Gig recording...Pro tools?

[Saucyjack]

Thinking of getting a small setup to record some local gigs.
I want to keep it simple and streamlined for now.

Maybe a decent stereo mic and laptop/Daw.
Basically just document the gig.
May expand on down the line with multiple mic setups,etc.

Haven't had much experience with laptops and only messed around with samplitude demo for a few weeks but was thinking of getting a Mbox/Protools Le/Laptop and using that setup as a 2 track portable rig.

Any opinions?

[tINY]

I don't know about PT, but Cakewalk runs fine on my 2.3GHz laptop for that purpose. I run a MOTO box on Firewire with a PCMCIA card.

Editing is a little slow with the 4200 RPM drive, though....


-tINY

[waxnsteel]

If you can get a 7200 rpm internal drive, go for it. An ext firewire drive is also smart. They're making bus-powered drives turning that fast, but ya gotta shell out right now. They'll come down eventually. For 2 tracks, I can't see a whole lot of problems just using the internal drive on a digi-approved laptop with an Mbox. It's not like you have to use a bunch of plugins. Just get good sound, and tweak it at home. There's tons of info @ http://duc.digidesign.com

[Saucyjack]

What's a decent laptop?(Never owned a laptop before).
Could an older machine run a few tracks w/o hiccups?
Probably want to stay with PC

[Chae Ham]

In the past, I've done quite a few small live gigs running PTHD 5.3.2 on a Mac G4 733MHz, with a SCSI 10K RPM drive. Never had a problem. The rig was pretty rock solid stable. Your milage may vary. I've actually been pretty fortunate to never really have any instability problems with the 3 different PT setups I've had.

If you want to be extra careful you may want to bring a back-up recorder so that just in case PT crashes you still have a straight to tape/HD/(or dare I say DAT) recording running as a "fail-safe."
Good Luck.

[Aearth]

I have a PT HD3 system with a G4 power mac in the studio, but I use a 002R and G4 iBook 1 gig for location work. The 002R system is used in conjunction with external firewire hard drive, Focusrite ISA 428 with the AD card or the Yamaha 01V 96. So really sound quality is quite good.
Mixing with the 002 and laptop is not the greatest as far as plugin power....so that is where the HD3 shines.


Nick

PS. I have recorded 16 tracks at once x 1hr session .....no problems.

[waxnsteel]

- What's a decent laptop?(Never owned a laptop before).
Could an older machine run a few tracks w/o hiccups?
Probably want to stay with PC -

http://duc.digidesign.com/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=UBB32

[enharmonic]

Hi,

did you not like Samp, or are you looking at a more convenient setup? I will agree that digi makes it real easy to get going with that MBox setup, but I wouldn't choose that over say, a Metric Halo Moblie IO + DSP and Samp, personally.

So many ways of working...in many ways it is a great time to be doing this kind of thing. Good luck with whatever you decide to use.

[djui5]

Just recorded a 4 hr show tonight with a Powerbook and a 002 rack.

I got 8 feed's from the FOH board and just hit record..........flawless...no problems at all.....all 4 hrs at once....

I had 2 200GB firewire drives in the rack too...
Tracked at 24 bit 88.2Khz....


Hit apple S a lot...just incase

[henryrobinett]

Not the direction you're going but I use the Metric Halo firewire interfaces (2882 and ULN-2) and a powerbook and record 18 tracks of my live gigs. I also use Millennia HV-3Ds and a 2408mkII to feed the additional 8 adat channels to the 2882. I use DP. Works like charm.

[AlphaDingo]

Check this out SaucyJack. Your name totally cracks me up by the way. http://www.sawstudiouser.net/forums/...read.php?t=552

[djgout]

Originally posted by Aearth
I have a PT HD3 system with a G4 power mac in the studio, but I use a 002R and G4 iBook 1 gig for location work. The 002R system is used in conjunction with external firewire hard drive, Focusrite ISA 428 with the AD card or the Yamaha 01V 96. So really sound quality is quite good.
Mixing with the 002 and laptop is not the greatest as far as plugin power....so that is where the HD3 shines.


Nick

PS. I have recorded 16 tracks at once x 1hr session .....no problems.

if ya change the HD3 to HD2 and forget the focusrite that's the same setup i've been planing to start doing more location gigs with. I've been using just the 002R for my own company but the studio where i work has been thinking about trying to do more location things and would let me take the 01v96 and some more mics with me. it's cool to hear that it works. Are you working with remote recording bands albums or doing more of a simultaneous recording of a live show? if you're doing the live show and taking a feed from the house do you own your own mic splitters?

thanks

[Jules]