Equipment Help!

[adolescentsfan]

I need some help please. I've gotten some money to buy my recording equipment, I'm making a demo with voice, guitar, and drums. I've been looking at a certain 4-track.
This better link.
http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--ZOMMRS4B
On the "important accessories" list what do I need? All I have right now is a guitar, guitar amp, 1 guitar cable, and my drum kit. My budget is around $300. Thank you for any help you can give me. This is my first post here.

 

[SMX_Dizzy]

I don't know from experience or anything (yet), but you'll need mics for the drums (at least 2 overheads, maybe an overhead and a kick, or any overhead, kick, and snare), and a mic for the amp/voice.

 

[adolescentsfan]

I was thinking about getting a couple mics and multitracking the drums if need be. I was wondering if I needed a mic pre-amp. Do I?

 

[punkin]

This is my experience talking here. It's just me and my opinion. I started out quite awhile back looking for something on a very tight budget trying to go "digital" and ditch the tape machine. So I picked up a Fostex MR-8 (a very similar product). I ran into all sorts of limitations many of which were on the creative flow side of things. Then, mic selection was limited since the box didn't provide 48 Volt phantom power and recording more than 2 tracks at a time came up when it came to getting some decent sounding drums (not to say you can't do it with two mics).

I quickly reviewed the specs on that box, it looks like 2 simultaneous tracks for recording at a time and no mention of phantom power. Just a couple things to consider. Also, if you read the review (subjective I know) most are in the "so-so" range. Many of them talk about the optional power supply (more money) limitations of the recording media size wise and the ease of operation.

My suggestion would be to hold off, do just a bit more homework and work your thought processes on what do you really want to do and how best to get there.

Now all you other guys out there don't start throwing the flaming spears. I've heard of some folks being perfectly happy with set up's like this. I'm just offereing my experiences up and hopefully get this person off to a good start without becoming a gear collector in search of the perfect set up.

Question, do you have a PC? I think a budget/peformer audio interface card and maybe an inexpensive mult-channel mixer can give you a bit more flexibilty. Or, again with the sound card and budget descrete mic pre's. I'm just opening up some possibilities here in case you haven't thought of these just yet.

Peace man

 

[adolescentsfan]

Thanks for all the info, I've been waiting for a long time already though, I really need to do something. I'm making garage Punk, not a philharmonic masterpiece. I really need to know if I need the mic pre-amp with any 4-track. I'll check out some more recording systems thanks to you, but do I need a mic pre-amp? I have to figure out where my budget is going to be spent so I can get the best equipment possible.

My computer is terrible, I can't afford a new one and I don't feel like upgrading this piece of trash.