how do I mix down into my pc's sound card?

  • Thread starter Thread starter timandjes
  • Start date Start date
T

timandjes

New member
My Dad just gave me a computer with a CD burner and a sound card with line in. To get the most out my 4-track Tascam 414 MKII, I'd like to know how to record 4 tracks, send them into my sound card, then send them back into the Tascam 4-track on one track, (or two tracks; one panned left & one panned right) to free up tracks to add additional layers.

Before getting this computer, I was considering buying a hi fi vcr for this purpose but can anyone tell me how I can do this with my computer?
 
Just take the Main out from the fourtrack and then plug into the line in on the sound card. At some point in the process you it will occur to you that you need recording software and somebody will recomend Ntracks or CoolEditPro as less exensive programs.

Record the tracks. Then you can run the line out of the sound card back into a channel on your 4 track and record it on a fresh tape. Then you can add more tracks.

At some point in this process it will occur to you that you could just do all that on your computer and have about 24 digital tracks and ditch the casette 4 track. Then somebody will recomend ProTools LE, Sonar or Nuendo because they are better for full multitrack recording.

Then you will come here and ask what is the best sound card and somebody will recomend a Delta.
 
Thanks for the advice. If I want to move into computer recordings as opposed to my current analog recordings, what's the least expensive way for me to do that. Keep in mind, my reason for home recording is different that some..... I'm not looking to become a pro recording engineer as a career; I just want to get the best sound for the least money on tape or cd so I can pass them out and get folks familiar with my bands sound.

When I bought my Tascam, being totally new to this, I couldn't believe what all else I had to buy to go along with it. It definately wasn't the "complete recording studio in one box" that Musicians Friend advertised it as.

Right now I have
Several Recroding mics
Amplifier
4-track Tascam
2-track dual mixdown deck
Sonic Maximizer
Small Mixer
Graphic Equalizer
headphones
and now a 40 gb pc with cd burner & a sound card w/line in

What all else would I have to buy, (and what could I sell) to make decent recordings with my computer? I really appreciate the good advice you've given..
 
The only things you would absolutely need to add are a better sound card and some recording software. You could get away with the stock sound card but a pro card makes a world of a difference.

There are some entry level Delta cards starting around $180 and Ntracks software is as cheap as $40. You can go up to any level from there depending on the number of in/outs you want on the sound card and the features on the software.
 
M-Audio's Audiophile is the best bang for the buck... ($150 retail.. made by the same folks who make the Delta cards which I would also recommend) :p

And for recording software,.. you can not beat N-track as far as price/features... for 50 bucks you can do almost anything... it's insanely low priced.. I don't know what Flavio was smokin' when he decided on a price........ but I'd like some too.. :D And it's cake to use... I sat down and within the first half hour I was pumpin' out tunes... it has a simple interface and straight forward features.

My current setup (not counting the computer) cost aboot $400. (but most of it was given to me as gifts) :D In fact... come to think of it... all of it was... (muuahahahahaaa!!)

Behringer Mixer $69 (used to be 99)
Shure SM58 Mic $89
Delta 44 Card $199
N-track $50...

now.. since you already got the mics and mixers... all you gotta do is download N-track and get you an Audiophile.

WATYF

P.S... previous to this, I used a Tascam 424II 4-Track... let me tell you... I almost cried when I heard how much better my recordings sound on the PC... I spent all sorts of time on a bunch of 4 Track projects, and now they're just cr@p compared to what I can do in ten minutes on my 'puter.
 
One more question.... I downloaded N-Track. I have an old mixer that was given to me. It's a Radio Shack brand and it's got features that I don't know how to use because I don't have the book... By appearance, it's pretty old.

Here's an idea... I've got this new Tascam 414 MKII,... Since I need a mixer to use along with my pc's sound card, couldn't I just use the tascam for this? I guess it's a bit overkill for the job but since I have it, it would save me going out and buying a mixer for now... I'm thinking I could just not put a tape in it (or not press record) and run a line from the tascam into the sound card...

I'm not sure where to plug the line from the soundcard into the tascam though and I'm not sure if the Tascam will send sound to the soundcard if I've got the channels set in the mic/line position...

Until I get a chance to try it, any ideas?
 
Yes. It's been known to work.
I'm not sure if you have to put a blank tape in and press Record & Pause, but you can easily find out...

Oren
 
yeah you can do that, of course.
I used to use a Tascam 4-track for that for years, now I've got a 16Ch mixer, but i suppose you are not going to record more than 4 channels a time now, do you?
Just connect line out/ tape out to comp, and don't bother about the tape-section.
Be sure your EQ is flat, you can better EQ things in N-track (except if you want just one instrument sound different) and pan the whole bunch good, if you are going to record stereo.
You can also pan hard left/right, then you have some kind of two-track recorder (comp) and you can decide what channels go to which track by panning hard (eg. so that you record 3 ch on a bunch and got 1 to edit separately later).
But why am I explaining this btw? I'm sure you already knew.
 
So, you mean I could plug in three mics in say tracks 1 - 3. Pan two of them hard left, one of them hard right, then record that into NTrack and later seperate the right pan from the left pans as two seperate tracks?....
 
Yes, you can certainly do that.

I used a Tascam Porta 07 as a mixer/preamp a long time with good results. In fact, Ntrack has that option too (record a stereo track as 2 mono tracks.
 
Cakewalk Express Any Good?

I looked for the Audiophile 2496 and the best price I found was here. http://www.cdbm.com/shop/detail.cgi?id=128600. It's $159 and comes with Cakewalk express software. Is that any good? Does anyone know how it compares to Ntrack for features and user-friendliness?

It also comes with
GigaSampler LE and MegaPiano
Bitheadz Retro Lite and Unity Piano,
Sonic Foundry's Acid Xpress and Siren Xpress
Mixmeister's DJ mixing
Qdesign's MP3 player

whatever all that is.....?
 
While this seems like aretty good deal for the card itself, I can assure you that Cakewalk Express is a fairly uselss program (Believe me. I was stupid enough to buy it). You can only record 2 channels of audio, the effects are limited and (though it doesn't really matter to you but bugged the hell out of me) it doesn't support MIDI synchronization.
N-track is a far better deal, and only costs about 40$.
Worth it.

Oren
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top