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Melody makers

20071004 [Computer Shopper]

Example 3 - A shopping list for bands and ensembles

For recording more than one instrument at the same time or for doing justice to a drum kit, you'll need lots of microphones plus the same number of cables, preamps and inputs on your audio interface. Fortunately, there are packages tailored for exactly this task.

The Alesis iO|26 is an audio interface with eight microphone preamps that record simultaneously to eight tracks in the bundled Cubase LE software. Like nearly all such devices, it connects to the PC via FireWire. If your PC doesn't have FireWire ports, you can add them with a PCI or PCI Express card, available from computer retailers for around £10. Cubase LE is a no-nonsense, high-quality recording program, although its 48-track and two-effects-per-track limitations mean ambitious users might want to replace it: we recommend Mackie Tracktion 3 Project Bundle.

Samson's 7 Drum Mic Kit is a collection of microphones specifically designed for recording a drum kit, with one kick (bass) drum, one snare, three tom and two overhead microphones. The snare and tom mics clip directly on the drums, so you won't need stands for them. If you have only two tom drums, use the spare microphone to record the underside of the snare, which sounds quite different to the top. The only thing missing from this kit is a hi-hat microphone, for which we have splashed out on a Rode NT1A. This isn't so much because the hi-hat is so important, but more because the NT1A can double as a vocal microphone.

If you want to record more than eight microphones at once, perhaps to record an entire band playing together, get another eight-channel microphone preamp with an ADAT digital output; Behringer's ADA8000 (£156) is an excellent low-cost example. The Alesis iO|26 has two ADAT inputs so can accommodate two ADA8000s for a total of 24 simultaneous inputs. If you do so, be sure to lock the iO|26's clock to its ADAT input (available from its software control panel), and synchronise the two preamps together using a BNC cable. This avoids nasty distortions caused by each device's digital clock drifting out of time with the others. You'll definitely need to upgrade the software because Cubase LE only handles up to eight inputs. Don't forget that you'll have to budget for lots more microphones, stands and cables, too.

You might be tempted to use more than eight microphones to record a large acoustic ensemble such as a big band or orchestra. However, this can be overkill; there's often no need to put a separate microphone on each instrument. In fact, excellent orchestral recordings are possible with just two microphones. This is because orchestral recordings aim to re-create the listening experience of an audience member, rather than produce a synthetic or hyperreal multitrack recording, as is the case with most pop music.

If you decide that eight microphone inputs are enough, replace the Alesis iO|26 with a PreSonus FP10 (£284), formerly known as the PreSonus FirePod. Like the iO|26, it's a FireWire interface with eight microphone preamps and comes with Cubase LE. It lacks ADAT inputs, although multiple FP10s can be daisy-chained. However, its preamps are even better than the iO|26's, with superb clarity and a rock-solid bottom end.