Newbie Needs Advice

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

First, let me apologise for waltzing in with questions.

That out of the way, here we go:

I'd like to set up a simple home studio using my PC. I'd like to get a
simple 4 or 8 track digital mixing board that will connect via USB2.

Cheap is good. Older technology that is available used is fine.
Firewire connectin is fine too, but for various reasons, I'd prefer USB2
(unless that is a big mistake).

What should I start looking at?

Thanks.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Tascam has workable tactile surfaces that incorporate mic pres (either 2 or
4) and use USB 1.1, or Mackie has a firewire interface on a few of it's new
mixers, but they don't do double duty as a mixing interface.

Offhand I can't think of much else that might even be in a reasonable price
range, but most are going to be mixing interfi and cost significantly more
than what you have in mind. And I haven't seen anything that specifies USB
2.0, but then I haven't looked around a lot. Do so research on Musician's
Friend or Sweetwater and peruse the sites of any products you find
interesting.

--


Roger W. Norman
SirMusic Studio

<EskWIRED@spamblock.panix.com> wrote in message
news:ce2vj2$ara$3@reader2.panix.com...
> First, let me apologise for waltzing in with questions.
>
> That out of the way, here we go:
>
> I'd like to set up a simple home studio using my PC. I'd like to get a
> simple 4 or 8 track digital mixing board that will connect via USB2.
>
> Cheap is good. Older technology that is available used is fine.
> Firewire connectin is fine too, but for various reasons, I'd prefer USB2
> (unless that is a big mistake).
>
> What should I start looking at?
>
> Thanks.
>
> --
> ...I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...
>
> - The Who

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In rec.audio.pro, Roger W. Norman <rnorman@starpower.net> wrote:
> Tascam has workable tactile surfaces that incorporate mic pres (either 2 or
> 4) and use USB 1.1, or Mackie has a firewire interface on a few of it's new
> mixers, but they don't do double duty as a mixing interface.

Thanks. Likely, I used the wrong terminology. The Tascam US-224 is
close to what I'm looking for.

Basically, I want the ability to plug in up to 4 mics, set levels, pan
them to 2 tracks, and input that via USB (or Firewire) onto the hard
drive of my laptop. The mixdown can be accomplished on the laptop.

I'll check out Mackie as well.

Ultimately, I'm trying to record my son's band. It's a simple little
garage/punk band - one vocal, guitar, bass and drums.

In a former life I had the dream of being a recording engineer, so now
maybe I'll get to play at it?

I took three books out of the library on setting up a home/PC based
studio, but they left me with more questions than answers.

I have access to CoolEdit Pro, which I will likely use.

What I'm currently struggling with is how to get the sound onto my hard
drive. And then to record some overdubs for later mixdown. I assume that
the Tascam I mentioned would do the trick?

Thanks for the suggestions. If you know of some good online tutorials or
FAQs to get me headed in the right direction, that would be great.

> Do so research on Musician's
> Friend or Sweetwater and peruse the sites of any products you find
> interesting.

Will do. Thanks.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <ce5kt9$9ll$1@reader2.panix.com> EskWIRED@spamblock.panix.com writes:

> The Tascam US-224 is
> close to what I'm looking for.
>
> Basically, I want the ability to plug in up to 4 mics, set levels, pan
> them to 2 tracks, and input that via USB (or Firewire) onto the hard
> drive of my laptop. The mixdown can be accomplished on the laptop.

You have to watch those things. Read the literature carefully and then
ask if you've interpreted it correctly. Some of them don't have as
many inputs as faders, or as many mic inputs as they claim to be able
to record.

You might need to go up to the US-428 in order to get four inputs that
you can use. If you're only going to record two tracks at a time (you
should be able to record four tracks through those USB interfaces) you
might consider getting a two-channel interface and a small mixer for
mixing your mics and for monitoring.

--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

On Mon, 26 Jul 2004 13:05:38 +0000 (UTC), EskWIRED@spamblock.panix.com
wrote:

>
>I'd like to set up a simple home studio using my PC. I'd like to get a
>simple 4 or 8 track digital mixing board that will connect via USB2.
>
>Cheap is good. Older technology that is available used is fine.
>Firewire connectin is fine too, but for various reasons, I'd prefer USB2
>(unless that is a big mistake).

Do you want the 8 tracks to be recorded simultaneously? Or the
8-track mixer to mix down to two recorded tracks at a time?

USB2 seems to have been neglected in favour of Firewire in this field.

Is there a particular reason you reject an 8-input internal
sound-card, connecting to an external 8-track mixer by analogue cable
or digital link?

There isn't really any "older technology" that does what you're asking
for.


CubaseFAQ www.laurencepayne.co.uk/CubaseFAQ.htm
"Possibly the world's least impressive web site": George Perfect

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In rec.audio.pro, Laurence Payne <l@laurencedeletepayne.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

> Do you want the 8 tracks to be recorded simultaneously? Or the
> 8-track mixer to mix down to two recorded tracks at a time?

It is unlikely tht I'd record 8 tracks at once. I don't have that many
mics.


> USB2 seems to have been neglected in favour of Firewire in this field.

Thanks. That's good for me to know.

> Is there a particular reason you reject an 8-input internal
> sound-card, connecting to an external 8-track mixer by analogue cable
> or digital link?

Only because of the desire to use my laptop in remote locations and my
main computer at home.

> There isn't really any "older technology" that does what you're asking
> for.

Thanks.

--
....I'm an air-conditioned gypsy...

- The Who

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <ce80h3$4lj$3@reader2.panix.com> EskWIRED@spamblock.panix.com writes:

> It is unlikely tht I'd record 8 tracks at once. I don't have that many
> mics.

Plan for the future.


--
I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo