Audacity Forum

All in one, purpose build hardware for multi-track recording has some distinct advantages:
* Low cost compared to buying a computer, multi-channel sound card and mixing desk (though you may already have a computer that can be used).
* Very little or no mechanical noise. The noise from computer fans is particularly a problem when recording quiet sound sources such as acoustic instruments or spoken word, and even more of a problem if you can't get more than a couple of meters away from it due to the length of a USB mic lead.
* Quick and easy set-up. In many cases it is just switch on, plug in, set your levels, go. Note that some more advanced / more versatile machines can be considerably more complex.

For editing and processing, a computer is in my opinion the much better option. Trying to make precise edits on a tiny LCD display is no fun at all.

Other considerations:

Although many all in one solutions include built in effects, without buying additional hardware you are limited to those effects, whereas on a computer there are literally thousands of free plug-ins available (and thousands more commercial ones).

On both all-in-one and multi-channel sound cards, it is common for there to be only two "microphone" inputs, with the other channels being "line" inputs. A microphone should not be plugged directly into a line input because a microphone signal level is far too small and the resulting sound is likely to be very quiet and very poor quality.

All in one solutions rarely support MIDI (neither does Audacity, but most software DAWs do).

Latency issues generally don't occur on all-in-ones, but providing you use appropriate hardware (with "direct monitoring") then it should not be a problem on a computer either. Latency can be a big problem when trying to do multi-track recording with a dirt-cheap sound card, such as the ones that are usually included as standard in computers.

Multi-channel recording with USB microphones is difficult at best, fraught with problems, and may not work at all (depending on your computer system).

Recording with multiple (conventional) microphones plugged into a mixer, mixed down to stereo and recorded in stereo, is a popular inexpensive option. The main drawback being that you can't work on individual inputs later because it is already mixed down.

Using a mixing desk that has "direct outs" plugged into a multi-channel "line level" sound card (USB, Firewire or internal) is one of the most flexible options, but often more costly.

Getting a multi-channel sound card to work well is not a task for an old underpowered computer that is full of crap. For a good, reliable system, the computer should ideally be set up for the task.

Thanks Koz
Up to now I have been recording my entire kit using a Yeti connected by USB to my Toshiba Satellite running Audacity. After experimenting with mic positioning the results have been amazing, really quite good, just not good enough and of course no real control of individual pieces of the kit. With phones plugged into the Yeti there is 0 latency (allegedly) but it did manage to creep in on a couple of occasions which is horrible to listen back to. It's interesting you mention that it can move: I THOUGHT IT WAS MY PLAYING GOING OFF!!!!!AAAARRRGHHHH, the time I spent...........
So a DAW it is I think. I wonder if the recording can be done on the DAW and then transferred to the PC for editing. The one you sent me the link to looks impressive. Can it do this do you think?
Regards
Paul

I don't know the exact process, but I'd be shocked if you couldn't move your tracks to another machine. The prospect of note by note editing on a tiny LCD screen is scary.

I found it valuable to Google "frammis complaints," where frammis is the product or service I'm interested in buying.

"This thing is a steaming pile of junk and the makers should be shot on sight."

If there is one of those comments, I'd be suspicious, but multiple versions of that should get your attention. Don't pay any attention to the comments that it's the greatest thing since free-flowing beer and that it cures cancer. Those are written by the manufacturers.

Koz

Hahahahaha!
Thanks Koz, I will take all that on board and let you know what I find.
Cheers
Paul

Hi Koz and Steve
Been a long time I know but finally I have all my mics in place and a Tascam DP 24.
Brilliant, in a word!
I now have full control of everything. I can load the original music via USB from the PC to the SD card in the DP24. I can then record 8 mics simultaneously which is liveable. I can (or could if I knew what I was doing) add effects, adjust EQ, compression, reverb, loads of things, then mixdown to a master file. Or, I can export the individual tracks back to the PC via the USB again and import them all into Audacity and play with them there instead (or give them to someone else to play with which is even easier!). All this with 0 latency and no PC delays or interference whatsoever. Fabulous!
This is precisely the solution I was looking for and I said I would let you know how I got on.
So, thank you guys for all your help and advice. I think that in the future if this query is raised again you can recommend this with confidence.
Kindest regards
Paul