Multi-Track Recording?

[Jaygetsreal]

+1 to @ClusterFlux
The Zoom handy recorders have been around quite a while and are extremely well-designed and inexpensive. I have the H6 and it's an absolute pleasure to use. I don't use most of the on-board features - prefer to just get high definition raw files and mix and process in Cubase (also a very good value product)

 

[Kickass]

Having used a Yamaha AW4416, 16 track digital recording desk with built in recorder, for more than 20 years I am about to upgrade to the new Allen & Heath CQ20-b for studio work and live.
It offers full 20 input, 4 effects, 8 outputs, built in wifi for Ipad, smart phone or pc live mixing. It can be computer interface and offers multi track recording to on board USB and SD slots at 96kHz sampling.
Recorder inputs can be pre or post eq/dyn processing and allows recorded tracks to be played live into normal channels. This means you can record a sound check song (before or at a gig) and send the band away while the sound check is done.
Set ups can be saved as snapshots so easy to recall your bands routing and processing for gigs and recording.
Recorded files can be dragged from the SD card/USB stick into any DAW.
Less than £800 new.
D

 

[Stylee Mousse]

I’d start by using what you have. Create 2 mono mixes to your computer- one instruments one vocals. Refine the balance rehearsal after rehearsal until it sounds good. You will learn a lot about mixing. The mixer should let you assign aux mixes to the recording and still send whatever main mix you need to the speakers.

I did pretty much exactly that from a club I mixed at - aux mixes to a live radio remote. It was stressful but went well most nights anyway!

 

[DirtDog]

You need an interface to get audio into your DAW. You do not even need a mixer. What you have is a {A mixer. However it is still not completely useless



It has 4 sub groups and a stereo mix down, he can get six inputs into the interface if the interface has 6 inputs. Direct to DAW sure only stereo

Anyway OP - How many instruments and/or mics do you want to record simultaneously. That would determine how many channels your interface can have. In reality most project studios probably can do 8 at most but those get pricey. My recommendation is to get a 4 channel Audient/Focusrite/Tascam with ADAT/lightpipe expandability.
In my use case for example here I recorded drums (I had 6 mics) saxophone, bass, keyboards and mic guitars and a singer, at the same time live in a warehouse type space. I used my Antelope Audio Zen Tour (not big but fully featured) which has 4 mics and 4 line/instrument level inputs and a 16 channel ADAT lightpipe. I borrowed an Audient EVO 8 which has the auto-gain feature to mic the drums and the guitar cab and the Rhodes and connected that to my Zen Tour via an optical cable. Then I used the Zen Tour mic pre to record sax and vocals, bass, a live stereo mix and the synths into a fully loaded Mac Mini with Apple Silicon. I played and the sax and watched the gain as well. Until our "tracking guy arrived". I had a 8 fader Behringer control surface to control my DAW instead of moving the faders via mouse and that was helpful specially that I am also playing. I think that is the most live tracking I have done in one shot without a dedicated recording mixing desk. The Antelope Audio interfaces are top notch.

Having said that, those new TASCAMs porta studio into SD cards are good. I had an older system that I gave to my friend but that one did not interface with a DAW but was self contained and you can mix and master on it.

short story - You will be fine with a 2 input interface if you are tracking yourself only. If you get a 4 input you can track a drumset with 2 mics - 3 or 4 even better

TASCAM - you have the mixing desk feel of fader control but they are not so portable and I have not tried them myself and TASCAM is known for keeping thing proprietary.
Any other 2-4 inout interface with no traditional faders is all you really need. You will be using your mouse to control faders and it is not bad. You can get surface controllers buit make sure they are supported by your DAW. Even something with 1-4 faders is good. some MIDI controllers can also do fader control

I highly recommend the interfaces that have auto level control Audient EVO 8 is I have tried. It is really good

DAW - Cubase is a b**tch to learn and is more for people who do complicated orchestral stuff. I recommend Reaper or if on a Mac just pay the perpetual, multiple install Logic Pro. It has so many features for the beginner and the pro.

Maybe this will confuse you more but that is that. We have to start somewhere.

The USB on the MG16xu only digitizes the main outs, not the aux outs.

But yes, he could send the six analogue outs from the MG16xu to a separate interface (with six ins and six outs) and then into the DAW. Unneccesarily complicated but it’s doable.

 

[EvilJ]

four (sometimes 5) vocals going, two different guitarists, two keyboards (one player), bass (me!) and drums

IMHO, if you are just wanting to record to make improvements as a band, get 2 SM57's and set them up to try and get the clearest sound possible of your band playing.
It is quite possible you will end up pulling your hair out trying to multitrack live without spending a ton of money on mics and isolation.

 

[roadyboy]

Zoom livetrac L-12 or L-20. It's a mixer that records each channel to a SD card . It also works as a USB interface to a DAW. I use it as my interface to Reaper. Record your live gigs and then edit on your DAW. the pre's sound great IMHO.

 

[peterpalmieri]

I enjoyed reading what has been written and suggested so far. This curiousity is what turns people into audio engineers.

My advice is to proceed carefully. Look at what is suggested. Do your best to research what is suggested and figure out what does and doesn’t work. You’ll learn a lot in the process and hopefully save yourself time and money.

The Tascam model 24 or the smaller input versions. This would replace your existing mixer. And outside of mics and cables is all you really need except a pair of headphones.

the benefit to you in my opinion is it will function as a traditional analog mixer with the addition of being able to record the individual tracks. You don’t need to bring and set up a computer at rehearsals. When you go home you can use it to mix the tracks or simply transfer the files into a daw.

of course there are plenty of options including using an audio into face and recording into your Daw with a laptop or something like the Behringer x16. All fun option that also work just as well. But IMO require other consideration.

have fun with it.

 

[DJ Bebop]

Your mixer if it has insert points per each channel, can be routed channel by channel into a USB multi-channel audio interface into a laptop or desktop computer running some sort of DAW software. Like what might come with an audio interface or Reaper or the Cubase software you have access to.

 

[lowerclef]

Any audio interface with 8 inputs will do. Many companies make them now.

If you want to leave the laptop at home, you can also look into a Tascam Portastudio like the DP-24SD.

+1 on this. It’s significantly cheaper than a Model 24 (about $300 used), and is dead easy to set up and use. Also easy to send tracks to your computer for mixing later.

 

[peterpalmieri]

I guess the question is how exactly does he split the signal to run from an 8 channel interface and to his existing mixing board?

I don’t believe the mixer he referenced has individual direct outs on every channel.

 

[DJ Bebop]

I guess the question is how exactly does he split the signal to run from an 8 channel interface and to his existing mixing board?

I don’t believe the mixer he referenced has individual direct outs on every channel.

That was the question I asked. If it had insert points on each channel he could, if not, no. The best he could do is the 4 sub mix bus outs.

 

[HotelX]

I would suggest getting a Tascam or Zoom Livetrak to replace your current board. You can still use them as a PA mixer with the benefit of multitrack recording built in.

 

[KohanMike]

To Tosh:

These are great questions and it's helping me learn what I might need. And in the short time today that I've been following some of the suggestions here (thanks to EVERYONE!) I'm seeing already that I MIGHT benefit by simply upgrading to a 16 channel digital mixer--capable of recording individual tracks. Currently we have four (sometimes 5) vocals going, two different guitarists, two keyboards (one player), bass (me!) and drums. So, in a perfect world, five vocal mics, 5 instruments and drums (which I would think at a minimum would need at least 2 mics). So right there is 12. So, I'm actually thinking 16 (if multiples of 4 is the standard), just for a little wiggle room.

I imagined downloading to my computer and using SD cards for starters.

And yes, this may be more than I was thinking--but I really wasn't sure WHAT to think when I started. And...Christmas is coming up here...

After going through a variety of mixers and recorders, I say make it easy on yourself and get a 16 track digital mixer/recorder. I finally went to a Zoom R16 with 8 XLR combo inputs that's perfect for me, recording got so much easier.

 

[hbarcat]

After going through a variety of mixers and recorders, I say make it easy on yourself and get a 16 track digital mixer/recorder. I finally went to a Zoom R16 that has 8 XLR combo inputs that is perfect for me, recording got so much easier.

@Alnitak, I would do what KM said.

I have two of these units and they're perfect for making multitrack recordings on location, within a simple, compact, standalone unit.

Plus, you can mix and master in the box, without needing a computer, mixer, DIs, or any other interface. All you need is microphones and cables. The mic pres and ability to mix levels are built into the Zoom unit.

You can add compression, EQ, delay, reverb, and numerous other effects to individual tracks, along with mastering tools. You can also overdub eight more tracks for a total of 16 channels to mixdown.

I've made numerous multitrack recordings with mine and have been super happy with the results.

The Zoom R16 is discontinued but can be found used for about $150-$175.

The Zoom R20 is the current version, but with some nice upgrades. It sells for $320.

Zoom R20 16-track Recorder / Interface / Controller Workstation

 

[hbarcat]

@Alnitak, I was wondering if your username is the same as the star Zeta Orionis in the constellation of Orion that is the easternmost of the three that makes up his belt? I recognize it as the triple star system that's associated with the Horsehead Nebula.

 

[dannylectro]

QSC TouchMix 8, 16, or 30 will do exactly what you want.

 

[peterpalmieri]

That was the question I asked. If it had insert points on each channel he could, if not, no. The best he could do is the 4 sub mix bus outs.

He did list his model mixer and it does not have direct outs or inserts. The groups are selectable in pairs so to unless he pans the channels he won’t get 4 just two stereo or for the live mixes he’d have to do everything in mono.

 

[mcnach]

I apologize in advance--this topic is probably out there somewhere--but I wasn't finding what I was looking for in a quick search...so...

I'm wondering if someone can recommend a device which will allow me to record live rehearsals, but be able to capture each mic/instrument as a separate channel? I'd like to play around with mixing (totally new to me)--and can see how I could put together some re-mixing of our sessions--which I could later distribute to the band members for subsequent home practice?

I have a Yamaha mg16xu mixer, but the output of that is only a stereo (2 channel) mix. So I can do that and put all the instruments on one side and all the vocals on the other (or other configurations), but I get only two outputs.

What I'd LIKE, is to be able to get EACH instrument/vocal in a separate channel (to the best extent possible), recorded simultaneously, so I can remix later. Obviously each mic is a separate input, and each amp we have has a DI--so those could be separate. (I'll have to deal with mics for the drums later).

So, am I looking at thousands of dollars to be able to do this? Or can I somehow get our mixer to accept an input/output--for a separate piece of equipment--which would record each DI and Mic track by itself--as we rehearse as a group?

Thanks in advance!

We've been doing exactly that with a Zoom R16, which records 8 tracks at once. Eventually I got a second one, which you can link, for 16 tracks.
The reason I preferred that to a laptop, was that everything is there in one box. It has a couple of built-in mics which you can use as a quick way to record an idea, and it can run on batteries as well as plugged in.

It works very well. Then we shift the tracks to the computer and mix etc there. The R16 can also be used as a controller, so you have physical faders with your DAW, but I haven't gone there.

 

[mcnach]

I think you're going to find that tracking separate instruments at a rehearsal is a pain, and will take twice as long as you think it will.

If you're intent upon recording individual instruments, it is better to have somebody come in and set mics, get levels, and engineer, while you and the band take care of the rehearsing part.

It's doable, but everybody's got to have plenty of time and patience, and you've got have the ability to focus on two different, attention-dependent tasks at once.

Nah, the first time you figure out things (and still won't take too long) and after that it's a breeze.

 

[One Way]

We’ve used the Zoom L20r for about one year as a mixer for gigs and to record rehearsals.
The Zoom L20 looks like a traditional board with physical controls and the L20r is more compact (with much fewer physical controls) and is controlled by an interface on your iPad.
Using this board allows us to all go direct to the board for rehearsals with headphone monitors with individual mixes. Individual mixes can have or not have a click track if desired.
From rehearsal recordings I then take the 14 or so individual tracks and import them into my DAW to mix and distribute to the band members. Doing this I am also able to mute any track (lead guitar or vocal for example) and send that band member a personalized mix down version for them to practice with.