8 track into pc : Do I need extra pres ?

A

Aly

New member
hi everyone,

After a few years of multitracking using a Roland VS840 and then transport each individual audio track to the pc, I finally decided to buy a pc based solution.

Basically, I'm looking at a solution to record 8 different instruments (bass, guitars, drums, vox,..) into the pc directly. Nothing new for you guys on that matter. I just want to record the bands I'm playing in.
So I just want a good system, capable of tracking 8 instruments at once, directly on to the pc, I use Cool Edit Pro.

Recently I came to understand that I just might need an individual preamp to do this recording for each instrument. I want to record more bands with time, so I want to spend some doh on this, but not all my savings off course (looking at something like a 1000 $, less is better)

Question : Is there an easy solution to let me record all these 8 instruments simultaneously without using pres ? Is there a good hardware solution available and what's it called ?

I would appreciate your opinion on this matter very much, a new world is opening up on me !!!

Thanks
 
Just as every flower needs a bee, every mic needs a pre. No getting around it.

If you have a mixer with 8 channel inserts, then all you'll need is a multi-input sound card (or interface).
 
Thank you MadAudio !

Immediate reply from a pro, whose been around here apparently (1800+ posts !!!!!)

So, get a great mixer and an 8-in soundcard, preferably a break-out box ? Is that how it's done then by most of you ? Od do you still run in your signals via preamps ? Or is there another way around this ? I mean : good pres direct on the soundcard/break-out box ? And which one then ?

I was looking at the Delta series... Can buy 2 delta 44's I guess, those have 4 ins individually but you can combine them to get a maximum of 16 ins if I'm not mistaking.

Not expensive at all... And then maybe a good mixer where each channel strip has a Cinch-out, to go into the Delta Cinch ins ? Is that how things should be done ?

Forgive me for being stupid !!!!
lol
 
Reply 8 Tracks To Pc

HI HOW YOU DOING

TO BA ABLE TO RECORD 8 TRACKS TO A PC AL AT THE SAME TIME

1- IT DEPEND HOW YOU RECORD YOUR BAND
I GUESS YOU DO IT LIVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME
WHAT KIND OF MICROPHONES YOU USE ( PHANTOM POWER REQUIRE 1 )
DO YOU HAVE PREAMPS WITH YOUR GUITAR, BASS, VOCAL SPEAKERS...
HOW YOU PLACED YOUR MICROPHONES, THE ROOM IS SQUARE...

2- FIRST I WOULD SAY THAT THE DIGIDESIGN DIGI001 PROTOOLS 6.4 ON
WINDOWS XP
YOU GOT 8 IN 8 OUT MIDI SPDIF COAXIAL AES ALL AT 24 BITS
UP TO 44.1 KHZ SAMPLES
THIS IS A DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS BUT YOU CAN
FIND IT ON EBAY, NO PROBLEM, 425$-500$ US

3- YOU SHOULD VISIT WWW.M-AUDIO.COM
THE DELTA 1010 AND THE DELTA 1010LT ( 325$-600$ US )
WOULD BE A GREAT CHOICE WITH CUBASE SX 2 CRACKED
THIS IS THE PROGRAM I USED CRACKED ( I WONT PAY FOR THIS 1000$ )
FOR A PERSONNAL USED

4- YOU SHOULD CHECK WWW.MACKIE.COM MOTU.COM
DIGIDESIGN.COM

THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF A THE PRICE YOUR LOOKING FOR
BE SURE TO COMPARE EACH OTHER PRODUCTS
TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH ANY PROBLEMS...
 
Thanks Popoudamn !

I record :

Vocals : Shure SM58 for the vox

Guitar : Direct-in via V-amp
I am going to buy a few Shure SM57's this week to record the guitar amp with mics.

Bass : Direct-in via the Bass V-amp
Now, for the bass I have a DI also, so I can use that one as well.


And now, NO laughing please :
(I came up with this myself)
I run a Roland TD3 I think it is, V-drum, into 4 inputs on the mixer now...
I have to use 2 drum computers, so I can spli signals from kickdrum, snare, toms and cymbals.
I am not a drummer, but bought this thing for my bands and the drummers are happy with it.... NOTE : this is for recording only !!!!
those signals from the drums are line-signals thus.

You can laugh with this, but I recorded one band allready in my living room, using this technique. Everybody played through headsets. We had lots of time and no pressure at all to record our stuff and never got complaints from the neighbours as nothing was amplified through speakers (only for listening afterwards 'till it was fine)
And the demo really sounds good, I'm not kidding you.
 
8 Tracks To Pc

So Like You Said Each Mics Need A Preamps
Or
You Got A 8 In 8 Out Module Preamps With A Firewire Connection
Or Usb Interface.

Maybe You Want The Preamps You Actually Own
Because It Sound Like This And...

But Check That Firewire Interface With Integrated Preams, Usb,

Pci Interfaces And Your Preamps ( 8 )

Be Sure To Have A Good Natural Sound As You Like It
Before Doing Any Serious...
 
Oh and the vocals were done when everything was mixed, this was done in a " dead"room, so no bleed of any instrument into one another..

And the room we recorded in was kinda square, but it was not really important, as you can notice that everything was direct-in !!
 
Aly said:
Thank you MadAudio !

Immediate reply from a pro, whose been around here apparently (1800+ posts !!!!!)
Click to expand...
Well, I consider myself semi-pro. A lot of those posts are from the Cave, anyway, and usually don't have jack to do with audio, LOL!

So, get a great mixer and an 8-in soundcard, preferably a break-out box ? Is that how it's done then by most of you ? Od do you still run in your signals via preamps ? Or is there another way around this ? I mean : good pres direct on the soundcard/break-out box ? And which one then ?
Click to expand...
I do both, actually. I have 2 Layla 24/96 interfaces (16 inputs), and I run signals from both the mixer's direct outs and directly from pre-amps. But remember, if you're using a mic it must have a pre, whether it's one built into the mixer, or an external pre like the DMP3.
 
8 Tracks To Pc

SO

YOU GOT SM 58 MICS AND NT3 WICH ITS AFFORDABLE NO PROBLEMS

YOU ALREADY HAVE YOUR PREAMPS FOR EACH INTRUMENTS NO PROBLEMS

SO YOU NEAD A PREAMPS LIKE A 8 IN 8 OUT PREAMPS
( OCTANE IN PREAMP SECTION ON WWW.M-AUDIO.COM )
WITH A PCI CARD ONLY WITH ADAT OR USB OR FIREWIRE OR SPDIF

EXEMPLE OF A FIRST CONNECTION, A MODULE 8 PREAMPS + PCI CARD
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THERE TO CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU BUY IT

OR

8 DIFFERENT PREAMPS TROUGH A 8 IN 8 OUT PCI SOUNDCARD

EXEMPLE OF A SECOND CONNECTION
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF THERE TO CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU BUY IT
 
As I'm only using 1, or maybe in the future, 2 mics at a time fr recording, I guess I could buy a fine preamp just for the vocals and even use that preamp for recording the guitar via :
guitar-> guitar amp -> preamp -> dedicated pc recording solution

That could do, and I guess many of you work this way..

BUT : What you are saying is :

If I was to use POD's, or V-Amps for recording guitars, I DO NOT need preamps... and then run line-out from V-amp into PC soundrecorder directly ?

But hen : Isn't ther esome weird cabling to do ? I mean, the line out on my V-amp is a standard jack like a guitar cable.
The inputs of all those pc recording solutions are Cinch format !

Is this a problem ?

thanks
 
8 Tracks To Pc

A Mixer With 8 Tracks Would Be Ok

But The Problems Is That You Got Your Mix On Only 1 Track
It Makes A Lot Of Noise

The Best You Got To Have Each Tracks Independant In Your
Recording Sofware

Exemple Digidesign Digi001

8 In 8 Out Mic Preamps With Spdif Coaxial Output Or 8 Analog Output
To The Digi001 Withn Protools 6.4

And You Got Each Tracks Seperated In Protools
So You Be Able To Mix Each Differents In Prottols

The Best Record As The Best You Can Each Instruments
And Pass It Toruhg Interface To Be Able
To Have All Your Track Seperated In Your Software For A Good Mix
 
Thank you very much Poupoudamn...

Yes I was planning on a mixer that can send each track on individual channels to the pc, with a soundcard that has 8 inputs then.

Thank you for the info on the Octane, looks really good !
With the octane I understand I do not need a mixer, this is a complete solution, right ? and what about cable connections ? (see above)
jack to Cinch ? any problems there ?

Merci beaucoup
 
POUPOUDAMN said:
HI HOW YOU DOING

TO BA ABLE TO RECORD 8 TRACKS TO A PC AL AT THE SAME TIME

1- IT DEPEND HOW YOU RECORD YOUR BAND
I GUESS YOU DO IT LIVE ALL AT THE SAME TIME
WHAT KIND OF MICROPHONES YOU USE ( PHANTOM POWER REQUIRE 1 )
DO YOU HAVE PREAMPS WITH YOUR GUITAR, BASS, VOCAL SPEAKERS...
HOW YOU PLACED YOUR MICROPHONES, THE ROOM IS SQUARE...

2- FIRST I WOULD SAY THAT THE DIGIDESIGN DIGI001 PROTOOLS 6.4 ON
WINDOWS XP
YOU GOT 8 IN 8 OUT MIDI SPDIF COAXIAL AES ALL AT 24 BITS
UP TO 44.1 KHZ SAMPLES
THIS IS A DISCONTINUED PRODUCTS BUT YOU CAN
FIND IT ON EBAY, NO PROBLEM, 425$-500$ US

3- YOU SHOULD VISIT WWW.M-AUDIO.COM
THE DELTA 1010 AND THE DELTA 1010LT ( 325$-600$ US )
WOULD BE A GREAT CHOICE WITH CUBASE SX 2 CRACKED
THIS IS THE PROGRAM I USED CRACKED ( I WONT PAY FOR THIS 1000$ )
FOR A PERSONNAL USED

4- YOU SHOULD CHECK WWW.MACKIE.COM MOTU.COM
DIGIDESIGN.COM

THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF A THE PRICE YOUR LOOKING FOR
BE SURE TO COMPARE EACH OTHER PRODUCTS
TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH ANY PROBLEMS...
Click to expand...



Did you just tell him to illegally download Cubase??
 
8 Tracks To Pc Cubase Sx 2

I'm Sorry, I Shouldn't Mentionned This About The Cubase Sx 2
I Should Have Close My Mouth
But You Know Like They Said...
Sometimes People Have The Choice Of Doing Things...
Are You Ready To Take Responsibilty For Your Actions...
Next Time I Will Close My Mouth...
 
Question For Madaudio

I'm Using An M-audio Audiophile 2496 4 In 4 0ut Rca + Spdif
With A Presonus Bluetube Pream Mic + Mxl 1006 Microphone Condenser Mic Cardioid + You Know Cubase Sx 2

I'm About To Change For A Digidesign Digi001 With Protools 6.4
I'm In The Same Position Of Aly

But I'm Doing Rap Music

With Protools I'm Sure To Have Something More Professionnal
But I'm Stock Wwith A 32 Tracks Audio With Protools

With Cubase Sx2 I Can Run 128 Tracks Audio
That Are Most Of The Time Fully Loaded

What You Think About That

Let Me Know I

I Would Really Appreciate Your Semi Pro Opinion

Let Me Know
 
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