Category: accessible Devices
I don't know why, but I've always wanted to make my own studio recording. Idealy, I'd like to cut a record. It would probably a 45, unless I had enough material to do a full length album, but anyway. I don't have a record press nor do I know anyone who does, but I do have a professional tape. It's heavier than the rest and the quality is supposed to be really good. What I'm looking for now is a multi-track recorder so I can do my own mixing. I don't need something with tons of tracks, 4-8 is fine. I wanna stay away from the digital stuff if possible. So does anyone know of such a recorder that's accessible for a totally blind person? I've heard that you have to pay attention to the lights and the level indicators. Is this true? If so, than what about reel to reel stuff? If worst comes to worst, I guess I could do it on the computer, but that would kind of take all the fun out of it. Thanks guys.
Before going to digital, I had a Tascam 4-track casette porta-studio. It worked ok, but it's still casette tape. The bandwidth is still very narrow, so the sound is terrible.
Digital is your best bet, even though it sounds very sterile, but if you record in 24-bit, it'll warm the recording up. Roland makes some pretty accessible recorders, but honestly, computer is your best bet. If you want analog sound, mix the whole thing down to a 2-track reel to reel machine, half-track is better than quarter-track for this purpose, and use the reel to reel's fastest speed. That'll warm it up nicely.
huh???? you were speaking computer language... lol
Jesse! you audiofile you!!!! Man!!!!! really loved your explainations. I remember when I was working on mastering a CD and the studio I used was a protools studio. one of the tricks they used was to inject very low level noise in to the tracks. Amazin! we go digital to clean things up and then bring back the noise we eliminated to make the track sound good. Wow! full circle.
Thanks guys. I'll do that as a last resort, but I'd still like the real deal.
Aw yes. I'm glad someone still uses tape. I'll be sad when I can no longer get tapes for my taskam porter 0 3, which by the way I would recommend for anyone to use because it's a simple machine to operate. Find out if you can still get it at your favourite music store. I have two of them. I lay the trax I'm recording first, mix it down to another master, and if needed, do it over again and relay more tracks over it, that's my method and I can record forever. All though I typically do not use anymore than 12 tracks. You can go as far as you'd like. You could even by twenty-four track machines but I still like using my four track. The idea however is to use the type two tapes it recommends, and make sure you have a good external source for your mix down. The final product. The last layer. Since those machines I run cost about 250 dollars (a modest price), I would get two of them and you should be set. Let me know how that works. I love taskam and it's you as a buyer and user that can possibly convince them to keep making these things. As they are no longer manufactured and so many others still rely on the technology. Oh by the way, there's two models of the same machine. The taskam porter 0 3 and the taskam porter studio. Take your pick but understand they need constant maintenance. I take both mine in once a year. They ware out after a while. I'm afraid of the day when the store I go to no longer maintenances it.
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Yay! We should really talk more about this so I could learn how to do it properly, but it sounds great. The price is a little high for me right now, especially since I'm doing this as a hobby at this point, but I'll scout around ebay and Craigslist and see what I can find. As for the type 2 tapes, are those the ones that feel heavier than a normal tape, that are used for making masters? Btw, I'm also a videotape user and am looking for a video camera that uses a full-sized tape.
One way you can tell a part a type two cassette is that the bottom left and right corners where you have the protective recording tab, on a type two tape you have a double tab. I have no idea why they do this. On a regular tape you should have one small square tab. It will not split in to two like a type two tape. The tape you asked about that was heavier could be metal tapes. Those are a bit more expensive then the type 2's but will work just as good if not a bit better. It's up to you what to buy. I would stick to the type two cassettes unless you have a tape erasing magnet. The metal tapes have to be properly erased before you reuse them again. I have no idea why this is. I discovered this in the eighties when they were more numerous. You could buy them at a corner store. I had a metal tape I kept reusing and eventually it wouldn't erase properly. When I recorded over it I'd hear little trails of the previous recording I erased. After I ran an electronic magnet threw it, the tape was again reusable, just like I bought a new one. I would imagine e bay might sell the older four track units. You might look there if you're a fan of tapes like me. However trying to keep an open mind for the new shit, how easy are the new digital multy track machines to use? I would never sell out and buy one but I'm sure my friend who still uses tape would like to know. As he too is having trouble continually maintainencing the old taskams he runs. He's a turntablist. He has two of those machines with his mixer and turntables plugged in to it at all times. He's in to that scratching stuff that the rappers do. So he's not eager to give up the old mediums quite yet.
Hey guys.
Why is analog still preferred by some? I'm not saying it's wrong or anything, I'm just curious.
I'm very happy working with Sonar and my PC, we did 20 track recording, no problems at all on an AMD 64 1.6ghz machine with a gig of ram, we're upgrading to quad core and 4 gigs of ram now, but I'm not even sure if it's necessary. It's fairly accessible, although I need to practice more with the scripts, we used the 4 track tapes for pre demoes and they were ok but I'd much rather work with a digital version today, with 24 bit convertion I honestly can't say I hear much of a difference and, in most cases, I prefer the super clean digitalized sound, except with bands like Blink 182 and the emo bands in general, they steralize their sound wayyyy too much, especially the drums, but other digital recordings sound lush and warm, Kashmir, Manic Street Preachers etc. Tool is a nice cross between, although, apparently, the guitarist still insists on doing his parts on an analog recorder, rest of band recorrds directly to digital.
Anyways, would be curious to see more thoughts from the audiophiles on here.
cheers
-B
Well speaking for myself I like that analog sound. It's all I used to remember. Aside from the crackles on a record which I thought was nice to hear sometimes, I guess the new generation of people in this millennium want their digital sound that they probably grew up listening to. Those who owned diskmen's and many disk players can definitely verify this observation. When it comes to certain music, the simple format of it's day had it's own significant. For example: with hip-hop music it's been said by many old school connoisseurs that hip-hop is better heard on a cassette with your friends out in the park playing ball listening to this boom box, or on a walkman riding the subway. It wasn't meant to be on a cd. Part of that statement is the recognising that vinyl is important at least for dj's. I remembered K.R.S. 1 made similar statements about the old formats and his take on it's significants. I'll change it to say that having understanding and agreeing with most of that, I'd say that tape is just an easier and portable medium to utilize. I realize many disks are small and obviously portability is a factor with some of these new things, but the fact of the matter is, as long as the older technology still works, it's always going to serve a purpose with it's users. If the old stuff still works people shouldn't be expected to just throw it away and try out the new shit because if not; well, you're just not with the in crowd! So now we're gonna force the issue by cornering you to try our new things. I'm glad to see that people still like analog. I don't think of myself as tone deaf but I honestly don't hear a magnificent differents between analog and digital. Other than the obvious crystal clearness of a cd, I think there's some realism to it should it be a bit muddy or hissy. Such as some of the early ripped cd's that had traces of analog hiss in it do to the copy used or was available for the encoding. I miss the crackling sound of vinyl. Soon I'll be mentioning how there was an atmosphere to a hissy tape. It's not something easily explained and comprehended by the new school masses with whom by no choice, we as older people exist with.
I agree with the last post to an extent, but let's face it. The bandwidth on a cassette tape is totally lame, and it runs far too slow across the tape heads, resulting in a less-than optimal frequency range. The only way an analog tape will sound acceptable is a reel to reel machine, preferably playing at half-track on a quarter-inch tape at double or tripple the speeds of cassettes. The 7.5 speed comes to mind as the best in such formats.
The more tracks you have, the wider the tape must be, which is why a 24-track reel is 2 inches wide, and they also run fast over the tape heads.
While the analog format does sound apparently warmer, what you're hearing is simply the natural compression the tape has when it peaks. This can now be duplicated in the digital domain as well, so the analog versus digital is far less of an argument than people make it out to be today.
For me, it's about realistic stuff. I mean, if I'm just gonna record stuff to play around with or whatever, I could go digital. But if I want the feeling of being in a studio, of really doing a serious recording, I'd rather a tape. I'd really like to go one extra step and cut a record, but I'll probably never be able to do that. Anyway, I like the control that a cassette gives me. I hate cds because they're constantly skipping, though mp3s are cool. But I like movable media and mechanical stuff in general. It just feels more real and natural to me. As for tapes, records etc not sounding correct, I never got that, though some players of both media are higher or lower pitched than they should be, but that's why we have pitch control.
Yeah, I guess, although the digital equipment today is as studio as they come, get a mixer with 2, 4 8 or 16 mic inputs, 24 bit a/d converter and software on the back end, sound proof room, head phone mixer and the like and you are in a studio that used to cost 2 or 300000 dollars to set up (probably, might be exaggerating but not by gigantic amounts). Today we're probably talking 3 to 4 grand. But as long as people feel they're using the right thing that's what they should use, it's about enjoyment and creativity after all. I love the Firepod inputs, I'm really impressed with the kind of drum sound I got with those, beta 57s and some Russian Octavo mics for overheads. I also used some AKG drum mics that sounded horrible and broke. Recording is affordable and as fun as they come (I hate recording so it'd never be actually fun for me, too stressing, most things sound awful for the first week after recording, sometimes you ahve to wait for a month until you start liking the music and being able to listen to it as opposed to trying to find the problem with every hit and pluck).
Now I just wish I could find a digital system that would sound good with direct guitar plug in, so far I haven't, have to mic up a Marshall and record that way to get the right sound.
I love the Firepod! It has become my main audio interface.
As for running the guitar direct, I've had great success with my PodXT Live. Run through the Variax, it's nice. Run through a guitar with magnetic pickups, it's amazing.
not sure how I missed this the first time but about wanting and wishing to cut a record? There are still places with the equipment for that. At least I'm seeing a lot of these re-releases coming out sense old school vinyl is still in demand. According to my friend Kevin, he brought to my attention that in Ontario people are tired of the new music and are reverting to buying old jewels. So the local record store where he buys his music, where he buys vinyl, caters to the old school crowd as well. Part of their money comes from selling their untouched unsold records from years ago, plus re-making some old records from years ago. They have a record pressing machine in the basement where this is done. It's unbannounced to the general public but this guy has ways of finding out things mainly being a close friend to the owners of the store, so my guess would be that your local dj store could possibly help you or at least point you in the right direction as far as putting out some wax. Good luck with that. No mistake about it, records are still being made for the dj's. I don't have a record presser but wished that I did. I wouldn't know the first thing about working one, but would be eager to learn. I'm just afraid of how much of it might involve using my eyes as they are not the best lately. However, you all are mostly blind, I trust it's less of an issue. Write back and let me know of a few of these things. I'll ask Kevin_ for the number of the store in Ontario so you can call and ask questions. I'd esecially would ask about pressing records sense that's a service they have. I'll get back to you on this. I'll see if I can get him on the ham. He's been band from here but I can at least get the info for you.
Well just your luck I found him on 40 meters so here is the info. The store is called PlAy De Record located at 357 A Young Street Toronto Ontario. Phone number: 416-586-0380. Call and ask to speak with Eugene. They have a mail out service as well if you have a credit card or paypal. If you decide to do business with them, you might find their mail service useful. Right now they're the number one vinyl distributor for most of the province. Good luck. If this information turns out not good, if I've miscopied it, let me know and I'll try and re-get it for you.
Okay! what's a fire pod? I have heard of the line 6 pod and did play through one and boy, dind't know a bass could sound like that through a PA. it was amazing. As far as what to use. I think the big advantage of digital is editing. it's easy and painless. as far as sound, if it's done right it will be just as good as analog. As far as the studio experience, use a mixer with real fadors and nobs and that will do it. and let the computer serve as the tape machine.