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In theory it would seem I have everything we need to record our drummer:

  • Complete drum mike kit (one for every drum + overheads)
  • 12 channel mixer
  • Computer with E-MU 0404 and loaded with Fruity

I've searched the music equipment sites (MF etc.) and maybe I just don't know what I'm looking for by name, because I coulda sworn a few months ago one of the Guitar Center guys showed me a tagboard or something with a USB or midi out channel splitter. Damned if I remember what it was though.

Thanks.

Comments

Todzilla Tue, 08/01/2006 - 11:22

You're kind of hosed, because your card only allows two discrete inputs at a time (at least analog inputs). Otherwise, you could plug each drum mic into a preamp on the board (assuming it has preamps) and jump out of the board from an insert positions (assuming it has those capabilities) and then in to your A/D converter.

Since you only have two A/D converters on your EMU board, you're hosed.

Alternatively, you could get a bunch of drum triggers (like a used Alesis D4 for $60), plug in mics or triggers into the trigger inputs and it will output MIDI data, which can support a whole bunch of different drum signals.

That would be your cheapest route, although once you recorded the MIDI events, you wouldn't be able to tweak the trigger sensitivity settings after the fact.

Of if you don't want to spend dime one beyond what you have, you can record stereo drums and do your mixing through your board. Of course, you won't be able to remix any of the drums then.

anonymous Tue, 08/01/2006 - 11:33

Todzilla wrote: Of if you don't want to spend dime one beyond what you have, you can record stereo drums and do your mixing through your board. Of course, you won't be able to remix any of the drums then.

I second this. It would force you to get the best drum sound you can on the way to "tape," and I believe it would help you learn a lot faster.

Just my .02.

anonymous Tue, 08/01/2006 - 12:15

MAYA 10/10 MULTITRACK RECORDER!!... im not sure that they still make them. But i bought one a while back. Its a pci card that attatches to a 8-1/4" ins and 8-1/4" outs hub thing. i go directly out of each channel and all the channels on my mixer are on a separate track... the Maya1010 is kinda a diamond in the rough.

anonymous Tue, 08/01/2006 - 13:17

Todzilla wrote: You're kind of hosed, because your card only allows two discrete inputs at a time (at least analog inputs). Otherwise, you could plug each drum mic into a preamp on the board (assuming it has preamps) and jump out of the board from an insert positions (assuming it has those capabilities) and then in to your A/D converter.

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Todzilla wrote: Alternatively, you could get a bunch of drum triggers (like a used Alesis D4 for $60), plug in mics or triggers into the trigger inputs and it will output MIDI data, which can support a whole bunch of different drum signals.

Well, the alternate alternative is just to use his [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.roland.c…"]E-drums[/]="http://www.roland.c…"]E-drums[/], although I don't believe the TD-10 gives us more than four tracks and we have 9 mikes (which I can trim to 8 ). Plus I'm hoping for a solution that could also double for live sound mixing so we don't have to keep buying stuff to replace other stuff.

Todzilla wrote: That would be your cheapest route, although once you recorded the MIDI events, you wouldn't be able to tweak the trigger sensitivity settings after the fact.
...

Or if you don't want to spend dime one beyond what you have, you can record stereo drums and do your mixing through your board. Of course, you won't be able to remix any of the drums then.

That's the rub with all of this. I could pipe him into the Carvin and through my computer right now, but there's no way to master the track afterward. Which basically means we'll have to keep doing more and more and more takes to tweak the sound at input.

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The Maya 1010 looks pretty decent but sort-of has me in the same boat with the M-Audio, right? (need a preamp)

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anonymous Tue, 08/01/2006 - 22:02

if you are asking this question you are probablly going to far with the mics.

I have a firepod and track 2 guitars bas and drums live. Used 5 inputs for the drums micing everything like you want to do. The SM57 on the tomd had so much bleed mixing was not fun.

Later I experment with drums only and find the D112 on the kick and and the ADK A-51S (my vocal mic) for the overhead in many ways sounds just as good and is abviously a lot easier to mix. You could pull this off with your soundcard.

anonymous Wed, 08/02/2006 - 20:16

packrat wrote: I have a firepod and track 2 guitars bas and drums live. Used 5 inputs for the drums micing everything like you want to do. The SM57 on the tomd had so much bleed mixing was not fun.

Okay, good to know. Can't remember exactly what mike kit our drummer has (when you think about it, it's pretty amazing he even has one; most drummers would rather drop $600 on a couple of cymbals than a mike set :)), but it's pretty nice. Won't know what the bleed factor is until I mess with it, but the goal is a recording setup that matches what we'll use live.

Another option I'm looking at, is I have a spare server I'm about to relegate to the practice room anyway (Tyan twin-1Ghz with 1 gig of RAM) once I get some standoff adapters so the 2U case will hold PCI cards. It's several years old but is a good solid box I had coloed at one point for a high traffic site. In that case the M-Audio 1010 might be able to serve us during recording and live. The only thing I don't like about that idea is the lack of a backup plan (computer borks itself live and we're stuck).

It's looking like all roads are leading back to the Alesis from a standpoint of sheer versatility. I'll need to pick up Cubase at some point anyway (I know everyone considers Fruity a toy, but I've been able to pull some really decent stuff out of it). And even if I wait on the Cubase upgrade, I've heard the ASIO4ALL drivers should allow me to patch the board right in for multitrack recording.

Basically I just want to steer away from buying gear that is supposed to do what another piece of gear is already supposed to do. To some extent that's inevitable, but still...

anonymous Wed, 08/02/2006 - 20:18

Another option I'm looking at, is I have a spare server I'm about to relegate to the practice room anyway (Tyan twin-1Ghz with 1 gig of RAM) once I get some standoff adapters so the 2U case will hold PCI cards. It's several years old but is a good solid box I had coloed at one point for a high traffic site.

On second thought, maybe I should just donate that box to run this forum. Cripes the hang times are horrible here.