mr-8 recording...

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travis16vp

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Has anyone tried recording a whole band with the mr-8 using the built in mic and placing the mr8 right in front of the band? How does it sound? I’m thinking of buying the mr-8 and I was also thinking of letting the band play without the vocals into the built in mic then record the vocals afterwards so that I would have a separate vocal track with effects that I could add (I will save up for a mixer later). How do you think will that sound? Or is that a bad way of recording a band?
 
This is the perfect example of how not to start building your recording rig.

First of all the MR8 is not made for recording a band. Period. Even if you later buy a mixer it won't help much because there's always the limit of recording only 2 tracks at once. Why do you even consider the MR8? Because it's cheap? No, it's not going to be cheap if you calculate the TCO and not just the initial purchase of MR8.

I suspect that you'd get better results with a MD recorder and a cheap stereo mic than using the internal mic of MR8 and for lower price too. It's not a bad way of recording a band but the results are nowhere near the quality of multitrack recording with a recorder that can record from multiple inputs at once and each into it's own track.

Save your money until you can buy a true multitracker like VF16 or VF160 that has enough of inputs and tracks and use cheap hard disks as recording media instead of expensive memorycards.
 
Travis,

If you do decide to purchase the Mr-8 for this situation, I strongly advise that you at least purchase microphones for your drum set (although you can only use 2 at one time). Maybe a good condenser mic for drum overhead and a AKG D112 for the kick drum.

At this poit even if you buy a couple mics you will have to discipline the band to be able to record each part seperately i.e drums first then bass then guitars etc (remember you can only record 2 tracks at once using the MR-8. You can always use the internal click track to lay bass and guitar parts down first then have your drummer play to the click and the recorderd instrument parts (kinda backwards but possible) Or you can have your drumemer lay drum tracks along with internal click track first (but it isnt very fun to play drums without other instruments)

If your drummer cannot play along with a click then all bets are off. This machine is really meant for overdubbing. It soundls like you would rather do a live recording which is ok but to use the MR-8 in the fashion that you suggest you might as well use a boombox with a microphone and cassete tape instead (hey I did that for years:)

Another option is to use the MR-8 along with a mixer so that you plug your whole band into the mixer with microphones then send the stereo mix out to record the left and right (2 tracks mind ya) of the MR-8. Do you guys have a mixer?

If not, I would go along with the other guy in suggesting purchasing a VF16 or something meant to record more than 2 inputs and tracks at once, then again you will have to still buy nice microhones for the drumms, guitar and vocals to be recorded decently.

Recording a full live band is a very difficult and expensive $$$. Look on EBAY for used Tascam (and Fostex) analog cassette tape 4 tracks. I have a old Tascam Portastudio 464 that can allow up to 10 or (was it 8?) inputs at once! And they are going used for just over $150. Then you spend some money on so micophones!
Hope this helps.

Oh and to be honest the memory issue with the MR-8 will drive you nuts unless you have a pc to back up tracks or a lot of $$ to buy more CF cards, boy I feel like I am going in circles.


Don't get me wrong I LOVE my MR-8! Just know what you are buying. You are doing the right thing to ask around:)

Clif
 
This is just a thought...but if you run the band through a mixer, perhaps there is a "line" output on the mixer....?
 
internal mics on anything suck.... and if ur going to run ur band though a mixer, any mixer will do since all mixers have stereo outputs.... also since the mr-8 only records 2 tracks at a time u can just plug the main outputs right into the mr-8
 
what if I just buy a zoom mrs-1044 now and buy an mr-8 later. Then I could record to 4 tracks at once at the same time have great effects on the zoom and the built in mic on the mr8 for recording ideas right away. I wouldn't need to buy a mixer anymore since I have a preamp and a line6 pod. what do you think?
 
if ur going to get a zoom why get the mr-8 at all? I mean c'mon it isn't THAT heavy. and if u want something as a scratch pad just use a tape recorder with a built in mic... I'm not sure but it should be about $250 than the mr-8 ;-)
 
The Zoom can also only record two tracks at a time. Clif is right, though - if don't have a computer, the MR-8 is a bad choice.

Recording eight tracks at once is difficult without all of the required mics, cables, direct boxes/pre amps, stands, etc. Once you commit to that expense, whether it's with a VF-16, or ProTools, you are in a different league.

As for recording a whole band with the MR-8, no one asked what Travis is recording. For example, a Jazz band could great results recording the band live with two good mics, and use the other tracks for over dubbing solos, vocals, etc.

Not everyone is recording Neil Peart's drums.
 
travis16vp said:
what if I just buy a zoom mrs-1044 now and buy an mr-8 later. Then I could record to 4 tracks at once at the same time have great effects on the zoom and the built in mic on the mr8 for recording ideas right away. I wouldn't need to buy a mixer anymore since I have a preamp and a line6 pod. what do you think?
Click to expand...

Based off of what you are saying,I still don't understand how that would help you record an entire band, you need AT LEAST 2 microphones to record a band, jazz to punk.

The POD will only help you if you are recording just your guitar into the MR-8, the mixer however would allow you to mic your whole band and then send that stereo mix to the MR-8, and then you could STILL use the MR-8 for ideas etc.

As far as I know you can buy a cheap mixer (Berhinger) along with affordable mics, you will probably need those no mater what kind of recording device you buy.

clif
 
You don't need an additonal mixer or preamps with VF16. Just a couple of good mics and you're ready to record.
 
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