Need help deciding on what new multitrack to buy.

  • Thread starter Thread starter lutherieman
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lutherieman

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Hi fellow recording dudes. I'm new to this board but not to recording. I have been using a Tascam 424 for years and and ready to get into the digital domain. My question is this; what is the best 8 track? I could go for more tracks but funds will be an issue. It must have a few balanced inputs with phantom power, Three bands of EQ,port for CD burner, able to backup to cd (like taking a unmixed cassette out and filing it away for future mixdown, edit etc, Like I do with the 424 machine. Good edit capability.

I have looked at the tascam 788, but no balanced inputs or phantom power. So what do you guys use? Fostex, tascam, Roland?

Any help or advice is greatly appretiated, I intend to make a cd album that will sound as professional as possible with what I purchase.

Thanks
 
I've had a 788 for nearly a year now and have recorded several hundred multi track songs on it with great success. If it fits your needs there's nothing better till you get to Yamaha's AW2816. You might try putting your post over in the Tascam forum at this bbs and see what reactions you get.
 
Welcome to the site.


What's the budget?
What other equipment do you have?
Are you open to computer based recording?
 
You'll need to provide us with some more info. :)

It will make things much easier if you could answer the questions getuhgrip posted for you. :)
 
getuhgrip, I just saw your location (under your AVATAR).

It's cool. :)
 
What's the budget? Up to $1500
What other equipment do you have? 2 compressors, several mics, graghic EQ. Alesis monitors

Are you open to computer based recording?..Only for transfering and editing tracks. I like stand alone units.

Just give your ideas regardless, I believe I could learn something

Thanks
 
trying out Akai DPS-16

I'm trying the DPS-16 from Akai Professional (www.akaipro.com) but 16-track might be overkill for you. I'm finding it easy to use, so far.

I was pretty interested in the Yammy 2816, but there were a couple deciding factors for me: I was able to get the Akai for about $450 less than I would have paid for the Yammy (well, yes, most of that money will be spent on an external CD-R if I decide to get one) but also, the Akai supports 24-bit 96kHz resolution and I may be wanting to work with some buddies to produce some DVD's in the forseable future. I guess there is an other reason I went with the Akai, and that's the learning curve of the Yammy; I'm already trying to learn how to use my Motif and I wanted a more intuitive (even if less highly praised) multitrack recorder so I can spend more time playing and less time reading manuals and online forums.

-Shaz
 
Hey Shaz, let me know more on the akai, I want a 16 track really. The price is good from what I have looked at. What did you give for yours? I have been looking at the Fostex VF16, for $800 smackers it don't seem bad a deal. But it doesn't have any external pan controls and the screen is small. Does the dsp allow export to a pc for edit of tracks? The Vf16 doeas in the form of WAV file

Darrell
 
details....

lutherieman,

I got my Akai DPS-16 for $1299 and tax (added $65). After researching CDRWs I think I'm going with the external Plextor 12/10/32 which will run me another $325 with a cable (not sure why they don't include one) so all together I'm coming in just under $1700 for a complete sollution; you can skip buying a CDRW if you want to use your PC for mastering because you can feed the master outs (RCA, yuck) into a nice soundcard, or better yet use the S/PDIF out for the same purpose.

The most tedious, but highest quality way to master on your PC, is to export the WAV files from the DPS-16 onto CDR or other SCSI device for transfer to your PC-DAW. Keep in mind, however, that you can also do some editing and effects inside the DPS-16, and you can record at high resolution and convert your final mix-down to 16-bit/44.1kHz resolution right before you burn an audio CD. Give me a few months and I can speak more to the relative qualities of these techniques with the Akai.

-Shaz
 
Best thing I ever did!

Like yourself I had an old Tascam, but I took the plunge and bought an Akai DPS12i several months ago. What a revelation! I never thought I'd use 12 tracks, but I did. it's amazing what you can get out of this stuff. I never considered anything else but an Akai. The quality is amazing & they are very accessible machines. Whatever you choose to buy there is so much good stuff out there - and it's getting cheaper!

If I were buying now I'd have no hesitation to go for the
Akai DPS 16 & a Plextor CDRW. The latest Akai version has mastering effects (e.g. normalisation & multiband compression) and dithering for 24/96. Also The DPS forum is the icing on the cake - very friendly & supportive. But whatever you choose you will love the versatility of digital & the abilty to make great CDs at relatively low cost.
 
While your looking into the Akai unit, check out the Korg D1600. I spent about a week straight looking into which 16 track standalone to get, and it came down to the Akai and the Korg. After a day of focusing solely on those two units, I was ready to call and order the Akai. Little Man in the back of my head told me to drive to Mars and play with it first though, just to make sure. Funny, both the Akai and the Korg were on the same table, back to back. I left with the Korg without even the slightest bit of trepidation. It's a fantastic machine.
 
Thanks for all the help you guys, I have about decided on the Akai dsp16, read alot of good reveiws on it. I will also check out the Korg D1600.
 
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