to go digital or not to go digital, that is my question

[muzicman8739]

okay, I've got all the midi equipment i need for right now, but I am beginning to become frustrated with the 4-track that I have. I have read and used many of these "recording recipes" from a book titled Using Your Portable Studio, but I don't know whether or not to go digital. I was considering buying a DAT recorder for bouncing and mixing down, but would this make that much of a difference in recording quality. someone please help!!! this hiss and track bleeding is really beginning to piss me off!!!

 

[regebro]

If you get a lot of hiss and track bleeding from you 4-track, a DAT wouldn't make much of a difference. Of course with a dat you can bounce 4 tracks to stereo instead of 3 tracks to mono, but if you get a lot of bleed and hiss, who cares?

Just out of interest, what 4-track do you have, and what tape do you use? I didn't get much hiss with my Yamaha MT2X (although I did get some bleed, but not much).

Anyway, unless you are not religiously inclined to either digital or analog both ways are open. The digital portas are getting cheap nowayday, and if you can get by with only two channels of simoultaneous recording the BOSS BR-8 seems like a good starting point. If you have a decent PC with a sound card you can use that together with n-track for some ridicoulous cost like $35 or so.
But you also have the option of buying a second hand 8- or 16-track tape recorder. You might get an 8-track + mixer for about the same as the BOSS, or with luck, even less. Tape will give you more hassle, but you'll be able to record at least 4 tracks at one time. Doing that digitally will mean that you have to buy an expensive sound card or a more expensive porta.

So, the main decision factors are:
- Whats your requirements? How many channels, how many do you need to record simoultaneously?
- What other equipment do you have?
- Whats you budget?

 

[markert]

Muzicman:

I used a Yamaha MT50 four-track tape for years. I had problems with bleed over too. Finally I bit the bullet and bought a Korg D16 digital. I suggest you do the same. It has been a great unit for me (note, Version 2.0 software is a must - free upgrade from Korg). Know also that the price on these units has fallen several hundred dollars, as Musician's Friend has them for $1199. So, pony up to the Musicians Friend Platinum charge account and be happy. Life is too short.

 

[The Green Hornet]

Yo Muzicman:

"Ahh, we are all but actors walking upon the stage of life..." WS

Once you go digital, you will never go back to tape.

The time saved by pushing a button and ZOOOOOOOOOOOm, you're back to the beginning to cut another track will make you wonder why you spent so much time waiting for the tape to rewind. [even at high speed]

The choices are great and as mentioned above, prices are falling. Why are prices falling? Lots of competition and more and more people who are buying recording units.

Enjoy your digital trip,

"Alas, poor Yorick; I knew him well."

Green Hornet

 

[John Weigel]

earlier this year I finally bought a digital-based recording system after years of tape-based recording, on everything from a portable cassette deck to an 8-track reel to reel.
Here's my advice: go digital.
I bought a dedicated computer, sound card etc mostly because I felt like every time I wanted to change something with tape, I ended up buying a new recorder/format/media and dammit, I wanted something upgradeable. I don't have any experience with the various stand-alone hard drive recorders, but people seem to like them. I kept away from them because I can plug in a new card, hard drive, get new software, etc, until I'm recording wheelchair noises at the nursing home!
The other reason I went digital was the old "I wish I could hear what I really sound like" motive. One you are rid of the noise, crosstalk, hiss, and general poorer fidelity of tape, you are going to be amazed at the nuances you will hear. Before I went digital I used to secretly doubt the "golden ears" others claimed to have -- but now that I have digital gear and the music is not being masked by all the weird arifacts on tape my ears are turning yellow too. Using Audio-Technica 4033s in my converted garage 20'20' space, I have been astonished -- and disturbed -- by the differences I hear between takes when the mic was moved a couple of feet one way or the other when the musician went out for a smoke, for example.
It makes you better. You will find yourself becoming a perfectionist in mic placement, tone from amps/electric guitars, intonation in vocals etc etc -- just like "real" sound engineers have had to learn to do.
Of course, the downside would be what my father-in-law wrote me when his wife, a violinist with a string quartet, got a cassette recorder for recording rehearsals: "I hope they're not too disappointed."
But if we were that damn squeamish we'd never gotten past Amateur Music 101 anyhow.
In short, do it. You will be amazed.
I realize there are many people who love the sound of analog gear, and they may take issue with me -- but for the equivalent price points between analog and digital gear, there ain't no analog sound to love -- just hiss, noise, and all of the rest. Digital is the poor man's friend and if you're not a snob but someone who wants the best at affordable prices, this is it.

 

[Stan Williams]

OLD IS $

The other side of this coin is really nice tape
machine. Some friends of mine have, or had, a MCI 2 IN. machine, uses up a $150 reel of tape in 15 minutes. They had so much trouble with it, and the repairs were so expensive, they had to sell it.The sound was great, but the hassels of tape was just too much to get any recording done. In my case it is a 8 track mini disc,and i'm glad to have it.
Thats it !

 

[drstawl]

Yeah- I've seen one tape lust-er lust after a 16-track 2" tape machine, (A Studer) own it for a considerable length of time and sell it after they realized that they weren't funded by the DOD. The thing was the size of a refrigerator. A nice compromise is 1/2" tape for two track mixdown.
A Scully would be nice!

 

[Stan Williams]

2 track

I'll have to admit, if i found a 2 track reel to reel, teac maybe, i might just buy that sucker, if the heads were ok. I have an old reel to reel tape of a band that i was in, it has not been heard since 1972. It would almost be worth the price to hear that tape. 1972... I've gotta go, i 'm feeling woosy !