easiest way to...

[unisux]

HI,

I've been put in charge of finding an "easy" solution to record and mix tracks for my girlfriends' father on his computer.

Currently he has a Tascam 424 mk III and a fairly beefy computer. He wants to record several tracks from his electric and acoustic guitars then mix them. He's just getting started and wanted to find out what sound card he should buy.

I'll be recommending that he buy a Audigy or Soundtrack Audio DSP24 value, depending on how much he wants to spend ( not too much ) Are either of these suitable?? As he will only be recording one instrument at a time.. The method he wants to use is as follows,

Plug guitar into Tascam, adjust levels until sound is right, output from Tascam to PC and record. Record also using the tascam tape recorder. Repeat for all tracks (listening to the previous track recorded on tape for audio cues). Then mix using software.

Is this feasible?? Will the tape playback also be output to the pc or can the incoming signal be isolated from the playback.
Will it end up being to complex an operation when doing the final mixing??


thanks in advance

 

[Seanmorse79]

I'd recommend using one or the other. You can use the Tascam as a preamp, but I'd monitor using your recording software. If you're recording one track at a time, you'd have synchronization problems if you're monitoring with the 4 track.

If you're only recording one instrument at a time, you really don't need the 4 track at all (except if it's all you have for a preamp). Keep it all in the computer.

You can probably do better than the Audigy for recording (for the same price range). You can't go wrong with Delta products (M-Audio). You can do some searches in this forum and get a wealth of info on sound cards.