take a look at the tascam one too....ive been transfering files from tascam to protools for the past 2 years without a hitch....

Your Alesis HD24 can become its own server for file transfers and such.I bought mine because of its similarites to tape in its transport controls(except rewind!!!)and the fact that it is destructive recording and in tracking or retracking, I'm not going to lose something in virtual land due to error or power failure.I've had mine about a year....works fine..I did consider, very strongly, the Tascam and it looks to still be a mighty good unit.

It is hard to go wrong with a Tascam product. As Dave can attest to I still have a whole shelf full of Tascam gear in my garage which has outlived its usefulness.. I can't say that about any other gear I have had. Usually it wears out, breaks or I get so disgusted with it I give it away or sell it. But the Tascam gear lasts and lasts and lasts ... (there's that pink bunny! Wharez ma'shotguuunn?)
However the Tascam is a difficult machine to master. It has a pretty steep learning curve. The Alesis is very simple to operate

Hey Dave, do you want to go to the Audix plant with me this week? Kurt

Hane you guys experienced any drawbacks at all, would you rather have bought something else? OR, has it really been smooth sailing?

I won't be making a purchase for at least a couple of months, but if there are no complaints, it seems like the perfect buy to me.

Hey kurt, while you're on the topic of tascam...do you have an opinion on their studio soundboards? I am going to a studio next week that has a 24ch automated 8bus.

Which console would that be? The 3700?? That's just automated for midi mutes if I recall correctly. Tascam makes some very nice sounding mixers. You have to be a little careful about your gain structures (they run out of headroom sooner than a pro desk) but the "transfer function" (the sound) is very good. I have always coveted Tascam gear. Built like a rock, good engineering, quality control and sound. Kurt

the 3700's ive seen have the two arrow LED's for null point location....im assuming they may have basic vca automation

yeah kurt, I think it's a 3700. I was curious to see what you thought of them. I recorded my first real album on one of those in a high school radio station after hours. It sounded really good when finished.

Just wonderin'.

3700 tascam is a good sounding board but has some gain staging tricks to it. A carefull hand in using the pads will result in a professional sweet sounding recording.Dont use the eq to shape anything when recording.Use mic placement/selection.

Yeah Kurt...call me or email and lets go glom some mics......d.

Thanks for the tip davedog. I never use eq's while tracking, I think there is no reason for it if you know how to set stuff up.

i've had smooth sailing with my HD24 ever since i got it. I have the stock 24/44 system, but i have an external clock whick improves the sound tremendously.

My only complaint is that ethernet transfers are really slow
Marsh

Marshall,
Are you using the external clock with more dig devices than the hd24 at the same time, or with the hd only? I'm running the hd with analog front end, then doing litepipe transfers to PC using adat sync. Is there a need for an external clock?

i have the digital clock running to the hd24, and my reverb unit.... those are the only things i have right now that will accept bnc wordclock. I transfer the files via ethernet to the daw and mix from there...

you will notice an improvement just connecting the wordclock to the hd24... i guess the internal clock isn't very stable or something. All i know is when i use the lucid as my master clock, the sound quality improves. whether that is because of jitter or any other techie gobley gook is not for me to decide.

If you computer system also has a bnc input you can connect the lucid to that as well, and that will improve the sound of the d-a... but since you are only doing digital to digital transfers via lightpipe, it won't change the quality between them

jitter only affects conversions (a-d and d-a)

Marsh

Now this is some goood info!
Ok. What is lucid? WHo makes it and what does it cost. Do you think it's a need?
I currently have 24 track recording, plus the comp, and I am getting one of these mainly to make an upgrade to protools cheaper, and to make backups and such less time consuming. 80% of it's use will be on recordings costing less than $5000, and things will be like this for a few years I imagine.

Steve,

Check it out buddy:

http://www.lucidaudio.com/products/

Happy Hunting

Rod

Thanks, Rod. It looks to me that they may not be available in canada, but I will call around and get info.

check around, even used. You should beabble to get it for around 500 usd

also, before you go straight to pro tools, you may want to check out nuendo or sequoia/samplitude

both of them are great programs that do everything that pro tools does and are far cheeper unless you are in a totally commercial environment where your clientel has to have protools

Marsh

By the by--- the lucid genex is not a must have; the alesis does has usable a/d's. But for the cost of the lucid, its like buying 24 channels of ad and da's for 500ish

and on another note, the difference you'll here is not nessesarily tonal... it has to do more with the depth of a track and the clarity of the ambiance behind it. Makes a big difference when mixing.

I was really upset when i swiched to the lucid cause i was expecting a massive tonal switch, but then i realized (a month or two later when i got to do a mix from it) that its all about the little things

Marsh

I have not had the same luck with TASCAM. Their mechanical parts sucks and are quite expensive. I have a DA30mk2 and a DA40. Even cold soldering could be found at their boards, very amateur care.
If I were you, I would stay away from these MDMs.

Just going from 16 bit adats to 24 bit hd24 made a huge difference in depth and clarity. I've never worked with protools, but I'm totally in love with Nuendo. It does all I need and much more. Thanks for the info on the wordclock.

As I understand it, being a protools idiot, I should be able to buy the software pack, and hook the hd24 directly to my comp. I have heard a lot about nuendo, but I thought protools would be s smarter move for a few reasons. Pleas tell me if you feel they are valid ones.
First of all, the name. It is a name that sells itself to clients who think they know lots about recording. Secondly, being compatible with people who are use to protools, I am hoping to attract some gigs based on the good acoustics I will have. And lastly, should I get the opportunity to use my talents at a large facility, it would be handy to be fluent in protools. Nuendo may be very good, but why would I want to save a few bucks and lose these benefits?

What do you think?

Hey Steve;

I'll get ahold of you next week-but I have a Lucid Genx6 for my studio as well as Lucid 8824 converters....Huge, huge leap above the Delta1010's I was using before it...

Not that we were looking for another reason to connect but hey-

cheers,
Eric

the whole protools briging in people is kinda wierd for me... Yes i agree its a name that everyone knows and expects, and the lack of latency is a major benifit.

BUT

i've never had a client go somewhere else becuase i didn't have protools.

For me i guess its all about ergonomics. I don't find that protools is very fast to get around. It does everything i need it to, i just don't like to think about it. Nuendo is pretty good about that (old 1.5.2)--- i can find what i need to find quickly. Plus not having to buy a mac is a benifit. Its not that i don't like macs, its just that they are much more expensive then pc's.

I'm just imagining a situation where i would drop 10k on ptools or have 10k where 2k goes to a computer and nuendo, another 1k for a sound card, and have 7k left over to make my room great (which is rerally going to get clients in more then anything else in my opionon.

sorry for the spelling
its 3 in the morn

so yea, i like the hd24 and i like the lucid clock

Marsh

I know a goy who does a hell of a lot of work locally, who goes to toronto to track most of his clients. Mixing in protools, I think when I am finished I could win some work in my rooms if I was compatable. He also has the hd24's and I think that should be good enough, as he could just take an ide with him. If I set up a small room, or network to my downstairs studio, I could have pt so his guys could bang off a rough mix and store before heading back to the other location.

If I get a prog like nuendo for pc, can I import aiff? Can I accept tracks and sessions mixed in pt? I am only concerned about getting work from other guys. Since I am new, I have been recently developing relationships with bigger studios around, and they have all been very impressed with my work. Right now my current level of computer ignorance is making it difficult for me to connect with these guys in a working relationship. In addition, I am also confident that I could get a lot of work as a studio musician, using pt and exchanging files. I play guitar, bass, and drums. I think there is a lot of work there. FYI, I can play any style of music fluently, and track cleanly and quickly. Anyone here need someone like me? :)

Oh well, do you guys think there is a better program option other than pt?

If you're recording on an hd24 then transferring, aiff and wav files are available for transfer over the ethernet connection. So the choice of computer and software is a personal preference, because it's compatible with both formats. I record a lot of live stuff, so I transfer over litepipe so I don't have to transfer a 2 hour set for 4 or 5 songs.
If you want to learn about nuendo go to their forum and ask questions. Right now, it seems everyone over there is hung up on the 2.0 upgrade. I'm sticking with an older ver. until its all sorted out.
BTW-The nuendo manual states that aiff files can be imported and exported.

I run a DM24 and I love it.I have had no problems with the console {THAT IS AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!}I also have a da 30 .The thing runs like a deer and never stops.Built Chevy tough!Must be the Brazilian models they send you guys.Any way Tascam is a great product! Vancouver Canada still rocking !

I run a DM24 and I love it.I have had no problems with the console {THAT IS AT ALL!!!!!!!!!!!}I also have a da 30 .The thing runs like a deer and never stops.Built Chevy tough!Must be the Brazilian models they send you guys.Any way Tascam is a great product! Vancouver Canada still rocking !

Nuendo can import aif files, and will accept all of the universal exchange formats.

BUT--- if you are trying to interface with other studios with ptools, and that is going to be a large percentage of your workflow, then perhaps it is better to have ptools and be completely compatible.

IF you are going to go the ptools route, maybe look at the new 002 rack with ptools 6. The majority of the functionality of ptools without the pricetag.

Or just spend 50k and get the most badassed HD system possible
:)

Marsh

Question re this thread...I've seen numerous posts about the HD24 with AudioUpgrades work...exactly what do they do, how much is it, and so forth...now I'm really interested in this machine...