8 track digital recording vs. audacity

[SventheViking]

hey guys my band wants to cut a rough demo that we can hand out to people at shows but my drummer and I are butting heads as to which way to do it. I already am the owner of an 8 track digital recorder a tascam dp-02. my drummer wants to record into a computer and mix it with audactiy. I was wondering what your thoughts were on this. is it really worth it for us to get a new computer just to run some audio software on, significant advantages, or should we just stick with the 8 track that we have now?

[EricssonB]

Depends how you'd do it with each. Are you recording a track at a time, or the entire group together?

Looks like the Tascam only has two inputs anyway, so it's basically the same either way.

Personally, I'd love to have the physical mixer interfaced into individual computer tracks and record the entire band together - give it a better live feel if it's set up correctly.

[tangentmusic]

You already have an 8 track. Put it to good use.
You did say "rough demo". You can get a decent demo out of your Tascam

[SventheViking]

we do scratch tracks with drums and guitar by themselves and then go back and do everything individual:drums, bass, guitar 1, guitar 2, guitar solos. we have already done a bunch of songs in this fashion with what I would call good quality, he just wants to do it with better quality I guess but I don't know if there would be a difference in quality between the two.

[bassbrad]

There may be a difference in quality there is also a significant difference in learning curve and also money involved. You will need a computer, the programs and then the digital audio interface. On one hand you already have the hardware and the knowledge to get things done and the other is the unknown and can be a real money pit, unless your drummer is rich and has the technology and skills. Oh sorry that was a major oxymoron.

[colcifer]

Are you guys gigging a lot? You could always record a couple shows and pick the best versions of each song.

[ajota_di]

I'd use the 8track unless you have a better audio interface for the audacity. Also, don't mix on audacity. GarageBand, sure. Logic, protools, cubase, even better. Even ableton will do in a pinch. But the quality of audacity is nowhere near that of paid, non freeware programs. Don't be afraid to invest in a good software and interface or a better recording module. I know zoom has some fantastic products that include Cubase le for very little cash

[scat1234]

We use the Tascam DP-02 with two mics and record the full band live in rehearsal. Decent quality, use audacity or garageband to clean it up. You may have to try the mics in a couple of different locations to get the right mix.

[mambo4]

Originally Posted by ajota_di

I'd use the 8track unless you have a better audio interface for the [PC].

+1. Software won't add any quality that isn't already there once the sound becomes bits.

The only advantage to software editing is in the editing. The DP-02 doesn't appear to have much in the way of slicing things up and rearranging them. non-linear editing that software allows is very powerful, and gives space for infinite ideas...but it's a mixed blessing. Exploring limitless possibilities can be the enemy of productive recording, it's very easy to get distracted by what you CAN do instead of focusing on what you SHOULD do.

also, PCs and software are less stable than a dedicated piece of hardware. You can spend a lot of time updating/downloading drivers, hunting down plug ins and trouble shooting the various systems.

If you do got with software editing, check out Reaper. It's free to download and try and only $60 bucks if you like it and use it.