Well, ive had a really long think about this, and have concluded that im going to get... the HD24.

I know, after all of the above.

But i had a really good think about the way we work, and the one thing we were both very impressed with is the way the zoom r16 is just turn on and go. Never used the alesis, but by all accounts im going to have to spend a lot of time and money on the 8track. Neither of us are professional musicians, so we havent got time to faff about with it. When we get an aftenoon to have a play, it would be ncie to spend it playing rather than calibrating, or aligning, or whatever !

The fact that the alesis has 24 tracks, and a simple transfer to pc/archive system, and the price of IDE hard drives these days just seals the deal basically...

The thing is were both really happy with the sound were getting just out of a 12 input desk and the zoom, the improvement with 24 tracks, with a recording and dubbing phase is likely to be amazing.

It was almost akin to a midlife crisis. I would have been insane. Ive never used, or even seen a real reel to reel (!), so i wouldn't know what im buying. Or how to use, or maintain or... The difference in cost between the two will be eaten up in tapes and one service in no time. And id have to come up with a backup routine. I havent got the time and money to pour into it.

So for now, im thinking record live > alesis : mixdown to PC (basically as a tape recorder), will do for now. Possibly look into a nice stereo tape recorder in the future.

With all the plugins and UAD etc ive sold, and with cubase also to go, I should be (just) able to afford an alesis andromeda (another dream machine) and the hd24... and be skint for a few months.

I thank you all for our input and experience, its been a very helpful exercise. Your input has been valuable. (Un?)fortunately, common sense seems to have prevailed in this case.

Many thanks, regards

Ben

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http://www.paradigmx.com

I have 2 HD24's here, not in use these days. HD24 is great, the XR has incredible ADDA a very serious machine. They use them in Royal Albert Hall, serious kit IMO. They tend to hold their price cause they are excellent.

All the best with it.

SafeandSound Mastering
Mastering studio

do you want to sell one?


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http://www.paradigmx.com

Hi Paradigm, thanks for the interest, not currently, whilst mastering is going very well right now, one never knows in this odd industry.

SafeandSound Mastering
Mastering studio

There are lots and lots of things you have to do with analogue tape:- regular maintenance, head alignment, tape path alignment, azimuth adjustment, cleaning and demagnatising, bias adjustment, Dolby level adjustment, etc., etc., etc.......

All that is true if you are working at Abbey Road in the 1970's. But since you aren't just buy the tape deck and use it. As for tape, you can still get tons of it second hand. I have got boxes and boxes of 2" tape, even more 1/4" tape, and ten boxes of digital 1/2" tape. I mooched around the internet for all this tape, and I keep it in a cool dry place.

The thing is, pro tape decks have a sound that just sounds great for whatever reason. People will eagerly tell you that the sound is distorted, coloured by noise and or 3rd order harmonics or whatever, and that's what you are hearing. Well so what? If it sounds good who cares why?

When I got my first tape deck (an Otari the size of a washing machine boasting 2 tracks. and two glowing yellow/orange VDU meters, lit transport buttons, and warm tape smell) I transferred all my favourite DVD's to tape and could not get enough of listening to them.

It is still my favourite way of listening after 5 years or more. I haven't aligned nor adjusted anything, and it still sounds fab. No doubt someone with an oscilloscope at Abbey Road would look up to heaven, shake their head and declare the thing condemned. In that 5 years you'd have changed your pc or your HD at least once. and with it the software, or re-licensing with all it's attendant hassle.

Just go for it dude, you will enjoy it.

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The only excuse we have for making music in the first place is to make it differently..vis-a-vis our own difference (Glenn Gould)

Edited by Howdy Doody Time (24/07/12 03:51 AM)