M-box

[tbonejc1]

I wouldn't exactly say I'm a newbie, but here's a newbie-ish question.(actually 2)

I recently bought an mbox(1) with pro tools.
I'm working on some songs for demo recording. Me and my partner are handling everything but drums, so we're recording to a click.

first question:
I have a 4 track tascam tape deck, and a 4 channel pa available as mixing boards.
I'm wondering the best way to record drums.
my first thought is to mic the snare, kick, and hi-hat as 3 of the channels on the 4 track, and using 4 mics on my pa for overheads, etc...getting a good mix on there and using the line out to the 4th track on the tape machine.(playing the tune to the click and recorded music already recorded.)then(hopefully), dumping the drum tracks into protools seperately..so I at least have 4 seperate drum tracks to mess with. any thoughts on that procedure, or another way that might be better given my equipment?.

second question:
when recording to a click, what's the best way you've found to recording a gradual tempo change...
for instance, half the song recorded at 90bpm, then a acceleration over say 2 bars, ending at 120bpm for the rest of the song? is there a way to get the click to simulate this?

at a loss,
JC

 

[tbonejc1]

just curious, I've gotten a lot of views, but no replies...
are my questions stupid? please tell me if so!!!
(not impatient, just curious

 

[DavidK]

when recording to a click, what's the best way you've found to recording a gradual tempo change...
for instance, half the song recorded at 90bpm, then a acceleration over say 2 bars, ending at 120bpm for the rest of the song? is there a way to get the click to simulate this?

I dont use PT I use SONAR. However, I am assuming PT has midi.

Almost all midi sequencers work pretty much the same: there is probably something called a tempo map, where you can literally draw in a tempo increase. Record a click with midi, look for a tempo map and draw in an increase, once you find the tempo map you will understand and it should be simple.

 

[LfO]

I don't percieve your questions to be stupid. They're far easier to understand than many that come through here every day. I, for one, just don't have the personal experience to answer either question with any degree of authority. Your desire to have more drum tracks to work with makes sense, and while it would be nice not to have to put it on a low-fidelity medium (I'm assuming its a cheapy 4-track), it sounds like a better option than only using overheads and having fewer mixing options. Your limitation is an argument against Pro Tools from my perspective, but I don't want to start a war The click issue sounds like a purely artistic decision to me - something you'd have to try both ways and see how you like it. As to HOW to do it, I could tell a Sonar user, but I don't know Pro Tools.

EDIT: Feh - beaten to the post!

 

[tbonejc1]

thanks...
I don't think it's a pro tools limitation, just the mbox interface has only 2 inputs.
it's a great deal though for under$300 which maxed out my budget.
I couldn't spring for software and a major 8-16 track interface, ya know?

so far no complaints.

 

[DavidK]

or another way that might be better given my equipment?.

If the drummer is good, it might be possible to do it a few times. First recording just snare and kick, second hi-hat, third toms etc. Not the preferred method for the player, but it will solve the problem of 2 inputs.

I have no idea how this would work in the real world, I just thought of it.

 

[tbonejc1]

if nothing else, it'd be fun to try.
only problem is that it will probably be a hired gun type of drummer, and I imagine that you would have to know your drum part inside and out in order to accomplish that task.

 

[LfO]

It may be worth your while to hire a drummer who can record his own stuff (ie, has a computer rig with more inputs) or record the drums in a studio. I hear that drums are typically the worst-sounding part of a home recordists work, anyway...

 

[TuoKaerf]

What version of Pro Tools are you running?

Go up to your tempo ruler, and you can draw in accelarandos or ritardandos with the pencil tool.

 

[giraffe]

first question:
I have a 4 track tascam tape deck, and a 4 channel pa available as mixing boards.
I'm wondering the best way to record drums.
my first thought is to mic the snare, kick, and hi-hat as 3 of the channels on the 4 track, and using 4 mics on my pa for overheads, etc...getting a good mix on there and using the line out to the 4th track on the tape machine.(playing the tune to the click and recorded music already recorded.)then(hopefully), dumping the drum tracks into protools seperately..so I at least have 4 seperate drum tracks to mess with. any thoughts on that procedure, or another way that might be better given my equipment?.

at a loss,
JC

you should be fine with the kit, just mic the kick, snare, and 2 overs into the pa or 4 track (which ever one you think sounds better) sub mix it into L&R and output the 2 channels to the m-box.
of course the problem is that you have to get the kit mix good going in, cause thier's no changing it once it's recorded.
probably won't need a hi-hat mic
and 4 overheads is just asking for problems (unless i read that wrong)

 

[tbonejc1]

no I wasn't going to do 4 oh mics...just 2, and use the other 2 channels on the PA for maybe the toms or something, but those 4 mics would have to mix down to one channel on the 4 track.

also I'm using pro tools LE, I think v6.8 or so...and the only way I know how to use a click is on an aux track using the click as an insert. I'm not sure how to access a tempo map.