A setup for mostly live recording...

  • Thread starter Thread starter Godsguitarist
  • Start date Start date
G

Godsguitarist

New member
Hey guys!! Our Youth Praise and Worship band is growing better and better. We are looking at recording a CD and what not. Also, I am considering recording for a career (looking at MTSU's Recording Industry Major... I'm 17 and Junior in high school). Now then. I gave you that because that more or less explains why I'm wanting to buy a good card dedicated to recording. I am looking at buying a card with at least 8 inputs and preferable 2 mic preamps for my personal projects I will do at home when I don't have access to a mixer. For a computer, I have an Athlon XP 1600+ w/256MB of DDR RAM, a Radeon 7500 Ultra (dual monitor support, and I have two monitors for what it's worth), a Maxtor 30GB 7200RPM HDD dedicated to games, general storage, and recording, currently a 2GB HDD that is for OS and basic programs (soon to be upgraded to 20GB Western Digital as soon as I transfer everything...), all on an Abit KG7. I am only using a Sound Blaster PCI 16 for audio right now, but now that I'm working two jobs, I'll get more money and will probably at least upgrade to a Sound Blaster LIVE! or Audigy MP3 or the like. Anyways, here is my main question:

I want to be able to do good-quality recording. Will it be worth the extra cost or to sacrafice features to get a card that has balanced ins? My specific example: SAudio's C-port (with preamps, but not balanced) verses Delta 1010 (not the LT. No preamps, BUT 10 balanced ins and outs). I will have access to a mixer most of the time and may actually buy the one that we replaced with a Mackie CFX20 at church, it's a Yamaha 16 channel, 2 bus with 3 auxs.

My main recording needs will probably grow, eventually, into recording everything (drum kit, vocals, guitars, bass, etc) and I would like to get as close to being able to do that now as possible. I do plan on using MIDI and sound modules for drums for projects that it does not bother me to use them on, if that makes any sense. Does anyone have any suggestions to this? Also, what of the Delta 1010LT? It seems to have all I want, except a few major draw backs: it doesn't have a breakout box, the inputs are unbalanced and (!!!) RCA's, and the converters are on the card, and thus more likely to incur unwanted noise. If anyone could give me some insight, I'd be very grateful. My budget is limited to around $500 max, and I'm willing to buy used. Thanks in advance. C-ya!!

In Christ Jesus,

Brandon
 
If you are going to be doing mostly live recording, that means multiple mics, and mics mean low-imp mic cables. So you need something with pre-amps. If your recording gear is going to be spread out, balanced lines are a plus. So you may want to consider purchasing a small mixer and then running the mixer into your sound card. However you might find all this impossible on a $500 budget, that will be enough for a good sound card but not much more. The cheapest mixers start at about $100 (a small Behringer) plus you need to factor in mics (cheapest good one is a Shure SM-57, about $85 each) and cables.
 
Dont waste your money on a soundblaster. Your best move right now would be the best soundcard you can afford.

Any of the Delta's will give you pro results if used correctly. Just get one with the most in/outs you can afford.

Since you can use the church stuff hold off on buying cheap short term use equipment like little Behringers and use the borrowed gear until you can afford good stuff for yourself.

Dont buy the Yamaha. Borrow the Mackie ;) At least use it for your mixdowns. You can use a small preamp like the audio buddy or the built in ones on a Delta for your tracking.
 
Hey guys!! Thanks for the replies. First off, I'll just say I'm leaning towards a Delta 1010 (the original with rackmount breakout box, not the new one the "1010LT"). Second off, maybe I just wasn't clear enough, but I have access to 32 preamps. :) Preamps are not a concern because I have access to a 16 channel yamaha and a 20 channel Mackie. :) Also, here is how everything will most likely be run. I will probably mic the drums with the Yamaha and send that signal up the snake, balanced, to the Mackie. From the Mackie, I'll only be coming out of the inserts into the breakout box. A maximum of 10 feet cables. That should prevent any noise from long runs or anything. I am mainly debating between a C-port (has everything except balanced ins/outs and the Delta 1010 (is a little more expensive and doens't have preamps). Any ideas? As far as the soundblaster thing goes, I'll probably still get one just to use for standard audio and surround sound. :) Also, I've heard of people using their regular cards for other small processing problems. Anyways, thanks for your advice. Do you understand my situation better? I know I won't be going far with these cables, and, thus, it shouldn't be a problem getting a C-port. However, this won't be the only thing I'll be doing with this DAW. I can easily add preamps, but I cannot easily add balanced inputs. In fact, they can't be after market. lol... I think I just answered my own question, but I'm still debating. Thanks again guys. Anyone else have anything to say?

In Christ Jesus,

Brandon
 
If you have the mixers, I think you'll be happiest with the Delta 1010. Plus, it will sound great, not that the C-Port does not, but I KNOW the Delta DOES!

Good luck with your P&W group!

H2H
 
Hey H2H!! Thanks for the input. Over all, I think that's the way I'll go, should I choose to do this. I would really like to get a card, but I'm also in need of another guitar right now due to the fact that another Christian Rock band I'm in, we play in 3 tunings (nothing major... E, Drop D, and Drop C), so I have been really looking at getting an Ibanez RG421... very sweet guitar for the price ($399 from a local dealer). The way I'm looking at it is this: I can add preamps to my rig, and get nice ones at that; however, I cannot add balanced inputs to a C-port, at least not as easily as adding preamps. :) Besides that, I have access to those mixers. One of them we're currently not even using (the yamaha... replaced it with the Mackie last week), so I could probably even borrow it. Well, I guess I'll go. Gotta go configure another computer system to build. :) Thank you, guys, for the advice and suggestions. I do appreciate all of it. Should I choose to get one of these over a guitar and my parents are cool with it, I'll probably go with a used Delta 1010. Thanks again!!

In Christ Jesus,

Brandon
 
You included a question about balanced inputs. If this is used in the context of live work, you're likely to have cables all over the place. Go with balanced cabling every inch of the way if you can. Otherwise, you'll be picking up the occasional AM radio station from Tulsa and you'll get killer tracks with a little Ernie's Car Lot - Take the Shirt Off Our Back!! tossed in for good measure now and then. It might be interesting, but it's a little intrusive.

-----
Run balanced!!
 
Hi Treeline!! I am probably 85% positive I'll go with a Delta 1010, and it's balanced. :) Yeah, we will have cables running everywhere, and I would be really, really ticked to find that we were advertising for Ernie's Car Lot. :) Thanks for the tip. The only thing that concerns me is that I don't think I'll be able to go balanced from the mixer to the Delta. :( The good thing is that these will be the ONLY unbalanced singnals and they will be very short (probably most of them will be 6ft, no more and less if possible). We just built a sound booth (literally... built it last week with my band manager whom also runs sound for both my band and the praise band:)) so I'll have some room to work with. We'll see how everything goes. Thanks again. If anyone else has anything, please feel free to add in. Later!!

In Christ Jesus,

Brandon
 
Hey guys! Just found this board tonight and am really enjoying it. I just wanted to pose a question to Godsguitarist and all the rest who posted to this thread.
Many of you have praised the Delta 1010 card and I've heard a lot of good things about it before reading more here. What I was just wondering though is this: Why it over the Aardvark Q10? I've done some research on the Q10 and it looks like it is SUPER solidly built, it uses the combo XLR & 1/4" inputs, has 8 mic pres (4 w/ phantom), 2 guitar inputs, headphone out w/ lvl, monitor out w/ lvl, MIDI, SP/DIF, 8 +4/-10 outs, AND it goes for $50-$100 bucks less than the Delta 1010. What's not to like?!? I've read a couple of reviews on it and the reviewers went gaagaa over it (here's the link to one, http://www.audiomidi.com/aboutus/reviews/douglas_q10.cfm, I couldn't refind the other one I saw.)
Anyway, looks like a lot of good info flowing through here. Good Luck on your career choice Godsguitarist. I went the recording university route (U of Miami and U of Memphis) and MTSU is a GREAT program. Plus, you've got access to all the possible contacts you could ever want. Don't lose faith!!!

Mike
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top