JakeyD
09-08-2008, 08:57 AM
Hi all. I don't know too much about recording, so please bear with me...
Up until now, I've been recording with V-Drums primarily due to their ease of use. I can record a track as MIDI, and then mute individual drums to get a full multi-track file with each drum on a separate channel. However, I've been feeling the limits of recording with electronic drums, and so I want to try recording acoustic drums on my next album. I also want to make sure I can record each drum on a separate track, or at least split up the drums between bass, snare, toms, and cymbals (overheads).
I'm planning on picking up one of those pre-packaged mic kits for drums, but this is where I run into my problem. Most mixers I have seen only have main outs for a stereo signal, so even if I have seven different mics on my drumset, the drums will be mixed down to a stereo signal in the mixer, and thus recorded as a stereo signal in my DAW. Since I was planning on using Edirol's FA-101, I suppose I could pick up some impedence converters to switch the mic plugs to 1/4 jacks and run them directly into the inputs on the interface, but then I can't adjust the volume/EQ of the signal before it enters the computer. What would be nice is a mixer that has individual outputs for each track, but so far I haven't seen any.
The Alesis i0|26 (http://www.alesis.com/io26) seemed like a great solution (as we will be recording guitar/bass along with the drums), but I have read some reviews that criticize the drivers and are quite negative overall. I own the Edirol FA-66 as well and am quite comfortable with it, too, so I'd like to find a solution that allows me to use the FA-101. (For that matter, the Edirol M-16DX (http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=860&ParentId=114) also looks like a great possibility as well...) The trick is that we have three weeks to record a full album, so I need to know that the audio interface will work properly before we even start recording. That's why I'm a bit wary of buying an interface I've never used before.
Anyway, sorry this is so long, and thanks for any ideas you may have.
Up until now, I've been recording with V-Drums primarily due to their ease of use. I can record a track as MIDI, and then mute individual drums to get a full multi-track file with each drum on a separate channel. However, I've been feeling the limits of recording with electronic drums, and so I want to try recording acoustic drums on my next album. I also want to make sure I can record each drum on a separate track, or at least split up the drums between bass, snare, toms, and cymbals (overheads).
I'm planning on picking up one of those pre-packaged mic kits for drums, but this is where I run into my problem. Most mixers I have seen only have main outs for a stereo signal, so even if I have seven different mics on my drumset, the drums will be mixed down to a stereo signal in the mixer, and thus recorded as a stereo signal in my DAW. Since I was planning on using Edirol's FA-101, I suppose I could pick up some impedence converters to switch the mic plugs to 1/4 jacks and run them directly into the inputs on the interface, but then I can't adjust the volume/EQ of the signal before it enters the computer. What would be nice is a mixer that has individual outputs for each track, but so far I haven't seen any.
The Alesis i0|26 (http://www.alesis.com/io26) seemed like a great solution (as we will be recording guitar/bass along with the drums), but I have read some reviews that criticize the drivers and are quite negative overall. I own the Edirol FA-66 as well and am quite comfortable with it, too, so I'd like to find a solution that allows me to use the FA-101. (For that matter, the Edirol M-16DX (http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.aspx?ObjectId=860&ParentId=114) also looks like a great possibility as well...) The trick is that we have three weeks to record a full album, so I need to know that the audio interface will work properly before we even start recording. That's why I'm a bit wary of buying an interface I've never used before.
Anyway, sorry this is so long, and thanks for any ideas you may have.