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I am recording on a Tascam half inch 8 track and I want to get the results onto my computer. What's the best way to do this?

I have access to a DAT, so I was going to mix onto that and then plug that into the 1/8 input. Is there a way to go direct and/or a better way to go about this?

can you connect the output of your mixer directly to your computer? avoid the DAT if you're just looking to burn your own stuff to CD, unless you have a sound card with a digital input that will take digital signal from the DAT. my UA-30 is capable of doing this, and i've done it in the past successfully. but i'd say steer clear of the DAT if you can. if you can just hook the output of your mixer to the input of your high-quality sound card on your computer, and hit record on your software of choice, recording your stereo mix that's coming out of your mixer, i'd think that's the best way you could go.

Assuming you speaking about getting it to computer as a 2track - go into your mixer (you have one right?) like you would if you were going to mix in on it and stereo out of your mixer into the computer. You're going to need some kind of connectors or something to go out of the mixer and into the computer.

If you're trying to go multi-track in tothe computer, youre going to need an 8 track interface or you can go 1 track at a time and line them up in a DAW. <pain in the balls if you ask me.

Jeremy

P.S. dont use the dat machine. it's unnecessary.

Don't use the 1/8" input on the sound card either, if you can help it.

One method I'd consider is renting something like a Mackie Onyx mixer with the Firewire output. then you have the option of sending all 8-tracks, kept discreet, or a stereo mix, or both directly to your hard drive without messy DATs, cheapo sound cards, etc... The Onyx does the A/D conversion, and will probably do a better job than the other devices would.

At the very least, buy or rent a USB audio interface with stereo line-in, SPDIF I/O, and a couple of OK mic pre's.....

Good luck!

Jeremy wrote:Assuming you speaking about getting it to computer as a 2track - go into your mixer (you have one right?) like you would if you were going to mix in on it and stereo out of your mixer into the computer. You're going to need some kind of connectors or something to go out of the mixer and into the computer.

If you're trying to go multi-track in tothe computer, youre going to need an 8 track interface or you can go 1 track at a time and line them up in a DAW. <pain in the balls if you ask me.

Yeah, just 2-track. I'm just trying to get the songs to some friends online. I would mix it through the board. What kind of adaptor would I need?

My sound card is just a standard card that comes with a Dell. I don't use my computer for recording or gaming at all, so it's a lame soundcard. Will this affect the final product at all?

magritte wrote:Yeah, just 2-track. I'm just trying to get the songs to some friends online. I would mix it through the board. What kind of adaptor would I need?

honestly no offense intended, but how on earth are you operating a recording setup with a rtr 8tk, and you don't know what inputs and outputs are? this seems really, really odd to me.

toomanyhelicopters wrote:

magritte wrote:Yeah, just 2-track. I'm just trying to get the songs to some friends online. I would mix it through the board. What kind of adaptor would I need?

honestly no offense intended, but how on earth are you operating a recording setup with a rtr 8tk, and you don't know what inputs and outputs are? this seems really, really odd to me.

Good question. I'm self taught, so there are major gaps in my knowledge. I know how to use everything to get a nice sound, and that's it.

but who connected your mixer to your rtr? who connects the mics to the mixer? bah!

depending on your mixer, you'll want to take the LEFT and RIGHT output of what might be called "MIX L/R" or "MAIN L/R" or "OUTPUT L/R" or something similar to that. those connectors will be either 2 x RCA plugs (L and R), separate 1/4" plugs for L and R, separate XLR connectors for L and R, or (i've never heard of this, but who knows) a stereo 1/4" connector that has both L and R main outs on it. this is what will come OUT of your mixer.

that will need to plug into the INPUT on your laptop. some laptops do not have a line input. one of my sony laptops has one, the other doesn't. go figure. if you have a line input on your laptop, that is where you will plug INTO. this will certainly be a stereo 1/8" connection.

i would say the most likely candidate would be a cable with 2 x RCA connectors on the mixer end and 1 x 1/8" stereo mini headphone plug on the computer end. these are readily available at radio shack. if the connectors on your mixer are 1/4", you may or may not find a cable at rat shack that goes from stereo 1/8" to two seperate 1/4" connectors. in this scenario, you can buy adaptors that will convert the RCA connections to 1/4" connections. if you have a kick-ass mixer, you may see balanced XLR outputs for the mains out. in that case, you're not likely at all to find the cable at rat shack, nor anywhere else for that matter. 1/8" to 2 x XLR is not a normal cable, i don't think. you would maybe need to get it custom made at that point.

can somebody in the know confirm or deny the accuracy of what i've said here?

magritte wrote:I'm just trying to get the songs to some friends online. I would mix it through the board. What kind of adaptor would I need?

Assuming your 8-track has stereo RCA output jacks, just get an RCA - to 1/8" adapter & plug it into the mic in on your sound card or laptop. (If a windbag already said this, please forgive me.) I'd say otherwise if your end result needed to be something fancy, but for putting something online that'll work fine.

Hey, wait! Now I'm reading back, and tmh has already said what I've just said, only without my remarkable brevity. Forgive me. TMH, I believe your advice is accurate.

spoot wrote:Hey, wait! Now I'm reading back, and tmh has already said what I've just said, only without my remarkable brevity. Forgive me. TMH, I believe your advice is accurate.

well you know what they say, spoot... you can give a man a fish, or you can throw fish at people and whatnot.