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21 Jan 01 - 09:15 PM (#379301) Subject: Home Recording Machines From: GUEST Hi, I'm just looking for some help on a home 4 track recorder (or 8 track). Just a regular machine for personal use (demos), with good quality but not top of the line sort of thing for serious studios. I had a 4 track before, but it wasn't too great as the 1st and 2nd channels were unable to be mixed to the "center" as it were. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. |
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21 Jan 01 - 09:50 PM (#379319) Subject: RE: Home Recording Machines From: GUEST,Terry There are three main ways to go with multitrack recording for us amateurs: 1) four-track cassettes, 2) four or eight-track minidisc, 3) hard-disk recording, either as a stand-alone unit or PC-based. I had a four-track cassette unit for many years, then upgraded to a four-track minidisc about four years ago. The cassette units are inexpensive (less than $300), but the difference in the sound quality and editing capabilities are a quantum leap better for the minidisc. You can get a Yamaha four-track minidisc new for about $500 now, or you can get used Yamaha or Sony four-track minidiscs on eBay for much less. Yamaha also makes an eight-track minidisc; I wish I had those extra four tracks. The stand-alone hard disk multitrack recorders are nice, usually with built-in effects such as reverb, chorus, etc. You'd need a way to archive your data, such as a Zip drive. A newer model is the Roland BR-8, an eight-track deck that records directly to 100 mB Zip discs. It has the Zip drive built in. It costs about $695. I've used that one extensively, and it has a lot of nice features. The PC based units take quite a bit more technology than first meets the eye. The software is quite expensive, and you need a high-quality soundcard, as well as a relatively high-end processor and a big hard drive for storage. I'd say your best bet is getting on eBay and picking up a used minidisc or checking out the Roland BR-8. Good luck! Terry, home-recording fiddle player |