Hardware Recording vs Software Recoridng

[TelePaul]

Hi guys, just been considering the interraction between hradware recording and software recording.

Suppose i have a 16 trcak BOSS recorder. This stores Data on a Flash Card, and can be monitored through line out speakers/headphones. If I multi-track record that, can I then bounce the tracks onto my PC and digitally edit? I seem to have some idea in my head that editing on those 8/16 multitrack machines is kinda hard, whereas I know first hand how easy sequencers can make it.

Is this done? Im just trying to get a feel for hardware recording. Or would i only be able to take a stereo line out from the multitrack recorder? Or would I need multiple inputs on a sound card to record simultaneously?

Thanks

 

[ssscientist]

You can dump all 16 tracks over USB without having any particular type of soundcard.

Some machines have modes in which you can pick, say, track 4 which has a bass guitar on it, download it over USB to be processed thru some plugins in a sequencer, then transfer it back into the hardware unit for mixdown and use the CD burner in the hardware unit for the finished master.

Other hardware operating systems use an 'all or nothing' approach, which means it's all 16 tracks at once that you take into the computer. Then you mix them in software and produce the finished master from your computers CD burner.

Either way, it's a very good thing and a true advancement toward using the best features of hardware and software together.

.

 

[wheelema]

I've always kind of viewed all digital recordings, regardless of gear used, to be software recording. The only difference is whether the gear is dedicated and can be used only for recording or not.

Personally I think you get more bang for your buck spec'ing out your DAW, your A/D/A conversion, and your software than letting some vendor pack all that into a black box where you really have no idea what you are getting outside of the i/o and effects.