Home studio recording

Oestfeldt · 05-07-2016, 10:12 AM

Hi

I have a question regarding home music studio.
We are four guys who play in a band. Drums, two guitars, a bass and singing. We would like to make a home studio. I think/hope/imagine there must be some sort os a "box", for example. 8 inputs. Inputs from guitars, bass, vocals and digital drums. I imagine that this "box" must be set to a PC running a DAW (possibly Reaper, Qbase or other). I imagine this "box" has outputs for headphones for each of us. I imagine that the PC will be able to record tracks in the DAW software. One track for each input.

Question: Is there such a "box"? If yes: whar is the name of such a "box" ?

Best regards
Peter

Zitterbart · 05-09-2016, 07:24 AM

You may be looking for an 'audio interface' similiar to the Focusrite Scarlett 18i8. It does, however not have the right amount/type of outputs. But this should be the direction to look deeper into.

Oestfeldt · 05-09-2016, 10:08 AM

Thanks Zitterbart. I will look in to this.

Oestfeldt · 05-13-2016, 09:11 AM

I have now looked at the Focusrite 18i8. As I understand the 18i8, it is possible to play 2 guitars, a bass, a singer and a digital drummer at the same time through the 18i8, via usb to a PC, and have it recordet in a DAW (fx Reaper) each instrument on each track. Is that correct ?

Plankton · 05-13-2016, 09:18 AM

You'll want the 18i20:

Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 | Sweetwater.com

Oestfeldt · 05-15-2016, 08:31 AM

Hi Plankton

As I understand, both the 18i8 and 18i20 both have 8 direct input. And as I understand, I only need the one usb output to the PC with a DAW (digital audio workstation software).
Why do you think I shold get the 18i20 instead of the 18i8 ?

Plankton · 05-16-2016, 09:19 AM

You'll have 8 separate preamps to run through instead of 4. Your sound will be processed cleaner for each channel instead of loading one or two with multiple signals. For $150 more, that's the route I'd go.

Oestfeldt · 05-16-2016, 02:25 PM

The guitars are both going through it's own Boss ME-70 multi effect with preamp. Also the bass is going through a effect-box with preamp. Do they still have to go in a preamp input in a 18i8 or 18i20 ? If so, the 18i20 is the way to go. I thought since the guitars and bass already have preamp, it was to go in to the input on the backside of the 8i18 without the preamp ?

Plankton · 05-16-2016, 02:46 PM

Once the sound gets to the Focusrite unit, it'll still be running through a preamp on each channel. The preamps on the Focusrite units are very good, and will carry the signal through cleanly, but if you load another signal onto one/any of them, that signal will be weaker than those which are running a single signal.

Clear?

Using 5 separate signals into 4 preamps, two of those signals will be weaker than the others, and you'd have to do some adjusting, but still won't get the clean output that using the 18i20 would produce with what you have. Everything will be clean and even in the end mix using the 18i20, instead of 3 good signals and 2 weaker ones using the 18i8.

Oestfeldt · 05-17-2016, 01:40 AM

Yes it's clear now. I was under the impression that the guitar and bass should be input at the back of the 18i8, but it looks as if that is some sort of stereo input.

The 18i20 is the way to go for me and my band.

Thanks for your feedback

05-07-2016, 10:12 AM	#1 (permalink)
Oestfeldt Groupie Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 6	Home studio recording Hi I have a question regarding home music studio. We are four guys who play in a band. Drums, two guitars, a bass and singing. We would like to make a home studio. I think/hope/imagine there must be some sort os a "box", for example. 8 inputs. Inputs from guitars, bass, vocals and digital drums. I imagine that this "box" must be set to a PC running a DAW (possibly Reaper, Qbase or other). I imagine this "box" has outputs for headphones for each of us. I imagine that the PC will be able to record tracks in the DAW software. One track for each input. Question: Is there such a "box"? If yes: whar is the name of such a "box" ? Best regards Peter

05-09-2016, 07:24 AM	#2 (permalink)
Zitterbart Groupie Join Date: May 2016 Location: Germany Posts: 22	You may be looking for an 'audio interface' similiar to the Focusrite Scarlett 18i8. It does, however not have the right amount/type of outputs. But this should be the direction to look deeper into. __________________ Turtles are fast. Turtles are dangerous!

05-13-2016, 09:18 AM	#5 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	You'll want the 18i20: Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 \| Sweetwater.com __________________ See location...

05-16-2016, 09:19 AM	#7 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	You'll have 8 separate preamps to run through instead of 4. Your sound will be processed cleaner for each channel instead of loading one or two with multiple signals. For $150 more, that's the route I'd go. __________________ See location...

05-16-2016, 02:46 PM	#9 (permalink)
Plankton Just Keep Swimming... Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: See signature... Posts: 7,765	Once the sound gets to the Focusrite unit, it'll still be running through a preamp on each channel. The preamps on the Focusrite units are very good, and will carry the signal through cleanly, but if you load another signal onto one/any of them, that signal will be weaker than those which are running a single signal. Clear? Using 5 separate signals into 4 preamps, two of those signals will be weaker than the others, and you'd have to do some adjusting, but still won't get the clean output that using the 18i20 would produce with what you have. Everything will be clean and even in the end mix using the 18i20, instead of 3 good signals and 2 weaker ones using the 18i8. __________________ See location...

05-09-2016, 10:08 AM	#3 (permalink)
Oestfeldt Groupie Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 6	Thanks Zitterbart. I will look in to this.

05-13-2016, 09:11 AM	#4 (permalink)
Oestfeldt Groupie Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 6	I have now looked at the Focusrite 18i8. As I understand the 18i8, it is possible to play 2 guitars, a bass, a singer and a digital drummer at the same time through the 18i8, via usb to a PC, and have it recordet in a DAW (fx Reaper) each instrument on each track. Is that correct ?

05-15-2016, 08:31 AM	#6 (permalink)
Oestfeldt Groupie Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 6	Hi Plankton As I understand, both the 18i8 and 18i20 both have 8 direct input. And as I understand, I only need the one usb output to the PC with a DAW (digital audio workstation software). Why do you think I shold get the 18i20 instead of the 18i8 ?

05-16-2016, 02:25 PM	#8 (permalink)
Oestfeldt Groupie Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 6	The guitars are both going through it's own Boss ME-70 multi effect with preamp. Also the bass is going through a effect-box with preamp. Do they still have to go in a preamp input in a 18i8 or 18i20 ? If so, the 18i20 is the way to go. I thought since the guitars and bass already have preamp, it was to go in to the input on the backside of the 8i18 without the preamp ?

05-17-2016, 01:40 AM	#10 (permalink)
Oestfeldt Groupie Join Date: May 2016 Posts: 6	Yes it's clear now. I was under the impression that the guitar and bass should be input at the back of the 18i8, but it looks as if that is some sort of stereo input. The 18i20 is the way to go for me and my band. Thanks for your feedback