FX and Recording-When and Where?

[k bucks]

I've got a fairly simple recording set up, tascam 8 track and alesis mixer...but where do I hook up the effects? Is it best to use the boxes on each individual track while recording or afterwards via the aux sends/returns during mixing (or even the inserts)? Is there another way that I don't know about? How do you place your effects?

-k

 

[manning1]

this is one of those how many stars are there in the sky questions.
this is what seperates the real high end audio engineer from the rest of us. ie...what to use and when. and relates often to how you want the final mix to sound. and what the song needs.
in the tracking stage you can lay down fx like in the old days when they had
fewer tracks to play(problem is YOU HAVE TO COMMIT EARLY ON) with like they used to have with 3 track machines.
or - after the fact. at mixdown. you didnt say what effects you have ?
all i can tell you is how i would use this limited number of tracks.
i would have the band play live and get a good stereo bed track of drums, bass, and rhythm guitars recorded to 2 tracks of the 8. this leaves you with 6 more tracks. there is a TRICK you can use to get more tracks.
when you have filled up the 8 tracks you could mix to two tracks in stereo
and record the mix in stereo on a pc.(assuming you have say an audiophile level sound card). then send out the stereo mix from the pc back to two tracks on a fresh reel of tape and add 6 more tracks.
thus you could get a pretty sophisticated production this way.
another way is sometimes you can find used tascam 8 tracks for 250 bucks if you search. thus you could then build up 8 tracks on machine 1 (your current one) then mix to stereo on two tracks of machine 2 and add six more tracks.
if you detail your equipment more thoroughly i'll try and make more suggestions. frankly , now i use a pc and can do 48 track recording on it.
might be something to consider for the future.
peace.

 

[k bucks]

Sorry about the general nature of this question......to specify, its a TSR-8 reel to reel and I've got a couple of alesis' nano-fx (however, i'm looking into purchasing a kurzweil rumour, or something better than the nanoverb). Running out of tracks isn't a problem since I can bounce on the 8 track or, as you suggested, mix to my computer and then back to the tape machince. Plus, i'm not so interested in recording a "band" as such, but more in instrumental work (traditional irish music) or singer/songwriter stuff. I'm just trying to get some ideas about how to utilize an fx processor with such a set up.

-k

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo $$:

I used to use the Aux/send/returns when I used a Tascam 8 tracker. Actually, the 8 tracker could take on two outboard Fx units, which i did.

So, I could listen to the FX and NOT record it. When I mixed down to two track stereo, I could add two different effects.

You would probably want FX on vocals and your lead instruments. I also use a drum machine and do not put FX on it as most of the patches already have FX.

I always let the talent I record, vocalists, hear FX in the cans; however, I don't add FX for real until I mix down the tracks.

Green Hornet