Help with recording several sources at once

[Grad]

Ok I am a total noob at this and this seems to be the place to become enlightened. I have a MacBook Pro and would like to record using my Garageband software. My friends and I like to get together and jam quite often, so i would like to get together a portable setup that gives decent results. Generally we have two guitars (sometimes electric, sometimes acoustic) as well as a harmonica. I want to record all of this into GarageBand, perhaps as separate tracks but that isn't essential. I keep reading about all of the different audio interfaces ( like the Fast Track Pro series) but why can't I just buy a mixer like the Behringer 502 and run the instruments through it and then into the line-in port on my MacBook Pro? Thoughts?

 

[Massive Master]

I'd highly suggest some sort of interface with built-in preamps (I can't believe I'm saying that, but that's what I'd suggest in this case). PreSonus, M-Audio - Something with maybe 8 preamps through a FireWire line and you're in pretty decent shape.

 

[Grad]

I have been reading about the Tascam 1641....would that do everything I need?

 

[Massive Master]

That would probably do nicely.

 

[Vipasana]

I'd highly suggest some sort of interface with built-in preamps (I can't believe I'm saying that, but that's what I'd suggest in this case). PreSonus, M-Audio - Something with maybe 8 preamps through a FireWire line and you're in pretty decent shape.

May I ask you why can't you believe you saying that? What's wrong with that?

 

[Muzzaman]

May I ask you why can't you believe you saying that? What's wrong with that?

Yeah +1 for wanting to know what's wrong with that too??

 

[TheBBc]

Ok I am a total noob at this and this seems to be the place to become enlightened. I have a MacBook Pro and would like to record using my Garageband software. My friends and I like to get together and jam quite often, so i would like to get together a portable setup that gives decent results. Generally we have two guitars (sometimes electric, sometimes acoustic) as well as a harmonica. I want to record all of this into GarageBand, perhaps as separate tracks but that isn't essential. I keep reading about all of the different audio interfaces ( like the Fast Track Pro series) but why can't I just buy a mixer like the Behringer 502 and run the instruments through it and then into the line-in port on my MacBook Pro? Thoughts?

I'm a newbie too but I have put extensive thought in to this very subject. When I first started learning the recording game I was under the impression I could just buy a cheap mixing board and then record from that into the computer... However most mixing boards seem to only have stereo Outs... so no matter how many inputs the darn thing had you were still only getting a Stereo mix of two tracks recording into the software.

So then I started looking at the new digital mixers with USB connections.... however it seemed that even they didn't have that ability unless you spent a whole shwack of money.

My solution was a Motu Audio Interface called the 8 Pre.
It works great with Macs, as it use's Firewire.
It is small and very portable.
Has 8 XLR/TRS inputs that translate directly to 8 individual tracks on the computer.
Can be expanded via optical cable to make 16 inputs and more.
It has a good sample rate and so far the Pre-Amps seem pretty decent... but the jury is still out on that.

 

[grimtraveller]

May I ask you why can't you believe you saying that? What's wrong with that?

Yeah +1 for wanting to know what's wrong with that too??

Do a quick search and look up some of Massive Master's posts, say, over the last 6 months. You'll understand why he said that. And hopefully you'll have a good laugh doing so because unwittingly or not, he can be pretty funny.

 

[guitarplayr82]

why can't I just buy a mixer like the Behringer 502 and run the instruments through it and then into the line-in port on my MacBook Pro? Thoughts?

You could do this, but it is better to get an audio interface. There are two main reasons behind this:

1. The line-in port on your MacBook Pro is a stereo port, so it could only ever record two channels at once. Sure, it could record more than two microphones, but some of the microphones would have to be recorded together into one track. This means you would never have complete control over each microphone, only control over a track that has two mics pre-mixed together.
2. The soundcards shipped with most computers aren't very high quality. Plugging into the soundcard port on your Mac won't give you as good quality as what you would get with an interface.

 

[Massive Master]

Hello Everyone

Running around the forums typing "Hello Everyone" in a bunch of posts isn't going to help your popularity...

WTF???

 

[stevieb]

... however it seemed that even they didn't have that ability unless you spent a whole shwack of money...

What's a SHWACK? Got a pic of one?

OP, have you TRIED recording in two channels? From your post, it sounds to me like you might actually prefer that- you can run thru a "normal" mixer, mixing the sound down to two channels, and record that. You will get to spend lots more time playing, having spent lots less time mixing/tweaking/recording.

Yeah, I know- a radical thought, for this forum.

 

[Grad]

Thanks you all, I received the Tascam 1641 yesterday and it is perfect for what I need. I love how many different inputs it has and I have it all hooked up to my Mac running Garageband.