Need advice on "Portastudio" - Page 2

cedartop52 · #16 02-19-2021, 10:44 AM

Thanks again Rudy and Dave for your advice and thanks Rudy for the great song! I've got some homework to do but now I feel like I'm approaching the 'problem' with a lot better knowledge of the possibilities. Thanks all, Dan

MikeBmusic · #17 02-19-2021, 01:03 PM

I started my current recording years with a Boss recorder that had up to 64 'virtual' tracks (4 of the channels were stereo, so you really only had 6 tracks to work with at a time). It was great to learn with, but ...
Once moving to a computer:
1) Comping - combining multiple takes/tracks to get one good track. Ever make a tiny little flub in the guitar part, or hit the wood with your pick? I never had any luck using punch-in/punch-out with the Boss - it was 'record the whole track again', or live with the flub.
2) Different reverb on the instruments and vocals.
3) More EQ and compression choices than ever possible on a stand-alone recorder.
4) Automation - this is the biggest by far. After mixing my first album with sliders, there was no way I was ever going back to that! And volume isn't the only thing that can be automated. Want to add an echo on that last phrase? Easy in a DAW.
5) Virtual instruments. Ever program a Boss drum machine? Tedious and limited. Of course strings, synths etc, no way to do virtually on a stand-alone.

cedartop52 · #18 02-19-2021, 03:22 PM

Thanks MikeB. Solid, logical points to consider. I'll try not to over-complicate my decision but I am grateful to better understand the broad range of options available to me. Thanks for adding your knowledge and personal history to the equation. Dan

Captain Jim · #19 02-19-2021, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cedartop52

Thanks Frank...your thinking on the subject is quite compelling. In the brief time I've had to look into the Spire product, it was looking like it might be a great creative tool for me. But then your question about potentially developing interest in creating a more polished production level as time goes on....that certainly appeals to the more adult side of me! ha Thanks for giving such helpful thought to my little dilemma. Dan

My music partner is a big fan of Logic ProX. We still swap tracks back and forth with our Spire, and if we need more than 8 tracks, he exports that to his daw and works it up. I tried Logic ProX... it was WAY more work than I wanted to mess with. For the record, I have gone back into a year old Spire file and swapped out drum tracks or added vocals. Easy.

I am not computer-phobic. I work with Photoshop on a daily basis, a program that confounds many people. I also work with 360º video. I just find the Spire (and the graphic interface on my iPad) easy to breeze through when I'd rather be making music than sitting in front of a computer. If you like the idea of the "Portastudio" type recorder, you would likely find the Spire Studio right up your alley.

In the grand scheme of things, I think any piece of equipment that gets someone excited about making music is a good thing. Once the equipment becomes more of a chore than a pleasure... well, that's another story. Good luck with whichever way you go - enjoy making music!

cedartop52 · #20 02-21-2021, 05:04 PM

Thanks Captain Jim! I've been looking into the Spire and it does dovetail pretty closely with my desire to keep the exercise more about music/creativity versus technology. Like you, I am comfortable with Photoshop but find that software actually contributes to my creativity in the visual realm, where technology seems more of a distraction in my musical efforts. Go figure! Thanks for helping me consider all the options...I just need to pick a path now and start moving down the road.