Old 11-24-2021, 04:01 PM   #1
Jimmy James
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Default Mobile Recording Studio

Currently, I have a small and modest recording studio just off of my house. But it serves me well and I have made a name for myself recording singer songwriters, acoustic bands, and I write and recording songs for Indy movies every few months.

My dream? To build a HUGE studio in the backyard and go balls out. The problem? I just can't afford it. My wife said we could do it in 10 years from now, booo.

So I made a new dream. I would build "JJ Mobile Studio". Inspired by the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. This dream if much more affordable and way easier for me to do.

My plan is to get the "TASCAM Model 24 24-Channel Multitrack Recorder With Analog Mixer and USB Interface". My Focusrite 18i20 gen 2 is currently failing, and only gets worse each month before it is going to fully brick.

Currently there are Three other Mobile Studios in town. Most musicians think only one of them is worth using, and his gear is amateur and mixes and amateur/low novice. Guys only use him when Budget is the biggest factor.

My plan is to use the 24 track Tascam out in the field to record Live bands at shows, record band live at their rehearsal space, track drums for home studio guys who can do everything but live drums, and Church bands at church.

Would this Tascam 24 last me 12 years and be good enough you think? I also plan to record bands live or record them live at their rehearsal and offer "Overdubs" as well. If the singer wanted to do multiple takes, I could track the band and book time with the singer. Or if the Lead Guitarist wanted to do multi takes, ect, ect.

I have some pretty solid gear for the overdub stuff and a great selection of microphones.
I already have 3 groups that want to hire when I get my gear, and others are saying I will make a name for myself with portable recording fast. So their confidence is giving me confidence.

I would still need to get a few more 57s and some cables. Maybe a snake as well? I dont currently use a snake.

Is this a crazy idea? In my mind, I feel I can corner this market and do well. But I also worry that not many bands would want to do this? But it would save them so much money verses the big pro studios and they would have kick ass live recordings.

Anything I am missing or gear that I must have to do this? Am I missing something to this model?

What do you guys think? https://tascam.com/us/product/model_24/top
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Old 11-24-2021, 05:47 PM   #2
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Originally Posted by Jimmy James View Post
Currently, I have a small and modest recording studio just off of my house. But it serves me well and I have made a name for myself recording singer songwriters, acoustic bands, and I write and recording songs for Indy movies every few months.

My dream? To build a HUGE studio in the backyard and go balls out. The problem? I just can't afford it. My wife said we could do it in 10 years from now, booo.

So I made a new dream. I would build "JJ Mobile Studio". Inspired by the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio. This dream if much more affordable and way easier for me to do.

My plan is to get the "TASCAM Model 24 24-Channel Multitrack Recorder With Analog Mixer and USB Interface". My Focusrite 18i20 gen 2 is currently failing, and only gets worse each month before it is going to fully brick.

Currently there are Three other Mobile Studios in town. Most musicians think only one of them is worth using, and his gear is amateur and mixes and amateur/low novice. Guys only use him when Budget is the biggest factor.

My plan is to use the 24 track Tascam out in the field to record Live bands at shows, record band live at their rehearsal space, track drums for home studio guys who can do everything but live drums, and Church bands at church.

Would this Tascam 24 last me 12 years and be good enough you think? I also plan to record bands live or record them live at their rehearsal and offer "Overdubs" as well. If the singer wanted to do multiple takes, I could track the band and book time with the singer. Or if the Lead Guitarist wanted to do multi takes, ect, ect.

I have some pretty solid gear for the overdub stuff and a great selection of microphones.
I already have 3 groups that want to hire when I get my gear, and others are saying I will make a name for myself with portable recording fast. So their confidence is giving me confidence.

I would still need to get a few more 57s and some cables. Maybe a snake as well? I dont currently use a snake.

Is this a crazy idea? In my mind, I feel I can corner this market and do well. But I also worry that not many bands would want to do this? But it would save them so much money verses the big pro studios and they would have kick ass live recordings.

Anything I am missing or gear that I must have to do this? Am I missing something to this model?

What do you guys think? https://tascam.com/us/product/model_24/top
Depends, if you do the sound as well (FOH) or just connect to the sound guy's gear (as I used to do).
If you are good at doing live sound, then you can sell the recordings but the bands always prioritize the live sound over the recording.
The hybrid console sounds like a good idea, but maybe a fully digital console might be more powerful to do the live sound part.
Consider the conflict of interest between the live sound and the recording, I always had to compromise because I wasn't doing the sound.
I'll get back here when I think of more stuff to tell you.
Cheers
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Old 11-24-2021, 06:12 PM   #3
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The guy who used to front my band had a gutted Greyhound bus that we used for some gigs, but he also did mobile recording out of it.

We were getting setup in this pic, but you can see he had a 40" video monitor mounted in the back, so we could watch what was happening on the stage. The big JBL studio monitors (which I sold to him) were still sitting on the floor in this pic, but the Yamaha MC24/12 mixer and rack with a couple of ADAT machines was pretty much in place. Also, that Tascam should last ten years if it's well cared for I would think.
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Old 11-24-2021, 07:20 PM   #4
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Sounds like a great idea. As people start going to see live music again, more people will be inclined to play out.

I have a still in the shrink wrap brand new 12x4x50 snake I will give you the Reaper bargain on. PM me if you are interested.
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Old 11-25-2021, 09:53 AM   #5
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Whether you can start a serious business doing this depends on a variety of things:
  1. The no. of clients over the years.
  2. The quality level you are required to deliver.
  3. The way you may have to integrate your recording gear with existing equipment and venue infrastructure.

I have offered multichannel live recordings for more than 20 years. My main business is doing studio recordings, though. In my area, the demand for high-quality live multitrack recordings has never been very high and has gone down to almost zero since even small and inexpensive digital consoles offer multitrack recording capabilities on a thumb drive. It would be very hard or even impossible for me to survive doing just live recordings. Virtually every band now has something like an X32 or XR18 to record their tracks during rehearsals or concerts. Maybe this is different in your area.

Technology will contimue to progress over the coming years so it will probably get even easier to make your own inexpensive multitrack recordings for everyone. So it's hard to guess what the situation will be like in 10 years from now (or is it not ...?).

To deliver decent results (notably pro results), you need a capable digital console with good converters, a bunch of very good mics, probably 24 balanced hardware splitter channels to integrate your setup into an existing infrastructure and a lot of accessories (DI boxes, cables adapters, etc.). I've transitioned to Dante audio networking in my studio and can also use Dante on location which makes everything a lot easier and more flexible. I'd never go back to conventional cabling (neither in the studio nor live). If you start now, you should at least consider going the audio-over-IP path to be able to remain competitive in the years to come. AoIP is the future. You need Dante-enabled stage boxes, switches and a Dante-enabled console. There are plenty already on the market, even second-hand. Setup is quick and easy. Running clunky analog snakes and connect the recording computer via USB or firewire is already outdated.

For live recordings, I'm using a second-hand, Dante-equipped 01v96 and a Yamaha TIO 1608-D, an 8-port Cisco switch and a Win7 laptop running Dante Virtual Soundcard. This allows recording up to 16 tracks. If more tracks are required, I'm taking a Yamaha DM1000 with two 16-channel Dante cards plus a second 1608-D borrowed from a friend to double the amount of tracks to 32.

The groups/artists I know don't need new live recordings every year so I can't count on them coming back soon.

.
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Old 11-28-2021, 12:03 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by jerome_oneil View Post
Sounds like a great idea. As people start going to see live music again, more people will be inclined to play out.

I have a still in the shrink wrap brand new 12x4x50 snake I will give you the Reaper bargain on. PM me if you are interested.
NICE! And thanks! Don't hold it for me, but if you still have it after the holidays, I will see if I can swing it. I am pulling the trigger on this tonight and it is going to drain my funds
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Old 11-28-2021, 12:06 PM   #7
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Thanks guys! All the post above are super helpful. With the Live/Recording shows, I understand what you mean about dealing with the live sound as well.

One option I plan on using, is recoding bands Live, at their rehearsal space. This way the live sound is not important and I can give them high quality tracks. I can also mix for them and give them great mixes for a lot less than multi track studio.

***SD CARDS*** anyone know a lot about them? I think I can only afford a 128gb for right now. I will get some larger ones in a few months. Will a 128gb be enough to get me going in the mean time?
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Old 11-28-2021, 01:52 PM   #8
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Just to say, recording rehearsals with good clear mixes is really useful for bands. More so if they can then all sit down an critically listen to what went right and what went wrong (and who did it!). We probably spent more time going over rehearsal mixes than the rehearsals!

In the past I have front-ended a multitrack hard disk recorder with small mixers to create submixes, for recording big bands and woodwind ensembles. The good thing (for me) was using multiple mixers, so for a small ensemble I used the same recorder, but with fewer inputs needed, and therefore less hardware to lug around. A lot of patience required to set up the submixes as you could not "undo" them after the event. A good relationship with the players was essential.

But, a simple way to get your mic count up.

I always record the vocals as isolated as possible so I could do the overdub back in the very modest studio, (but in a rehearsal space, there will be some bleed - but a good singer can sync over those issues!).

Just a big thumbs up for what you are doing. Wishing you every success

dB
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Old 11-28-2021, 09:55 PM   #9
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have you been on the Tascam forum? Have a read on there, there are some Tascam gurus on there too to answer any of your questions. Mixed opinions, there are some issues with some of these models . Lots of tips and vids, user manuals etc

https://www.tascamforums.com/forums/model-24-16-12.73/
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Old 11-29-2021, 11:47 AM   #10
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NICE! And thanks! Don't hold it for me, but if you still have it after the holidays, I will see if I can swing it. I am pulling the trigger on this tonight and it is going to drain my funds
It will absolutely be here after the holidays.

Here's some pics



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Old 11-29-2021, 11:50 AM   #11
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***SD CARDS*** anyone know a lot about them? I think I can only afford a 128gb for right now. I will get some larger ones in a few months. Will a 128gb be enough to get me going in the mean time?
Write speed is going to matter more than size, I think. If you are working with lots of live inputs, a slower SD card might cause you issues.

Some more info on that here.

https://www.kingston.com/unitedstate...-speed-classes
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Old 11-30-2021, 02:10 PM   #12
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Write speed is going to matter more than size, I think. If you are working with lots of live inputs, a slower SD card might cause you issues.

Some more info on that here.

https://www.kingston.com/unitedstate...-speed-classes
I have never owned a SD card before. I don't know what else they are even used for. But I did not have much left over to buy a card. I was planning on buying the mixer after the new year, but the sale price was much less than it was last year and I couldn't pass it up.

But I spent my last money on this card: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...0?ie=UTF8&th=1
SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-I Card - C10, U3, V30, 4K UHD, SD Card - SDSDXXY-256G-GN4IN

I downloaded the PDF of Tascam Approved Cards, and this was on the list. I think it might be good enough to get me started learning this machine for now.
Did I do well on the card? And if not, what needs to be better?
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Old 11-30-2021, 02:15 PM   #13
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So I pulled the trigger. My plan was to wait a couple more months, then buy one. But they were on sale the lowest they had ever been.
I got the Model 24. It is the only one with a analog mixer. The others are digital (and still cool because they are a DAW controller). But I knew I had to have 24 tracks. Plus I wanted a analog console.
I spent my last dime on a SanDisk 256GB Extreme PRO SDXC. I don't know for sure how much time that will buy me for now. But if anything, it will help me to learn this piece of gear.
I think a lot of guys buy a bunch of mid sized cards and use multiple. That is probably the best way to go.
I have a couple buddies donating some drum microphones I need and some stands. I think I will have 75% of everything I need so far.
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Old 12-06-2021, 09:39 AM   #14
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One of my singer song writer clients wants me to record the band live at his church. A handful of my clients belong to churches and want to inquire about my mobile recording.

How would I record a Church? I figured they would be the best, because they usually have great sound systems. I wouldn't have to worry about brining so much gear.

But how would I record the band, off the back of the live sound? Do most mixers allow me to run a out from each channel into my board? Or would I have to run everything into my board first, then send the mix into the live gear?
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Old 12-06-2021, 09:53 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jimmy James View Post
One of my singer song writer clients wants me to record the band live at his church. A handful of my clients belong to churches and want to inquire about my mobile recording.

How would I record a Church? I figured they would be the best, because they usually have great sound systems. I wouldn't have to worry about brining so much gear.

But how would I record the band, off the back of the live sound? Do most mixers allow me to run a out from each channel into my board? Or would I have to run everything into my board first, then send the mix into the live gear?
They likely have a mixer with individual outputs from each channel. I'd cop a line from their mixer to yours, but be aware of ground loops. A two dollar ground tester can save thousands.

We found out the hard way connecting a Tascam 234 to some house gear. Sounded like 4th of July inside the Tascam.
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Old 12-06-2021, 10:06 AM   #16
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They likely have a mixer with individual outputs from each channel. I'd cop a line from their mixer to yours, but be aware of ground loops. A two dollar ground tester can save thousands.

We found out the hard way connecting a Tascam 234 to some house gear. Sounded like 4th of July inside the Tascam.
NICE! I was hoping you would say this. Doing a Church will eliminate the need for a bunch of gear. I think this spring I will do my first Mobile Studio gig. And it will be this church. I think I am going to shoot for nothing but Churches to begin with.

Will it be all patch cables? I will find out for sure this spring, before I do the gig. But I figured you might know if there is a standard for the outs. Xlr, trs, ect. Then I just run a cable from each channel into mine, I am sure 24 tracks will be enough.

How long would you suggest my cables be for this?

Can you show me a example of a ground tester you recommend? I normally use my Monster Power strip to test the ground.

What would I do if I encounter a ground loop in this situation?
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Old 12-06-2021, 10:51 AM   #17
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NICE! I was hoping you would say this. Doing a Church will eliminate the need for a bunch of gear. I think this spring I will do my first Mobile Studio gig. And it will be this church. I think I am going to shoot for nothing but Churches to begin with.

Will it be all patch cables? I will find out for sure this spring, before I do the gig. But I figured you might know if there is a standard for the outs. Xlr, trs, ect. Then I just run a cable from each channel into mine, I am sure 24 tracks will be enough.

How long would you suggest my cables be for this?
It depends on how the board they use implements it, and if it implements it. Most larger consoles usually have a way to get a line out from each channel, but there are different ways they might do it. Some use a single TRS jack that supports both input and output, plugging into one of these type jacks might also disrupt normal signal flow, as the patch point could be used for an external compressor or something.

Other consoles might just have dedicated ins and outs for patching to other things. I would recommend getting the exact make and model for the mixer and then download a PDF manual for it so there will be no surprises. As for cables, I'd go as short as possible unless they are balanced.

We also would sometimes use a 16 channel XLR splitter where we could plug all their XLR cables into our box, then feed XLR lines back to their console and to ours.

Quote:
Can you show me a example of a ground tester you recommend? I normally use my Monster Power strip to test the ground.

What would I do if I encounter a ground loop in this situation?
https://www.amazon.com/Receptacle-Te...8812183&sr=8-6

If the ground is wired faulty, don't use the outlet!
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