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Portable recording stations

Portable recording stations

I am checking out the Korg D3200 Portable studio. Before I buy, does anyone know if it is going to give us the sound and cd production that it says it will. We are a 5 piece Trad band looking to produce our own cd`s.
Or is there something better..?

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by Dave_

Re: Portable recording stations

Hi - don't know if this is helpful but I bought a Korg 8-channel hard disk mixer / recorder and it was just appalling in terms of the sound quality.

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by Mark Harmer

Re: Portable recording stations

I have the Fostex MR-8HD recorder. It has a 40 gig hard drive which is massive. The quality is very very good and it never gave me any bother. It's an 8 track recorder but by bouncing you have access to 14 tracks. I export the finished file to my laptop and make my CD from there. I have the MR-8HD two years now and have used it quite a lot during that time.

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by lilt

Re: Portable recording stations

Hi Dave, here's a link to the Sound On Sound review of the device:
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan06/articles/korgd3200.htm

Enjoy!

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by matti

Re: Portable recording stations

Some fair comments there. basically we are a 5 piece, guitar, mandolin, bass, banjo flute n whistles, we want to record live and in session, in spain we dont have access to studios etc, so we are trying to build our own..ideas and views welcome

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by Dave_

Re: Portable recording stations

It was a sound on sound review that persuaded me to buy my Korg. But at least I ordered it online, which allowed me to return it! I think it took me precisely 15 mins to realise the machine wasn't worth using.

I guess it does depend on what you're using it for but I was hoping it would be good enough for stereo recording and the occasional multimic / multitrack recording. I transferred some files into my machine with great anticipation, followed by great disappointment!

I decided it was much better to spend more money on an 8-input firewire interface for my computer. Not so user-friendly as the Korg but the audio quality was a lot better. There's not much you can do about bad audio quality so it made sense to focus on that rather than features.

Everyone's needs are different. So good luck in your quest - and if you can arrange to try before you buy, I'm sure that will really help. You have to be able to live with the thing.

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by Mark Harmer

Re: Portable recording stations

Thanx for that Mark, I will shop around more

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by Dave_

Re: Portable recording stations

my band recorded on a Boss audio portable mixer. I don't know the model - but it was brilliant and pumped out CD quality. When you finished, you put in a CD and it burns it for yuo - brilliant :-)

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by camwebby

Re: Portable recording stations

Boss-Roland has a few different mixer/CD recorders w/ hard drive.
Check them out. I would give more info but I just finished lunch & have to get back to work.
Cheers!

# Posted on November 27th 2007 by Random_notes

Re: Portable recording stations

The Korg in question sells for about 800 quid in the UK. For that much money I'd buy a firewire interface (like one by presonus or motu) and a second hand apple mac g4 laptop (with a 1.5gig processor) with a CD burner built in and which should include apple's free and very easy to use Garageband multitrack recording software.

You would still have a portable setup but you can also make you CD labels, inserts, artwork etc on the laptop, surf the web etc etc. Garageband come with lots of high quality audio plugins for adding effects, compression etc to your tracks and you wont have to suffer working with the Korg's tiny display. You can easily get hold of new plug ins or sequencing software if your needs grow.

# Posted on November 28th 2007 by bodatcha

Re: Portable recording stations

go to www.musiciansfriend.com to check any of these out (that they carry, which is most brands). If the reviews don't satisfy you, call the 800#. Their techs and salespeople are very good, but what I like best about them, and why I buy EVERYTHING electronic from them, is that they have free shipping over $100 on most items, and they have a generous 45 day no questions asked return policy. You pay shipping back is all. I have returned things just because I didn't like them, and they are the nicest about it, no problems. So you can really try things out before truly commiting. It's one of those too good to be true things that is for real!

I have never found a book that fully explains recording to the most minute detail (the Idiots Guide To Home Recording is a very good start), through no lack on the part of the books, but it is an ethereal thing that is hard to explain and you need to learn by experience and ultimately be able to evaluate a recording situation by instinct, the room the instruments, how loud the people play etc.

That said, I am with lilt, I also have the MR8HD. I think they are down to about $300, now, the best price for something with the capabilities to record four tracks at once. The others in that range generally only have only two inputs. Someone said they need five or more... Fostex makes another version with eight or sixteen inputs, or you can also get a relatively cheap mixer, a small Behringer or Yamaha etc. for about $100 and piggyback it on the Fostex (or Boss or Korg).

Some people prefer to work via a mixer anyway, for one the preamps are better. The preamps on just about all these porta studios are lousy. I don't know why, but they are and maybe there is a reason to keep them weak. You have to turn the gains up pretty high, or else you must use a condenser mike, and buying a full four or more of them is very pricey. I get great sound out of Samson CO1s. Also, the mixer will likely have effects that most porta studios don't have, if you wish to use them during recording, like adjusting bass, reverb, treble midtones etc. I have been repeatedly advised by professional sound people that you record straight up, no effects, you add them in later. The biggest thing is proper mike placement, you should get the mikes to where you will need almost no EQ afterwards. It is very hard to fix up a lousy recording, so this is very important to learn, and the best way is by experience. Don't give up too early, because if I can do it anyone can, you hit your stride with it after a while.

The hardest thing about recording, and I have produced about 30 pretty decent CDs thus far, in the past two years, is the
self-learning curve where you need to develop the ability to assess the room, the instruments etc. and learn where mikes should be placed, is the room large, small, are the walls plaster or wood. Listen through the headphones, get a long cord for them so you can listen during a sound check while you walk around adjusting mikes. Radio Shack has a 20' cord for very little $.

Some situations you walk into, it may be nearly impossible to get a good recording. Like a really tight little session in a corner with a lot of people. Then you just do the best you can, and you may still be surprised at the good quality.

You can also record via the PA with the RCA outs to the porta studio. Keep the gains low though, maybe 1:00 o'clock at most...you can always raise the volume later on the computer. There tends to be a lot of clipping otherwise. I prefer when I record a live concert to not run it through the PA, it sounds better for acoustic music, so I just put two condenser mikes a few feet away from the stage and record separately and pick up a lot of the timber of the instruments as well, which doesn't always come through the PA as well.

I also never had a problem with the MR8, which is surprising for all the dragging around it has seen. I also have recorded from the little Behringer mixer (12 inputs there!) into my minidisc player, which is used as the hard drive, with great results. When I don't want to drag the whole big setup around I can do that with just one condenser mike. Interestingly too, I have hooked the MD player (MZ-M10 I have, with one gig discs or 80 min discs) via RCAs into the mixer and gotten pretty good results. In fact when recording a concert, when I record separately from the PA as usual, I always do a secondary recording onto the MD recorder, just in case as a backup if it's an important event. I don't fully trust machines! It's not quite as good, but pretty darn close.

Anyway, if you get one of these machines and give it a fair shot and experiment a lot, you should get it. Then it becomes a very much fun thing to do. It's kind of addictive. The thing has sort of become my "camera". Also, I have been saving some wonderful moments, and have come to enjoy our IAANJ session CDs a lot more than slick studio produced recordings. We have musicians telling stories about their lives, we have laughing, the sound of dance sets going on, sure there are a little few mistakes (I edit out as many as possible and no one has to have their solos on if they don't like them, they can get a preview if they wish) but that's OK. It's the music in real life in a natural setting. Recording is fun but a great way to preserve the music.

One last thing... make sure whatever you get, that it has phantom power, just in case you want to use condenser mikes. That goes for the mixer too if you get one.

OK... writing too much again, but hope it helps.

# Posted on November 28th 2007 by irisnevins

Re: Portable recording stations

PS.... i edit with plain and simple Audacity, with great success. Easier than on the recorders, the display is too small on all of them as someone said about Korg.

Also, Dave... check the MR16HD out. It doesn't cost that much more than the MR8 anymore.

# Posted on November 28th 2007 by irisnevins

Re: Portable recording stations

Well there goes my next few weeks months or years...lol...thanks to all replys, Im now going to pursue this ambition more thouroughly..adds more fun as well I suppose when and if I perfect it...thanks again to all who replied

# Posted on November 28th 2007 by Dave_

Re: Portable recording stations

Hey Dave, just do it.... keep in mind that you will need condenser mikes most likely too. It's fun. Start easy and slow, you'll get better each time. It's so much fun.

# Posted on November 28th 2007 by irisnevins

Re: Portable recording stations

Is it legal to hijack this thread?
Excellent advice irisnevins.
Here goes . . . my friend wants to get a Tascam DP - 01
Just to record instrument & vocal.
The Tascam has a 1/4" guitar input ~ supposedly more sensitive than the mic inputs. But he still needs a separate preamp. Correct?

# Posted on November 29th 2007 by Random_notes

Re: Portable recording stations

Muse...The tascam is much like the Fostex or many other porta studios. From my experience, you will get more sound out of the instrument input, but it also doesn't sound as right as it could with a good mike. It sounds a bit metallic in a way, just a touch. It bothers me enough to never use it.

He shouldn't, from the looks of it need a separate preamp. These gizmos have preamps, and for some reason they are consistently weak on all the machines I have tried or read about. It is so much the same from one of these machines to another that I suspect there may be some reason. They certainly do not have to skimp on them, so I suspect maybe it's something like too many stronger ones may blow something out... just not sure.

When I record my own guitar music at home alone, I prefer a condenser mike and my Lexicon Omega computer interface. I record in my cement floored low ceilinged basement, which has good natural reverb, just enough. Now that's a good little machine for under $200. You could theoretically get that too and use it with a laptop to travel. It has no hard drive, and goes direct to the computer. Clean, crisp sound. Even so, on the Lexicon, the instrument inputs, from the guitar pickup, there is a distortion, like it is being run through a PA system. I like the pure acoustic sound personally. The pickup doesn't hear the woody sound so well and there is something missing, small as it may be, it's lacking.

Regarding the need for better preamps, you don't technically "need" an external one to record. It will just be a lot quieter than you anticipate, but you can raise it after the fact on the computer editing as high as you need to.

One major thing I did wrong on our early recordings was, since the volume on the preamps was so weak, very soft, even with condensers, I turned the trims up to the max to record. I not only got some clipping, but being that is was live recording in a very busy hall with lots of people chatting, I was picking up too much background noise. If you keep the trims at no more than 2:00 o'clock you then pick up more just the immediate musicians, and not every little whisper out there.... and believe me there have been some pretty embarrassing things people whispered thinking no one could hear, that I heard later in the mix! Luckily I am not the blackmailing type!

If you ignore the preamps and record at a level that seems too soft, you get a better result. It is no problem whatsoever to raise it later. I do find regular, non condenser mikes are too soft in picking up though. If you get just one condenser, let it be a large diaphragm condenser mike (the board must have phantom power too so check that out before you buy). The Samson CO-1 is what I got, at about $100 each. Add a stand and cords for another $20. I got four to match, they say it is best to have them match, I never tried any non matching so can't tell you the difference.

I could at this point, though I still don't know everything there is to know about these gizmos, teach a real introductory course on what NOT to do with them, LOL. I have made every mistake in the book, and then some! It has been a really fun and satisfying learning curve, and I learn a little more each time I record and the editing is fun too. Luckily I enjoy it, and I do it gratis to help support our session costs. To hire someone to do all this work would cost quite a lot.

Also the preservation of the music, the live music in a natural unrehearsed setting to me is a very worthy thing to do. Our guest hosts too, people Like The Raffertys, Jerry O'Sullivan, Willie Kelly, Mary & Jim Coogan, I could go on and on, they have been so generous, as professionals, in allowing us to record the sessions they host, and sell the CDs to support the sessions. Each session has been a special night because of this, and more important is the documentation of them for future historians. Our regular session musicians too, they get a kick out of being recording playing with these great players.

The recording is just the beginning, the edits take a much longer time. I try to portray every player in the best possible light, fix their mistakes if any, touch up the EQ, as the room is a large plaster walled room and records rather harshly. People say the recording always sound better than the session did. It takes time, and you really never stop learning a bit more, which is the fun in it. Gradually you get better and better at it, but you have to have the interest and the passion for it, otherwise it's just too much work. I still need to get lots of little kinks worked out, but hopefully in time it will all come together.

We're giving poor Dave too much info and confusing him now!

# Posted on November 29th 2007 by irisnevins

Re: Portable recording stations

I think using audio gear is just something you have to "learn" - just like learning to play, you get to the point (hopefully) where you don't "get in the way of yourself", where you can use the gear without having to think too much. Hence, Dave, whatever you end up using, good luck and let us know what you get up to!!

# Posted on November 29th 2007 by Mark Harmer

Re: Portable recording stations

Having now printed off the whle shebang, I am extremely grateful to iresnevins, mark and others who have opened this up for me dramatically. Needless to say santa is going to be contributing to the cause and I wIll give you an update when we have the first cd up and running..cheers everyone

# Posted on November 29th 2007 by Dave_

Re: Portable recording stations

Just don't be afraid of mistakes or give up too soon. These machines generally work really well once you are used to them. The big thing is realizing that you will likely not get good sound right away. Learn about mike placement using the headphones, usually what you hear is pretty close to what you get so use that as a guide, though the volume won't likely be there initially. Don't worry about that.

# Posted on November 29th 2007 by irisnevins

Re: Portable recording stations

That is alot of information irisnevins.
It is good information though. I am coming to some of the same conclusions. Thanks to you & to Dave_ best of luck!

# Posted on November 29th 2007 by Random_notes

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