What is your prime tracking tool these days?

[jedblue]

A poll to see who uses what as their prime tracking tool these days.

I've deliberately not put in a combination option. If you do, please indicate the primary one and maybe give us an explaination of how you interface it to your other options.



Jed

 

[Treeline]

Still the AKAI DPS16.

I do almost all of my recording in the field - live stuff. The Deeps can handle 8 tracks simultaneously and has the best preamps I've heard yet, apart from boutique stuff.

The other I/O I use is a Mackie Onyx 1640 with a firewire card. I can dump that into a laptop, but unless I'm working on a large project I like the DPS better. I've used it pretty hard for about five or six years and it has never failed me once.

I track on the deeps at 24 / 48 and then move tracks in real time to the computer via an M-Audio Delta66 interface - four analog and two digital lines in. I record to Reaper without any problems. The Deeps can burn to a CD but I lose the 24 bit depth if I do that. I usually mix and render in Reaper, but any real fancy work (like spectral reconstruction and all that good stuff) and final mastering I usually end up doing with Adobe Audition v. 2.0.

 

[mixsit]

Most often used chain- 7602, Ted Fletcher P38 > ADI-8 > Sonar.
'Standalone DAW' is one-box combo' I presume.. I put 'Computor linked DAW'?

 

[jedblue]

Most often used chain- 7602, Ted Fletcher P38 > ADI-8 > Sonar.
'Standalone DAW' is one-box combo' I presume.. I put 'Computor linked DAW'?

Yep, sorry, a bit confusing in afterthought, "computer linked DAW" is any kind of pre-A/D setup to a computer running Cubase etc, USB or firewire.

Standalone DAW is your digital multitracker portastudio scenario.

 

[marshman]

MCI JH16 16 track 2". amazing.

mm

 

[Dr ZEE]

Can't answer the question as asked.
In my case selection of a tool (be it a prime or an auxiliary one) is a task dependent procedure.
So it depends. Depends on the task, the goal, the situation, the momentary sense of reasoning or simply on the mode

 

[jpmorris]

I record and edit voice-work digitally using a computer since it's generally intended to be used in a digital production and mixed with other digitally-sourced voices.

Music is always tracked onto 8-track RTR, or as is often the case, two 8-track machines. In the latter case I track the two tapes separately (usually with a guide track on track 1) and sync them up later for mixing.

 

[HomeGos]

hummm

I record and edit voice-work digitally using a computer since it's generally intended to be used in a digital production and mixed with other digitally-sourced voices.

Music is always tracked onto 8-track RTR, or as is often the case, two 8-track machines. In the latter case I track the two tapes separately (usually with a guide track on track 1) and sync them up later for mixing.

you mean u allways track music in analog and then bounce to a daw , and then record voices directly in the daw ( tracking and editing in difital )... that would be an interesting aproach for my setup

 

[jpmorris]

you mean u allways track music in analog and then bounce to a daw

No. For music, only the final 2-track mix reaches the DAW.

However, I also do a sort of online radio series where voice actors send me .WAV and .MP3 files with their lines. Since they come in digitally and since assembling the play requires an enormous amount of editing, the radio programs are done entirely with the DAW. (Though I will often do the final assembly of pre-edited segments on tape as well)

 

[hilltop studios]

I love my Tascam MS-16

 

[PoorBoyRecordings]

Still using an old Teac A-3340S 4 track right now as I am still learning the in's and out's but am planning on upgrading to at least an 8 track unit soon.

 

[Norris Shepherd]

I'm surprised the largest number of answers are using 'reel' based technology. I would have guessed the vast majority would be using computer based DAW's. Just goes to show ya what i know.. lol

 

[nate_dennis]

I'm surprised the largest number of answers are using 'reel' based technology. I would have guessed the vast majority would be using computer based DAW's. Just goes to show ya what i know.. lol

Had this been posted in "recording techniques" it would have been . . . but since it's posted in the "analog only" forum. . . .most people here love their tape!

I use a bit of a bastardized rig right now, just because it's all i can do. I track to a portastudio, then I basically use a USB interface as a mixdown deck. not ideal, but it works. If I have enough tracks to bounce to stereo I do, then just output those, but I will probably end up mixing to digital more often than not.

 

[Dr ZEE]

I would have guessed the vast majority would be using computer based DAW's.

I would have guessed everyone is using computer based DAW (of a sort )

but in this House, "Prime-wise", we have it our "way"

 

[jasonbmerrill]

I would have guessed everyone is using computer based DAW (of a sort )

but in this House, "Prime-wise", we have it our "way"

that pic really sums it up

 

[Treeline]

I'm about 2 1/2 feet away from a 1/2" OTARI deck loaded with Ampex 456. I still use digital because most of my stuff is recorded in the field. I'm hoping to learn the OTARI well enough to use it during mixdown though.

 

[Instroverb]

I track to my 38 and mixdown to otari MX5050 at 15ips and make copies to cassette or Tascam stand alone CD recorder. Sounds great!!

 

[Talldog]

MS16 or Otari mx70 then MCI jh110 1/4 inch, then cd. Thinking about selling the jh110. Its kind of big for my room.

 

[dodgeaspen]

Just wondering how people would post now. I know it's only been a few months since this has been posted but things do change quickly in the realm of audio. I'm using my Tascam 38 RTR and doing a mixdown on a Teac X-7R until I get money to buy and service the Tascam 32 I've had an eye on. Eventually I'd love to buy a 16 or 24 track 2 inch machine.

 

[Victory Pete]

Just wondering how people would post now. I know it's only been a few months since this has been posted but things do change quickly in the realm of audio. I'm using my Tascam 38 RTR and doing a mixdown on a Teac X-7R until I get money to buy and service the Tascam 32 I've had an eye on. Eventually I'd love to buy a 16 or 24 track 2 inch machine.

I looked at an ATR80-24 a month ago. First time I was ever near one. It was 3 hours away in NYC. I was immediately dissapointed when the seller opened a packed garage and found this machine covered with junk. It was a complete mess. The ironic part was that the heads were like brand new. I couldnt believe what I was seeing with my LED magnifying glass. I offered him $500 and he laughed. It was a long ride home.
VP