One easy route is a Mackie Onyx board plus firewire card plus laptop of your choice running Traction 2 (supplied with the ONYX firewire card) for starters.

Chances are, any good/new laptop will have FW ports, but if not, you can always pick up a PCMCI card adapter for about $90 and go that route.

You can upgrade your software to something better as you go, ditto for mics and pre's. But you may find the ONYX FW option is as good as anything else you're liable to find out there. The MOTU interfaces are great at that price level, too.

External HDs are cheap as anything these days; get a Western Digital raw drive and put it in a caddy with removeable docking (so you can replace the drives cheaper than an entire system). USB2 or FW 400 works just about the same as the other, so you can use ONYX FW card to get into the laptop, then use the laptop to run the software, and store it all offline on the external HD.

Lots of info already on this forum about it, just do a search for any of the above items, and you'll probably see a lot of blathering by yours truly and others on this very topic. 8-)

alesis hd24, you have nice mics so im assuming you can afford this, you never outgrow it with 24 ins and outs, you can still use pro tools from importing your prerecorded files from either ethernet or optical outs for mastering. and as of right now the only interface ive seen that comes somewhat close would be RME. but then again im not familiar with what it is compatible with (thats what i hate about interface systems)

uh oh yeah either that or since you said 4 tracks you could go with the audiophile pcm cards by m-audio. get the one thats got 4 1/4" ins

Thanks for the ideas.
Have any of you used devices like the Tascam HD-P2 or something like that...it only has two inputs, though.

Liquidstudios, I don't see myself (ever) needing 24 ins, so I think I'd go with a device with fewer inputs. Up to 8, sure.

I somewhat concerned about recording to my laptop (Acer travelmate, 1.7ghz centrino, 1gb Ram, 80gb hd, firewire, usb2, etc) cause i'm not sure if it could handle the firewire-in from the onyx AND USB2 out to an external HD....
That's why i'm hoping to find something that wouldn't necessarily need a laptop to record to. Any ideas?

I somewhat concerned about recording to my laptop (Acer travelmate, 1.7ghz centrino, 1gb Ram, 80gb hd, firewire, usb2, etc) cause i'm not sure if it could handle the firewire-in from the onyx AND USB2 out to an external HD....
That's why i'm hoping to find something that wouldn't necessarily need a laptop to record to. Any ideas?

If you're just doing a handful of tracks with no processing or worries about latency, it'll probably do ya fine with those specs. I've run Samplitue with a lot less in the early days with a MOTU interface and it was never a problem with my Sony P3 VAIO running with 256 meg of ram and an external HD. You'll want to check it out, of course, but I'm guessing you won't have a problem with 2, 4 or even 8 tracks at once, at 24/44. 24/96 might be tricker, but will probably work if you don't push it too hard.

Anyone ever use products sucha sa the Tascam HD-P2 or the Fostex FR2 or something along those lines?
What kind of rep do they have?
It would be easy enough to move the files to computer as both record to Compact flash and one has firewire and the other USB out.

How well do those compact flash recorders stand up?

dude i disagree, with those computer capabilities i'm not sure if you'd be able to handle it. depending on what software you use of course. i had laptop computer capabilities like that and i had to resort using to an entry level cubase le or whatever the cheapest cubase version is. and by entry level i don't mean beginners stuff per se, because technically speaking it's a much harder software to use than something like pro tools, it's just more html computer code oriented it would seem, making it very difficult to use for the average person.

it depends on what price range your talking about, because for most of the interfaces that will give you 8 inputs will be as much as the alesis, only specs will be worse. it really baffles me. the onyx like you said is alright probably the next best thing to a MOTU or m-audio or digidesign. either that or something like the presonus firepodwhich is going further down there. i would personally choose the onyx over the firepod. i hate presonus stuff. the reason i recommended the ADAT hard drive recorder is because that's what you originally asked for. and really i see it as being the only viable ADAT around even though it is the so called older technology on it's way out. for the prices right now and the capabilties interfaces have with certain software companies, you can't beat the hd24.

i really hate how all these companies are so interested in making money. i think every interface should work with any software. like i also said you can get one of those pcm cards like the audiphile by m-audio

liquidstudios wrote: dude i disagree, with those computer capabilities i'm not sure if you'd be able to handle it. depending on what software you use of course. i had laptop computer capabilities like that and i had to resort using to an entry level cubase le or whatever the cheapest cubase version is. and by entry level i don't mean beginners stuff per se, because technically speaking it's a much harder software to use than something like pro tools, it's just more html computer code oriented it would seem, making it very difficult to use for the average person.

it depends on what price range your talking about, because for most of the interfaces that will give you 8 inputs will be as much as the alesis, only specs will be worse. it really baffles me. the onyx like you said is alright probably the next best thing to a MOTU or m-audio or digidesign. either that or something like the presonus firepodwhich is going further down there. i would personally choose the onyx over the firepod. i hate presonus stuff. the reason i recommended the ADAT hard drive recorder is because that's what you originally asked for. and really i see it as being the only viable ADAT around even though it is the so called older technology on it's way out. for the prices right now and the capabilties interfaces have with certain software companies, you can't beat the hd24.

i really hate how all these companies are so interested in making money. i think every interface should work with any software. like i also said you can get one of those pcm cards like the audiphile by m-audio

Uhh...dude - instead of just reading magazine advertisements and using that as the entire basis of your knowledge, try LEARNING about what you're talking about. Sorry to be rude, but I'm reading some of your posts on this site and it's clear you have NO idea what you're talking about.

The Mackie is perfectly well suited for this gentlemen's needs. In fact, his computer has the guts to take everything that the mackie could dish out. As far as preamps and conversion go, it blows the doors off of MOTU, M-Audio (????seriously - not even in the same league) DigiDesign or whatever else. I use a Mackie 800R next to Grace and Millennia Pres and Lynx and Mytek conversion without even giving it a second thought.

Joe -
I would think that a PCMCIA firewire device would be better. Many stock firewire devices on laptops nowadays suck. I had a problem with the Mackie onyx mixer w/firewire on my Toshiba and it turned out to be my firewire. So, I tried it on my Gateway and Dell laptops and also had problems. Going to a PCMCIA solved the problem. (I know, I have entirely too many computers.....Laptops - Gateway, Dell, Toshiba (wife's) and Fujitsu tablet; Desktops - Emachines (wife's), 3 Homemades (Audio PC, Internet PC, Proxy/Print/File Server). I'm looking at building another one too...I have an addiction.

cucco, i wouldnt be so sure of yourself and so unsure of me.

mackie is in no way better than m-audio, motu, or digidesign

you clearly have no idea what you're talking about

well suited for this guys needs? sure, definently. essentially its the same thing as the m-audio minus all the aux returns. are the preamps better, yes definently. XDR's are tight. many distinguished engineers will tell you that the XDR preamps are a crock out a of a marketing magazine.

and then as far was what software you can use with the mackie, i really dont even keep up with that kind of BS because i think that only such and such being compatible with such and such is a joke.

maybe conversion and preamps, but if you are into your sound you upgrade those components hands down anyways.

speaking of distinguished, what makes you think that you are distinguished, the fact that you can pick someone out of a crowd and think you are better than them? is that the reason youve commented on all the topics i have? cause it sure as hell wasnt to help anybody or give anyone including myself advice. i dont see either you or i delivering any distinguished credentials. so as far as im concerned, you dont know anymore than the next guy, but you know what this really isnt the place for it.

liquidstudios wrote: cucco, i wouldnt be so sure of yourself and so unsure of me.

mackie is in no way better than m-audio, motu, or digidesign

you clearly have no idea what you're talking about

You're clearly right. I have no idea what I'm talking about.

BTW - I was not referring to the XDR pres - I was referring to the Onyx pres - a clear difference. BTW, I don't like the XDR pres. The MS pres, IMO were better. Cleaner, more open and not as etched.

I only picked you out because you were answering questions here that you clearly have no business answering. So, I took it upon myself to look at your profile and find the topics you posted on and at least clarify your mistaken points.

J.

I own an Onyx 1640... so I'm biased. But, screw that... I love this thing. The pre's are great overall. MUCH better than the M-Audio that I had.

I honestly think the Onyx is the best deal on the market right now. I probably would have been fine with the 800x... but I wanted the big mutha. I love this thing.

Listen to Cucco. Dude, he has a kitty with a gun... dude.

JP22, uh... I mean liquidstudios...I mean Walter... uh...

30 posts in 2 days - I'm impressed. Troll work pay well? or are you freelancing, hoping to make it big.

Oh Shotgun, where's the Bat beacon when we need it.

pmolsonmus wrote: JP22, uh... I mean liquidstudios...I mean Walter... uh...

30 posts in 2 days - I'm impressed. Troll work pay well? or are you freelancing, hoping to make it big.

Oh Shotgun, where's the Bat beacon when we need it.

:lol:
Look at Mangnum PI over here... or is it magnum ip...

this is beyond stimulating.

even then i don't get an interface for anything but the most transparency i can get, sorry for the spec reference but mainly for SNR.

oh yeah and that pesky thing about certain interfaces being owned by certain software companies.