P
pwaters1
New member
I'm looking for some home recording equipment help. I am recording acoustic guitar, electric guitar, acoustic mandolin and vocals. I create CDs and MP3s for myself and friends and family and occasionally produce my neighbor's electric blues, acoustic rocky blues stuff and my other neighbor's old-time band's demos. So type of music is primarily bluegrass, acoustic blues, electric blues, acoustic rock, soft indie rock. My primary goal is to produce good-enough sounding material but NOT have to spend my evenings in front of my computer for recording. I don't mind doing some editing and mixing and mastering and burning with the computer, but primary recording I want to get away from if I can. Current set-up:
System: iMac (newish...Intel Core 2 Duo, 6GB, 2.8 GHz) with 24" monitor
Monitor: pair of JBL LSR 2300 and BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro
Interface: Apogee Duet
Software (use most often): Logic Express, Amplitube2, Purity, CSR
Mics: Sterling Audio ST55 and Shure SM57
Two questions:
1. My main problem is this...I've got a Zoom H2 that I really dislike. (I know this is not a common sentiment but there it is.) When I compare the sound I can capture with the Sterling Audio ST55 and Apogee vs. the H2, the H2 sounds like a cassette tape left on a dashboard after an Arizona summer. I like the portability of the H2 but that's it. Other than the sound, it's ridiculously engineered with endless button pushing of those tiny little "buttons" and subfolders of subfolders (just to send files to my computer?) and I'm getting old and going blind so reading that screen drives me nuts, too. But I also really dislike hanging out by my computer to practice and put songs together. I work from home long hours on my computer and it drives me CRAZY to sit in front of it with an instrument in my hand. So I was thinking of a few possibilities:
a. Upgrade my portable recorder to something like a Marantz PMD661. Questions: Is the sound quality from built-in mics and pres an upgrade from the H2? Compatibility and usability issues with current mics with this unit? (Would I need to invest in additional equipment to make this work?) What are the downsides?
b. Upgrade my portable recorder to something like a Sony PCM-D50. Questions: I know condenser mics are out of the question without another piece of Sony equipment, but I have heard good things about the built-ins with this unit. I like the price and I sort of even like the fact that I wouldn't have the option to worry about external mics for the most part. Or am I dreaming? Thoughts? The downsides?
c. Get something like a Tascam DP-008 (yeah, knobs!!!) or Boss BR-800 or Zoom R-16 (yeah knobs and sliders!!!), adding the flexibility of simultaneous recording and some effects and editing (well, I guess the 800 not) and just understand that external mics are a given for good-quality sound anyways.
For these top three possibilities, I understand that I'd still be working a lot in Logic Express for some editing and definitely mixing and mastering...which is why I'm intrigued by the idea of multitracks lately. But I didn't grow up with a four-track in my garage (I mean, I'm way old enough that I COULD've had a four track in my garage, but I wasn't cool enough or smart enough to have a four track in my garage), and I worry about the intuitiveness of the whole set-up. I mean, changing scrub points and punching in and out and using insert effects...all of these things are a piece of cake in Logic and most other DAWs. But I had the opportunity to use a Boss BR600 for a weekend a couple of years ago, and all I remember is referring to the manual a LOT and trying to remember the correct sequence of buttons. It seemed like it was always something like UTILITY, PAD, CLEAR, ENTER, CURSOR 3x then ENTER, ENTER, ENTER, CURSOR down to check input, then ENTER...all for a two-measure overdub. Plus trying to get the right drums was impossible. (What does #51 sound like again?) It really cut into the beer drinking. (I'm sober now, so maybe that'll help!)
Are there any multitracks for less than $1,000 that are easy and fun to use for producing good sound. Not great. Good is good enough. How will the recording quality compare to the Duet with its nice converters and pres, etc.?
2. The second question...this is something I don't lose sleep over. I'm just not in love with my software instruments when compared to the richness of the real instruments. I've got six or so DrumsonDemand kits in addition to the Logic Express and Garage Band stock. Limited to LE and GB stock for bass. It's not a huge deal but it irritates sometimes. Should I improve my bass enough to record live bass or would something like Trilian be a major upgrade soundwise? Same question for something like Steven Slate for drums? Any thoughts on going the a la carte/specialty route vs. a bundle like Komplete 7?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
System: iMac (newish...Intel Core 2 Duo, 6GB, 2.8 GHz) with 24" monitor
Monitor: pair of JBL LSR 2300 and BeyerDynamic DT 770 Pro
Interface: Apogee Duet
Software (use most often): Logic Express, Amplitube2, Purity, CSR
Mics: Sterling Audio ST55 and Shure SM57
Two questions:
1. My main problem is this...I've got a Zoom H2 that I really dislike. (I know this is not a common sentiment but there it is.) When I compare the sound I can capture with the Sterling Audio ST55 and Apogee vs. the H2, the H2 sounds like a cassette tape left on a dashboard after an Arizona summer. I like the portability of the H2 but that's it. Other than the sound, it's ridiculously engineered with endless button pushing of those tiny little "buttons" and subfolders of subfolders (just to send files to my computer?) and I'm getting old and going blind so reading that screen drives me nuts, too. But I also really dislike hanging out by my computer to practice and put songs together. I work from home long hours on my computer and it drives me CRAZY to sit in front of it with an instrument in my hand. So I was thinking of a few possibilities:
a. Upgrade my portable recorder to something like a Marantz PMD661. Questions: Is the sound quality from built-in mics and pres an upgrade from the H2? Compatibility and usability issues with current mics with this unit? (Would I need to invest in additional equipment to make this work?) What are the downsides?
b. Upgrade my portable recorder to something like a Sony PCM-D50. Questions: I know condenser mics are out of the question without another piece of Sony equipment, but I have heard good things about the built-ins with this unit. I like the price and I sort of even like the fact that I wouldn't have the option to worry about external mics for the most part. Or am I dreaming? Thoughts? The downsides?
c. Get something like a Tascam DP-008 (yeah, knobs!!!) or Boss BR-800 or Zoom R-16 (yeah knobs and sliders!!!), adding the flexibility of simultaneous recording and some effects and editing (well, I guess the 800 not) and just understand that external mics are a given for good-quality sound anyways.
For these top three possibilities, I understand that I'd still be working a lot in Logic Express for some editing and definitely mixing and mastering...which is why I'm intrigued by the idea of multitracks lately. But I didn't grow up with a four-track in my garage (I mean, I'm way old enough that I COULD've had a four track in my garage, but I wasn't cool enough or smart enough to have a four track in my garage), and I worry about the intuitiveness of the whole set-up. I mean, changing scrub points and punching in and out and using insert effects...all of these things are a piece of cake in Logic and most other DAWs. But I had the opportunity to use a Boss BR600 for a weekend a couple of years ago, and all I remember is referring to the manual a LOT and trying to remember the correct sequence of buttons. It seemed like it was always something like UTILITY, PAD, CLEAR, ENTER, CURSOR 3x then ENTER, ENTER, ENTER, CURSOR down to check input, then ENTER...all for a two-measure overdub. Plus trying to get the right drums was impossible. (What does #51 sound like again?) It really cut into the beer drinking. (I'm sober now, so maybe that'll help!)
Are there any multitracks for less than $1,000 that are easy and fun to use for producing good sound. Not great. Good is good enough. How will the recording quality compare to the Duet with its nice converters and pres, etc.?
2. The second question...this is something I don't lose sleep over. I'm just not in love with my software instruments when compared to the richness of the real instruments. I've got six or so DrumsonDemand kits in addition to the Logic Express and Garage Band stock. Limited to LE and GB stock for bass. It's not a huge deal but it irritates sometimes. Should I improve my bass enough to record live bass or would something like Trilian be a major upgrade soundwise? Same question for something like Steven Slate for drums? Any thoughts on going the a la carte/specialty route vs. a bundle like Komplete 7?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.