Help with budget setup...please!

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Hi,

I am looking for some advice on making the best use of the gear
that I currently have and to know what I need to move forward with my
recording needs/hopes.

To provided a brief history:

I have been using a small Behringer 802 mixer and a TASCAM US-122 audio
interface into a 2.8 Ghz P4 Laptop with 512 MB RAM and 100 GB (60 internal
and 100 firewire) in storage space. Software is Cubasis VST US and Cool
Edit Pro 2.0. I have been using a Yamaha MIDI keyboard for midi sounds and
drums. This has allowed me to record midi drums and keys and add in analog
guitar, bass and vocal tracks to finish recordings. It has worked very
weill for me but I have come to hate using the midi drums (especially the
snare and cymbal sounds) for these recordings.

So............I bought a drum kit. The problem is that with my current
setup, there is no way to mic and record the kit. (I am limited to two
balanced inputs on the US-122 and the Behr mixer)

I also have an Alto S16 mixer and a bunch of diferent mics for recording
but am a bit in the dark as to how I can use it with my current setup. (If
I can at all.)

I would like to be able to record drums, bass and guitar at the same time.

Can I do it with the gear I have? If not, what do I need to buy? Please
bear in mind that I am on a limited budget. (SEvere).

Any help that anyone could provide would be greatly appreciated.

TIA,

James

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

Thanks for the info Mike.

J.
"Mike Rivers" <mrivers@d-and-d.com> wrote in message
news:znr1108216080k@trad...
>
> In article <Xns95FAC07689233jbuhlerspammenotmbsy@216.196.97.131>
jbuhler@mb.sympatico.ca writes:
>
> > I have come to hate using the midi drums (especially the
> > snare and cymbal sounds) for these recordings.
> >
> > So............I bought a drum kit.
>
> Are you a drummer? Do you have a good drum kit? Do you have a good
> room in which to record the drums, assuming you had the means to do
> so?
>
> > The problem is that with my current
> > setup, there is no way to mic and record the kit. (I am limited to two
> > balanced inputs on the US-122 and the Behr mixer)
>
> You don't need to record each drum on its own track. You can use
> several mics in to your Behringer or Alto mixer, mix them to stereo,
> send that to the line inputs of your US-122, and you'll have a pair of
> drum tracks. The only trick is to get them sounding good enough to use
> in your mix with only a little EQ to fit the drums in with the rest of
> the recording. There are a few approaches to recording drums with two
> or three mics that can work quite well for certain kinds of music if
> the drums and drummer are good and you experiment with mic placement.
>
> > I also have an Alto S16 mixer and a bunch of diferent mics for
recording
> > but am a bit in the dark as to how I can use it with my current setup.
(If
> > I can at all.)
> >
> > I would like to be able to record drums, bass and guitar at the same
time.
>
> First, you need enough players. I assume you've figured that much out.
>
> > Can I do it with the gear I have? If not, what do I need to buy?
Please
> > bear in mind that I am on a limited budget. (SEvere).
>
> What you really want is a multi-channel audio interface to replace the
> US-122. This is going to be a major change in your setup - you'll
> probably use direct or insert outputs from the mixer(s) into the
> interface, and you'll use one of the mixers for monitoring. I'm not up
> on current prices, but I suspect that you're going to be in for at
> least $400 for the interface no matter how you slice it - and there
> are many ways to slice it. You might need more microphones, and you'll
> almost certainly need to do some acoustic work in your room so that
> you can have bass, drums, and guitar playing at the same time with
> enough isolation so that you'll have some control when mixing.
>
> This is not a simple upgrade.
>
> --
> I'm really Mike Rivers (mrivers@d-and-d.com)
> However, until the spam goes away or Hell freezes over,
> lots of IP addresses are blocked from this system. If
> you e-mail me and it bounces, use your secret decoder ring
> and reach me here: double-m-eleven-double-zero at yahoo