#1691225 - 08/23/05 04:44 PM
Question
|
Jonathan Herrera
Senior Member
Registered: 06/25/03
Posts: 54
|
Offline
|
|
Though we aim to dedicate BP's extremely limited product-review space to bass-specific product, I'm wondering how you guys and gals would feel about recording equipment reviews. As most of you know, it takes a computer and free (Garageband) or very cheap software to make a decent home recording.
So, whatcha guys think?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691227 - 08/24/05 02:08 PM
Re: Question
|
C. Alexander C.
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 06/11/01
Posts: 5111
Loc: Brighton, UK
|
|
Offline
|
|
If you can focus on recording gear that even the most neanderthal bassists can use, then I'm all for it. Anyone that's really into engineering will be buying SoS or similar, but there are loads of players out there who would be helped by an introduction into band recording, especially as with a bit of nowse you can produce studio quality recordings with only a few hundred bucks of gear.
I'd suggest the Fostex MR-8HD as well worthy of a test - if it lives up to its claims then it looks the ideal way to record gigs and practices with 4 tracks simultaneously; and it uses uncompressed wav files which can be transferred easily to a PC recording system by USB. So both an 8 track all-in-one solution, and effectively a 4-track PC interface where you can leave your PC at home.
Alex
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691228 - 08/25/05 11:02 AM
Re: Question
|
_Sweet Willie_
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 7985
Loc: New Jersey
|
|
Offline
|
|
For someone like me, who doesn't do any home recording, it would be useful to have a piece about how to get up and running relatively painlessly doing home recording on my PC.
I'm also ok with y'all reviewing some recording equipment, but not too much. I think that's done most effectively within the context of an article -- which I think you did a couple of years back.
Peace.
--SW
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691229 - 08/25/05 01:34 PM
Re: Question
|
Greg Olwell
Senior Member
Registered: 10/09/02
Posts: 84
Loc: San Bruno, CA
|
|
Offline
|
|
Hiya SW,
We've been touching on basic home recording setups in our recently introduced Tracks section. We made it really easy to find by calling it Home Recording. Since the section is so short, half-page each month, we've had to make the topics basic and focused on one specific topic.
Are there any specific questions you would like to see us address in a future Home Recording installment?
_________________________
Best Wishes,
Greg Olwell
Managing Editor
Bass Player magazine
1111 Bayhill Dr., Suite 125
San Bruno, CA 94066
650-238-0279
650-238-0261 Fax
golwell@musicplayer.com
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691231 - 08/26/05 02:13 PM
Re: Question
|
Tom Capasso
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 04/30/01
Posts: 7622
Loc: east meadow,NY,UNITED STATES
|
|
Offline
|
|
I wouldn't want it as a regular feature, but that's fine. I'm with SW - a bit of "how-to" would be good. It's unlikely that I'll be recording at home anytime soon, but reading a well-written review that describes how features work and when to employ them is educational.
Tom
_________________________
www.stoneflyrocks.com Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691232 - 08/26/05 02:16 PM
Re: Question
|
_Sweet Willie_
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 7985
Loc: New Jersey
|
|
Offline
|
|
Originally posted by ATM:
Affordable, accessable, and easy to use gear.
As a rookie, a real primer on the basics would be appreciated -- what hardware do I need w/ what specs and what software applications. I realize that they run the gamut in terms of price and quality, but some sample "starter" set-ups would be interesting to read reviews of or learn more about. Especially those that offer the capacity for upgrades should the home recording turn out to be enjoyable.
Again, I know some of this has been covered in the past, and maybe some cites from the archives would be useful, too. Also, I do appreciate the little half-page articles about recording, although they don't quite speak to me as a novice (or, really, non-practicing recordist).
Thanks, GO, for the comments.
Peace.
--s-uu
Also, would EQ be a good mag for novices to pick up? Are they similar to BP in trying to have information that covers the range from beginners thru experts?
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691233 - 08/28/05 09:52 AM
Re: Question
|
catman
Senior Member
Registered: 07/17/03
Posts: 258
Loc: Nova Scotia ,Canada
|
|
Offline
|
|
I would like to see some reviews and such on some diff gear, as long as we get a healthy helping of bass goodies to drool over still, but what am I saying of course we will.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691234 - 08/30/05 01:54 PM
Re: Question
|
wraub
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 01/19/02
Posts: 4181
Loc: where it's hot and people are ...
|
|
Offline
|
|
I tend to think that the majority of those interested in such will gravitate to EQ, EM, Mix, and Tape Op, as I have. I look to BP as a resource for bass and bass-related things.
However...
Perhaps a "Bass-centric" recording article would be of interest to me, i.e. mixing/EQ-ing tips for bass/bass-heavy mixes (ways to fit bass in the mix), bass-useful hardware/software effects (with an overview of appropriate platforms and requirements), etc.
Maybe a side-by-side "shootout" of bass stompboxes vs. plug-ins and emulators.
Also, a real-world breakdown of what's do-able and attainable on a realistic project budget for the average DIYer/hobbyist sounds like a read worth having.
A comparison of the relative merits/drawbacks to a DAW over, say, Portastudio sounds interesting.
Perhaps all this is colored somewhat by the news that my impending B-day gift is a multi-track recorder... 
Thanks for asking!
Peace,
wraub
_________________________
America is a nation of inertia and nostalgia, as are most nations. This does not bode well for the future. Omne Ignotum Pro Magnifico. http://www.myspace.com/wraubmusic
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691235 - 09/02/05 09:21 AM
Re: Question
|
BenLoy
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 03/22/01
Posts: 3974
Loc: NYC, NY ,UNITED STATES
|
|
Offline
|
|
Given that many musicians these days are multi-instrumentalists and engineers/producers with home studios, I think it's a great idea.
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
|
#1691236 - 09/08/05 08:37 AM
Re: Question
|
C. Alexander C.
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 06/11/01
Posts: 5111
Loc: Brighton, UK
|
|
Offline
|
|
Pondering this again, far more useful than discussing the relative merits of all the recording gear available (almost all of which is perfectly good enough), would be an article on how to best use it.
If you know where to place mics, how to select mics, how to set levels and adjust gain staging, how to get the right tones from all the instruments in a band, and how to use compression, EQ and reverb to balance the mix and create the right soundstage, then all you can produce excellent quality recordings with very basic gear.
Unfortunately most newbies keep spending money on gear to get their recording to sound right, when they'd be better off spending the money on a course or a small pile of books about sound engineering.
A whole other issue is pre-production - even if you're going into a pro studio to make your record there's a whole lot of work that needs to be done beforehand, especially if your budget (and thus studio time) is limited.
Alex
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
#1691237 - 09/10/05 08:41 AM
Re: Question
|
_Sweet Willie_
MP Hall of Fame Member
Registered: 04/05/02
Posts: 7985
Loc: New Jersey
|
|
Offline
|
|
Originally posted by C.Alexander Claber:
A whole other issue is pre-production - even if you're going into a pro studio to make your record there's a whole lot of work that needs to be done beforehand, especially if your budget (and thus studio time) is limited.
It seems to me that this topic could be covered succinctly with input from pros. Also the differences here between prepping for a session by a session player and prepping for a session when you're going in as a band. There would be some similarities, but there are also some differences.
Also, what pre-production issues might be more bassist-specific than musician-general?
Peace.
--SW
|
|
Top
|
|
|
|
Moderator: Bill Leigh, Jonathan Herrera, Brian Fox
|
|
|
