making a wee studio
Y'see, when you're in a band, it's really handy to be able to record stuff yourself, even just to demo how it sounds.
In my band this task seems to have fallen to me, for a number of reasons.
1. I'm the only one who seems to have a clue how to do it.
2. The rest of the band have spent enough money on gear without worrying about spending more on computer hardware.
3. I like messing about with recording software.
I'm a Mac person, me, and I would normally mess about using Garageband to record stuff. However, the most recent release of Logic Studio has prompted me to have a go at getting a bit more serious. Plus, some of the plugins and effects it offers seem like it might be just the ticket for recording a young(!) rock band on the go!
I need HARDWARE though, and preferably something with a lot of inputs, as I'm intending to record drums. So I sold my old Line6 Toneport UX2 and started looking for an 8-channel replacement. Which is tricky, as there are loads, and quite a wide price-range (like, from £200 to £800). Also, I'd prefer one with all XLR inputs, rather than a mix of XLR's and Line-level inputs.
So, I've kind of settled on this one, the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra 8R. It isn't cheap, but it does seem to be pretty much what I'm looking for.
This guy gives it a favourable review - his caveats, like the low headphone level for live recording, aren't going to affect me as it'll all be done in our practice gaff.
Then, to record drums, I'll need drum microphones. These seem to be appropriate - CAD DMTP-7
But then, you see, I'm going to have to buy another 5 or 6 XLR leads to go with the 2 I already have, and they're about a tenner each. I'll also need a drum mic-stand and probably 2 overhead mic stands, all at £20 each!
It mounts up so fast, and at this stage I'm not even positive my laptop will be able to handle recording 8-channels at once while running Logic and the virtual mixer that comes with the audio-interface.
What to do, what to do? This is all coming close to £400 of gear, and I'm worried it'll be a waste of time.
