How many inputs are do you guys have?

[egan.]

Hey guys, no offense to the home warriors but this question is geared towards the guys with commercial spaces (or home spaces that are regularly micing a full kit etc.). How many simultaneous ins do you have? If you are running HD, how many 192's (or substitutes)? What do you consider to be a commercial studio minimum (assuming it's band oriented and not hiphop or VO)?

 

[~BURNY~]

regularly micing a full kit

Well I have a mobile setup and I regullary mic full drumkits.

I have two 2626 plus an ADA8000. (24 tracks in total)

I find myself using at least twenty tracks simultaneously most of the time.

I mostly record rock bands so the drumkits aren't generally too

sophisticated (two or three toms max) but I always record trigger signals

(hence the cheap ada8000 lol)

I can imagine running out of tracks easilly with more "metal" drumkits plus

it's nice to have some spare tracks to experiment or record scratch

guitars/bass.

If I had the money to invest in a real pro setup, I would not hesitate to go for a 32 ins system.

 

[Line666]

Most of the commercial studios I've been in have had at least 24 ins and outs. Usually 3 x 192's or equivalent (sometimes 96's instead).

 

[egan.]

Yeah that's sort of what I'm thinking 24-32 at a minimum.

 

[JeffTD]

I have 18 with my current setup and would only want more for when guys with really big kits come in, which so far hasn't happened.

*edit*

For a proper studio, I'd say 24-32 minimum as well; you're going to want outboard and the option to mic up every member of the band if you need to.

 

[guitarguru777]

18 here as well Saffire Pro 40, ADA8000, and an MBox

 

[jipchen]

Are you talking about actual inputs with preamps or also (possible) digital inputs like ADAT,SPDIF? I guess all of them?
I've got 20 Inputs - with preamps - I can currently use for tracking drums, plus the possibility to add another 10 (8 ADAT, 2 SPDIF or AES/EBU).

I don't feel the need for more than 20 currently, but more Ins (and Outs) are a good thing if you have some outboard for example..
So yeah about 30 depending on how much outboard you've got seems like an ok basic setup to me.

 

[AllanD]

8, once the next band pays up I'm going for 16.

 

[egan.]

Hey jipchen, I'm thinking about actual inputs with pres and snake channels to your live/iso rooms. It does seem like everyone has the same impression I have though. I feel like there is this line in the sand at 20 inputs but I wanted to get a feel for whether I was making that up in my head or if it was a somewhat conventional standard.
Less than twenty just seems really "home studio" to me. I know I might get flamed for that but the truth is that's where I have operated for years when not booking an outside commercial space.

 

[guitarguru777]

I have never had any use for more then 16 at a time. Then again I haven't recorded Mike Portnoy

I will be getting another Saffire in the next month so I will be expanding to 24 and I really think that's pushing it.

 

[professorlamp]

16

Profire 2626
ADA8000

Never exceeded the tracks past 12 for micing a kit but all the kits I get are small...

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

Really want to snag an octane and a digimax.

Would up my I/O to 26.

 

[if6was9]

I'm at 16 at the minute and have maxed out my inputs the last few projects I've done, and extra channels would definately have been used if I had them.
Planning a major overhaul and upgrade this year and plan on getting to 22 tracks, possibly 28. They won't get used much outside of a few projects but I'm moving towards spot micing all the cymbals and having nice room mics so 16 doesn't really cut it. Throw triggers for kick and snare into the mix along with dual micing kick and snare and even a 4 piece kit takes up tons of channels.

 

[Trevoire520]

24 inputs at the moment but only 18 on the stagebox. I can use extra inputs for talkback or guide tracks in the control room though.

 

[C-Martin]

16 channels with preamps for me and tbh i've already encountered one situation where i could have used a couple more inputs. I agree with 20 being a good starting point if you want a serious setup that can handle most situations. You can do allot with 16 but i just feel a little limited sometimes which is why I'm already planning to get another 8 or at least a pair of preamps that i can feed through my spdif channels. Probably a pair of channel strips like the SSL Alpha Channels, i heard they're good and i'd get a pair of EQ's at the same time.

 

[Sacha]

16 analog I/O (Lynx) ADAT >> RME UFX which has another 12. We only have about 18 pres so far though.

 

[amarshism]

16. Only ever use them all on drums.

 

[botus99]

20 ins, my converter can handle 24 but I need mooooore pres.

Never used more than 14 on drums

 

[tempe]

16 for me as well. Usually tracking around 12 - 14. Had an ADA8000 for triggers that I got rid of ever since I stopped needing them. Trigger just does the job!

 

[vespiz]

16 coming from the live room, 24 on the desk and 16 (18 with S/PDIF) going to PT.