recording live

[earlypunkguitarist]

my band wants to record live. but we wanna do it so we can have it the laptop when where done with it.
Is there anyway to get all the mics into the laptop at once and not completely destroy the sound quality.

[Aes820]

The best way to record live would be to simply run a recording device off a line level output of the PA mixer.

To do this you would of course need a mixer, and that would normally imply that you're usign a decent PA system with all the instruments miced up and running through.
A setup like this is much more common at larger gigs.

If you're not usign a PA setup like this you may just be able to use an ambient Mic. But I doubt you'll be able to get it sounding very good.

[crossfireband.biz]

you need a better laptop sound card then the factory, you could come out of the mixer from the "tape"out....RCA into the soundcard...if you want to use the onboard mic jack you will have to get an adaptor down to 1/8"

[BlackNoiseAudio]

Just to let you know, laptops are NOT very adept at handling audio. I've done a few live recordings on a laptop, and it didn't work very well. I had a bunch of problems with the IRQ sharing that laptops have, it messed with my soundcard and caused latency out the ***. It can be done, by taking a mix from your pa, but the latency is so bad, that you cannot run your main outputs through your computer then to front of house, so depending on the size of your pa console, your monitor mix might suffer. It's almost eisier to bring in a desktop computer that has a good pci soundcard and to it that way. I agree with AES tho, it'll sound crappy with ambient micing, especially if you play rock

[earlypunkguitarist]

thanks guys. just curious. it was that or the old tape recorder method but i cant see that working real great. my main curiousity was is there a way to get that may mics into one computer at once.

[himynameistweek]

yes.... you use a mixer.