Location Recording - Your choice of software/hardware

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What Software/Hardware are you using for location recording

  • Protools + Digidesign Hardware

    Votes: 7 17.5%
  • Protools + M-Audio Hardware

    Votes: 5 12.5%
  • Logic/Cubase/Cakewalk + External Soundcard

    Votes: 13 32.5%
  • Logic/Cubase/Cakewalk + Internal Soundcard

    Votes: 2 5.0%
  • Dedicated recorder hardware - analog inputs only

    Votes: 16 40.0%
  • Dedicated recorder hardware - analog or S/PDIF input capable

    Votes: 7 17.5%

  • Total voters
    40

Rochey

Well-known member
White Market Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2004
Messages
2,697
Location
Dallas, TX - Formerly UK
Folks, forgive me for doing a little market research...

If you are/were asked to do some location recording (e.g. classical concert, or local-band-at-the-pub) type of recording, what combination of hardware/software do/would you use?

It seems to me that Digidesign wants to lock it's ProTools users to it's hardware, even if you have better hardware you'd prefer to use. (is that true?)

Any inputs on this would be appreciated.

Cheers

/R
 
I voted Logic with external firewire interface.  Just b/c thats what I have.  And my setup is tested and proven.  I used a presonus firestudio 26x26 with Reaper on my PC (before I bought my mac) to multitrack live shows.  16 inputs, great results (i even used the interface's mixer to mix the PA feed! Not FUN! but it worked).  Those gigs were not paying, and in smoke/wild flying beer free environments.  Recording a symphony or such, I'd be cool with bringing my iMac to the site and using logic with my presonus.  If my trails lead to a bar, I wouldn't DARE bring my iMac there.  I have done some live multitracking for a relatively popular-in-the-90's austin punk band here in nashville, which paid, so reliability was key.  In that situation, I used an Alesis 24 channel analog input hardware recorder with a rack of 24 preamps (my 2nd vote).  Great results once again, just no software trickery involved.  I find that when removing software from the equation, reliability goes up significantly.  Only problem there is you don't get purdy colored waveforms, just 24 digital meters, boring, but I don't care!

So for me, it all depends on the nature of the project.  If it pays, I'd be more than happy taking a cut in pay to rent a hard disk recorder, JUST for the reliability.  But, if its lower pressure, and a controlled environment, I will trade a bit of reliability for the comfort of looking at logic and my own system.  I just haven't found a rock solid system that involves a firewire or usb interface and a native DAW.  I guess that's where pro tools hd or an apogee symphony x system come in.  $$$$$!  You get what you pay for.
 
I've been using an HD24XR for 3 years now for location tracking and it's always been reliable, knock on wood!

-Casey
 
Hi Rochey,


      I use a laptop, logic, and a Mini-me for stereo stuff. I have recently discovered "Aggregate device" in core audio(mac), which enables you to use a number of firewire devices simultaneously, and up the mic count!. I also have M=Powered protools, but generally need zero-latency monitoring, which is not available. For this reason, I would always recommend Logic for this. Your options are far greater for matching hardware to job-in-hand.

     I think the Duet is absolutely astonishing for the money. I am glad I bought a Mini-me when they were still being made, since it has digi out, limiter/compressor etc, not to mention Proper COnnectors instead of a moulded snake, but none the less, I recommend the duet wholeheartedly. It also works perfectly with the mini-me in aggregate device. Seamless integration, acting just like one device! I recently did a location recording, using Mini-me, duet, and a cheepo focusrite sapphire. 8 inputs, and I was expecting heaps of clicks, drop-outs, driver issues etc, but no! smooth as a Cashmere codpiece.

 I wouldn't hesitate to hire-in a stand-alone hard-disk recorder for a one-off live, unrepeatable gig, but most of what i do remote is overdubs, often lead vocals/bv sections, brass section, drums, etc. so, ultimately repeatable. I always take redundant system back-up, ie, the wife's macbook, spare cloned system HD, spare audio devices, etc expecting the worst, and so far, (without tempting fate, I hope!) NOTHING has ever let me down. I have never lost a take, or had a crash under fire. I believe the technology has finally really caught up, and I find the experience liberating. I have recorded master vocals in hotel rooms, holiday cottages, Concert-hall dressing-rooms, garden shed, farmyard barns, garages, a splitter bus, and even, an airport lounge( in reality, that was just one phrase we had to change, but hey!). The lines between song-writing and production are becoming increasingly blurred, and "demo-itis" is a disease long since confined to the history books, just so long as we put the effort in at the front end. The original "vibe" is good enough for the final product, and that keeps the artist really happy. They HATE re-doing something for technical reasons, and patching up is increasingly seamless, ambience and artistic temperament notwithstanding!


   All the artists I have worked with recently have used a laptop rather than a hard-disk recorder for playback at live shows recently, and I cannot recall a catastrophic crash. Last "embarrassing moment" I recall was actually with a stand alone hard-disk recorder!


   Kindest regards,



           ANdyP
 
+1 on the Apogee Duet, great bit of kit for the money. I use mine with Logic 8.

Chris
 
I was able to:

Provide Click Tracks to an orchestra (30 piece)
Project a Film
Record the orchestra
Sync via MTC with the conductor's laptop

all simultaneously via Logic8 and a MOTU Traveler, during a showing of No Country For Old Men with a live orchestra with a new score by a classmate, at Riverside Church, NYC in january 08.
 
I definitely do not want to mess with computers and unprofessional wiring at location recordings. My choice is Alesis HD24 + Midas Venice or HD24 with MotU 8Pre
 
I couldn't answer your poll because I use a combination of a few of the options.

I use this Toshiba laptop running PT LE, & a 002 interface.  I also use my tascam HArd disk recorder.  Using one of the ADAT ports on the tascam this enables me to record 16 track at once to protools & back up simultaneously to the tascam.  The Analog inputs to the 002 are fed from 8 outputs of the Tascam, which when in record mode are fed directly from it's corresponding inputs (i.e zero latency).  The tascam also allows zero latency monitoring, if required.

All this I connect to a UPS for added safety, because you never know what the power is like in some venues.
 
i use sound devices 442 mixer and 744 recorder, but i've also used PT LE with 003 and ADA 8000 for 16 track recording.
i'd love to do it with my phone and a micro preamp but i'm still trying to figure out how to go line in through the dock
 
My Mbox Pro has proven to be the most rock solid PT LE system I've used. I've used it with a MiniMe plugged in SPDIF which sounded great but any preamp other than the on boards seem to sound pretty good. That seems to be the case with most portable interfaces.

I stick with PT for compatability reasons. I don't feel like running two different softwares. Obviously that's my preference and not the only way to go.

PT is the devil I know. 
 
I stated "Dedicated recorder hardware - analog or S/PDIF input capable" in the poll, meaning I use HD24(s) with Focusrite 428's w. digital/lightpipe input. Only drawback with the HD24 is that you can't combine analog and digital inputs; once you insert a lightpipe it switches all inputs to digi. Otherwise recommended! (I don't do location recording very often, so my word is to be taken lightly  ;D)

/Dave
 
I'd say that most days I gravitate to a Radar 24, sometimes with PT or Nuendo rig as a secondary record.  For me the Radar is just rock solid.

Michael
 
Not seen it mentioned thus far, I use a Metric Halo 2882 +DSP interface and the record panel that is built into their control software for the interface.
It records and plays back, thats it. 8 analog ins and 8 adat ins, plus spdif or aes/ebu inputs. You can just add more MH interfaces for higher track counts.
In about 5 years of use it has never let me down, even when running Ableton on the same laptop during practice and recording the entire practice for hours and hours.

The DSP based dynamics and eq are also dam handy for foh and mons use when flying to shows to save on weight. And finally it has really good converters.
Oh, and the fact that despite being released many years ago it is still a supported product and there is even an upgrade card available for it that brings the older ones up to the same spec as the current models. Not many companies support products for this long.

I really don't have a bad word to say about it.

Dominic
 
HD24 will indeed do A and D input together; it's awkwardly in the menu section; toggles pairs I recall. 
 
Oh, that's great! Thanks emrr! I was told you couldn't, so I didn't bother looking... Never trust second(third?) hand information! ::)
:)

/Dave
 
sony pcm-D50 is pretty decent sounding pocket unit....

Fusion 10 rocks :)
http://www.zaxcom.com/Fusion-10.htm
 
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