question about mixers

[fireworkshow]

i'm looking to spend at the most $1500 on a home recording setup
i want to record into my computer. i suppose i'll need some sort of mixer because i want to be able to record drums with multiple mics, and have each mic recording into a different track so snare and kick for example can be eqed seperately. it would be nice to be able to record a full band at once with everyone having a different track on the computer for editing but this would probably be ridiculous in practice. i heard the helix board was a good mixer...
so i'll probably need a mixer and i'll probably need some hardcore software. i've heard protools is good, i have cakewalk (which i'm assuming is the low-end), but any input on this is also welcome.
i'm also not sure about what kind of system specs i need to have on the computer to do serious recording
also, i've heard firewire is a great way to go from mixer to computer, but i also heard it only worked with macs, i don't really know whats going on there either

thanks for reading all that, i appreciate any info you can give me

Sean

 

[Fenderville]

Invest in the best soundcard you can afford...

 

[mikemorgan]

I've heard both good and bad about the Tascam FW1884 and the new Mackie Onyx boards. Both use firewire as a recording interface and I have no experience with that.

You will need a mixer, and an audio interface capable of mutiple in/out. Both of these new boards are reportedly capable of accomplishing both for under $1500.

My experience is you get what you pay for. Do LOTS of homework on this. Do you have firewire? Visit the web-boards on the manufactureres sites to see what kind of horror stories people are having.

Better yet, find a friend who is very happy with his setup, and duplicate it, even down to the motherboard of your computer.

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

i'm looking to spend at the most $1500 on a home recording setup
i want to record into my computer. i suppose i'll need some sort of mixer because i want to be able to record drums with multiple mics, and have each mic recording into a different track so snare and kick for example can be eqed seperately. it would be nice to be able to record a full band at once with everyone having a different track on the computer for editing but this would probably be ridiculous in practice. i heard the helix board was a good mixer...
so i'll probably need a mixer and i'll probably need some hardcore software. i've heard protools is good, i have cakewalk (which i'm assuming is the low-end), but any input on this is also welcome.
i'm also not sure about what kind of system specs i need to have on the computer to do serious recording
also, i've heard firewire is a great way to go from mixer to computer, but i also heard it only worked with macs, i don't really know whats going on there either

thanks for reading all that, i appreciate any info you can give me

Sean

From a technical standpoint, it's not ridiculous to have every instrument on a different track; many of us do that all the time. With the right mixer and/or interface to your computer, you can expect 8-16 tracks simultaneously into your PC (with more overdrub tracks if you like) with little problem.

The tough part budget-wise is not the number of tracks on your PC or even the number of channels on the mixer. The tough part is the number and quality of microphones to plug into this stuff. Let's say your'e an average rock band with drum kit, bass, guitar, keyboards, lead vocalist and two backup vocals. That's a minimum of 3 mics for the drums alone, 3 more for the vocals (unless you want to overdub the vocals one at a time), and one for the guitar cab. We'll assume for this example that you'll run the bass and keyboards direct. That's seven microphones right there. It would be *very* easy to eat up your entire budget on just microphones. And you won't want to try and get away with using just your road 57s and 58s for very long, you'll find out real quick that they don't sound as good in the studio as they do on the stage. The 57s will be fine for your git cab and some of the drums, but that's it, and the 58s on vocals are fine live but fall short real quick in the studio.

I'd recommend about half of you budget on two or three decent-quality condenser microphones to go with whatever you may already have. Good sonding mics will make all the difference in the world. I might also then recommend foregoing the mixer for now and getting yourself a nice multichannel preamp/interface for your PC like a Tascam FW1804 or a PreSonus Firepod. These rack boxes will include acceptable mic preamps and level controls. The mixing can then be done between these devices and the software on your PC without a hardware mixer. While a "real" control surface like a mixer is nice, it could be tough to fit in your budget without some sacrifice elsewhere in the signal chain.

Plus both of those interfaces come bundled with CubaseLE and other software which should be plenty enough to keep you recording and mixing happily for a while. As far as your "Cakewalk", that is the name of the company. Which Cakewalk product and version you actually have will determine whether it's "entry level" or not. But nonetheless, between that and the Cubase included ith the interfaces, you'll be good to go for a while.

There are other opinions that will prebably be presented as to how to spend your money; we're all good at spending other people's money! This post is just one experienced opinion. It's a good one, but not the only one. Consider them all carefully before you spend a dime.

G.

 

[Ed Dixon]

Consider the option of using a standalone multitrack recorder for the recording part and your PC for mixing. Among other things, that way you can easily take the recorder to the music without hauling your PC around.

That approach usually results in the need for no mixer, as most have good enough capabilities already. You can get a 16 track unit for less than $1000 and spend the rest on mics and cables, of which you will need many.

Ed

 

[dgatwood]

Consider the option of using a standalone multitrack recorder for the recording part and your PC for mixing. Among other things, that way you can easily take the recorder to the music without hauling your PC around.

That approach usually results in the need for no mixer, as most have good enough capabilities already. You can get a 16 track unit for less than $1000 and spend the rest on mics and cables, of which you will need many.

Ed

Unless that standalone recorder has FireWire or USB I/O (or unless your computer has S/PDIF input and the mixer has S/PDIF output), you still need a good audio interface, which could easily eat most of the rest of that $1500.

Another possibility.... Don't buy a mixer at all. If you need to record 8 channels simultaneously, get an M-Audio Octane and an M-Audio FireWire 1814. Total is about $1000, and would give you 8 inputs at 96 kHz (using the Octane as an analog pre) or (AFAIK) 16 inputs at 44.1/48 kHz (10 of which would have pres).

Spend the remaining $500 on mics.

 

[Ed Dixon]

Unless that standalone recorder has FireWire or USB I/O (or unless your computer has S/PDIF input and the mixer has S/PDIF output), you still need a good audio interface, which could easily eat most of the rest of that $1500.

Recorders vary in this way. Many have digital connections to the PC, which makes the trasnfer process very easy. Others offer the option to download recorded tracks to a CD which can be easily loaded to PC. I have used both approaches and each works well.

Ed