nickd123 said:
How do all of you guys record?
For example, do you go everything into a mixer and then directly into a computer, editing everything as one track?
Or do you go directly into an interface and then mix each individual track separately?
Basically, what's your chain and how does everything work in your setup? I'm trying to get some ideas.
Thanks
nickd123
Nick,
I have an RME Fireface800 with an Octamic which is replacing two Aardvark Q10's next week. But, the basic set up is the same with either set up.
I have microphones which I plug into either the sound card (the Q10 which have 8 built in preamps each, or the Fireface which has 4 on the 800 and another 8 preamps on
the Octamic) and each of those mics is recorded (in Sonar) directly to hard disk.
There is one other way I get sound into the sound card. That is through outboard Preamps. I have a few FMR RNP units. They are higher quality preamps than the ones build into my sound cards, so I use them for the most important things that I am tracking. In this case, I plug the mic into the preamp, then take a balanced 1/4" to 1/4" patch and plug the preamp out into the soundcard input (for the Q10 it is right in the same plug for the mics, on the RME it is on the back of the unit.) This lets me bypass the preamps in the sound card and just use the sound card converters.
In this situation sometimes I also make use of the insert point on the back of my FMR RNP's. I take a stereo or TRS 1/4" that splits into two TS or mono 1/4" plugs and use it to make a loop from the preamp through a compressor (like an RNC or RNLA) and then back into the preamp, then to the computer sound card. This lets me lightly compress the signal as I am tracking. I typically only use this for drums as a limiter at the very top end to control any digital overs. A lot of guys do this for color or other artistic reasons, but I am still a bit too new and just use my compressors as a tracking safety net. The one exception would be lead vocals which I do sometimes use the RNLA for some effect on the voice.
So basically I can record 16 mono tracks at one time then take and edit, erase, amend those tracks during mixing. I can also take things like a scratch vocal track put down during band tracking and throw it out and do a new lead vocal track. I also can put reverbs and eq's on each track at that time too.
While I am still kinda new at this, I have been very happy with my results:
This project was done for a friend. Everything tracked all at one time except the vocals which were overdubbed.
http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6815624/a/Your+Final+Ride.htm
These two are rough mixes of my own project.
http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=1088943&q=hi
http://www.soundclick.com/util/getplayer.m3u?id=1089375&q=hi
Hope this helps. Feel free to ask any other questions if you think I can help.
Good luck.
Jim