recording with multiple pieces of gear

[dman5000]

i some of you guys on here use more than an sp for recording your beats, and also mess with midi connections, do any of you write songs with different elements on different machines and then record them at once into a multichannel input recorder? ive been thinking of this so as to have my tracks made on hardware but separated somewhat in the computer for mixing - and without having to do any syncing up and shit so yo does anyone have any experiance doing this>? is this a super common thing? how does it turn out for you?

[PHeMoX]

What I sometimes do is use my MC-808 as a soundmodule using midi and audio connections into my MV, recording loops and midi music into my MV. (Meaning I first do build loops inside my MC-808).

This works great, but I tend to use my MV8800 sort of like a software guy would use his favorite DAW. I hardly need anything else.

I do use the midi connections to sync the BPM automatically though, that simply works best.

Apart from that, I usually sample other instruments and build patches, eventually using them inside my MV. The only exception is adding vocals. At the moment I usually add them using a DAW.

[ellaguru]

do any of you write songs with different elements on different machines and then record them at once into a multichannel input recorder? ive been thinking of this so as to have my tracks made on hardware but separated somewhat in the computer for mixing - and without having to do any syncing up and shit so yo does anyone have any experiance doing this>? is this a super common thing? how does it turn out for you?

i use to record with midi sync and hardware recorders (look at my signature), sometimes i record in sync only one gear at time then i bounce tracks in order to make space for other gear to record...but mostly i tend to make a track with only one gear. for me midi sync is important if, for example, i want to add precisely other patterns to track with the same (or other) gear. but if you dman5000 get an es-1 mk2 you can play/record in sync different machines, this is sure . midi is not a bad thing when you understand its importance.
and if you are not satisfied of this method you can always put your tracks in the pc to mixing/mastering/effecting better/different.

[niq names]

^^ i agree with this. i use my samplers mainly an tend to sample from my microkorg in order to dirty it up some. but with basslines ill midi it to my daw and record layer after layer. i have to switch inputs tho since i only have two ins on my mbox so it can be a drag sometimes...

[hurlingdervish]

if you are recording gear separately and overdubbing tracks then you dont need to sync anything at all.

just make sure in the program that the waves line up by finding the start points and aligning them, as long as they were both at the same tempo it should work fine.

however if you have a more complex soundcard/interface you could sync the machines and make one track for each of them set with the corresponding inputs and record eachone separately at the same time.

[dman5000]

i use to record with midi sync and hardware recorders (look at my signature), sometimes i record in sync only one gear at time then i bounce tracks in order to make space for other gear to record...but mostly i tend to make a track with only one gear. for me midi sync is important if, for example, i want to add precisely other patterns to track with the same (or other) gear. but if you dman5000 get an es-1 mk2 you can play/record in sync different machines, this is sure . midi is not a bad thing when you understand its importance.
and if you are not satisfied of this method you can always put your tracks in the pc to mixing/mastering/effecting better/different.

your recorder has a midi stop/start with the rec button right? thats pretty sweet, if i had something like that i could easily record out separate tracks from the same machine.. but in lieu of owning something like that, im thinking of having the tracks be composed on diff machines and getting a multi-track input to the comp. (swift to pick up on th es1 thread-directly related haha, i also picked up a sampletrak but i read they have midi drift issues)

however if you have a more complex soundcard/interface you could sync the machines and make one track for each of them set with the corresponding inputs and record eachone separately at the same time.

thats what im hoping to do, i just need to get a good interface - one i guess with midi out for the clock to be the same in the program and if it can start the sequence when i hit record in the program that would be even better i guess.

right now i assemble everything into the 404 and record it thru a regular mixer into the computer line in, but im jsut not fully happy with how it ends up sounding, i dont know if i need to edit my samples better with eq and shiz or get a nicer soundcard type interface.. but im hoping if this new set up im talking about is cohesive and comes together then ill be able to do see whats going on.

thansk for the input guys!

total side note : if i make a track all in mono and record it through this mixer from the L/R stereo out on the 404 going into 2 channels (1L 2R) on this mixer then as one into the computer -- is this giving me phase cancellation?

[ellaguru]

[quote="dman5000"]
(swift to pick up on th es1 thread-directly related haha, i also picked up a sampletrak but i read they have midi drift issues)
quote]

me too...i mean i ordered it and i'm waiting for it...i heard about those midi shitty things, but if you use it as a midi sound module it could be working...i don't know if you're yet in but there is this interesting forum about the st-224:
http://sampletrak.lefora.com/forum/
i hope the st-224 works in sync wiht my zoom mrs-4 because of the same label ...

peace

[dman5000]

havent signed up for the forum yet..
thats run by juxt right
im basically just using mine now for live overdubbing the 404 patterns and then putting those samples into the 404. im gonna try the sequencer out soon though

[Rhua]

just make sure in the program that the waves line up by finding the start points and aligning them, as long as they were both at the same tempo it should work fine.

That's what I do most of the time when I want to use a beat I made on my 404 and play some guitar or keyboard over it. I tend to use several layers of instruments at the same time so it's the best way to do that. It's also useful because you can adjust each of tracks seperately or even chop some parts out of them which you couldn't do if you'd record it all at once.