[xtremekinetix]

I'm looking into getting an electric guitar in the next couple of weeks and would like to know if GarageBand is capable of simultaneously recording multiple tracks (for live demo recordings, etc). If so, is there an interface device that allows about 8 tracks in (e.g. 2 guitars, bass, a few drum mics)? And, have any of you used them? Any recommendations?

[saddino]

Originally posted by xtremekinetix:
I'm looking into getting an electric guitar in the next couple of weeks and would like to know if GarageBand is capable of simultaneously recording multiple tracks (for live demo recordings, etc). If so, is there an interface device that allows about 8 tracks in (e.g. 2 guitars, bass, a few drum mics)? And, have any of you used them? Any recommendations?

Your only solution in Garageband is simply to use an outboard mixer and send the output to the Mac. You can work out the mic balance for everybody by trial and error (record some stuff, stop, listen with headphones in GB). Pan vocals/guitars all the way to the L and drums/bass all the way to the R, so you can have a poor man's two channel mixdown in GB.

Otherwise, you can buy ProTools LE, Logic or MOTU and get various interface boxes that support those packages to do a real live multitrack mixdown. But of course, that costs $.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally posted by xtremekinetix:
I'm looking into getting an electric guitar in the next couple of weeks and would like to know if GarageBand is capable of simultaneously recording multiple tracks (for live demo recordings, etc).

Two tracks (or one stereo) maximum, apparently.

[Jim Paradise]

Originally posted by Spheric Harlot:
Two tracks (or one stereo) maximum, apparently.

I hope a future version of GarageBand has at leaset limited multitrack recording abilities. Even if just for two guitars to be in the left and right channels, but with separate EQ's running and the monitor on.

[xtremekinetix]

The info was helpful. Any recommendations on what software / hardware to shell out $$$ for? ProTools LE? MOTU? I'm looking basically for ease of use and not necessarily a ton of pro features. Just want to plug the stuff in, record, do some tweaking, then export to mp3 or AIFF.

Thanks again

[saddino]

Originally posted by xtremekinetix:
The info was helpful. Any recommendations on what software / hardware to shell out $$$ for? ProTools LE? MOTU? I'm looking basically for ease of use and not necessarily a ton of pro features. Just want to plug the stuff in, record, do some tweaking, then export to mp3 or AIFF.

Thanks again

ProTools LE comes with the Digi 002 interface, about $2K but would be a killer setup. But for what you're looking for you might do better with Logic Express and a MOTO interface (MOTO 828mkII) for about $1K.

As you can tell, true multitrack recording via Firewaire is expensive. Someone might know of a cheaper solution, though.

Good luck!

[Spheric Harlot]

The Emagic 62m USB audio/midi interface was a great deal, and sounded pretty good.

6 audio ins, 2 outs, plus MIDI i/o (via weird-ass RCA jack adapter or something).

It's no longer available on the Apple Store site (did Apple kill Emagic's hardware division as well!? for shame...), but you might still be able to find it at music stores for somewhere around $300-400.

Logic Express will probably be a decent option.

MOTU interfaces come with Audiodesk for rudimentary recording capability, but I'm really not that partial at all to the MOTU software (used Performer for years before it was Digital Performer, and Audiodesk a few weeks ago to record a gig - we couldn't get the damn thing to record in 24 bits, despite the fact that every available setting OS-wide was switched to 24-bit recording...).