Which pre-amp and compressor?

[Natural Gass]

The chicken or the egg?

OK, OK, you guys got me interested in digital recording! This might be getting alittle off the mark for this thread but,

Questions:

Portable digital studio or PC? Hown much computing power would I need? I'm sure more is better, but how much would it actually take to get the job done for a 16 track 4 minute song for example.

If I could scrape together 400 buxs I could get something like the Zoom MRS4 or Korg PXR4 - are these good little units or are they a waste. It would be nice to have one that would burn a CD. Or I might be able to find a used PC something like a Pentium III 550 with a standard soundblaster card, 128 MB RAM, and 10 GB HD for a little less money.

Assuming I did jump to digital recording, wouldn't I still need an outboard mic-pre, comp, & EQ? That's why I was considering something like the Joemeek MQ3 which would help improve my signal now while I contemplate the analog/digital debate. If I spent the $ on a Joemmek now would it still be usefull gear if I jump to digital later?

Enough of my rambling, any thoughts or ideas? Thanks for your input!

 

[TexRoadkill]

You would still need a good pre no matter what you record on.

The reason computers are so economical in the long run is because EVERYTHING you need to work with your audio from mix to master is all there. Even if you go with a digital portastudio you will still need a recorder to master you mixes on. Usually the computer is what is used and you will still need a good soundcard and some software. If you have to go through that expense then you ask yourself why did I buy the porta studio?

I'm not dogging portastudio's but forget about 4 tracks. You will outgrow that pretty quickly. 8 is better but for the same money you can usually have 24tracks on a computer. I would agree that portastudio's are a lot easier to work with but make sure you consider the financial big picture. I would recomend getting your computer up and running for audio and later on get a portastudio if you decide you want one.

 

[tyler657recpro]

If you bought just cakewalk guitar tracks, or something small like that, you can run 16 tracks easily on a celeron 700 or a P3 533. I was even doing 8 with a P1 200 mhz for a while. You CAN use a soundblaster, but it won't sound REALLY GREAT, but it will sound okay. If you upgrade the soundcard to say a delta1010, which allows you to do 8 tracks at once, it will sound much better. But the 580 dollar price tag might cause some problems for you, and you may want to upgrade the software to Sonar 2.0 or 2.0XL, which will set you back another 200 or 300 dollars, which will then require a faster processor, NOT A CELERON, like a P3 1.2, or a P4 2.2, which will run you 100 or 200 bucks. If you upgrade to a P4, you have to upgrade the motherboard, and you're better off getting a brand new computer, because you'll soon discover 10 gigs of hd space isn't enough. It can get VERY costly, VERY quickly.

You get the idea...

 

[Stefan Elmblad]

The reason computers are so economical in the long run is because EVERYTHING you need to work with your audio from mix to master is all there.

Ehm, no. A lot of stuff is there for sure, but 90% of the plugins and programs just doesn't sound any good.
You'll have a hard time mixing with just software and plugins, and diong a serious mastering job with just software would be next to impossible. Sure you can activate your maximizer, but that's not mastering. I understand what you mean about PC's being versatile, but since you spelled out it's got "everything" in CAPS, I thought I'd disagree. In fact, it's got nothing to begin with. If you want programs and you ain't a criminal, you'll have to buy software which costs money.

Also, working with a PC in the long run means latency, harddisk crashes, software incompability etc and PC's are only in this business cause it's cheap, not because it's good.

Even if you go with a digital portastudio you will still need a recorder to master you mixes on

Ehm, no. There are several "portas" out there with built in, or optional CD-R recorder.

 

[jitteringjim]

Ehm, no. A lot of stuff is there for sure, but 90% of the plugins and programs just doesn't sound any good.

Damn. I should've bought the Neve console and Studer deck when I had the chance.



That's a can o' worms you shouldn't 'ave opened, there.

 

[Downside Studio]

and diong a serious mastering job with just software would be next to impossible.

Now that's about the dumbest thing I've read for quite a while....but who am I?

 

[Robert D]

Ok , I just couldn't stay away from this one any more (like a black hole, it eventually sucked me in).
This deviated from the original topic because, and I don't want to offend any portastudio owners, but investing more money into building a home studio around a cassette based recorder is not a good idea. They are fine for quick and dirty recording, but if your going to get halfway serious about recording, the first thing to do is upgrade the recording device. Otherwise you're trying to polish a turd. Sorry.

Now to say that computer based recording is a .0001% increase in fidelity over cassette based is just luney (sorry Chessrock). With just a $170 M-Audio Audiophile card and something like CEP, the difference is night and day.

There are very good plugins, but you don't have to use plugins. You can use outboard just fine with a computer DAW. I now have a TC powercore DSP card that blows away mid priced hardware processors, and it's very easy to use.

Lastly, I was getting over 20 tracks on a Celeron 400 using Samplitude software, and just the included effects were leagues better than say a Nanoverb or similar low quality hardware. You can throw a celeron 400 box together for practicaly nothing.

As far as the creativity issue, there are those that get lost in the eternal quest for the super DAW, and step up the bleeding edge of technology, losing site of the music they were trying to record in the first place. I know a couple of them, and read posts from many more. I run a P-3 800 on a intel BX chipset motherboard, inexpensive, rock steady, and easy to configure, and I'm getting over 40 tracks to let my creativity run wild with. I have so many options, so many tools at my disposal, and hardly any cables to patch, or track bouncing to do, or any of the other distractions that I delt with in my analog days. My creativity is limited only by my imagination, and the sonic quality is excellent.

Ok, that's my 2 cents worth. RD

 

[littledog]

Now that's about the dumbest thing I've read for quite a while....but who am I?

Is this a trick question???

 

[Natural Gass]

Meeked Out

Thanks for all the input old wise ones...

Well I ended up ordering a Joemeek MQ3 - pre-amp, EQ, and Comp all in one $190 from MF. Should be here today!

What I needed most is the mic-pre, but hopefully the meek EQ & comp will add a nice touch. I guess I must like polishing turds cuz I'm going to stick with the 4-track tape for a while.

You all convinced me that DAW is the way to go but I just can't swing it right now - that will be the next thing. Anyway the mic-pre is something I need now & can use later.

Plus the MQ3 should be good for recording acoustic guitar. But, I'd also like to use it live with my LesPaul or Strat. Can I plug an electric guitar into the MQ3 & plug the MQ3 into a Digitech RP7 effects processor & then go to the amp?

I guess the MQ3 has a input for taking the signal to an external effects processor and bringing it back into the MQ3 for compression, but I'd like to be able to tweak the tone of the guitar with the MQ3 EQ. Any MQ3 users out there that use the MQ3 with electric guitar & effects?

Rock on...

 

[chessrock]

Now to say that computer based recording is a .0001% increase in fidelity over cassette based is just luney (sorry Chessrock).

The .0001% difference in fidelity was in reference to the difference between recording on a computer with a cheap sound card (which I'm assuming is what was being proposed as a solution) and a cheap DIGITAL portastudio.

One thing I've noticed a lot about this board is that everyone seems keeps drilling the idea of "Go DAW!" "Buy a good sound card!" "Computer recording is the way and the light!"

. . . without even stopping to find out what the individual is going to be doing, or what level of recording knowlege they are at. My advice to anyone who isn't overly serious, and is simply looking for "a step up from a cassette 4-track," just get a digital 4-track for cryin' out loud. It's a definite step up . . . it's cheap . . . it's worlds easier because you don't have to go through the hassle of getting through all of the glitches and issues you'll undoubtedly face with a DAW setup, and it's what you're already familiar with. Plus it's more portable, versatile, and easy to set up - a much better fit for spur-of-the-moment creativity.

If someone is looking for a much more advanced solution in terms of mixing / quasi-mastering and other capabilities, and seeks only the most pristine sound quality, then it probably is time to look at a computer setup. But you gotta' crawl before you can walk, and some people out there may not even be all that interested in walking.

 

[tyler657recpro]

When I was a baby, I only crawled for two weeks before I decided to start walking.

Just my two cents worth.