Minimum # of simultaneous tracks to be able to get a good drum sound...

amonte

amonte

New member
I've been wrestling with the decision of which interface to get for recording into my PC, and the recent price drop of the M-Audio products at AmericanMusical.com has me giving it even more serious thought.

For the most part, I would probably only be recording a stereo pair, or in some instances, four tracks at once. The one exception to this rule is the drums. I'd like the ability to get a good drum sound (or at least, try and get a good drum sound) and I'm not sure if something like a Delta 44 (4 tracks at once) is going to cut it. I know a lot of folks do the snare, kick and two overheads to get a decent drum sound - but that eats up all four tracks. What I'd like to have is a "guide" track with the guitar part on it in the end, recorded with the drums so that I can sync my overdubs better.

Is there anyway to do this with a Delta 44, other than going with a mono overhead instead of the stereo pair? What about the Delta 66? I know it has the digital input - is there a fairly inexpensive piece of equipment that I can get so that I can squeeze out an additional track on the digital input? Or is my only option to jump up to the Delta 1010LT?
 
You could just record a couple of "scratch" tracks with the guitar and drums. This would give you something to listen to while you record the keeper tracks. Then as long as you don't need to record more than 4 tracks at a time it would work. As Massive Master pointed out you will eventually out grow the soundcard so get the best that you can afford.
 
Folks, we GOTTA start differentiating between "tracks" and "channels" on this board! The two are not the same!

My Layla has 8 CHANNELS of analog input, but my multitrack software can record an unlimited number of TRACKS.
 
Tracks, Channels, Potayto, Potato lol. hes right though.

Delta 1010lt: 8 analog INPUTS!
Mackie 1604vlzpro: 16 CHANNELS!
Sonar 2.2xl: unlimited TRACKS! it may not be unlimited but i've never needed more than 30

thats about the basic way i can put it....but for a quick brain boggle. the mackie has 16 channels and 16 inputs that are xlr. allowing the sound to go through and be managed by seperate channels and busses is called TRACKING. due to the sound being recording by the TRACKING process through the INPUTS on the soundcard now makes the seperate sounds from the CHANNELS, TRACKS.
i hope that didnt fry anyone
 
MadAudio said:
Folks, we GOTTA start differentiating between "tracks" and "channels" on this board! The two are not the same!

My Layla has 8 CHANNELS of analog input, but my multitrack software can record an unlimited number of TRACKS.
Click to expand...

Also there is playback vs. record, and outputs too--I can playback 32 tracks, but I have up to 48 input channels (I only use 20), I can simultaneously record 8 tracks, and I have 8 output channels (feeding more than 8 physical outs, though).

I use 6 mics, inputs, & tracks to record drums - stereo cymbals, stereo tom, snare, kick. If I'm feeling adventurous, I add a bottom snare mic. And a COWBELL mic! I need more COWBELL!

BTW today is our birthday!
 
MadAudio said:
Folks, we GOTTA start differentiating between "tracks" and "channels" on this board! The two are not the same!

My Layla has 8 CHANNELS of analog input, but my multitrack software can record an unlimited number of TRACKS.
Click to expand...

In my post I said "For the most part, I would probably only be recording a stereo pair, or in some instances, four tracks at once."

Sorry, I don't think this is unclear or phrased incorrectly. Should I have said four channels at once? I'm not talking about the number of inputs, I'm talking about the # of tracks that can be recorded at once, which can be a limitation of the software or the hardware. In my case, I'm focusing on the limitation of the hardware.

but what the heck - what is the minimum number of simultaneous channels that I will need to get a good drum sound, with each channel recording to an individual track?
 
amonte said:
but that eats up all four tracks
Click to expand...
That was the part that confused me. And I've seen this mistake here a few times before, so I wasn't really directing it at you, per se.

As for how many, that depends. My most recent drum recording used 6 inputs - 1 for kick, 1 for snare, 2 for toms (3 toms submixed to stereo track) and 2 for overheads (stereo track). I can't post it yet because I need to get permission from the artist first. But I was very pleased with how it came out.
 
On a 5 piece kit (1 kick, 3 toms) 2 mics on the kick (1 inside, 1 out) 2 mics on the snare (top and bottom, check for phase) 1 on each tom, hi hat, ride, and 2 overheads. sometimes I use room mics (1 or 2) 13 mics. As you add more drums, you add more mics. If there are 2 kicks thats 4 mics. If the guy has a side snare, I only mic the top of that.
 
amonte said:
So do you think six is the minimum?
Click to expand...
I think one could get away with four, but you have to make some compromises, like submixing. But isn't making compromises a part of home recording anyway? :D

But Massive makes a really good point. If you get into this seriously, which judging by your questions it sounds like you might, then you're gonna be kicking yourself for not getting more inputs when you could have.
 
There really is no minumum amount because there are far too many variables. A skilled person in a good room with 2 mics may be able to capture a better sound than a not so skilled person with 8 mics.
 
didling witrh tracking drums.....

theres another option: 16 track analog boards used are getting cheaper every day on ebay...you could consider fussing with the settings until you get it to sound just the way you want, BEFORE it hits the soundcard...as a plus...theres only one drum track to deal with...

granted, this limits you, you cant for instance put verb on just the snare this way...but if you fuss with it enough, you wont need much mre than alittle eq on it anyway? but this allows you to track each instrument (drum, cymbal, cowbell...etc) of the set individually. Its a trde off like everything else.

the one good thing is it forces you to worry about the sound before you record it, a great pace to start, versus the "we'll fix everything in the mix" philosophy unlimited virtual tracks has created these days
 
remember when folks did mega world selling songs using 3 track studers ?
just something to think about...........i'll go back to sleep now.....
 
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