What Non-Computer Equipment Do I Need For Recording & Mixing?

[Doctor Varney]

Lots of keyboards also have integrated sequencers but the mic input may be a bit more problematic.

No, the R24 looks about perfect for my needs. I was going to go with heavy room treatment and then I needed to spend money and time trying to solve the computer hum in the recording room. With that thing, I could record in our walk-in wardrobe, which has it's own acoustic treatment, provided by the clothes. I've often stood in there and thought - "If only I could work in here". But of course, the damn PC is installed downstairs - and taking my laptop up there isn't an option as it has extremely noisy fans.

That's the answer. It's just hit me - like a sack of bricks, just how stupid trying to record with a computer has been.

 

[miroslav]

While I certainly could say...."get an 8-track tape deck"...they are pretty straightforward, you push RECORD and away you go, but I really don't understand all this stuff about "Computers go wrong in so many colorful and interesting ways".

Since you want to do audio books....you still end up back in the computer. So I think you should just find the SOP that works 1-2-3 and just do all your recording/mixing there.
I think you probably are just stuck in the "what's my SOP" phase of working with the computer, and maybe what's "wrong in so many colorful and interesting ways" is your SOP.

Also, you talk about building your own computers...yet they apparently "go wrong" for you a lot.
Hate to say it, most decent computers really DON'T "go wrong" all too often, and 9-out-of-10 times it's the end-user's SOP or lack of computer skills that is the root of the problem.
I say this from experience, since my day gig is IT work...and if I had a $1 for every time a computer "went wrong" and it was really an end-user SOP problem...I would be able to retire.

So....you need to work on your computer recording SOP. Get the DAW configured for ease of use and find the most simplest process, and I don't think you will have problems.
The hardest part is getting past the point where you think computers are hard to work with.

 

[Bobbsy]

Well, it's your money and up to you but buying a handheld recorder to act as a front end then transferring the material into a computer for editing is simply adding another couple of stages to go wrong.

You won't want to hear this but, around the world I bet there are literally millions of people using computers as recording devices and not having any problems. At the risk of tempting fate, I've been using a computer as my prime recording device since 1996 (when Cooledit 96 came out) and, in the intervening 17 years, haven't lost a second of recording that I could blame on the computer. Yes, when I add new gear I spend a LOT of time "beta testing" for myself before I do any serious stuff.

So...if you really are having the problems you mention, I'd spend the time and money working out why rather than buying another piece of gear to learn (and handhelds can be a steep curve) and go wrong.

 

[Doctor Varney]

Well, guys - I would like to thank you for your thoughtful replies. I had actually intended to type a detailed reply to your (Miroslav & Bobbsy's) posts; but it would seem that there is something a bit erm... wrong with the forum at the moment, which prevents this. At a wild guess, I'm assuming that maybe a computer or some administrator's 'SOP' is the cause. Meanwhile...

...I'm looking forward to (hopefully) pressing some buttons on a Zoom R24. When I can afford it.

Kind Regards

Dr. V

 

[RAMI]

I'm assuming that maybe a computer or some administrator's 'SOP' is the cause.

Actually, it was caused by a spam bot. Do you include spam bots in the computers you...erm.........build?

 

[dreib]

I'll take your old computers that do not work since you wont need them anymore.

PM me for my address.

Thank you!

 

[Doctor Varney]

Actually, it was caused by a spam bot. Do you include spam bots in the computers you...erm.........build?

What the fuck's that meant to mean, RAMI? Very funny, but would you not agree that spam bots just constitute another complication when dealing with computers?

 

[Doctor Varney]

I'll take your old computers that do not work since you wont need them anymore.

PM me for my address.

Thank you!

Not so much computers any more but a pile of bits.

 

[dreib]

Yes spam bots are very complicated, and furthmore not worth the trouble!!

Please send me your old computers...

Thank you!!

 

[RAMI]

What the fuck's that meant to mean, RAMI? Very funny, but would you not agree that spam bots just constitute another complication when dealing with computers?

Yes, but since you said you had a dedicated computer just for recording, why would that matter? Dude, I don't care if you get rid of your computer or not, I don't own stocks in IBM or Microsoft. But your reasoning is a little questionable. I know almost nothing about computers and have never had a problem in the last 8 years of recording in the box. There are thousands of people recording every day that never have the problem(s) your describing.

You're saying that computer recording is un-predictable and problematic. I'm simply suggesting that maybe it's only the ones you build, because I don't see a flood of people complaining about the things that are happening to you.

Either way, good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[wheelema]

Dr. V.,

I've been submersed in computers since 1975 as a programmer, bench tech, system builder, help desk, administrator, security guru, et. al. over Novell implementations, WinNT implementations, nationwide IBM AS/400 implementations, etc. etc. and nobody is more dichotomous in their 'admiration' of computers then me. I love 'em and I hate 'em. You go with what works for you.

All the best.

 

[dreib]

Once again I will take your computer(s) working or not, even the pieces, to help rid you of even being tempted to go back to these torture machines!!

Thank You!

 

[mjbphotos]

"Built the computer just for recording" - yet it has noisy fans? Noisy fan in a laptop? Do today's laptops have fans? The Dell sitting in front of me doesn't. I think this guy is a spambot!

 

[dreib]

My dell laptop has a fan but thank god my room noise helps drown it out! LOL!

 

[coreytx]

You are going to get a lot further if you decide on your own what to use, and do research on this forum as to what you need and how to operate whatever you choose.

You can't completely bash computers. Looks like you have started 17 threads here and recieved helpful responses.

 

[miroslav]

I see you are getting somewhat upset at the thought of ithe problem possibly being your own SOP and/or your own computer build....but really, that may very well be the issue. I'm surprised that a guy who can build a computer is also having a lot of problems working with them....?

But all that aside...you STILL have to end up back in the computer to complete your audio book work...and that's really the point here. Why add another layer to an already complicated situation.
I would instead focus on what you feel are the specific computer problems you are alluding to, and not just this global "computers go wrong" perspective...sort it all out, fine-tune your SOP, and just keep it all in the computer, since that's where you will end up anyway.

How about actually detailing what kind of computer problems you are having...?

At any rate...there are dozens of non-computer recording options out there...so if you really feel an y one of them will be better than recording to a computer, pick one. No one is trying to beat you over the head to use a computer...thogh as it's been pointed out....you will STILL end up in the computer to make your audio books work.

 

[Doctor Varney]

"Built the computer just for recording" - yet it has noisy fans? Noisy fan in a laptop? Do today's laptops have fans? The Dell sitting in front of me doesn't. I think this guy is a spambot!

Blimey, what a little charmer! I often wonder whether some people would actually say these things to strangers in real life or whether it's just a keyboard thing?

 

[Doctor Varney]

Yes, but since you said you had a dedicated computer just for recording, why would that matter?

I think you're mistaken. That was some time ago, RAMI. I dedicated to audio a modified HP computer that a friend had finished with. It ran quite well until the processor died a natural death. After that, I had a dual core machine solely on audio duty and used my old AMD computer just for internet and office work.

Several 'knowledgeable' people tried to convince me it would be fine to put my new Quad Core AMD Phenom system on the internet and use it as a do-all system. This I tried and it's worked well up until now. I was able to get a lot of practice in. Now, I have a performance on in Birmingham this weekend and came to record my lines yesterday - and suddenly, for no discernible reason I can think of, other than the sound card must have died suddenly, there is no audio in or out. This has put me under considerable stress and I am thinking very seriously about lifting my dependency on PCs for the most important tasks, in an effort to avoid repeated problems in future.

You can laugh all you like, mate... but I'm telling you - these things have a habit of failing on me, just at the most crucial and inconvenient times.

There are thousands of people recording every day that never have the problem(s) your describing.

Yes. And I would estimate that for every one, there must be tens of thousands of people coming into forums like this, each day, with computer problems that they don't know how to solve on their own. I'm not just talking about home recording.

You're saying that computer recording is un-predictable and problematic.

I'm not saying computer recording is problematic in itself. The hardware I'm looking at now is in itself a form of computer. What I'm saying is, that PCs are exceedingly complex because of their modularity and scope and therefore more likely to develop errors and faults. It's painfully obvious and true. Where there is more to go wrong, there is a higher probability that something will.

Anyone who says they have never encountered a computer malfunction at an inconvenient time is either lying, not using it very often or just plain lucky.

What you're missing here, is that although PC problems can be overcome, they take time and effort to sort out. It takes me roughly a whole day to do a fresh Windows installation - then there is all the software and other gadgets to install in the right order. I've heard that theatres have an identical machine ready to swap over at a moment's notice. I don't have those resources to just keep an identical spare lying around. So when a problem occurs, it takes me some time to get up and running again. I estimate that a dedicated recorder will be less hassle, as it is dealing with much fewer demands than the average PC.

More importantly - why do you think they keep a spare ready 'just in case'? What does this tell you?

I'm simply suggesting that maybe it's only the ones you build, because I don't see a flood of people complaining about the things that are happening to you.

When I say 'build' I haven't built every single computer I've ever used. This new Quad Core system, for instance, was built by a friend who uses only top quality, hand picked parts. He gave me a lot of help with the decision making and put it together for me. Maybe you don't see a flood of problems but he has a lot of people come to him with problems, which he duly sorts out for them.

Either way, good luck with whatever you decide.

Thank you. I appreciate that.

 

[Bobbsy]

Yes. And I would estimate that for every one, there must be tens of thousands of people coming into forums like this, each day, with computer problems that they don't know how to solve on their own. I'm not just talking about home recording.

I suspect the figures are the other way round since forums only tend to hear from people with problems. Those for whom it "just works" sit there making recordings. As we're not just talking about home recording, let me say that, before my retirement, I was in charge of technical operations and engineering for a TV news company. By the time I left, we had 22 edit suites in a mix of video and audio--and every one was based around a computer. It was also a 24 hour operation. Once set up, maintenance had far more call outs about conventional hardware (heads starting to go on VTRs, fuses going, that sort of thing) than we did with the computer side of things.

As an old retired git, my home recording/theatre sound experience is similar. Since 1996 the ONLY "computer" failures I've had have been things like vidiots kicking out the mains lead or the operator (me!) pushing a wrong button.

I'm not saying computer recording is problematic in itself. The hardware I'm looking at now is in itself a form of computer. What I'm saying is, that PCs are exceedingly complex because of their modularity and scope and therefore more likely to develop errors and faults. It's painfully obvious and true. Where there is more to go wrong, there is a higher probability that something will.

Anyone who says they have never encountered a computer malfunction at an inconvenient time is either lying, not using it very often or just plain lucky.

What you're missing here, is that although PC problems can be overcome, they take time and effort to sort out. It takes me roughly a whole day to do a fresh Windows installation - then there is all the software and other gadgets to install in the right order. I've heard that theatres have an identical machine ready to swap over at a moment's notice. I don't have those resources to just keep an identical spare lying around. So when a problem occurs, it takes me some time to get up and running again. I estimate that a dedicated recorder will be less hassle, as it is dealing with much fewer demands than the average PC.

More importantly - why do you think they keep a spare ready 'just in case'? What does this tell you?

I'm not lying, I use computers for sound a LOT and really wish I was lucky.

The only thing I can say is that I'm scrupulous about not installing needless junk onto a computer I will be using for sound. This doesn't mean "no network" or "no extras", just that I'm very deliberate about what (and how) I install things.

As for backup when doing playback, I used to do this with 1 or more CD players--I've never had a backup computer and the only "big time" sound designer I know well enough to ask (a guy who does shows in London's West End and on Broadway) doesn't either. However, just to make you laugh, for the past 18 months my backup has been an app on my iPhone (nice little thing called "Play Fade Pause"). I've done actual shows off it to make sure it works but never had to use is as a true backup.

When I say 'build' I haven't built every single computer I've ever used. This new Quad Core system, for instance, was built by a friend who uses only top quality, hand picked parts. He gave me a lot of help with the decision making and put it together for me. Maybe you don't see a flood of problems but he has a lot of people come to him with problems, which he duly sorts out for them.

Well, the only difference I can see is that I don't use custom built computers (either by me or others). I buy standard commercial names. I'm probably capable of building a desk top (I've taken them to bits and put them back together) but am always leery of the the compatibility issues among processors, controllers, etc. etc. I'm not saying the custom builds are the cause of your issues--but it's one difference I can spot in how we work.

 

[Doctor Varney]

I see you are getting somewhat upset at the thought of ithe problem possibly being your own SOP and/or your own computer build....but really, that may very well be the issue. I'm surprised that a guy who can build a computer is also having a lot of problems working with them....?

Look, can we get a couple of things straight please?

Firstly, I am not upset at what you term my 'SOP'. This jargon you are so fond of using does nothing to describe the problem I am facing at this moment. It's nothing to do with SOPs or 'user errors'. I use the software the way in which it is intended to be used. Something has gone wrong inside the machine and we're currently trying to find out what and why.

I am merely pointing out that there is more to go wrong with a multimedia Windows system than with a purpose built unit. I find it very hard to believe you can't see my point.

Secondly, as for my computer building skills, please refer to my post to RAMI. Cheers.

But all that aside...you STILL have to end up back in the computer to complete your audio book work...and that's really the point here. Why add another layer to an already complicated situation.

I fail to see how you arrive at the conclusion that this is another 'complicated layer'. So you admit that the PC is part of a complicated situation?

Just what are you suggesting is going to be more complicated here? Because, as far as I can tell, this is just a noiseless, portable solution with far less on it to go wrong.

It can't get a virus from the internet, no 'missing DLLs', no registry issues, plus a million and one other annoying little things that only apply to a Windows computer. If anything, I see it as far simpler!

Plus, there are advantages I haven't even mentioned yet. It could give me the freedom to record outside of the studio in any location I choose, with more mic inputs and noiselessly, as it does not seem to use any fans.

I would instead focus on what you feel are the specific computer problems you are alluding to, and not just this global "computers go wrong" perspective...sort it all out, fine-tune your SOP, and just keep it all in the computer, since that's where you will end up anyway.

Haha, yeah. You do realise how patronising you are coming across here? Course you do. There's no global "Computers go wrong" perspective here. I've made an honest effort make a go of this. I've done my best to explain my experiences and why I no longer feel confident relying solely on the PC.

you will STILL end up in the computer to make your audio books work.

I haven't said I'll never use the PC. To put this truly in perspective, when Corel 9 ran so slowly I couldn't stand it anymore and I was suffering headaches from starring at the screen for hours on end, I went over to an airbrush and compressor. I know people who hate these gadgets but I loved the freedom it gave me. I was always in a better, more creative mood as a result. Of course, I had to go back to the computer to scan, optimize and send the work, yet the computer's performance wasn't so critical in these tasks. I'm happy using the computer as a tool, I just have no desire to be chained to it, that's all. Is that really so hard to understand?

How about actually detailing what kind of computer problems you are having...?

I could... but I have someone working on it now - and I've typed enough for one night. I came here looking for an answer (as per thread title) and I was happy with the answer I received. Far as I'm concerned, the issue was resolved some time ago.

Regards

Dr. V