Using a 4 track

[devildriver421]

Alright my band is gonna be buying a cheap 4 track just so we can listen to our songs, it doesn't need to be great quality. We picked out this (http://www.korg.com/gear/info.asp?a_prod_no=CR4&category_id=3) one. It has 4 inputs, one for guitar, one for bass, one for drums, and one for vocals.

Now for the questions:

1. Am I correct in thinking that we'd use the line out from the pa system to the 4 track?

2. If that's true, will the pa system still work like normal?

3. How would we record drums?

4. How would I hook up the guitar and bass, just mic the amps or direct input or what?

5. Also, since we can record 4 things at once, should we do them all at the same time so we can just play the song like normal, or should we do them 1 at a time or what?

[crossfireband.biz]

Answers..I think
1. if you have a mixer with direct outs for each channel strip thats how I would go ..
2. yes it should (what kind of mixer?)
3. to record drums you need mics shure makes a few good drum mic kits...if your only going to a 4 track you will have to have another mixer for (we have 7) drum mics...then to the main mixer then out the direct out of that channel for an over all drum track
4. I like to use direct outs they give the best sound without echo from the room..less mics
5. the last is up to you I like to keep vocals seperate. sometimes depents what your working with ... if you just play and record (live) you kinda get a hollow sounding vocal...cause the live mic is picking up everything in the room...ie:guitars, drums , and everything else going on...unless of course you can seclude the vocalist and his/her mic in another room and let them sing along to the band in headphones...
Hope this helps!!

[devildriver421]

3. yea our drummer is getting triggers and a module, so would we just do that and put an overhead mic for the cymbals or what

4. do you mean the preamp out on the amp?

and for the vocals, we just have him sing outside when we record on crappy tape decks and stuff, because we can turn the pa louder without feedback because he's father away, and then it's clearer.

[crossfireband.biz]

3.I use 2 overhead mics..Left and Right into compressors with gates and limiters to reduce unwanted tones and rings and such..but hell yeah one would work also to start because you know once you start getting better recordings you will want better and better ones..

4.yes the preamp out or you can even use the phones out (with the patch cable pushed in half way) if you get the levels right

do you have a good eq? set right: and into your main inserst it will stop most to all the feedback..so the singer can hang out and sing when you not recording..

[devildriver421]

Well it doesn't feed back until we crank it, which we need to do when it's only an 80w system lol. Don't worry htough, we have a 800w system coming, speakers on the way right now.

We really don't want to be spending much money, for a demo we're going to a studio anyway, so we just need something so we can listen to our songs and improve them.

I think we might try using a bass and snare mic, and then just having a regular mic(we dont have any other drums mics) into the pa system and just record the drummer, then everyone else. Would that work?

[crossfireband.biz]

sure that will work..damppen the bass drum alot with no compressor or it will sound like a bass note not a drum..unless your doing rap..haha basically once you have it wired then you really have to mess around until you get the sound you want..then when you go into the studio you will spend less time ($)finding the sound you want because you will already have a direction..

[devildriver421]

hmm yeah thanks. What I think we're gonna do is all play at once, having my drummer use the pa system with the bass and snare mics, and then the overhead mics that our singers use. Then, we're gonna play the song and have our singers wear headphones of the song playing and sing to it.

The 4 track we're getting has 2 heaphone outputs so it should be good.

Do you think regular vocal mics would pick up toms and cymbals ok or what? I mean, we can turn those channels up if we need to.

And also, I've heard that line in from guitar amps sounds like crap, and that mic'ing it would be better. Is that true?

[crossfireband.biz]

if you can get the mic close enough to the drums for a good sound....and I guess it depends on the quality of guitar amp as to how the line out sounds..so thats a trial and error thingI always feel the less live mics the better when it comes to recording..

[devildriver421]

yea well we can put the mics right on the cymbals if we want, we're just gonna put a nail in the roof supports and hang the mic from it and we're gonna point our amps away from him so that we're not facing those mics.

[crossfireband.biz]

sounds like you have it worked out..