Multi-Track Recorder?...

[Sam Joxer]

Hello, I've been met with a bit of a dilemma. I have been doing a few recordings using garage band on my Mac Book, and some of them are pretty good I think, but I think I want to move up in recording quality.

I have saved up a little more than 600 dollars, and I want to know peoples opinions on my three options on what to do with it.

Option One

Multi-Track Recorder

The point here would be to get a microphone, something like a Shure SM57 and a Fostex MR8HD.

Fostex MR-8 HD from zZounds.com!

I like this because I believe it would give me the best digital recording quality I can afford, plus a mike, and a portable, simple to operate studio, that I can use to record myself, or even others, and attache to my Mac to burn stuff.

Option Two

Apogee Duet

This would give me the same abilities as the multitrack recorder, except I again would be working through my macBook, and I would have a little more to spend on maybe another mike, or an even better mike than the SM57?

Option Three

Scrap this recording nonsense and get a new bass. I got a Fury IV, and a new bass would satisfy my guitar collecting addiction.

[MetalDave]

Try option 4. Go on ebay and buy a good firewire MOTU Audio interface. and then do option 3 with the money you have left!

[Crete]

Originally Posted by Sam Joxer

Option Three

Scrap this recording nonsense and get a new bass. I got a Fury IV, and a new bass would satisfy my guitar collecting addiction.

If you're anything like most musicians I know (myself included) nothing will ever satisfy your guitar collecting addiction

When I first started out I had a little 8 track recorder and I really liked it. It was easy and it was just plug in push a few buttons and I got my recording. I'm not sure if buying a little multi-track recorder is really moving up the one I had (which for all intensive purposes is the same thing) became very limited very quickly. Someday you're going to want those extra tracks, and everything else that you'll be missing. I chose to move up from my zoom to a Korg D3200 which made it possible to do everything I wanted to do but when I got my macbook a few months ago I was blown away by how much easier it was to mix everything down on garageband (so blown away that I went out and upgraded to logic.) I still do the lions share of recording on the Korg but it all ends up on my computer eventually.

So I guess my advice is to go with the garage band for now, I don't know if I'd spend the money on an apogee duet...get something cheaper like a presonus firepod and spend whatever you've got left on mics. If you wanted to get a multitrack recorder I would save until you can get something that will be capable of handling your music as your expectations get higher. You'll be able to upgrade your computer software down the line whereas if you buy the 8 track recorder you'll end up getting something better and it will just become an expensive piece of hardware sitting on your shelf.

[MetalDave]

Yeah guitars and recording gear are like tattoos... you never seem to have gotten the one you wanted yet.

[brandondrury]

Option Three

Scrap this recording nonsense and get a new bass. I got a Fury IV, and a new bass would satisfy my guitar collecting addiction.

If you are seriously considering this, do it. Recording is a huge pain in the ass. If you don't really want to do it, don't.

If you do want to do it, the Apogee is one way to go. It's high end for a 2 channel audio interface but people seem happy with it. I can't debate the idea of snagging an old MOTU on Ebay either.

Brandon