Shelving Eq, Mixer, etc to record with Tascam DP 02?

[needleinthehay1990]

Hi everybody. I'm new to this forum and recording so go easy on me, but I am currently trying to get something off the ground for recording. I have a Tascam DP-02 and I know it pretty well now. I'm recording full bands and would like a "fuller" sound, if you will. I try to mix and master on the recorder but it just doesn't come out like I hear in professional set-ups. Granted, I know professionally they are using 8 mic rigs for drums and such but I don't have the capabilities of that. I just watch a video on Recorderman drum mic locations and I'm going to try that out once I get back home to do the recording. My question is:

How should I go about getting this better sound?

Should I buy a four channel separate mixer or a possible shelf EQ to run through the Tascam?

Should I just go all out and get Pro Tools and transfer my recorded tracks to the program and mix and master there?

Furthermore, as far as recording drums is concerned, I bough some XLR splitter cables (1 male to 2 female). Can I just set up four mics and record through the two tracks? Someone at GuitarCenter told me I need to get a separate four channel mixer to run the mics in because phantom power can't be split. Is this true? I know there are quite a few questions in hear so I will leave it up to you all to help me out

Thanks so much in advance for all the help.

[String7th]

Looking over the ins and out of the Tascam, it's not made for whole band recording. It's got 2 preamps, and 8 total channels to mix with. Not much to work with.

From what you described, you want computer recording, but you don't need Protools. Something along the lines of a Presonus FP10 for $300 has 8 preamps for 8 channel recording, and the software it comes with has over 40 channels to mix with. And it's probably as affordable as that Tascam was. And it comes with all the EQ compression and effects you need to get your "fuller" sound.

And I think the whole "Recorderman" set up is really blown out of proportion. Back when recording tracks were limited, engineers found ways to take 3 great mics in a perfectly tuned room, placed in the perfect spot, and make it sound awesome and fitting for that music era. 3 Behringers on cheap stands in a bedroom will get you 3 mics in a bedroom, not the "recorderman" sound.

[venuestudio]

Keep in mind that "recorderman" is a panning system, not a sound per se. It is based on Glyn Johns work in the 60s when Johns wanted to go from mono to stereo and was trying to get a good set up. There are a few things about recorderman and/or Johns methods:
1. it will center the snare (an to some extent the kick) in the mix.
2. it is made to give a full sound without other close micing, other than the kick.
3. unlike the Johns method recorderman is based on two mics, Johns was based off of 4 mics (two overhead, snare and kick).
4. Johns was using U47s and U67s, you are not....
5. Johns used the method to get Led Zepplins drum sound, yours will sound nothing like that but that is OK, mine doesn't either!!

An interesting note, Johns said later in his career that he thought the sound he got from recording that way was crap and could not for the life of him figure out why he liked it..!

Either set up is a really nice place to start. There are a whole lot of other possible starting points (x/y, etc.). Read through the drum overhead shootout for samples of different methods being used around here. The important thing to remember is you are trying to represent the entire kit accurately then supplement with close mics as needed.

You can not split a channel and get good clean phantom power. You can run two mics into a channel if they are dynamics and of the same model. (you can probably use to different mics but it is not recommended). You will loose the ability to control each mic separately, which you may have figured out. Back in the day I had 'Y' cords just for this purpose, I would bring both rack toms in on one channel for my live rig to keep the channel counts down. Same for the floor toms if there were two.

[needleinthehay1990]

Thanks so much for the reply man I really appreciate it. So I should be looking at getting this four channel mixer then? Even though I will run the sounds into two separate channels and not four this will atleast allow me to record the four separate drum mics, no?