8-track recorders V cubase on pc

Gaspode

Hi all, quick question.
I currently use a PC with soundcard and cubase LE to do some home recording for the band - just demo stuff, for recording rehearsals, or for getting tracks to practise with. We use a mixer which can take up to 20 inputs, though we'd rarely have that many at the one time, and the output from the mixer goes to the line in of the pc card. Obviously this route adds a certain amount of colour to the recording, but it's not too bad.
It has been suggested to me that we should buy an 8-track recorder such as this one, to improve quality of recording. I'd rather spend the money on some sort of audio interface to take the mixer out of the loop, or on some really good studio mikes (we currently use our stage mikes)

What think ye, are these small multi-track recorders any use, or is direct recording on the pc a better way to go?

Welease

I used to have a Zoom MRS-1608 recorder and moved across to a firewire desk & Cubase..

The Zoom was a great little machine for a bunch of reasons, but the sole reason I changed was the archaic editing interface.. Editing tracks, cutting and pasting parts across songs, and editing out mistakes etc. was a millions times easier on a PC with a mouse than using the essentially text based editing interface on the Zoom...

Just my 2c.

Companero

Use both.

P.C.s are of course way better for editing/mixing.

But I hate using them for recording. I much prefer to use a 16 track hard disk recorder from the likes of Zoom, Korg or Yamaha, to do the recording simply because they never crash, and are usually as easy to use as a tape machine, plug your mics into it, press record and its all good: No fiddling around with a mouse when youve also got a guitar around your neck, and a hungover drummer who's impatient to get started.

Maybe if I was only engineering Id feel differently, but because Im usually engineering and playing at the same time, thats how I like it.

Plus, obviously desktop pcs are not portable (duh!) and laptop based solutions are a bit messier than a nice simple box you can stick in a backpack and carry with you.

Plus personally , there is something about staring at a screen that takes away the vibe of making music for me - fine while mixing, but not so fun while trying to get into an artistic frame of mind.

And furthermore, though this isnt so much a prob anymore, most hard disk recorders are significantly quieter in terms of self noise (fans hard discs) and so on, than laptops or desktops are, which can definitely by important if your recording quiet music.

stateofflux

are you planning to use 8 track as a recorder for proper releases or just rehearsal/demos?

if you are planning on proper recordings for release i would'nt get the 8 track you mentioned as its only 16 bit & has only 2 track simultaneous record....you need to be recording at 44.1 24bit min with at least the option of 8 track simultaneous recording...(there is a noticeable difference between 16bit & 24bit quality & crispness imo).

i use a roland vs 2480 24 track to record stuff(it can take 16 inputs @ the same time which is great for recording drums)..then i export 24bit wavs into cubase for mixing.....24 tracks are pricey though!

*if your computer and soundcard are decent you could pick up an 8 track usb interface for your pc (ie the lexicon omega) for around 160 which would be the best option i think...

http://www.thomann.de/ie/lexicon_omega_studio.htm

if you are set on a portable multitrack....id make sure its at least 8 track simul record(for a band) 24bit & has usb export facility or 24bit cd export facilty.