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Home recording studio/device
Hi,
I’ve got a Zoom HD8 recording studio. I don’t think they make it anymore. Anyway, it’s got 8 channels, 2 inputs, built in CD burner. I’m an acoustic guitarist/vocalist and I got this thing a few years back to record myself for practice, make personal CDs, etc. The problem is, I never felt comfortable with this unit. I find the overall interface confusing and the users manual, to me, is hard to follow. So, I’m looking for suggestions on a replacement. What I do is simple acoustic stuff. 1 vocal mic and I’ve been micing my guitar. I find going directly in with a cable sounds crappy. Any thoughts? Thanks |
#2
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#3
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Don;t know what your budget is like, but I think if you like the idea of a simple, high quality stand-alone recorder, and don't need something with built-in mics, I highly recommend the Sound Devices Mixpre-3 ii. I got one recently and I'm very impressed. https://www.sounddevices.com/mixpre/
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#4
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Echoing another thread, most folks ultimately go with a 2-channel (at least) audio interface plugged into a computer.
__________________
"I know in the morning that it's gonna be good, when I stick out my elbows and they don't bump wood." - Bill Kirchen |
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#6
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Thank you for the responses. I see that I'm really behind the times. I know nothing about how to use a computer for this stuff. I guess I've got some homework to do. Where to start (?)
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#7
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Then you need an interface. You plug your mics/instruments into it, and then it connects to your computer to send the signal to the DAW. One with two inputs for mics and/or instruments can be had for $100-200. Often interfaces, it will come with a version of the DAW software you can use free. You can still use standalone recorders like the Zoom or Tascam, but the capability and flexibility you'll have with an interface and DAW is much greater. |
#8
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I am a mediocre guitarist and my singing is worse - but for some odd reason, I'm compelled to try.
I have a macbook pro laptop, and I use the software called "Garage Band". I think it was free. I use a Blue Microphones "Yeti Pro" USB mic. I think I gave $100 for it (barely) used on Reverb.com. It just plugs right into any USB port on the computer, but it has another port with a fancy looking plug that I'm pretty sure is meant for "Legit" mixing boards. Not that I've got the ear of a sound engineer - by any stretch - but I'm amazed at the fidelity of the mic. Garage band provides enough editing tools for me to lay down some tracks, tweak some knobs and record some music. I can even publish it if I care too. It's a really simple arrangement that works great for my simple needs. |
#9
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1. Something like a Zoom R series to capture audio, and: 2. Import the tracks to a PC, use a DAW for editing / mixdown, adding effects, topping and tailing tracks, and rendering your final mix as a usable file. You can produce CD-ready wavs or convert to MP3s for distribution on the web. You need a good audio interface and a high quality set of headphones at the very least to hear your work. I've never liked being chained to a computer to track, and a portable recorder is optimized to do this, saving silently to flash drive memory. I have a project coming up in April to track an acoustic band live, and it's pretty easy to set up my Zoom R24 to do the basic tracking with. The mixing and everything else will be done back at my computer later. You might find something of value at my old postings about simple homestyle recording here: http://web.archive.org/web/201603282...ecording1.html |
#10
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For simplicity and ease of use plus great sound quality even with the built in mic I can't say enough about the Spire recorder. I use mine on a daily basis with my students and the results are great.
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