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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I think I have out grown my Korg Pandora and it will soon be on e-bay.
What I'll be looking for is a compact, free standing, multi-track digital recorder. I want to be able to record tracks without being tied to a computer. Kind of like a mixer with a built in recorder. I can later mix the tracks on the 'puter. Any suggestions?
And dig this guys....my wife, bless her little heart, has requested that I do more recording. Okay dear...if you insist. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Hi, Brad--
Check the other thread about home recording. A number of folks like the Tascam DP series, particularly the DP01FX. It's ideal for dummies like me who want to be able to hit PLAY, RECORD, REWIND, FWD, etc., and play with knobs and dials and sliders. Only difference is there's a 40 GB hardrive in there instead of a cassette, good for about 250 songs before you need to clean house. It's especially good if you're a solo singer/guitarist or have a small group, but if you don't mind laying down only 2 tracks at a time and doing a little bouncing, you can record large groups, too. When you're happy with your mix, you import it to your computer as a wav file via a USB cable. If you want to bypass the computer altogether, there's the DP01FXCD model, which has everything the DP01FX has plus an onboard CD burner. A lot of companies have similar units-- Fostex makes the MR8HD which is VERY similar to the DP's, although I think the Tascams are a little more versatile. Again, this is only my opinion, and Im partial because I started out with Tascam cassette PortaStudios, but I have a DP01FX and love it. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | By the way, Brad-- GREAT wife!!! |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I like the "dummy" factor. I'm used to "bouncing" with the Korg so that would not be a problem. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 2120
Location: Chicago | Question Which stand-alone unit is BEST (like DP0IFX) at talking to the computer and most versatile? I like the idea of an affordable/portable workstation for gigs etc. But I don't want to be limited when it comes to communicating with a computer.
dobro |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Haven't had a problem yet, Dobro. Like I said, I'm technologically impaired, especially when it comes to computers. I co-exist with them because I HAVE to, and I do okay with them, but I'm not comfortable with them. The instructions for import/export are very clear. If your operating system is XP, it pretty much does it for you once you enable it. Then once it's in your computer you can refine it with Audacity or GoldWave or n-tracks or whatever other software you have. I'm very happy with the DP01FX. |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | The best stand alone recorders are probably the Roland VS2480 and the Korg D32XD. Both are pricey but are as near to a Pro-tools set-up as you can get. I've had the Roland since it came out and it has several great features like the ability to drive an SVGA monitor instead of having to rely on a tiny LCD screen, plus it will run 3rd party software like autotune and Massenburg EQ. Only thing that lets down both those machines, and every other multitracker on the market is the quality of the mic pre-amps, so I use outboards. |
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Joined:
August 2005
Posts: 616
Location: cincinnati, ohio | Good point, Paul-- I forgot about the mic pre- amps. They do come in handy, and you can get great vocal sound even with a dynamic mic like an SM 58.
The Roland VS2480 is probably the best machine on the market. Unfortunately, mere mortals like me have a DP01 budget! |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 140
Location: Spain | Paul have you had any any experience of the Korg D3200? it reads like a useful machine but the blurb can hide the truth |
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Joined:
February 2002
Posts: 5750
Location: Scotland | A friend of mine has one, I haven't used it other than to tweak a couple of mixes, but it seems like a great machine. Cheaper than the Roland, 32 rather than 24 tracks. USB port for connection to a computer. I don't think you can connnect a PC monitor, so working on that little screen would annoy me pretty quickly. The only thing that struck me was that the hard drive and HD fan were really noisy, which would be an issue when using mikes. But that's also true of most computers and many stand-alone HD multitrackerrs. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 400
Location: North Texas | BR-864, PocketStudio, DP01-FX. Everybody makes them nowadays.
I like the machines using CF cards, no moving parts. No noise. You can stick the card into your PC and drag the tracks to a folder on your Hard drive. Boss/Roland/Eidirol,Tascam,Zoom, and some others have comparable recorders. They work great once you learn the ropes.
Most portables will play 8 tracks, and record up to 64 V-tracks. 8 tracks is generally plenty of poop for the home studio. You can do some good work with these gadgets. Digital Rocks! |
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Home recording....yet again
