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January 2006
Posts: 48
Location: Spokane, WA | I thought maybe you guys have some wisdom to share on this subject. I've been wanting to get some gear and start recording from home. Nothing crazy, but I've been looking at Digitech's GNX 4. It is an effects processor with a built in 8 track recorder, and drum machine that looks pretty trick. The problem is I know zip-point-nothing about home recording. What do you guys have or what would you suggest. I pretty much just play acoustic and don't really need all the amp modeling effects stuff on the digitech, but can't really find anything that is all integreted like that. Any suggestions? |
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June 2002
Posts: 6197
Location: Phoenix AZ | There was a recen thread about home recording wiht lots of good suggestions. Do a 'search' and you'll find plenty of info. |
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May 2004
Posts: 2850
Location: Midland, MI | What Dave sed. I do have a GNX4, though and find it to be a ton of fun/handy. Had a Tascam PocketStudio 5, but that's out on a crane somewhere in the Pacific Northwest. I also have a Guitarport, but Line6 pissed me off, so I don't use it any more. Much. |
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Go with a tascam unit. They make home recording easy and the instructions areeasy to follow as well.just saw recently that an 8 track digital dp-01fx runs around 450 the one with an included cd burner runs about 560. each unit has a usb line out so you can just dunp the wav mix to your computer and burn from there. 450 for 8 tracks...not bad. if your looking for somethin a little smaller say 4 tracks korg sells the d4 it has on board effects and a usb out to send the final mix to you computer for cd burning.
hope that helps. |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | I've got a Tascam DP01FX multitrack Digital Portastudio. I do mostly solo acoustic and small group (3 vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards and percussion) and it's perfect for our needs. It has a 40GB hard drive, which should be good for about 250 songs before we have to clean up the memory. We've recorded a couple of CDs on it, actually, and they sound great. It's an 8 track (remember, the Beatles supposedly did "Sgt. Pepper" on a 4 track), but you can bounce til the cows come home because the sound is so clean (we hardly ever need more than 10 tracks with what we do). The effects are nice, especially the reverb,and there are a number of nice acoustic guitar effects. There's an XLR and 1/4" jack on both channels, and phantom power if you want to use condenser mics. I'm old-fashioned, I guess; I prefer a multitrack recorder to the computer based software systems. I like to be able to push PLAY, RECORD, REWIND and FWD. I like to tweak knobs and push faders, and I think you can be a lot more precise that way, moreso than when you're clicking and dragging a mouse (at least I am). Plus, when you've got everything mixed the way you like, you can then import it into your computer via USB cable and run the finished product through a software system for final polishing and mastering (we use GoldWave or "n"tracks or a free version of ProTools)before you burn the CD. The DP01FX goes for around $498 (there's a version without effects--the DP01-- that goes for about $298--but it doesn't have the XLR jacks and phantom power, either), and then there's the DP01FX-CD, which also has an onboard CD burner if you want to avoid the computer rigamole altogether. I think this one is about $698.
Hope this is helpful. It may not work for you, but it works for me. |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Steve, you scooped me! You must have been posting while I was drafting my long-winded reply! Do you have a Tascam DP unit? I love mine. I love how my Ovations sound through it. |
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March 2002
Posts: 15664
Location: SoCal | http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Recording/Multi/Track/Record...
Wiko reccommended this to me. Once I get past tax time, I'm going to get one. |
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April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Moody, that's a great package utilizing teh version without effects . They probably haev a package with that one as well.
I don't have a home recording unit any more. With the new job i probably will get one. I have used tascam units for years satrting with a small used 4 track cassette adn teh last one i owned was the 488 mkII. I actually loved that one! Even for a cassette multi-ttrack it was great. this was before the full blown digital craze.Now you can get digitalbased multitrack units for less that i payed for that 488 MKII. (which was the newest and latest version at the time.)I really do love Tascam products and believe in them. |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | That's a GREAT buy; if you don't need the XLR jacks, phantom power and effects, it's ideal. A lot of folks use outboard effects pedals for guitar, but the vocals might tend to be a little too dry without reverb. Do they have a package price with the DP01FX or the DP01FX-CD as the recorder? |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Steve--you're just too FAST for an old dog like me! |
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February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | If you're working with acoustic instruments don't consider any multitrack recorder that doesn't have XLR inputs and phantom power. Pretty soon your ears will tell you that pickups and preamps alone just don't cut it for recording and you'll want to try using pro microphones, vocals will benefit from condenser mikes too. |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | The sound of an acoustic guitar through a condenser mic will raise goosebumps on you-- and you can't do that without XLR jacks and phantom power. |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Anybody else notice that the post counts aren't adding up today? I've done 5 posts so far (6 now with this one) and I'm still showing 13. Steve Chapman's done 2 and is still showing 2365. It's no biggie to me-- I'm not trying to break any records or anything-- but most people like to keep track. Or does it add up later, or do something I don't know about? I'm still kinda new at this. |
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August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Okay, now all of my posts today show 14! This is weird! |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Now they show 15, and after I do this one, it'll probably be 16. Is it just me? |
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October 2005
Posts: 400
Location: North Texas | You can record using your PC. Get a little mixer and plug it in to the "line in" of your sound card. Buy a recordong program like Cakewalk, or Power Tracks (inexpensive and effective) and lay down some tracks. You can record dry (no effects) and then spruce up the audio tracks later. Stand alone recorders are neat, but you don't "need" one to make decent recordings. Have Fun! Buckaroo |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 48
Location: Spokane, WA | That's a ton of good info and suggestions, thanks alot. I think I'll take a look at that Tascam. |
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Joined:
April 2003
Posts: 2503
Location: Fayetteville, NC | Heres the DP01FX link to an all in one recording package..still agreat deal.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Recording/Multi/Track/Record... |
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Home Recording