F
Fontcow
New member
Long post, so I apologize up front...
I've been researching all of this a lot lately but first let me quickly tell you my recording past.
I've been recording music, whether live or tracked, since about 1984 and what began as simply setting up a boombox in the middle of the room (those recordings are so funny to listen to these days -- really defines the phrase "for posterity"!). Then up to two Shure58 mics in the middle of the room to a hi-Fi VHS. Then moved into experimenting with a Tascam 4-track to now having a Mackie CR1604 VLZ with an assortment of okay microphones (Shure SM58s & SM57s, MXL 603s, MXL 2003, AT ATM 25s, Octava 012s, Rode NT1, etc.) and recording to the computer (or hi-Fi VHS), albeit only in two-track stereo. From 1999-2000, we multi-track recorded to the computer (n-Track) a collection of original songs and that was a blast. But we were a little frustrated at not being able to record bass and drums together and still have control to mix later, as well as wanting to boost the snare or bass drum during mixing because what was a perfect 2-track stereo mix when it was just drums is now sounding horrible because after all the music and vocals were put in place drum sounds got buried! I'm sure we've all experienced this in our times with recording!
Anyway, I do not profess to record the best sound in the world and am always trying to improve, however, I realize it will take a lot more separate compressors, reverb and sound processors, in addition to better "studio"-like room conditions, than I will ever the resources to own so I have more fun making and listening back to the music and songs moreso than how they sound, although as I said, I'm always striving for a better sound.
A lot of the time the live performances are recording to two-track stereo hi-Fi VHS, but being the drummer mixing-on-the-fly always just sounds messed up because it's impossible to fine-tune an even mix so I'm left disappointed because the drums are either too loud and the vocals buried, or the drums are too low with the guitars and bass soft with vocals way too loud, with it being impossible to fine-tune if you're in the band performing! In a nutshell, I understand enough to know recording like this is shit because you'll never get a good mix unless someone is sitting in a different room and monitoring the board.
So right now the guitarist in our band has two Alesis "blackface" ADATs that we're recording our rehearsals (for posterity! because there's always a cool jam that shows up somewhere...) and possibly in the very near future, performances at local clubs. Certainly makes for a better mix that's easier on the ears, however, one of the ADATs records on tracks 6 and 7, however, the output plugs are dead so they're unusable, leaving us with 14 tracks to use. And track 8 on the Mackie has the mute button stuck in "engage", unless I get it fixed, which is always possible. So basically, we enjoy recording with most of the drums and amps miced, as well as ambient room mics, and then mixing later, picking what mics you use and how loud they are, as well as being able to equalize, etc. As of late, I'd like to have more tracks at our disposal for multi-tracking live because we have two drummers and even thinking conservatively already that could take up at least 6-8 mics. Add in two guitarists, a bass player and a potential future keyboardist and we'd be maxed out.
As I want to continue to stress, we do not profess to be professional, we aren't looking to make that big record and sign with a record company. We all have jobs and simply enjoy doing it as a hobby that gives us great joy and we have a lot of fun with. But my interest in it as a recordist, if only to archive this stuff to listen to when we're old, (or have our kids laugh at: "listen to the old music dad's playing!" says the daughter, snickering with her best friend!) is growing so I've looked into getting some new gear.
Up front, I know I'm not going to be able to spend gobs of money like everyone would like to, so I realize I'm never going to be able to buy top-of-the-line "high end" stuff. There's something that could go wrong with anything electronic so after a while researching what to buy feels you're banging your head against a wall. There will never be that "perfect musical/audio purchase"!!! But here's what I've come up with:
Alesis HD24
Mackie 24•8
I've read around here and other places that the Alesis HD24 is a pretty good product and the swapable bays to allow firewire into the computer and then mixing in n-Track (or other multi-track software).
It looks and sounds like the Mackie 24•8 will be great for full 24-tracks out and 24-tracks in to record and mix, and eq, in addition to all the aux./insert functions for future sound processor expansion (one hopes). Also, it would work great for if I wanted to bypass mixing on the computer, as mentioned above, entirely and mix from the Alesis ADAT through the Mackie to 2-track stereo with future sound processor purchases for further expansion. For a bit, I was looking at the Behringer Eurodesk MX9000 because it's about 1/2 the price, but it doesn't have as many cool features and it sounds like with 1/2 the price I'll get twice the headaches. I'm used to my Mackie and do like it, so that's a plus. However, does anybody know whether Mackie is using the VLZ Pro pre-amps on the 24•8? I've read they're quite good for mid-level equipment but I think I read around a year ago they were not the VLZ Pro pre-amps, so I'm curious on that one.
Anyway, I'll wrap this long post up. I appreciate any comments or suggestions or drawbacks on the setup I've outlined above or on the Mackie 24•8 itself (or the Alesis as well, however, that's another forum!) Thanks for your patience everybody.
I've been researching all of this a lot lately but first let me quickly tell you my recording past.
I've been recording music, whether live or tracked, since about 1984 and what began as simply setting up a boombox in the middle of the room (those recordings are so funny to listen to these days -- really defines the phrase "for posterity"!). Then up to two Shure58 mics in the middle of the room to a hi-Fi VHS. Then moved into experimenting with a Tascam 4-track to now having a Mackie CR1604 VLZ with an assortment of okay microphones (Shure SM58s & SM57s, MXL 603s, MXL 2003, AT ATM 25s, Octava 012s, Rode NT1, etc.) and recording to the computer (or hi-Fi VHS), albeit only in two-track stereo. From 1999-2000, we multi-track recorded to the computer (n-Track) a collection of original songs and that was a blast. But we were a little frustrated at not being able to record bass and drums together and still have control to mix later, as well as wanting to boost the snare or bass drum during mixing because what was a perfect 2-track stereo mix when it was just drums is now sounding horrible because after all the music and vocals were put in place drum sounds got buried! I'm sure we've all experienced this in our times with recording!
Anyway, I do not profess to record the best sound in the world and am always trying to improve, however, I realize it will take a lot more separate compressors, reverb and sound processors, in addition to better "studio"-like room conditions, than I will ever the resources to own so I have more fun making and listening back to the music and songs moreso than how they sound, although as I said, I'm always striving for a better sound.
A lot of the time the live performances are recording to two-track stereo hi-Fi VHS, but being the drummer mixing-on-the-fly always just sounds messed up because it's impossible to fine-tune an even mix so I'm left disappointed because the drums are either too loud and the vocals buried, or the drums are too low with the guitars and bass soft with vocals way too loud, with it being impossible to fine-tune if you're in the band performing! In a nutshell, I understand enough to know recording like this is shit because you'll never get a good mix unless someone is sitting in a different room and monitoring the board.
So right now the guitarist in our band has two Alesis "blackface" ADATs that we're recording our rehearsals (for posterity! because there's always a cool jam that shows up somewhere...) and possibly in the very near future, performances at local clubs. Certainly makes for a better mix that's easier on the ears, however, one of the ADATs records on tracks 6 and 7, however, the output plugs are dead so they're unusable, leaving us with 14 tracks to use. And track 8 on the Mackie has the mute button stuck in "engage", unless I get it fixed, which is always possible. So basically, we enjoy recording with most of the drums and amps miced, as well as ambient room mics, and then mixing later, picking what mics you use and how loud they are, as well as being able to equalize, etc. As of late, I'd like to have more tracks at our disposal for multi-tracking live because we have two drummers and even thinking conservatively already that could take up at least 6-8 mics. Add in two guitarists, a bass player and a potential future keyboardist and we'd be maxed out.
As I want to continue to stress, we do not profess to be professional, we aren't looking to make that big record and sign with a record company. We all have jobs and simply enjoy doing it as a hobby that gives us great joy and we have a lot of fun with. But my interest in it as a recordist, if only to archive this stuff to listen to when we're old, (or have our kids laugh at: "listen to the old music dad's playing!" says the daughter, snickering with her best friend!) is growing so I've looked into getting some new gear.
Up front, I know I'm not going to be able to spend gobs of money like everyone would like to, so I realize I'm never going to be able to buy top-of-the-line "high end" stuff. There's something that could go wrong with anything electronic so after a while researching what to buy feels you're banging your head against a wall. There will never be that "perfect musical/audio purchase"!!! But here's what I've come up with:
Alesis HD24
Mackie 24•8
I've read around here and other places that the Alesis HD24 is a pretty good product and the swapable bays to allow firewire into the computer and then mixing in n-Track (or other multi-track software).
It looks and sounds like the Mackie 24•8 will be great for full 24-tracks out and 24-tracks in to record and mix, and eq, in addition to all the aux./insert functions for future sound processor expansion (one hopes). Also, it would work great for if I wanted to bypass mixing on the computer, as mentioned above, entirely and mix from the Alesis ADAT through the Mackie to 2-track stereo with future sound processor purchases for further expansion. For a bit, I was looking at the Behringer Eurodesk MX9000 because it's about 1/2 the price, but it doesn't have as many cool features and it sounds like with 1/2 the price I'll get twice the headaches. I'm used to my Mackie and do like it, so that's a plus. However, does anybody know whether Mackie is using the VLZ Pro pre-amps on the 24•8? I've read they're quite good for mid-level equipment but I think I read around a year ago they were not the VLZ Pro pre-amps, so I'm curious on that one.
Anyway, I'll wrap this long post up. I appreciate any comments or suggestions or drawbacks on the setup I've outlined above or on the Mackie 24•8 itself (or the Alesis as well, however, that's another forum!) Thanks for your patience everybody.