Mixing on Computer vs. Multi-track

[dStx]

What do y'all prefer to mix your music on?

I currently make all my music on my 404sx and mix it down on my 16-track. My 16-track, however, has a muddy, lo-fi sound that I used to dig, but now want something more professional. I know most people go for software like Ableton or whatever, but I prefer avoiding computers. I might opt for a new multi-track. An MPC1000 would be great in addition to my 404, but it isn't ideal as a mixer.

What do you use to mix? computers? multi-track? Why? What do you recommend?

Thanks

[Vynal Duss]

It all depends ya know. My style is sample based with bits here and there. For those purposes I still tend to track to my 8 track ( VS-880 ) . Even with that though I usually run it through software ( protools ) for the final touches and to get volume boost and take advantage of other plug in not available for my hardware recorder. In the end its all up to your personal taste and the sound your after. I have friends who use ableton save there tracks with each track split, and then run it to protools, and that can be an all in one solution. I'm not a hardware loyalist to the point that I refuse to use computers, BUT...for my sample based stuff nothin beats turnin on my hardware sampler and bangin out a beat, (for me at least). At the same time I could see some one doing synth based stuff, with an analog sound going with the all in one computer approach. So it depends, get with some friends or go to your local Guitar Center and check thier stuff out.

[ghost ghost ghost]

If you just want your mixes to sound cleaner then a computer with a good interface will do that for you. But it is a big investment to make if that is the only reason you are buying it and sometimes not all it's hyped up to be, if you were interested in other benefits of bringing a computer into your setup - for example Ableton's workflow, or Reason as a sound module - then it might be worth it. But in my opinion good computers are still too expensive to justify buying one if you are basically just going to be using it as a recorder/mixer.

I use multitrack boxes, and before that I used ADAT, never felt the need to buy a computer for music. I just got a Tascam 2488 and from what little work I've done on it so far I can tell you that it sounds just about as clean as any Mac/interface solution I've ever worked with. Obviously a high end Pro Tools rig will give you enough power to do just about anything with virtually no loss of quality, but sticking in the realm of so-called project and bedroom studios I think a multitrack is fine

Sometimes people are tricked into believing that if you want to make any kind of music these days you need to buy a computer, this is marketing at work. I'm not knocking computers or people who use them, but I'm convinced that probably 90% of non-professional producers who source their sounds externally from samplers and synths could do everything they are doing with their expensive computers just as well on my Tascam, and sometimes they could do it a whole lot easier.

[dStx]

I've been looking at the Tascams and like what I see. The 8-tracks are afordable, but I'd like to have 16 tracks for when I record live drums. I aim to stay away from computers, for the foreseeable future, at least. I enjoy the workflow and production better when I work with just samplers and multi-tracks.

[Ill Green]

I prefer multitracks too because I like to just record right away when I got something. The load times on my Tascam DP01 are like 3 seconds, like it wants new material; hardly any waiting. Tascams are great, I had mine since 2003 and its still ticking and got 1,200 minutes of recording time left too.

I know computers got the advantage in the DAW department with quickness and the tons of VSTs available but I like to work by ear and just record stuff at the spirit of the moment.

Tascam makes the 2488 which is a 24 tracker, they go for $799 new but I saw a couple on ebay for $400. Don't know if they make a 16 track but Roland does with their VS series, the learning curve is heavy though for those.

[fauna]

Good thread. I use software to multitrack, but have been considering switching to hardware for a long while. The Zoom R24 interests me.

[IIIII]

I got the tascam dp-02 (8 tracks) and like ill green said, tascams are fast. the quality is pretty much what you put in, and unless you bounce your mix more that twice it will stay clean. only problem is the eq is only two knobs where I would prefer 3 or even a graphic equalizer to apply to each track. but it was only like 200-300 bucks, and I've had it for about 3 years no problems. i've tried multitracking on my pc and its difficult to feel the music when i'm lookin at the mix. i'm way faster on the tascam and once you get the feel everything is really simple to accomplish. plus if i ever need to i can export the tracks separately to wavs and drop in ableton, but i only do that if i'm doing heavy technical editing

[adapter pilot]

I have the dp-008. Its basic but has decent reverb and the eq pretty good. I which it had an extra band but it's atiny machine and I really enjoy that fact that it also runs on batteries if need be. I spent years working in a studio going from analog to digital and it's nice to take a breather from the glow of the screen.