Recording live on VHS?

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Burger

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Hello Dragon. Read the article on mixing on HIFI VHS VCR. Great stuff. How do we monitor the levels? Are there leds on a hifi vcr? (I do not have one...) How about recording a band live from a 8X2 console straight in the VCR? What do you think. Same as live to dat for example.. thank you
 
Hey Burger,

How are you doing? I record on a vcr, has to be stereo hifi. It works great no hiss, and no flutter, sounds like digital to me. Also takes a nice hot signal. I don't have meters on mine, so I had to experiment to find out how much level to feed it, not a big problem. I use the view matters on my mixer.

Good luck
 
Most higher dollar VCR's won't have a input level or meter because they have built in compression. That's why you don't get all that hiss, flutter, wow etc.etc. I know from experience using a Tascam, run the line outs of the mixer directly into the inputs on the VCR and keep the master fader around 7, at least when downloading into a Sony VCR. One important note when using the Sony VCR, you MUST change your INPUTS on your remote control to "L" or you won't get JACK!!
Dumping directly to a VCR for live performances works great, especially if you can pan things around and get a really good stereo image. Just make sure you have a good balance on all the tracks.
 
Thank you to GT and SCHMOE for the input and suggestions. Does the built in compression play a role like a "automatic level control" would, for example, bring up the soft levels and compressed the high ones? Does it alter the levels at all?? I experienced that before recording on my 8mm video camera and also on a portable MD player. I was doing tests. The bass drum of my drum machine sounded compressed when it was played alone and as soon as the guitar and voice kicked in it dropped. (It was kind of cool though but not the effect I was looking for..)

I saw a HI-FI stereo VCR for (Cdn) 80$ in the buy and sell. I think i will get it. At one time I was considering getting a regular MD recorder for home use and then, bringing it to practice to record the band... Any comments on comparing VHS to last generation Mini-Disc? Thanks again for your help.
 
Thank you to GT and SCHMOE for the input and suggestions. Does the built in compression play a role like a "automatic level control" would, for example, bring up the soft levels and compressed the high ones? Does it alter the levels at all?? I experienced that before recording on my 8mm video camera and also on a portable MD player. I was doing tests. The bass drum of my drum machine sounded compressed when it was played alone and as soon as the guitar and voice kicked in it dropped. (It was kind of cool though but not the effect I was looking for..)

I saw a HI-FI stereo VCR for (Cdn) 80$ in the buy and sell. I think i will get it. At one time I was considering getting a regular MD recorder for home use and then, bringing it to practice to record the band... Any comments on comparing VHS to last generation Mini-Disc? Thanks again for your help.
 
Hey Burger,

I got a Panasonic hifi vcr for around one hundred bucks. I don't beleive that any vcr has automatic volume leveling. As for compression, If it does compress, I don't hear it. Another thing nice, is you can hook up your video camera to it and have video and audio. I do this to remember bass lines.

Also it is by far the cheapest way to record, I should know, I'm cheap.
 
Hey Burger,

I forgot something important. Make sure you get a vcr that has index search, so you can got to the begining of a song automaticly, a definate must!! Front input jacks are also a good idea.
 
Thanks GT for the advice. I am looking at this Samsung VCR that this guy in the buy and sell has for sale. I will call him to see if the vcr has those features. Thanks again.
 
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