How things have changed

[guitaroscar]

When I was learning to play (still learning) guitar 34 years ago I would make recordings with 2 cheesey cassette players; record the backing on one, then, whilst it was playing back, play the lead over the top.  All the room noises, tape hiss, not to mention the pressing of the buttons, was doubled in this mono effort.

It I wanted to practise playing over chord changes, say a IIm-IV-I, I would have to play the chords over and over for 30 minutes and then play it back.  No looping.

One advantage of this was that you learned a lot of chord inversions to keep from dying of boredom.

Drum machines were of the type that came with cheap home organs; they went cha-cha-cha, or samba, maybe a couple of others...they didn't sound like drums at all but were the price of a full kit.

Record companies wanted demo tapes back then (now they expect a finished product with a proven sales history) and these had to be made at a pro studio, costing a lot of money.

About 15 years ago I had a Yamaha 4 track cassette, forget which model.  At the time I thought it was awesome. It did nothing but record and the usual mixing features with recording. It cost around $800 Aus at the time.  Listening to one of those recordings now after owning the MBR makes me cringe.

This MBR is something else!  24 bit recording.  Makes me wonder if it is possible to make a finished, commercial product using just this one piece of technology. 

Maybe that is too ambitious, but then I don't really know what is involved in recording a modern, saleable production.
The MBR is far more sophisticated than anything the Beatles or the Stones had in their early days, but could a 21st century top 40 performer get away with it?

Oops forgot; before the cassette players I had a Phillips reel to reel which didn't work most of the time.

Just walking down memory lane.  I am glad for some of the old technology; recording those chord changes a thousand times turned out to be a good thing - listening to the results was not

[hewhoiscalledj]

thats awesome nostalgia for ya. i used to play full size records at double speed (45?) and record it on my dual tape deck. my fave was motown stuff because of the heavy bass lines. then i'd record that to another tape but i would tweak the EQ so only or mostly the bass came thru on the second tape. then i would play that recording and record myself adding in new melody lines with my casio and electric organ. a little human beat-boxing or added noise with homemade percussion instruments... it was such an awesome experience jamming to that tape. something like 10 re-recordings later, the signal degraded to mush but the energy was there and it was awesome. i bet i would laugh at hearing those tapes now.

i suppose those were the very early days of sampling...

[Ferryman_1957]

This MBR is something else!  24 bit recording.  Makes me wonder if it is possible to make a finished, commercial product using just this one piece of technology. 

Maybe that is too ambitious, but then I don't really know what is involved in recording a modern, saleable production.
The MBR is far more sophisticated than anything the Beatles or the Stones had in their early days, but could a 21st century top 40 performer get away with it?

It depends what you mean by "saleable". If you mean commercial, mainstream CD type sales, probably not. The technology used in studios these days is pretty amazing (it's moved on just as much as the basic stuff has). However, for the internet-based viral market type stuff (through Soundclick et al), then definitely. I think home producers using stuff like the MBR can produce high quality recordings that people will pay money for. Just listen to some of the examples on this site. You're not likely to make enough to quit the day job though, but if you took it seriously enough you could probably create enough interest to become the next phenomenon to be discovered on the internet.

I'm like you - amazed by how far this stuff has come since I first went into a studio back in 1975. I'm trying to do everything on the MBR but it does have limitations and I think most people that are serious about this stuff tend to use the MBR and other things as well. But I'm too old to do anything other than have some fun with this....

Cheers,

Nigel

[Wiley]

I agree, But without modern technology how good would some of those people or guitars sound?   Technology can make anyone a star if in the right place and right time.  Look what they can do to your voice.  At least with Br it is pretty close to real.  Technology is great but listen to the guy or girl around the campfire and you will hear real talent.
P.J.

[Ferryman_1957]

You're right. I saw an episode of the gadget show where the female presenter created a very passable modern pop track in a studio which included software that corrected the pitch of her singing (she was by no means a singer). They can make anyone sound good. Perhaps the BR is the equivalent of "low-fi" work done by folks like the Cowboy Junkies. Although it's very sophisticated in the quality of what it can produce, there's nowhere to hide.

Cheers,

Nigel

[guitarron]

i still have a Tascam DA88 in my studio-a boat anchor-i dont even want to say how it cost in 1994-hurts too much
my korg t3 was pricey too

[Greeny]

I have to pinch myself sometimes when I look at all the stuff the BR can do. Even in the space of 5 years, it's taken digital multi-track recording to a whole different level. I thought my Tascam digital portastudio was the mutts nuts when I first got it 5 years ago, but now it's in a carrier bag in the cupboard.

I still have a box full of cassette-recorded albums I did in the 80's and 90's. Might be time to raid them for ideas 

I think the BR does - pretty much - give us the capability to produce finished, download-ready material. Especially if you use the WAV or 192kbps options. There again, I've never stepped in a recording studio.

[Ferryman_1957]

I have to pinch myself sometimes when I look at all the stuff the BR can do. Even in the space of 5 years, it's taken digital multi-track recording to a whole different level. I thought my Tascam digital portastudio was the mutts nuts when I first got it 5 years ago, but now it's in a carrier bag in the cupboard.

LOL! That's where my Zoom 14 track is as well! Could never get a decent recording out of it, too big, too cumbersome. Shoved it in the cupboard when I started using the BR in earnest, egged on by you guys.

I still have a box full of cassette-recorded albums I did in the 80's and 90's. Might be time to raid them for ideas 

LOL again. That's what I'm doing - recording songs I wrote nearly 30 years ago! Coming up with new ones that don't sound like they were written in the 80s is much harder 

I think the BR does - pretty much - give us the capability to produce finished, download-ready material. Especially if you use the WAV or 192kbps options. There again, I've never stepped in a recording studio.

I've been in at least 12, from 1975 thru to 1987. These ranged from crappy cheap four tracks through to EMI's central London studio (not Abbey Road) and some pretty swish 24-track places. I've still got all the originals, none of them come close to the quality of what the BR produces. It creates a really punchy and full mix which continues to impress me. Things may be different in studios now, but some of the stuff that is studio-produced on Soundclick doesn't sound as well produced as the stuff you guys are all posting up there.

Cheers,

Nigel

[guitarron]

I have to pinch myself sometimes when I look at all the stuff the BR can do. Even in the space of 5 years, it's taken digital multi-track recording to a whole different level. I thought my Tascam digital portastudio was the mutts nuts when I first got it 5 years ago, but now it's in a carrier bag in the cupboard.

I still have a box full of cassette-recorded albums I did in the 80's and 90's. Might be time to raid them for ideas 

I think the BR does - pretty much - give us the capability to produce finished, download-ready material. Especially if you use the WAV or 192kbps options. There again, I've never stepped in a recording studio.

i just need to order some belts to get my original porta one working again
i've got tons of tapes too