I have an MD, and A4 and an OT that controls a couple of analogue synths all hooked up to a mixer. I’m having a great time dark techno jamming and wondering what the next step in terms of recording these jams onto a DAW (i got Ableton).
Should i be looking into an audio interface with enough inputs for each box and if so what do you recommend? Or is it enough to plug the output from the mixer unto something like an Audient ID14? Or should I be looking into a digital portastudio? Perhaps the Analog Heat could do the job?
What is your method and why?
Had the same problem to merge a Nava909, two XOXBOXES, OT, A4 and AR.
I use a 1010 bluebox now. Awesome mixer- awesome simple recording device for live sets. For me it‘s perfect, because it is a centerpiece in my setup, and I don‘t wan‘t to connect to an audiointerface + DAW each and every time.
doing exactly the same, but with Zoom LiveTrak L-8 / L-12.
hardware recorder rocks, because it just records, and then you just import a multitrack session into a DAW.
I have a zoom R16 as well which is great to use but is that optimal to maintain or translate the analogue warmth of the machines? What setup would do justice to the level of sound of these machines?
Look for an audio interface. Motu is somewhat affordable. RME is one of the best but is expensive. The more inputs you have the better. You want to separate the kick and bass to their own tracks at the very least. So you might get away with 8 inputs but more is better.
Unfortunately you could only record them one at a time for the moment whatever you were using. There is an Elektronauts user working on some kind of individual out break out box for the DT but right now there isn’t a good option.
I’m looking at the Tascam Model range for this purpose. They’ll do in-built multi-channel recording, multi-channel i/o over USB, mixing, eq and compression. They seem close to ideal for recording and jamming electronic music or small bands.
I have some minor concerns that keep me looking for alternatives:
I worry that I’ll outgrow the 12, but I don’t have space for the 24 (they do a 16)
I worry a little that they have more mono channels than stereo, but that I have more stereo devices
They also don’t have much in the way of extra busses (inserts or S/R). It’s hard to predict what I’ll want or need in a year or two
Your final decision should be based on sound quality. 44.1 KHz will dull your sound. Look for 24bit 96KHz. If you are doing some lofi sound then it doesn’t matter really but if you have analog synths and you want to capture every nuance then the quality of the recording matters. Do the Tascams record in 96KHz?
It’d be nice for a lot of users. Not that know sht bout sht but I can’t see them doing it. They are all in on overbridge at this point. Maybe if they could easily make it work for more than one product. Or included it as part of a more complex “swiss army knife” type box that provided add ons for multiple existing products.
They don’t tickle my visual sense nor my intuitions about ergonomics as much as the Tascams, but that on in the pic has more stereo channels so I’ll take a closer look at them. Thanks for the suggestion.
I think they only go up to 48KHz. For now and the next year or two, I don’t think it matters if I record above that. 24-bit headroom would be nice, but even that’s probably overkill for my composition, sound design and mixing skills. The first two on the list are more important to me than the last, at the moment.
Something like RME Fireface UCX seems great but wouldn’t you need an analogue type of mixer? And in the end does it make a substantial difference if it’s going into the computer?
