Mark, I just use a Tascam four track recorder. I bought a RCA to Line In adapter. Plug my PortaStudio directly into my line in jack on my sound card and mixdown my stuff to the pc. I have music match juke box and use the recording mode. Works for me.

Hi Mark,
First off let me say that if you are planning on doing -any- kind of serious recording, stay away from the cheapo Tascam's (and Fostex units for that matter)...compaired to digital recording, those little Tascam's are very simply sub-par.

Now, on the issue of soundcards....how much do you want to spend?? There are a number of options for multiple input sound cards ranging from around $300 on up. If your very serious about getting into PC based recording, then you should take a look at something like either the Echo Layla or the Delta 10/10. If I'm not terribly mistaken both are 8 input systems (with break out boxes...aka you don't have to crawl around behind your computer), and both go in the neighborhood of around $700. I don't know of any basic sound card model really that has any kind of front mounted inputs, so you'll want to go with something that has a break out box if that is really an issue for you. For the more budget minded, there are also smaller units such as the Echo Gina, which have 2 inputs and 8 outputs for around $350. The options are almost endless depending on how much you want to spend :-) Take a look thru MusiciansFriend.com in their Pro Audio section and you should get a better idea of what's available.

Here's another thought/suggestion for ya. Maybe look at spending around $100 and get yourself a small deditcated mixer such as the Behringer 802A. The 802A has 4 mono inputs with decent mic pre's as well as 2 stereo pairs. You simply plug the stereo out to your existing sound card. Now granted, this will only give you 2 channels in (left and right), but its a decent compromise. This works really well for most things except of course, recording drums. This is actually the way I do a lot of my recording. I use a small 802A right into the soundcard (on my system I just use the SB compatable thats built into my motherboard). For recording guitar, bass, vocals, keyboards, etc., this is all you really need to get you started (along with the software of course). When I record drums, I do step up to our Behringer 2004A as I usually need 6 to 7 mic's...although not the most convienient way of doing things due to the amount of time it takes to get the setup "just right", it does work rather well. Further, if you go this route, then you can get a decent multi-input sound system later down the road and you can use the "inserts" of either of the mixers I've mentioned to run straight into your multi sound input (theoretically...haven't tried it myself yet). Having decent mic pre's makes a huge world of difference, and you have much better mix control this way :-)

I hope this helps ya somewhat. Again I am a very strong advocate of digital recording. I used to mess around with a small Tascam 4 track and I sold it to get the $ for the little Behringer unit. It was literally the difference between driving to work in a nice sports car, or driving to work in a go cart. Compaired to digital, those little 4 tracks just plain suck. They make great "scratch pads" for getting your idea's down when inspiration strikes, but thats about all their really good for anymore.

Good Luck!
Bright Blessing's & Gentle Breeze's,
Jim

Well I apologize for all of us Tascam users out here. I didn't mean to step into your field of expertise. We novices should just stay off the fretbuzz. Is it just a place for the upper crust?

Sorry man, too much caffine today. I'm all over the fretbuzz today causing all kind of grief.

Clay

Sorry Clay,
I didn't mean to step on your toes here...it's simply that I have been on both sides of the fence so to speak. I have owned and worked with a number of smaller Tascam units, as well as a couple of Fostex's, and quite honestly, they simply are not suitable for any type of serious recording compaired to other options that are available. As I said before, those Tascam units are fine to use as scratch pads...to jot your idea's down when inspiration strikes, but they simply do not compair to what is possible with digital/PC based recording...especially the low end 4-track units. Small 4-track units are noisy (very poor quality pre-amps), editing options are nil, effects are strickly limited to what out board effects you have available, noise reduction options are -very- limited, you have mechanical maintnance issues...I could go on and on. Mark stated he was looking for a sound card, so this would at the very least imply that he's already got a foot in the door for digital recording, so I think most would agree that it would be better to guide him in this direction, that has the potential for some -very serious recording-, as apposed to being completly limited to just jottin ideas down.

It was honestly not my intention to turn this forum into some kind of recording group for the "elite", and if you took my post as such, I sincerly apologize. There are in fact a few wonderful forums out there, Homerecording.com being the most notable, that are geared towards these kinds of questions, as apposed to them being posted here on a guitar forum. Mark was asking a question, so I was simply trying to guide him with the best of my experience, and again, I worked with both 4-track and pc based recording systems...PC based recording is superiour in virtually every mannor. In order to have the same capabilities in analog recording, you literally have to invest tens of thousands of dollors, where as with a PC and some software (and a little creativity), you can often achive the same or better results for under $2000...although granted, depending on how deep you wish to go, PC recording can get quite costly as well, but in my very humble opinion, there is still simply no comparison.

Again, I am truly sorry if I offended you with my post (or with this one for that matter), I was just simply trying to answer an honest question and was also simply stating some cold hard facts to try and steer someone new to this in the right direction. If you ever have the opportunity to experience computer based recording, then I am sure that some day you will agree with me.

The Brightest Blessing's to you and Gentle Breezes,
Jim

James,

Have you heard or tried the new Fostex 8-channel digital? Not a lot of bells and whistles, but the best quality I have seen in a recorder for under a $K. Actually, with this unit, the limiting factor is the quality of the input. I find that for instruments, except bass, it works better with the instrument mic'd with a medium or better quality mic. I wouldn't hesitate to front this machine with a mixer to record a demo, and without professional quality hardware in front of a high end sound card, I wouldn't try to do any more than that either.

The state of digital recording is advancing so fast that it is difficult to compare last year's equipment with this year's.

%chuck%

hey thanks everyone for the help. i am about to shoot off and check out some of the web sites for the various products - now that i have a starting point with some brand names at least.

i guess the ideal situation would be to record simultaneously on to multiple tracks allowing individual editing of each instrument. of course, i must check out the prices. i have powertracks pro audio 5. i am not even sure if it allows for simultaneous tracks to be recorded. i assumed it would......better check that out too.

Finally, I didn't think Jim meant anything nasty to people who use tascam 4 tracks.i have used both computer and tascam and for me digital recording is superior for my needs. i find using tapes a pain in the butt. doesnt mean i think i'm better than the analogue advocates. far from it. each to their own.etc etc.

take care
mARK

Mark
Ther are sound coards out there with 4 inputs just for recording. The cheaper way to go is to buy a small mixer and the name really isn't important because all you are going to use it for is taking 4 signals and mixing them down to one to record. The four input sound card gives you the extra of being able to lay down you tracks simutaneously and then adding and editing each track to get the mix you want. You can do this with a single input sound card and the right software too if you don't mind laying down each track indiviually onto different tracks in the software. Then you can edit and tweak each track to your liking.
Chet

Hey, Mark.

well, to record different instruments into multiple tracks simultaniously you would need a good recording sofware. Cool Edit Pro wors excellent. 128 tracks to record into.

As for soundcards. I really like the Echo souncards. check http://www.echoaudio.com
MOTU make some of the best recording soundcards but are very expensive. Probably their least expensive is $900.

good luck