Uprading my studio with more equipment, now Ive got more questions.

[Roozter]

Me and my drummer have been recording guitars/drum kit base tracks seperately for some time now, using a two channel Tascam USB interface. Now I can get by with recording like this If I have to, but its just not yielding great results. At least not good enough for me to self-record my own 14 song album, and hand it off expecting a call back.

Now that I have some cash to blow, Im preparing to go all out on the things we need to get it done right. Im getting a Tascam US-2000 then Im recording the drums with 4-5 mics now (Top Snare, Bottom Snare, Kick, either 1-2 OH's, and possibly trying to capture toms) The rest of the XLR inputs will be dedicated to guide vocals and either acoustic guitar or the electric guitar/amp so we can live record together.

The issue Ive run into now is that Im confused on the mic pre situation. I want to buy a nice pre for at least vocals/guitars and when I do bass/keyboard tracks afterwards. But then again I dont want to have a discernible difference between the drums going in to the pre's on the Tascam and the other tracks going in to the mic pre.

So first of all will there be a huge difference in sound if I dont put all the mics in to pre's? and second of all, I want to buy a good pre, im thinking of the Golden Age Project Pre aka the Neve clone (seeing as the Neve is what im always using on my software). But is there an 8-channel pre that is a vintage clone I could get or at least an 8-channel with a great sound for about the same price?

 

[kcearl]

Me and my drummer have been recording guitars/drum kit base tracks seperately for some time now, using a two channel Tascam USB interface. Now I can get by with recording like this If I have to, but its just not yielding great results. At least not good enough for me to self-record my own 14 song album, and hand it off expecting a call back.

Now that I have some cash to blow, Im preparing to go all out on the things we need to get it done right. Im getting a Tascam US-2000 then Im recording the drums with 4-5 mics now (Top Snare, Bottom Snare, Kick, either 1-2 OH's, and possibly trying to capture toms) The rest of the XLR inputs will be dedicated to guide vocals and either acoustic guitar or the electric guitar/amp so we can live record together.

The issue Ive run into now is that Im confused on the mic pre situation. I want to buy a nice pre for at least vocals/guitars and when I do bass/keyboard tracks afterwards. But then again I dont want to have a discernible difference between the drums going in to the pre's on the Tascam and the other tracks going in to the mic pre.

So first of all will there be a huge difference in sound if I dont put all the mics in to pre's? and second of all, I want to buy a good pre, im thinking of the Golden Age Project Pre aka the Neve clone (seeing as the Neve is what im always using on my software). But is there an 8-channel pre that is a vintage clone I could get or at least an 8-channel with a great sound for about the same price?

I dont know any 8 channel preamp that would have the GAP colour/quality, at least none I could afford...i have a digimax d8, i feel compared to my focusrite preamps it takes a little of the top end off, which i dont mind, bit more variation...i think the octo pre is a good bet, was just a little more than i wanted to spend...but these wont really add any colour if thats what you were wanting

The focusrite isa 828 will give you colour if you want, and eight quality preamps...but at a price

As for different quality of sound, i dont think it makes any difference overall...i use the GAP for guitars/ bass...focusrite for synths...digimax for drums...and i have dmp2's for any (rare) vocals...they all sit in the same mix fine

 

[Roozter]

I dont know any 8 channel preamp that would have the GAP colour/quality, at least none I could afford...i have a digimax d8, i feel compared to my focusrite preamps it takes a little of the top end off, which i dont mind, bit more variation...i think the octo pre is a good bet, was just a little more than i wanted to spend...but these wont really add any colour if thats what you were wanting

The focusrite isa 828 will give you colour if you want, and eight quality preamps...but at a price

As for different quality of sound, i dont think it makes any difference overall...i use the GAP for guitars/ bass...focusrite for synths...digimax for drums...and i have dmp2's for any (rare) vocals...they all sit in the same mix fine

Yeah, that was the main issue I was trying to avoid. I didnt want to have an obvious difference between GAP tracks and the tracks going direct in to the Tascam US-2000. All Im really looking for is a pre to help give my new tube mics that "wow" factor. I was thinking of picking up two GAP's for guitar micing and maybe another multi-channel for the OH/Snare's/Kick. Any suggestions on a good coloured pre for drums? Id say what I need from my drum sound right now is a little more body and presence in the mix, which is why im adding the bottom snare mic, ugraded kick mic, the tom mic and the OH. But I dont see a point in that without putting them through a decent pre.

EDIT: The sound I generally go for is kind of a poppy/soundscape/ambient type sound. Kind of like The Beatles meet Chillwave.