hats and two rides.
 
Uge said:
One mic for kick, a trigger for kick also, two mics for snare (top/bottom), one mic for five toms (three rack toms and two floortoms), two overheads and if necessary also mics for two hi-hats and two rides.
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I'd say you don't need a trigger for the kick if you are also micing it. If you desire to mix in some samples on the kick, just trigger the samples with the kick mic audio. I'd also say the mics for rides and hihats are a bit excessive. You'd be surprised at how well rides and hihats cut through just with the overheads. I'd look into room micing before I decided to mic hihat/ride.
 
With trigger I can get kicksample in in-ear-monitoring during recording. I'm gonna use kick mic mostly, but trigger can be necessar for exceptions. For example if I need to play +250bpm double bass, I may need a trigger to hear what I'm playing with sampled kick sound if a mic can't sort out the strokes precise enough. :) Sometimes I play very detailed patterns on hi-hats and rides and in situation like that, sometimes surfacing only rides and hihats can be important. I'm looking for pretty sterile sound. ;) Thanks for the replys guys!!
 
Uge said:
With trigger I can get kicksample in in-ear-monitoring during recording. I'm gonna use kick mic mostly, but trigger can be necessar for exceptions. For example if I need to play +250bpm double bass, I may need a trigger to hear what I'm playing with sampled kick sound if a mic can't sort out the strokes precise enough. :) Sometimes I play very detailed patterns on hi-hats and rides and in situation like that, sometimes surfacing only rides and hihats can be important. I'm looking for pretty sterile sound. ;) Thanks for the replys guys!!
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Alright, cool man. Whatever works for you :)
 
With firewire interfaces (such as the Echo Audiofire range) you are able to daisy-chain additional interfaces to increase your physical channel count.
 
The MOTU stuff has a lot of gozintas and gozoutas. I use a 2408 with a HD24 so I have 24 symultainious ins and outs.
 
Once you go above 8 inputs, you're not going to find cheap ways to do it. There certainly are solutions but be prepared to spend some money. To the names of gear suppliers already mentioned, I'd add RME.

Or, you could look at a second hand digital mixer like a Yamaha 01V96, add an Audinate Dante card and feed up to 16 tracks into your computer via a single CAT5 cable.

However, I'd join with others to say that I question your need for that many microphones on a drum kit. I've never used more than 8 even though I have the mics and facilities for up to 32 tracks. Overheads do a fine job on all your cymbals, I don't always mic every individual tom, etc. Unless you have a great drum kit, a great selection of microphones, plenty of experience and a good space for recording, you may wish to rethink your plans.
 
I use 12 mics on a kit in some situations. That is including a room mic, and alternate overhead mics. Yes, I mic HH and Ride separate to the overheads. The genre I typically work with requires control of them, more than overheads can give alone. IMO, a bottom snare mic is a waste of time if you are doing 250 BPM type of music. The snare wires will kill what you are looking for. I assume you are doing speed metal. Please elaborate there. It will mean much as to the advice I would give.
 
Just get an interface with 8 inputs and make sure it has adat inputs then get an 8 ch preamp and hook up light pipe adat then boom you've got 16 channels. I just got a digimax d8 for $300 to add to my 1818 works perfectly.
 
Pahtcub said:
Just get an interface with 8 inputs and make sure it has adat inputs then get an 8 ch preamp and hook up light pipe adat then boom you've got 16 channels. I just got a digimax d8 for $300 to add to my 1818 works perfectly.
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I'm running something similar. Profire 2626 with a digimax d8 and toneport ux2. 18in, 8out.
 
My friend Uge save money and space and headache if your new to this and you want to mic a band and you do everything your self. Then purchase a Apogee Duet 2. Trust me you will be glad you did. Im telling some big rack with 8 inputs and outs thats $800 and up please dont do it till you feel your ready! Apogee Duet 2 my friend thas your answer.
 
jaynm26 said:
My friend Uge save money and space and headache if your new to this and you want to mic a band and you do everything your self. Then purchase a Apogee Duet 2. Trust me you will be glad you did. Im telling some big rack with 8 inputs and outs thats $800 and up please dont do it till you feel your ready! Apogee Duet 2 my friend thas your answer.
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how is that gonna answer his need for 15 tracks since it has 2? And it's USB.
Definitely NOT what he needs.
 
I always love these threads. "WHY U NEED SO MANY TRACKS NOOB."

Because I want them? Why is that not a good enough answer?

I used to despise not having enough available channels and having to compromise. Better to have tracks you can ditch later than go "shit I really wish I had recorded that."
 
I always love these threads. "WHY U NEED SO MANY TRACKS NOOB."

Because I want them? Why is that not a good enough answer?

I used to despise not having enough available channels and having to compromise. Better to have tracks you can ditch later than go "shit I really wish I had recorded that."

EDIT: I had no idea I had 2 accounts on this forum.
 
Why isn't a good enough answer? Because it's the recording equivalent of "I'm just learning to drive and I want a car that can do at least 200 miles per hour to learn in".

Seriously, there are lots of things to consider. First off, the budget is not unlimited. This means that, to get 15 tracks there will have to be compromises in quality. Can the OP really afford 15 channels of interface plus 15 really good mics, 15 cables, 15 stands, etc. etc.? If not, maybe the money would be better spent on 8 channels (which can generally do a darn good job of recording drums) and getting better quality gear that can lead into expansions later.

Nobody's mentioned monitoring or acoustic treatment yet either--but I'd spend money in that direction before deciding I needed the extra channels.

Second, just as the budget isn't limited, neither is the skill level or experience. It's worth pointing out that recording 15 channels at once is considerably more difficult to get right than a smaller number. I've been playing with this stuff for 40 years and I still have to really think about getting up to a large number of tracks. I do it--but it stretches my skills every time.

So...clearly the choice is up to the OP but I think it's worth pointing out the potential drawbacks and other options. If the OP still wants his first drive in a 200 mph car, that's up to him.

Perhaps the idea of an 8 channel interface with ADAT is a good one--start with 8 channels, do some practising and, if he still wants more inputs, he can add 8 preamps with ADAT out at a later date.
 
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