On the fence (ready to fall off)

[jdsky]

My all in one 16 track recorder ( not Tascam)has finally broken (it was good for 13 yrs) Company no longer supports it and won't talk about it anymore.
DAW or another stand alone is where Im at.
Yes Ive read some of the posts here for the portastudio vs DAW
Ive seen a lot of videos about the DAW and I just to shake my head.
DAW seems involved .How do these people ever get around to recording?
The Ive watched Phils videos and the DPs dont exactly seem like a walk in the park either.
Man oh Man this is driving me nuts!
just sayin"

 

[Arjan P]

So, which not-Tascam 16-track standalone recorder was this? It might help some of us if we know the machine (and what it can or cannot do).

 

[jdsky]

Boss 1600CD. I can no longer burn a CD of a song written on there. I can record but can't burn CD. The files dont seem to transfer over to a computer either. I replaced the CD writer to no avail. Had a tech savvy friend investigate. Updated to newer version etc. Nothing. Must be in the guts somewhere. Boss support would not help me at all.

 

[Mark Richards]

Boss 1600CD.... The files dont seem to transfer over to a computer ....

I assume that following the instructions in Section 6 (pp 239-254) of the Boss 1600CD manual didn't get your tracks exported to your computer. That's a real bummer.

Ive watched Phils videos and the DPs dont exactly seem like a walk in the park either.

Whenever I'm considering new gear, the first thing I do is download and study the owner manual. That gives me a sense of capabilities, pros and cons to help me judge the utility of the gear.

You can download the DP-24SD manual here (click on the "Manuals" tab).

With the DP-24/32/SD units you'll gain more tracks, but lose onboard MIDI and the CD.

I would think that if you can work a piece of audio gear like the Boss 1600CD that has an OM over 300 pages long, you should be able to susse out operating a DP-24SD or DP-32SD as long as you take the time to familiarize yourself with the basics and not jump in and thrash around like some people do.

You may also want to browse through the stickies pinned at the top of this subforum to get a sense of what can be done with a DP-24/32/SD.

Another option you have is to look into a hybrid system like a TASCAM Model 24/16/12 used either stand-a-lone or married to a DAW. There are stickies in that subforum comparing those units to the portastudio series, and also some really good video tutorials showing how to use the hybrid system effectively and efficiently (check out the Sweetwater video).

If going the hybrid route, I also suggest looking into Harrison Consoles Mixbus D.A.W., designed by audio engineers, instead of by programmers.

 

[BazzBass]

@jdsky , firstly welcome to this forum

to quote you How do these people ever get around to recording?

thats just it, they spend all their time figuring out how to do something,then telling everyone on the forum, that they never get around to recording any music . Tongue in cheek with a bit of truth hehe

@MarkRichards If going the hybrid route, I also suggest looking into Harrison Consoles Mixbus D.A.W., designed by audio engineers, instead of by programmers.

thanks, I'll look at that,tried to like Reaper but there are too many drop down menu options to ever easily find what I want.

 

[Arjan P]

Interesting: I have no issue getting around to recording with my Cubase setup - actually I can more easily edit stuff that on my all-in-one would make a lot of swapping audio files back and forth necessary. But alas, we already had that discussion..

As for the choice of a DAW, this is a very personal choice, where also the type of music can play a big role. Harrison MixBus is nice for those looking mostly for an 'analog desk' inside the computer, but if you're into using MIDI for hardware synths, or VST Instruments (software instruments) it may not be the best choice. If you make EDM with loop patterns, there are yet other, better choices of DAW again.

 

[jdsky]

Thanks for the answers/suggestions.

Most of my songs are 2 guitars, bass, drums and vx. KISS. ( hence my reluctance to deal w a DAW)

Drums are very important to me. For years I have been using Mick Fleetwood Total Drumming to create my drum tracks. Tracks are on CD that are easily accessible for loops on the Boss machine.

questions:

1. How do you users of the 24/32 get drums into yr machine to create drum loops/parts? What do you use? MIDI not important at this time.
2. How you you users check yr mixes if everything is on a SD card? I always was able to get in the car and put a CD of a song on that was recorded on the Boss unit and then able to go back and adjust things.
3. How do you upload a song from 24/32 into a computer to send to the outside world? Does a computer have an SD slot ?

 

[David Porter]

1) I use EZDrummer 2. I plot out a song arrangement and carefully craft the drum parts first- usually with a guitar in front of the computer. Then I import those wav files individually or in a group - or groupings of my choice - to the DP.

2) I create mixdown files using "mixdown" mode on the DP - and then I typically will upload that file to Soundcloud and stream it on different devices to check mix. For many years - I used to do what you do - burn a mix to a CD and play that on different players, in my truck, etc.

3) I leave my DP constantly connected to an adjacent laptop via a USB cable. This way I can move files back and forth using the Audio Depot folder and the "Music" folder (which is where the mixdown files are located). I can also regularly and easily back up everything on the SD card so nothing is ever in jeopardy of being lost forever in the event of a SD card malfunction.



FYI - in my opinion - the learning curve of the Tascam DP's is not a steep one. Simply get the block diagram in front of you and thoughtfully and patiently sit through the Tipping videos.... absorbing the greatness of Phil's excellent communication skills - and you will be competent in no time.

 

[-mjk-]

1. How do you users of the 24/32 get drums into yr machine to create drum loops/parts? What do you use? MIDI not important at this time.

I program drums in a Roland DR-880 and physically record them onto tracks in the DP-32 (I have the original version with MIDI and the CD player).

2. How you you users check yr mixes if everything is on a SD card? I always was able to get in the car and put a CD of a song on that was recorded on the Boss unit and then able to go back and adjust things.

I check my mixes with the recording monitors and studio headphones first. To check mixes outside I copy the mixdown file to the PC with a USB cable. After it's on the PC I upload it to Google Drive so I have access to it everywhere else. I can check the mix on my (I'm not kidding) Surface Pro 7 and also download it to my phone and listen in the car by Bluetooth. Even though I have the original DP-32, I have never made a CD of anything I've recorded on the machine.

3. How do you upload a song from 24/32 into a computer to send to the outside world? Does a computer have an SD slot ?

Mine does, but I don't use it for that. I use a USB cable from the PC to the DP machine as it is significantly more convenient, doesn't involve powering the DP machine down, and doesn't stress the card or the card slot.

You need see the threads, Tutorial and Informational Videos For DP-32/24/32SD/24SD | TASCAM Forums and DP-24/32/SD New Members: Please Read This First | TASCAM Forums

 

[jdsky]

David Porter "I use EZDrummer " "import wav files" ...from computer to DP. so yr using computer along with DP. I dont want to use a computer.
So how do I use drums that I can edit with the DP? with no computer. I'm probably missing something here.

With all due respect to Phil and he's really good for sure there's a lot of info in there!

What can I say?

Whats the up side downside using DP 24 over 32 vise versa.

thanks

 

[Felonious Punk]

Can't you just use one of the outputs on the 1600 to one of the Inputs (A-H) on the Tascam and record the signal to a track?

FP

 

[jdsky]

Felonious...I don't yet have a DP machine. Would yr suggestion work? I don't know.

 

[Felonious Punk]

If you can plug it into an amp, you can plug it into the DP.

Worst case scenario is coming out of the headphone jacks but it looks like there are plenty of options. So yes, it will work.

FP

 

[Felonious Punk]

I think the upside to the 32 (I have a 24) would be that you have access to more mono tracks as the stereo tracks can be converted to mono. I personally don't need so many stereo tracks. YMMV.

FP