The important thing to remember is to not overload while you are recording. That cannot be corrected for an after-the-fact. You may actually like that harder denser effect by over recording but it's not as applicable in digital as it was in analog days and so should be avoided at all cost.

When you record at a lower volume level and are safe from overloads, on mix down, you will be able to add equalization, compression/limiting and DSP effects like reverb and delays. I believe you will like the sound of your drums better once you increase the density by adding some fairly aggressive compression?

Now it is not completely necessary to attain that, through tracking and mixing but rather in the final stage process of Mastering. So you are really dealing with 3 elements within your recording. Tracking. Mixing. Mastering as your final element.

Crunch crunch crunch
Ms. Remy Ann David

thanks, ill try that. one more thing, im plugging my mxer into my computer through the mic imput, should i output from the main balanced output or from the cd player output? and would lowering the volume that the mic imput takes in help?

Under no circumstances should you take the line output of your mixer and plug that into the microphone input of your sound card! No way! It will not make any difference to lower the microphone level as that is a low level microphone input not a line level input! You must take the output of your mixer and plug it in to the line input only on your sound card. You can then plug other line level devices into your mixer and use that as a monitoring router. If you want switchable line level inputs to your sound card, get a simple switch or box from Radio Shaft so that you can switch your line input sources from mixer, to CD player, to alternate line level source. Again, the line level output from your mixer may still provide too much level into your cheap soundcard line input. Cheap soundcard's notoriously overload from studio line level sources and actually really require a consumer, lower line level input. That is to say a studio line level output of + 4 dbm, which is actually 1.25 volts is nearly +20 DB higher than a consumer oriented line level source, which is typically a round -10 DB, which is approximately .3 volts! If you are using the main outputs from your mixer you will typically have to run the output about 10 or more DB lower to prevent overloading the line input of your cheap sound card. Completely forget about using the microphone input altogether! It is not even reasonable enough to use a microphone as they are so god awful! It is their typically only for a cheap Internet headset/microphone and is not good for anything that involves any kind of Fidelity! Believe me, it's true. I'm sorry if you think it is adequate because it's not! If you want to monitor what's coming out of your computer sound card, I recommend that you purchase a separate amplifier/speaker combination or sell powered monitors. An amplifier speaker combination would actually be a better way to go so that you can use the amplifier to also feed a distributed or single headphone system. Self collared monitors will not give you that ability. The only decent microphone inputs on sound cards of any sort are the ones that have XLR connect or microphone inputs not those awful little 1/8" Walkman style plugs and jacks. Those are almost less than marginal. The better sound cards will have RCA or 1/4" connectors on a special output cord or breakout box. If you are using a cheap sound card as it appears you are, they're inputs overload very easily.

Wax on. Wax off. (Don't try that at home, you can go blind)
Ms. Remy Ann David

awesome, can you reccomend any specific sound cards for me?
thanks
ted

M-audio and MOTU (mark of the unicorn) along with Presomus make some excellent multi-input, multitrack recording cards. Some require that you install a PCI card inside your computer, others are FireWire and USB 2.o and generally can accommodate from 4 through 8 analog line inputs. A couple of those even offer balanced XLR microphone inputs as well with reasonably good preamplifiers. All are excellent and should give you the versatility and quality you need or want.

A happy MOTU 2408 owner
Ms. Remy Ann David

I've used the MOTU 24io for a few years now, and am still totally knocked out!

Mine is patched into my mixer so that the 8 subs feed the first 8 MOTU inputs, then I use the direct outs from my mixer for channels 9 - 16. That leaves another 8 inputs for synths and drum machines, CD player, whatever... and with a built-in head phone mixer with up to 9 stereo mixes! That's if you are using 6 outputs for 5.1 surround mixing...

More than adequate most of the time.... for me, anyway!

I was going to suggest the 24i but I'm not quite certain that MOTU still offers that interface?? I have a 2408 but was considering getting a 24i in the past. But these days I think I would probably purchase the Alesis 24 track hard disk recorder and then just transfer the hard disk data into the computer. I would consider some of the other 24 track hard disk systems but for their price, I'd buy a pair! I'm still using my 24 tracks of TASCAM DA88s even though I've grown to hate those units.

Old-fashioned girl
Ms. Remy Ann David

RemyRAD wrote: I was going to suggest the 24i but I'm not quite certain that MOTU still offers that interface??
Old-fashioned girl
Ms. Remy Ann David

Have a look here, Remy!
http://www.motu.com/products/pciaudio/24IO

hey..sounds to me, like the motu 24i is mabey a little to much for you right off the bat. considering, you still using, your computers generic sound input, you may want to try something a little cheaper, and with less inputs, to get you started. I have to admit, when, i was first getting into tracking on a computer, it would have been to much for me, to jump right into a 24 input converter. But mabey not......

I first got the Motu 828MKII and, it served me stelllar, for a couple of years. I like it, because, it gives you 10 inputs....more than enough to put mics up on a kit, and, have a rythm track or 2 as well.

I have also tested the presonus firepod, and found that to be great as well, but, it doesnt touch the motu 828.( in routing /flexability/cuemix monitoring etc..) the pres may be a little better. but....

But, it sounds to me, like you are going to get somethign a little cheaper, so, check out the delta stuff. the 1010Lt or the 1010, is most likely, somethign you should check out. You are using a behringher board so.....

GoodLuck.....