Recording / Need advice

Need a way to record a good sounding demo CD for our band.
I know nothing about the recording industry. I have been told to get the multi track recorder and start there.
I use an Allen Heath GL2400-24 board for our main FOH mix
Found a Boss 1180CD locally for $100. Any thoughts?

you could probably get a decent demo out of the Boss unit, but the standalone recorders have their drawbacks — the tiny screen, lots of menu-diving, countless key commands, etc. ... if anybody in the band has a good laptop, going that route would take you further.

I've had good results with a small mixer Eurorack and small 4 track recorder like a tascam porta 02,Live with very minimal mix,is this a demo to get gigs or to shop to record co.
,do record companies still exist?either way it does not,repeat does not ,need to be super high quality recording if your songs are that strong the people interested should pay you!!!!
to record a better demo

I'm with Woodman. Don't much care for the stand alone units, considering there are cheap, computer-based alternatives available. Like maybe the smaller Mbox stuff that comes with Pro tools LE. Spend a few day learning the app, and you'll enjoy the benefits there, because it taps the whole power, flexibility and growth potential of a MAC or PC instead of what little they can pack into a stand alone.
A bit of learning to do, but it's worth the effort.

Thanks for the quick responses.
What all do I need to use a laptop?

Not to throw cold water on this thread, but if you're in any kind of hurry at all, you might want to see if there are any guys near you who have already made good demos and enlist their help.

Recording ain't rocket surgery, but there IS a learning curve...

Tim

Why not just go to a recording studio? You'll get in and out quickly with much better quality than trying to get your heads around this whole thing yourselves.

It's good to learn recording techniques, and of course watching a pro record you will be a great learning experience, yield the desired results, and take the pressure off when you guys go to it yourselves.

Enjoy the process!

Why not just go to a recording studio?

You can certainly get a good demo from a good studio. Only problem is that it'll likely cost you as much or more than a low end Protools or Cubase LE system would cost (I've got a guy who comes here 2-3 days a week at $200 to $250 a day because he's got no interest in setting himself up). And when you learn new songs, or write a few, you're back at the studio spending more.

It sounds to me like you're interested in having the option to update, and that you are ready to jump in and do it.

You might check something like the Mbox 2 mini. Here's a link with the info.

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Digidesign-Mbox-2-Mini-?sku=700498

It does require a newer Mac (10.5 op sys) or a decent PC, but if that's covered, you're on your way for about 3 bills. There are also some nice interfaces that come with Cubase LE.

Not trying to push one way or another. Just saying that this give you flexibility as the band changes and grows. Plus, recording is a gas, if you're so inclined. If your not, than this is not for you.

p.s. there are plenty of recording nuts here that will gladly offer excellent advice on recording techniques (in case you hadn't already noticed)

If the band can play and is completely prepared for the recording, you can get the job done quickly and inexpensively.

My band demo was recorded, mixed and mastered in 8 hours flat at $45 per hour. Complete. Done.

It's not the greatest recording ever done but it has kept us quite busy in the 5 years we've been using it. Setting up a cheap studio costs a lot of money by the time you really get it going and then there's the whole learning curve of getting good sounds. It can take months.

http://www.therockaholics.com/sounds.cfm

Thanks for the responses.
We went into the studio last year, basically $100 per song for 1 CD. Cheapest around.

We wanted something that we do for demos,live shows and our new stuff.

True, studio would be nicer,less headache on my part,and probably the best way to do it, but like other local bands,not alot of money made doing this.

dang, 'nator, that's one hell of an eight-hour demo! it's mostly about having a great band ... few bands (including mine) could knock that out in a day's work. you're right about the learning curve in cobbling up a studio, but if you work at it, it can pay dividends in the future since you can sort of control your technological destiny.

I'm a great believer in letting the experts do what they know how to do. So the easy option is to go to a local studio and get their engineer to record everything for you. But it'll cost you.

I've got both a standalone Korg D8 and a version of Cubase on my PC and I can spend as much time as I want to recording my own stuff at home - when it suits me and at no cost. And, while I may be no expert recording engineer, once you've has your hands on the gear for a short time, you learn the basics of what you need to do the get a half decent recording.

I'd much rather learn some basic engineering skills than continually hand out money to any studio - particularly when today's technology is so (relatively) cheap.

What all do I need to use a laptop?

(1) an interface to get your signal(s) into the computer.
(2) recording software you feel comfortable with.
(3) enough work ethic to master the basics of recording.

I'm gonna make the assumption that you fellers are pretty good and just need a fair representation of what you do....

if so, then I'd get a zoom H2 and record yourselves at all your rehearsals and gigs for a couple of weeks... import the files into a computer using audacity or reaper or garageband and just do a little equalization and it should sound great.

don't try any overdubs or any of that.. and it will sound like you boys sound. the H2's are about 150.00 and you'll be set!

I'm a great believer in letting the experts do what they know how to do. So the easy option is to go to a local studio and get their engineer to record everything for you.

That could be a great option for a band. But while the studio engineer/producer is going to know the studio well, he's not necessarily going to know or care about the band, the songs and how to get the best out of both of them. (This could be a problem for a band at any level, even ones that have enjoyed massive success.) And once the money is spent on that studio time, it is gone. Money invested in recording equipment is a gift that keeps on giving.

I'll throw my opinion into the conversation since we just finished tracking our new album. 12 songs. Previously we went into a studio, recorded songs, then had the engineer mix it. Well, I agree with the comment above that states the engineer probably doesn't know anything about your band, your sound, etc. And they ypically don't. Granted, there are great engineers out there, but they cost top dollar. In my opinion egineers that are cost effective are for a reason, they can't charge more. They aren't good enough. Again, just my experience. Plus, they mix what they want to hear and may not even have experience with your genre of music.

Over the last several months we recorded on a ZOOM 16 track. We were able to take our time, do things over, try out new things that could be deleted if they didn't work, experimented, etc. and came out so far with the best we have ever sounded. Mostly because we knew what we wanted to hear and were not in a rush against the clock and the money. Now we plan to have a professional mix it and then have it mastered. I don't think we could do that any justice, it is truely a mastered skill.

Those are my thoughts.

Wayne

Is this a one time thing, you have a bar band that needs a demo to book gigs? Studio could be the fastest and least co$t, especially when you consider the hour$ you will need to spend buying/setting up/learning/producing. Also you know the wisdom of first impressions. Do you really want the first time listener to evaluate your musicality based on your first attempt at basement recording?

Are you writing original songs that you want to develop? Invest in equipment and skills that are every bit as important as learning to play guitar. Studio co$t will eat you alive if you have ongoing projects.

i used the 1180 on all the songs i have on myspace. i think i got good results.

and...... DAMN TELENATOR! ALL THOSE SONGS IN 8 HOURS? you the man!

Money invested in recording equipment is a gift that keeps on giving.

nice turn of phrase! that was the point i was trying to make. beyond this project and this band, there's a future.

I'm with the woodman on this. :grin:

I'm with the woodman on this. :grin:

Same here. THe cost of a decent all in one unit translates to a few hours at a recording studio. So, at some point you make back the cost and everything else is "free."

Wayne

I'm going the opposite direction here, Sure a laptop and software and all that stuff can and will yield fine results, but so can a $100 used multitrack.

tracks are tracks.

Point is, with no experience it is best to a start simple and grow from there. There is nothing easier on the market to learn and use than the Boss recording products.

If the band is rehearsed and plays overall pretty well and consistent, a $100 recorder will offer great rewards, fast results and a low cost of ownership

The question was " I want to do a demo , can I do it with a $100 multitrack"???

the answer is , yes.

I have a Boss BR-8 sitting around here somewhere, it uses Zip discs, the music doesn't know this. This is probably the best value little 8 track recorder I have ever owned.

I have a Yamaha Aw2816, elaborate 16 track with all sorts of stuff crammed into a 14" by 14" piece of plastic , the music doesn't know this..

I also have a full blown PC Sonar system , it took me 6 months to get back to where I was when using the Yamaha, The Yamaha took 3 or 4 months to get me back to where I was when I used the BR-8.

Purpose is everything, dollars need to match purpose.

And...

Our band Demo's are made from live gigs using a Boss Micro BR ( size of a pack of butts) with a small Stereo Sony mic .

I use small sections of songs, fade in and fade out for the demo stream.

Purpose is everything . You can bring a small 8 track or as mentioned above , a Zoom H-2 to a rehearsal and just fire away.

A Boss recorder for $100 is a bargain and when you are done with it you can sell it for $100.

Determine what the purpose of the Demo is and how much you want to invest first.

Start there.

t

You talk a lot of sense here, T Prior!!!

I've recorded my bands and myself using my little Zoom H4 and the recordings are perfectly useable for demos and myspace pages and serve their purpose very well.

I also agree with others here that money invested in recording gear will (or should) give more than its own cost back to the band in savings in studio time, etc once you've learned how to use it.

I guess it all depends on whether anyone wants to learn the engineering processes involved in recording and see it as an ongoing exercise.

If learning to be an engineer is not the object. Go to a studio.

...... DAMN TELENATOR! ALL THOSE SONGS IN 8 HOURS? you the man!

Thanks giginthesky and Woodman. My feeling is, we're not looking to become proficient in recording. We just needed a demo so we could get some work. We were well rehearsed so we were able to throw it down quickly and get out. The engineer did a great job setting the basic mix and I went back to tweak a few things. Bang, it was over. It's not great but it's definitely adequate to get jobs and it sounds the way we sound when we gig. The tones were all done with amp and instrument settings just like we do live. It sounds like us!