mics and drums and computers

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shackrock

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alright, now lets say i got a 4-track (cassette)...and i got my mic's all placed by the drum set where i want them, and all 4 are pluged into a different track on the 4-track.
I can just use 1 chord to the computer (sound card line in) from the 4-track (output???), and it will record all 4 mics to one track on n-track?

Also - I have a "shure SM58", i am ordering a "shure SM57" ($80). What other 2 mics should i get (100 bucks or less each hopefully) to mic the drums, and what mic should i use to mic which part of the drums?

Thanks again, lol.

ps - i did read everything else on this forum, and that's what got me started already - but i'm looking for even more specifics.

thanks if you can help.
 
You can use one cord, sure.

As long as it's stereo. Maybe your doing mono for retro though.

Your 4 track will have two outputs - left and right.

These may be RCA or 1/4" or something else.

Your computer will have an 1/8" stereo input, if your using the stock typical soundcard.

So, what do you need?

A cable that plugs into the left right output of your 4-track, with an 1/8" stereo plug to go the line in on your computer.
 
alright - so if i use 2 1/4" cords to go into the stero out parts of the 4-track - i can then get the adapters (which i have already) - that make the 2 1/4" stero to 1 1/8" stero - and then plug that into my "line in" on the soundcard? and that will still have pretty nice quality and all that? haha

if that works - it would be nice.

still though - any ideas about the mic situation?
 
Well the next pair of mics you want to get is a pair to use as overheads, small diaphragm condenser mics are ideal for this and it just so happens that Harvey has pointed out that you can get Behringer ECM 8000 condensers for about $35 each (thanks Harvey). The catch is that your cassette 4 track won't be able to power the mics (they need 48 volt DC "Phantom Power") so what you need to find is a cheap phantom power source, I think maybe a cheap 2 channel Behringer mixer might be available for less than $100 (make sure it has phantom power!!) and the mic preamps in the mixer will probably sound better than the 4 tracks. So for about $170 you should be able to get a pair of condenser mics and better sounding mic preamps.

Good Luck :D
 
BTW, youll only get as good quality on the computer as you get on the 4 track....use the highest speed possible on the 4 track and use noise reduction if possible....when recording into the computer, make sure you meter the incoming signal and get it where its peaking right under 0 db.....

BTW(2) those mics I mentioned need phantom power.......

BTW(3) consider recording straight to the computer...use the setup described by Emeric, the only difference being that you press the red button in software.....

BTW(4)consider recording to the computer to 4 separate tracks by getting a multichannel soundcard so you have control over the mix before it gets recorded....the Turtle Beach Santa Cruz has 2 stereo inputs (can get 4 separate channels) and goes for around $60.....
 
MX602A Eurorack Mixer

hmmmmmmm ok. so what you're saying is that with the MX602A Eurorack Mixer, I could have way better quality (then with the cassette 4-track), and it would serve the same perpose as the 4-track? I could still put in 4 mics (which would be micing the drum set), and set levels for each of them, and send it to the computer to 1 track still?

and as for this soundcard with 4 channels for 60 bucks - where could i find that? any that i've seen have been 400+, lol.
 
Yes,
this would actually give you 2 tracks(1 stereo track).......your 4 track is basically a combo mixer/recorder...with the Behringer mixer taking over as the mixer and the computer taking over as the recorder, you can skip a link in the chain......

as far as the Santa Cruz, it wont be the amazing quality of the $400 cards youve seen, but it will do a more than adequate job....but now that im thinking about it, id have to check to make sure you can go out of that mixer with 4 channels for the Santa Cruz setup to work.......or you can go with the 2 Behringer mics into the Behringer mixer into one of the 1/8" stereo inputs and then the 2 Shure mics into your 4 track into the other 1/8" stereo input...yep...that would work...and youd have complete control of the 4 individual tracks......

http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_getprod.php?masterid=410204&ut=1804fed8b16b3c5e
a quick search of Price grabber showed about $68....you may be able to find it cheaper somewhere......

i know we sound like were having fun spending your money (and we are) but i am a terrible cheapskate and I can get you thru it as cheap as possblie....so heres the deal....the Behringer mics we mentioned at $70 a pair come highly recommended for drum overheads by Harvey Gerst, somewhat as a legend here...but to use them you need phantom power, and the cheapest way to do that is the small Behringer mixer at $69 which gets you a half decent mixer to boot.....you can accomplish what you need with that only and skip the Santa Cruz, but youll have to decide on the mix as you record it...later on you may find that the snare is a tad loud for the mix and the only thing you can do is go back and re-record it...had you used the Santa Cruz and have 4 separate drum tracks, getting the snare lower is just a matter of a slight fader move on the software mixer....
 
802a

hey shack

glad these guys can help you out here. I trust them.

I recommend you splurge for the 802a mixer. It has 4 mic pre's for $100

The 602a only has 2 for $70.

those ecm8000 overheads sound like a great deal.

so lets take a look at the shopping cart:

behringer 802a mixer ......$100
2 behr ecm8000 mics .......$70
behringer compressor .......$100

(don't you think he should get a compressor for those drums guys?)

so thats $270

add the soundcard for 60 = $330 + shipping figure around $350

MERRY CHRISTMAS
 
man oh man....haha

alright alright- so basically that santa cruise card is just a "mic in" and a "line in" card? If so - i got that.

and if i have that, you think i could get 4 SEPERATE tracks of drums with that behringer MX602A Eurorack Mixer?

i think im confusing myself...haha
 
Well, the Santa Cruz has 2 Line-Ins, which is the key to getting 4 separate tracks.....

between the Behringer mixer and the 4 track and the Santa Cruz,you can get 4 separate tracks....

yes,a compressor would help...I just picked up Behringer AutocomPro for $79 and its a fine unit for the price....but if necessary (for $$$ reasons),watching the recording levels and doing the compression in software will do just fine......
 
i say no compressor. when working for costs and testing the water... simplicity is key. becauase if you don't like recoridng at home you are only down a little if you odn't start buying al sorts of shite. and if DO like recording at home, then you will probably want to upgrade.
 
almost done..i promise...haha

alright. so now lets say i get that santa cruise, and that mixer (602a or 802a? whats the differences?).

I can record 4 seperate tracks simultaneously, and it then edit souds on the computer. What program could i get that can do that? I dont think N-Track can - but then again maybe i'm wrong?






lastly, i dont see to line in's here...

Audio - Headphone Out (1/8" Mini)
Audio - Line In (1/8" Mini)
Audio - Line Out (1/8" Mini)
Audio - Microphone In (1/8" Mini)
Audio - RCA Digital Coax (S/PDIF)
Audio - Speaker Out (1/8" Mini)
Game - 15 pin D-shell (MIDI/Joystick)
 
the Santa Cruz has an 1/8" stereo in and then it has what it calls a versa-jack which you can configure in the software mixer to do whatever you want, in your case line in....go to that 1st link from Kenny and look at #1 and #3 on the diagram.....

with the 602, you still have to use the 4 track for two of the mics...with the 802, you could skip the 4 track altogether.......
 
i see i see.

now what if i JUST got the santa cruise? Could i still get those 4 tracks sperated with the 4-track? Doesn't the 4-track have 4 mic pre's?


also - what is aux? hahaha......i have that on N-Track 2. Aux controls, etc. but i never quite knew what they did.
 
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yes, with the Santa Cruz you could use just the 4 track as preamps(yes, the 4 track has preamps)....but if you get the 2 mics we mentioned (the Behringers), or any condenser mics for that matter, you need to supply them with phantom power(4 track doesnt have that)....thats where the small Behringer mixer comes in, as it has built in phantom power and also gives you better quality preamps than the 4 track....

a 2 channel phantom power unit will run you at least $40....for a few more $ you can have some decent preamps......
 
the aux is short for auxilary channel

in n-track you would use it for effects. example.... put a reverb plugin in the aux channel 100% wet, no dry
then using the send volume you can have different amounts of the same reverb on more than one track
saves cpu resources that way

in the hardware mixer you could have a seperate mix in the aux channel
 
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