question about mixers ?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Daisy
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Daisy

Banned
hello, boys!

i just read from one of the other threads that I am in a minority around here (apparently, this forum is 100% male!). that's okay, i'm from a big family -- mostly brothers, so I'm pretty sure I can hang with y'all :)

anyway, I've been performing live for the last 2 years now, and business has really been picking up! I was interested in recording some demos to drop off at some of the bars, clubs, local radio stations, etc. It'll just be little 'ol me and a guitar for now, so I probably don't need anything fancy.

i've heard so many nice things about those little mackie mixers. my brother has a dat machine (i think that's what he calls it), and i was thinking about just pluging in a couple of microphones (shure 58 for voice, and 81 for guitar), get a good mix and hit record.

is that basically how it's done (forgive me for being so naive)?

i also have a choice between a used mackie vlz, and a newer mackie vlz pro. is there a big difference in the quality between just the vlz and the vlz pro units, or do they sound pretty much the same?

thanks so much boys!

many smiles,

daisy ;)
 
The method you described sound good to me for a demo.

Now, if you could get ahold of a nice Large Diaphram Condensor mic, like an Audio Technica 4050, and ran it through a really nice preamp, like an Oram, Focusrite Red, Neve, API, etc.... and spent a little time getting the mic placement just right, you can catch very compelling live performances that way that will make the listener feel like you are sitting right in front of them performing. I think you are going to find that the SM 58 through a Mackie preamp is going to sound a bit odd. The SM 81 will work well enough for acoustic guitar, but I tend to favor the one mic for both for recording demo's like what you need. There would be less phase issues to deal with, and again, the "live" feel is so much better with just one good mic in the room, about 2' away from the performer.

For less than $200, you could get a decent sound card that would allow you to do a simple stereo recording to your computer. If you have a CD burner in the computer, you can burn your demo CD's directly from the files you recorded. There is decent enough recording software, demo versions that are fully functional, available that would get the job done for you for no money, and you would then avoid the step of recording to DAT (digital audio tape) and having to somehow transfer those recordings to CD.

Anyway, I am sure others will pop in with some good solutions.

By the way, I doubt you are going to hear much of a difference between the two Mackie mixers you mentioned. Go with whichever you can get for the cheapest if that is the route you are going to go.

Good luck.

Ed
 
Thank you so much for the fast reply, sweetie!

i will definitely try your suggestion on the one microphone. that way, i suppose i would also pick up some of the crowd cheering (something we always hope there will be lots of, knock on wood).

the sales man told me i should get the mackie vlz pro because it has a better pre-amp than the older vlz (non-pro?). now i may be a girl, but i do know what a preamp is. :) makes the microphone louder and sound good, right? he said the pro version has an xdr, and the other one doesn't. what's an xdr?

vlz? xdr? my head is spinning from all these terms. :) i read something about what they call an rnc. stands for really nice compressor. hee hee! now that i can understand. lol.
 
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