Help Me Build My Studio!

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ProgDrummer79

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OK, so after quite some time of researching everything online I could think of, it seems like you guys could help a heck of a lot more than google could!

Aside from using a crappy digital mulitracker, I am pretty new to home recording, and have never done computer recording on my own.

I want to get into computer recording, but not sure what software/hardware to get.
I, like everyone else, would like to go as cheap as possible while making a miminal amount of sacrifices. I don't necessarily have a budget, but I am doing this as a hobby only, so I don't need a $50,000 mixing board just to make recordings and play them for my friends and family.

I need to record drums, which I am a little confused about. I have a 7 piece kit (not counting any overheads, etc.) so I need to have an interface that can has several inputs. I have seen a Tascam 1800, which I think has 16. Is this all I need to plug into recording software, like protools, or do I need something else added to it?

I will also be recording guitar, bass, and vocals, but this should be an easy task if I get the drums figured out.

I have plenty of drum and vocal mics, which are inexpensive ones, but will work for what I need.

If possible, I would like to be able to record a live band. My friends and I play together, and have tossed around the idea of playing a few small bars in the area, and would like to make a recording to give to the managers. The live recordings will be made at my home, so nothing has to be mobile at this time. I would just like to be able to record the whole band at my home all at once.

If possible, I would like to use a laptop to accomplish this. I am in the process of buying one. It will only be used for recording, and typical web surfing, emailing, etc. My thoughts are that if I can record it all onto a laptop, when I work out of town, I can edit everything while I'm sitting in the motel with nothing better to do. I want to use a computer separate from my home computer, since my "studio" is in a separate building from my house, but I don't want to buy 2 computers (one for studio and one for travel).

Overall quality of the recordings doesn't need to be super professional, just a minimal amount of noise, and maybe the ability to upgrade certain things once I play around and start to get the hang of things.

To sum it up:
---Need recording software (which one? would be best suited?)
---need a laptop (anything to look out for when buying one?)
---need interface (need to record several tracks at once)
---need to record live (can I buy 2 interfaces and hook them together? anything else to think about?)

I already have:
---all instruments
---all mics

I know alot of this is elementary for most of you, but I will appreciate any input you can give. Just keep in mind that since I am a novice, and dont plan on marketing my music at this point, there are probably alot of technical things you as professionals might do to make a masterpiece, whereas I am only doing this for fun and as a hobby.

If you have suggestions on different types/brands of type, post a link or pic if possible.

I also understand that there may be a chance that I can't do what I'm looking to do, at least not without spending crap loads of money, but I guess thats why I'm here, to ask people with more knowledge than me and hopefully be able to come up with a game plan. Thanks!
 
As a user of the Tascam, I would highly recommend it for what you are looking to do. It comes with a limited version of Cubase, that would suffice until you are sure that that is the DAW you wish to use.

The 1800 will record 10 mics out of the box. To get to the full 16, you will need two, 2 channel preamps with audio outputs, and a 2 channel preamp with spdif output. A mixer could be used as one of the 2 channel preamps.

If have any more questions about the 1800, feel free to ask.

:)
 
Hey there,
I'm only gonna touch on the simultaneous IO part of this, and the software.

You're right; on paper the us1800 has 16 inputs, but really it has 8 mic preamps, 6 line inputs (2 of which can take instruments) and two digital inputs.

That means out of the box you can record using eight microphones.
Beyond that you'll need to be DIing or buying more preamps.

There are interfaces that can be daisy chained. I'm not bang up to date on the info, but I think I remember reading that the presonus FP10 can be daisy chained.

If that's true, two of them would give you 16 mic inputs.

It's also worth considering interfaces that have 8 mic preamps and adat input.
One of those coupled with an 8 channel adat preamp (focusrite octopre for example) would also give 16 mic preamps.

Really you'd need to work out the absolute maximum number of analog inputs you'll need at any given time, and how many of them need to have mic preamps in front of them.

Software wise, reaper is frequently pushed around here because it's a very capable and very cheap alternative to the likes of ProTools.
If you're starting out without a preference or experience with a certain suite, I'd go with reaper.

EDIT: Or cubase like Jimmy said. His post came in while I was typing.

Hope that's useful.
 
Steenamaroo said:
Hey there,
I'm only gonna touch on the simultaneous IO part of this, and the software.

You're right; on paper the us1800 has 16 inputs, but really it has 8 mic preamps, 6 line inputs (2 of which can take instruments) and two digital inputs.

That means out of the box you can record using eight microphones.
Beyond that you'll need to be DIing or buying more preamps.
Click to expand...

Quick correction;

1800 actually has 10 preamps. 8XLR, and two 1/4" unbalanced. XLR to 1/4" works. :)
 
Why, because I'm pretty? lol!

I use to use inputs 9/10 for HH and Ride, before I added preamps. They are 1/4" line inputs (switchable to High Z), but the preamps are just as strong as 1-8.

Hate away Mr. Hater! lol
 
This is good stuff!

So if recording a live band, i would need a bare minimum of 9 inputs for drums, up to 2 guitars, 1 bass, up to 3 vocal mics, for a grand total of 15.

So if I am understanding this correct, could I daisy chain 2 of the tascams together without the need for extra preamps? that would make a total of 20 inputs. They aren't super expensive, so that would be do-able if you could tie two of them together.

as for cubase, do they make several versions? you said that the 1800 comes with a version of it, but could I upgrade to something better later on? can do alot of good editing with the free version?

Any input on the idea of the laptop?


Oh and I almost forgot. If I go with the tascam, it comes with cubase. Is the tascam compatible with any software? because if the tascam works for what I need, and I choose to upgrade the software, would this limit me? or does cubase have some really fancy versions that I could upgrade to later?

Thanks again guys!
 
The biggest drawback of the USB Tascam, is that you cannot daisy chain them.

The 1800 comes with Cubase LE5. Yes, you can do all the editing you wish with it.

I use cheap ART preamps for my scratch tracks. 11/12 TPSII ($90 used Ebay), 13/14 Dual MP ($50 used Craigslist), and 15/16 DPSII ($209 new B&H).

No clue about laptops. :(

I think Protools does not work with Tascam because of the way it controls latency settings, or something like that. Just something I remember hearing.
 
Oh, and yes, the full version of Cubase (Cubase 6) is what I use. Many more features than LE, but I have recorded whole projects with LE5.
 
jimmys69 said:
I think Protools does not work with Tascam because of the way it controls latency settings, or something like that. Just something I remember hearing.
Click to expand...

I think it works, but not as part of the aggregate device thing.
 
Bare bones good recording

rokit monitors are some of the best low end monitors you can get. the tascam us-1800 is one of the best input to cost interfaces.

i highly recommend investing in either logic or protools, because they are the industry standards. just learn em.
 
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