Simplest Digital Multitrack Recorder

  • Thread starter Thread starter awduvall
  • Start date Start date
A

awduvall

New member
Hey, this is my first time posting, but I've been reading this forum for a while since everytime I try to find an answer on Google, it seems to lead me hear. I apologize if this has been addressed before, but after a day in the shops, four hours on google, and a perusing of the threads with relevant titles, I still couldn't find answer.

I've been recording for a while, and have been able to get by recording one track at a time into Audacity (or Garageband if using a mac) with a microphone plugged straight into the audio input of the computer. I plug a live, four-input mixer into the audio input when I record a drum kit, but that's still just four microphones mixed live coming through to the computer as one, inseparable track.

I would like to begin recording a whole band live with each microphone on a separate, pan-able, EQ-able track. I don't wan't to go the audio interface route, because I don't want to have to bring the computer to record. I'm looking for a digital multitrack recorder, but even the simplest ones I find have panning, EQ, different varieties of mixing and mastering options, frequently even CD burners. I don't need any of these things; I'd like to continue mixing and mastering on my computer, because I'm quite satisfied with all the features offered in my free software. So the question is, is there a simpler digital multitrack recorder that didn't offer any additional features, but would just let me send out each individual track as one individual track to Audacity or Garageband, so I could do all the other stuff there?
 
You should be able to get up to stereo into your comp sound card - that's TWO tracks. If you're mixing drums with a 4 channel mixer then you ought to be able to get that mixer to spit out stereo & run that into the stereo line in of your s/card.
After taht you need either an interface or a standalone recording unit.
I have both but prefer the interface for my comp as it has 8 in & 8 out. It's a little old & not anywhere near as fancy as many now available but more than does my stuff as I rarely do more thahn 2 tracks at once.
My standalone is a Roland Disclab which is pretty old school these days and only has stereo in & is limited to 8 tracks but is a neat piece of gear & if I cab work out how to link it up to my Cakewalk prog will be even better.
Oh, I read further into you post so you don't need the DAW info & my standalone has all the bells & whistles you don't want but only stereo in which also you don't want.
Jim Lad is a reliable fellow - follow up his lead.
 
Last edited:
rayc said:
You should be able to get up to stereo into your comp sound card - that's TWO tracks. If you're mixing drums with a 4 channel mixer then you ought to be able to get that mixer to spit out stereo & run that into the stereo line in of your s/card.
After taht you need either an interface or a standalone recording unit.
I have both but prefer the interface for my comp as it has 8 in & 8 out. It's a little old & not anywhere near as fancy as many now available but more than does my stuff as I rarely do more thahn 2 tracks at once.
My standalone is a Roland Disclab which is pretty old school these days and only has stereo in & is limited to 8 tracks but is a neat piece of gear & if I cab work out how to link it up to my Cakewalk prog will be even better.
Oh, I read further into you post so you don't need the DAW info & my standalone has all the bells & whistles you don't want but only stereo in which also you don't want.
Jim Lad is a reliable fellow - follow up his lead.
Click to expand...


As the very satisfied owner of an R16, I second Jim's recommendation. The R-16 will function as a stand alone, 16 track recorder (8 tracks at a time) that records to SD cards. Later if you wish, you can plug the R16 into your comp and just drag the files into whatever software you want to use for editing and fine tuning or if your comp has a card reader, just take the card from the R16 and import your files from it.
It has a fine array of onboard effects as well. When you decide to go the comp route, it will function as an 8x8 USB interface as well.
 
Thanks a lot guys. I think I'm going to just bite the bullet and start saving up for some sort of interface, but I did think up a Wile E. Coyote-style solution for the meantime. Two computers (the original, and a laptop borrowed from my brother and placed adjacently), each able to record one track simaltaneously, drums mixed live through the mixer, and run into one, mic run into the other. Export the laptop track to disc, e-mail to other computer, and insert into audacity. There's two simaltaneous tracks at least.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top