Digital Recorders

[JESTER700]

Laptops need either a PCMCIA (PC Card), USB2.0 or Firewire front end.

Cheapest, simplest, and most mobile may all point to different products!

[snowfall]

Originally Posted by JESTER700

Laptops need either a PCMCIA (PC Card), USB2.0 or Firewire front end.

Cheapest, simplest, and most mobile may all point to different products!

Yup, you need to think pretty hard about how you intend to use the products
before you buy unless $$$ means nothing to you). If you want to record a
4 pc band simultaneously, even if
you mix the drums to stereo before hitting the recorder, you'll still need mics/
line-in for the bass, guitars, vocals, keys, washboard, etc... If, on the other
hand, you're playing all the instruments yourself, or are willing to overdub
all parts (and are willing to mix the drums down to two recording inputs),
then you can get away with a two channel PCMCIA based product, or an
external unit like the lexicon, or a mackie spike, or an mbox. That's one
dimension. On the other hand, if you want something that is portable, and
stand-alone (i.e no computer needed), so you can go wherever, then
a unit like the fostex mr8 (the one with 4 simultaneous inputs). Or, you
could go with one of those tiny 2-track digital palm-size recorders with the
built-in mics -- low on features, but super portable...

[AKMG]

Well by mobile I don't mean like handheld. I just don't want to lug at 50 lbs. mixer board with tons of cables and stuff around. Something clean and simple. Our band is a 5-pc and we want to record simulatenously, not every member records individually. We each have our own mics, so it doesn't bother any of us because we just bring our fair share to the drummers house and everything is fine.

We're using a MacBook, and I'm pretty sure it has a Firewire/USB2.0 port. So would a recorder hooked directly to the laptop work? Or do we need a special sound card?

[JESTER700]

SOME recorders have USB outputs that allow you to copy individual tracks to the laptop. A standalone recorder also has the advantage of being separate - you can keep & use your notebook while the bass player or singer has the recorder to overdub his part, say. Then he brings the recorder over to dump the parts to the project folder on the laptop.

A multiple input firewire interface IS the sound card, so if you go that way it'll just plug into the firewire port on the laptop. Plus you'll get better specs - unlike the cheaper standalone recorders, these have 24 bit convertors. Depending on the rest of your gear, that might make an audible difference.

I've never used a macbook, but 8 simultaneous 24 bit tracks MIGHT be too much for it, especially if it only has a single 4200RPM drive. You might want to check into that, or wait for confirmation from a mac head here.

Don't rush this. Keep getting info here & elsewhere & get opinions from the band.

[AKMG]

Oh God... things just got 50 times more confusing. My band doesn't really care. That just don't want to shell out a lot of money and have it be a complicated setup. We just want to plug and go and be able to host our songs with decent clairty on the internet.

We originally were going to use the amp->mixer->laptop idea...

[JESTER700]

Er, sorry...

[AKMG]

No it's perfectly alright. It's just sort of mind boggling. Of course, I'm always open to any feasible method.