Which Multitrack ? |
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Which Multitrack ? |
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Sep 6 2007, 01:45 AM |
Hi Jeff, Good points!Yes I have a Macintosh with a simple audio card but I have tried Cubase on a friends computer and I find that you spend more time holding the mouse than the neck of the guitar !! And I find all the settings quite complicated. I thought about the portable multitrack as I can easily record (choose the track- punch the REC button and PLAY) without messing around with technology. As Elton John once quoted in an interview on Classic Albums " Technology seems to slow down creativity !" (Not that I compare myself to the great Elton !) Well, I currently have a Roland VS1880. I have the same issues with working the mouse and PC problems as you have stated. There are pros and cons of each. Here is what I have found with both - Roland pros: Awesome! I have never been disappointed with any of their products and I can recommend them highly. The VS1880 is a well built, excellent digital recorder. 18 tracks of digital recording, very dependable and easy to use. There is an excellent forum called the vsplanet where tons of users can give you all kinds of great advice. Check it out before you buy. I'm sure their other recorders are just as good. Recording is easy once you get it set up. Just push record and jam. No PC crashing/OS issues. Also easier to take a portable recorder to band practice and record vs. dragging a PC around. (unless you have a laptop) Roland Cons: small lcd screens are difficult to see and you have to do a lot of button pressing to switch between edit screens. Also, it is harder to collaborate with other people because more people these days are switching to PC based recording. I think mainly because computers and software are so much better these days than they were when dedicated digital mini-studios were first introduced.Some digital recorders can not import and export external files like a PC can. PC based recording pros: A lot of music software being constantly introduced, easier to import and export files to different formats. Having a large PC screen to edit is a huge difference compared to the small screens. Possibly cheaper depending on the software that you want, of course. PC Cons: OS Crashes, incompatible software, bugs, etc. editing with a mouse as you have mentioned. Although there are controllers and even touch screens being introduced to help with PC based editing. I think the bottom line is that it depends on your specific needs of course, but I have always liked my digital recorder because it's very reliable and it is specifically dedicated to recording music vs. my PC which I also use for email and Internet, etc. You will need some sort of CD recorder obviously. If I could do it over, I would get one with a CD burner built in. It just seems to be easier to have it all in one package vs. and external one that I have. But maybe the newer ones have some sort of alternative back-up solution. Oh, one other thing, I recently bought a Boss Micro BR which is a 4 track guitar recorder that can fit in the case of your guitar. It may not meet your needs but it is incredibly simple and makes good recordings. |
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Sep 17 2007, 10:13 AM |
I've ordered a Zoom HD16CD multitrack recording thing. Its supposed to be really simple, but good.
When I get it I might write a review on it. |
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Sep 19 2007, 08:37 PM |
If you can get hold of a copy of this month's (September 2007 issue) Sound on Sound there are two good Q&A bits. One is 'are there any current alternatives to the Roland VS-series multitrackers' and the other 'should we use software or hardware for recording live gigs'. The first says the 2488 (and the Korg D3200) is good but not pro-quality - SoS seem to like the Roland VS2480, Akai DSP24, Korg D32XD but ultimately says the Akai.
The Akai isn't cheap - about 1700UK sterling but it's likely (as are the Roland and Korg) to last you and if you intend to keep it for good/a long time then maybe it's worth spending a bit extra... Second Q&A makes the point that if you have a pc with sequencing software then you could always record live stuff off the mixing desk to a hard disc recorder (not a multi-track) and then import that to your pc when you want to. If it's not your desk you'd need to convince the sound engineer to let you attach it to the desk and you'd need the xlr leads/connectors but could be a possibility. You'd could save on not having to get lots of mics and leave the engineer with having to mix it and a hard disc recorder is quite a light and small box to carry. Cheers, Tony -------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
Be friends on facebook with us here. We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes: Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo. |
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