any cheap 16 simultaneous recording?

[cetopi]

I need to record 16 simultaneous tracks with the computer.
what are the cheapest options?

 

[Bobbsy]

Sixteen tracks of what...and what do you consider "cheap"?

The "what" is important because there are several solutions that will give you about 10 mic channels plus some line level stuff up to 16 discrete tracks. Jimmy69 will be along in a minute to mention the Tascam US1800 (10 mics plus line level to total 16 tracks) or there's the Alesis Multimix 16 USB2 which is a mixer that would give you similar facilities. Getting up to 16 microphone channels would up the cost; if it's 16 line level sources that are some other ways to handle it all.

Any reasonable DAW software would let you do 16 tracks.

However, there's where your costs start to escalate because then you need the right number of microphones, cables, stands, perhaps headphones for monitoring and so on.

So, two suggestions: first, have a read of the FAQs at the top of this page which give an excellent introduction to multitrack recording. Second, let us know exactly what you're hoping to do with the 16 tracks (and an idea of the budget you have available) and you'll get a lot more specific answers.

Bob

 

[JimmyS1969]

Jimmy69 will be along in a minute to mention the Tascam US1800

LOL! You got my number!

 

[cobaltaudio]

Well Reaper is about as cheap as you can get for proper multichannel recording software. $40!! insane.
Anyway, read this page on cheap multitrack recording and in particular this one on multitrack equipment

 

[Bobbsy]

Just for the record, now that Reaper version 4.0 has been released, the price has gone up to $60--which is still vastly cheaper than any other equivalent software.

 

[TetraFish]

A Presonus FireStudio and a Digimax would do the trick. Here's an example diagram...
http://www.presonus.com/media/diagrams/FireStudio 2626 for mobile recording.pdf

Just for the two Presonus pieces of gear you'll be spending about $1100.00

 

[cetopi]

I am talking about the hardware, not the software, 16 simultaneous recording of mic tracks.

if the interface has 16 line level inputs (or 2 of 8 inputs), i will also need 16 preamps, but that's I think that's cheaper, easier, and easy to update later

i don't like the idea of a full mixer, with faders eq and fx, since I will use the computer, maybe a rack with plenty of mic preamps and adat out?
never used that, but I think it works that way, isn't it?

lots of inputs (16, or 2 of 8), then adat out to a pci card?

 

[Bobbsy]

Well, two Behringer ADA8000s and a Frontier Designs Dakota PCI card might well be the cheapest way to achieve that sort of architecture. I used to use the Dakota (before a move to laptop meant I had to find another routing) and can vouch for that. The ADA8000s aren't great pre-amps but are quite usable unless you need to push the mic gain to the top of the settings, then they get noisy.

Or, in the USB world, you could buy one of the Tascam US1800s plus 6 external mic pres.

Frankly, I wouldn't discount the mixer, not because you need the EQ etc. but because, when you're talking setting up 16 simultaneous channels, faders are a heck of a lot faster and easier. With 16 channels you will almost certainly need headphone feeds and having some auxes available can be a lifesaver. My architecture involves a Yamaha digital mixer and I don't use the channel EQ etc. while recording...but I have used all 8 available auxes to provide customised headphone mixes when tracking. You probably don't need to go to that level, but at least a basic ability to do headphone mixes is pretty useful.

 

[JimmyS1969]

Just to note, with the 1800, two of the line inputs are s/pdif. Two (or one 2 channel) pre's would need to have s/pdif outputs.

 

[Spare Dougal]

Just to note, with the 1800, two of the line inputs are s/pdif. Two (or one 2 channel) pre's would need to have s/pdif outputs.

I'd say this was your best option but then maybe hook up an Focusrite Octopre. I'm not a huge fan of the sound of the Octopre but it works. Some people like them. I believe you can get them with a s/pdif card out (but only on an optional card) so you could have 6 octopre's into the 6 lines of the US1800, then 2 digitally.

There's no simple solution really, but the Tascam US1800 would be the best start I think. Otherwise you're talking quite a few beer tokens.

 

[TetraFish]

I am talking about the hardware, not the software, 16 simultaneous recording of mic tracks.

if the interface has 16 line level inputs (or 2 of 8 inputs), i will also need 16 preamps, but that's I think that's cheaper, easier, and easy to update later

i don't like the idea of a full mixer, with faders eq and fx, since I will use the computer, maybe a rack with plenty of mic preamps and adat out?
never used that, but I think it works that way, isn't it?

lots of inputs (16, or 2 of 8), then adat out to a pci card?

I should have mentioned that in that diagram ignore the outs to the mixer and the mixer.

 

[cetopi]

About the behringer, I know some people are changing their minds, but even though they have serve me well in the past, is the only brand I don't wanna buy.


i guess two octopre or two tascam us1800 or two presonus digimax, with any pci adat is the best option, isn't it?

 

[miroslav]

Check out the Echo/Layla stuff.... Echo Digital Audio Corporation

 

[JimmyS1969]

The 1800 is limited to 16 inputs. As far as I know, you cant add to the track count by adding another interface with it.

 

[cetopi]

the tascam 1800 has only usb, so I guess you cannot connect two

I wanna use this in a laptop, and I've found there are no ADAT cards for laptops, weird?

the options are:
focusrite octopre > focusrite saffire 40 > firewire card
this is the cheapest options

also
presonus digimax > presonus firestudio > firewire card

I'd better start saving money for the focusrite.

 

[cetopi]

repeated post (can't delete it)

 

[Bobbsy]

If you want to use ADAT on a laptop (and have Firewire available) there's always the M-Audio Profire Lightbridge. That's what I use and it works well for up to 32 channels at 48kHz. It IS fussy about the chipset though...it really needs to be TI. FYI, I've had mine for a bit over 2 years with zero problems.

 

[cetopi]

what do you mean TI?

i've seen more interfaces with adat, but the price are very expensive compared with pci cards with adat, or to firewire, even the maudio being a "cheap" option is quite expensive.

I've just found the alesis io|26
it has 8 mic inputs, firewire, and adat in, i don't know if it can be easily connected, i'm reading bad reviews, but the price has halved.

 

[Bobbsy]

TI=Texas Instruments, manufacturer of the chip set for the most common firewire interface in the computer. Quite a few audio interfaces that output via firewire specify it must be a TI chipset in the computer--including the Profire Lightbridge I mentioned.

The M-Audio is the cheapest ADAT to Firewire interface I know of because it is purely that...no other inputs other than ADAT.

Getting 16 workable mic inputs into a computer is never going to be dirt cheap I'm afraid...but, in ADAT terms, PCI is cheaper than laptops and firewire.

Mind you, by the time you buy 16 decent microphones, cables, stands, headphone distribution, headphones, etc. etc., the interfacing is the least of your financial worries!

 

[cetopi]

still need some more microphones, but not the big problem, interfaces age, but microphones are there forever if you don't abuse.

the alesis right now is much cheaper than the maudio, but i'm not sure i can get 16 inputs with it.