Tech: portable recording studios

Subject: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: Davie_
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 05:50 AM

Hi there, anyone with any information on the Korg 3200 recording station. We are a 5 piece band and wish to produce our own stuff on the cheap..is this way an option please..?

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: treewind
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 06:38 AM

It's certainly an option (looks pretty powerful for the money), especially if you want to record live gigs, but I hope you don't believe all that "studio in a box" stuff. It's just one component of a recording studio.

If you want your recording to sound good and professional, you need boring and expensive things like
- a good room (big enough? acoustic treatment?)
- good mics and monitoring
- a lot of sound engineering experience and expertise

If you aren't bothered about professional studio sound quality, the Korg looks like overkill - for a 5 piece band do you really need to be able to record 16 channels simultaneously?

Anyway, as for comparisons with the competition, check if the Korg has full effects processing (eq + compressor) on every channel.
Look at the Yamaha AW1600 which may be a better match for your requirements and budget and is unusual in its price range in having full per-channel dynamics processing.

There's lots of others too, but I happen to be familiar with the AW16G, and the AW1600 fixes most of its limitations to my mind.

Anahata

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: Davie_
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 06:59 AM

Thanx for the advice there. The recording side is new to me, so I am getting as much advice as I can from here and other sources. I wil lhave a look at the Yamaha and see if I can find ya some more questions...ty

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: Grab
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 08:26 AM

For £899, you could also get two MOTU 8PREs and a reasonable second-hand laptop. (Add £50 for a 2U flightcase for the 8PREs if you're using it at gigs, and maybe £20 for a Firewire card, and £200 if you want a new laptop.)

Graham.

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: bankley
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 08:42 AM

I bought a Korg PXR4 in Nov. 01, when it first was available in Canada. Basically 4 faders, 32 virtual trax, lots of FX, USB, good editing tools........ and it's as big as a ham sandwich. It has its limitations but is excellent for the solo musician. Great for sketching songs and also transporting trax to a larger format. Looks rather tiny next to a 24 track Studer, but weighs 700 plus lbs. less. Great machine for the price. Also battery powered, which makes 'field' recording easy. I didn't care for the built in mic, so I run an AT 'Midnite Blue' which is fine.... definitely makes 'pro-studio' owners nervous. However, it's become a valuable link in my recording methodology....

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: Jack Blandiver
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 08:50 AM

Any thoughts on the Zoom H4? I've used it for any amount of field recordings & a couple of studio CD tracks too...

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: mandotim
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 08:58 AM

I use the H4 for field recordings and some home studio. Great bit of kit; the only failing is the tiny LCD screen, which my ageing eyes find difficult to read. I suppose that's the price you pay for miniaturising a high-spec 4-track recorder and microphones into something the size of a cigarette packet!
Tim

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: M.Ted
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 11:14 AM

In case Anahata didn't get the point across--this box looks like someone could use it to make excellent recordings--but that doesn't necessarily mean that it is right for you.

The "studio-in-a-box" concept is really about electric and electronic sounds that are plugged directly into the recorder and processed with lots of bells and whistles--one assumes that you, being in a folk music forum, play and want to record music that is basically acoustic--so you can get by with a fairly simple recorder, but your primary concern will be with miking and getting a good ambient sound.

Many of us have gone through a fair number of recording schemes before finding the thing that worked(some of us are still looking!)--there is probably no way around this, but two things will help--first, get some actual, hands-on recording experience before you start investing time and money into putting together your own stuff, and second, find out when and where mfg reps aredemonstrating their equipment and get out there and see it--you can find out more in ten minutes with a sales rep than in a day of web-surfing--

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: Davie_
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 12:09 PM

Thanx for the input Ted, but being stuck in the Spanish outback,its difficult to get to any of the big advertising arenas, however I have taken on board all everyone says so far. I hope to visit a local recording studio and get some more ideas from there..

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: mrmoe
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 12:13 PM

I have a Tascam dp01-fxcd......bought it because of the Tascam name I guess....it's very much like the old analog mixing boards that we all grew up with, so it's pretty easy to master....with good condenser mics, I've gotten some very nice results...

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: M.Ted
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 12:28 PM

You can always try calling them.

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: Davie_
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 01:15 PM

Thanx for input everyone...lots to learn here I think

Subject: RE: Folklore: portable recording studios
From: jeffp
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 01:22 PM

Lots of information available at http://homerecording.com.