Here is a quick look at the $700 Korg D12 12-Track Digital Recorder. Let me cut to the chase- save your precious money. I have said it before and I will say it again, for this kind of money you can buy some amazing hardware and software solutions for your computer that will make the D12 look like a toy.

I do suggest a standalone multi track recorder for anyone who is interested in buying a truly portable recording system for live shows or demos.

There has always been two camps of thinking with multi track recorders, including the Korg D12. Essentially, one must first look at the history to understand the present. Before home computers were very powerful, the multitrack recording products were THE ONLY way to digitally record audio.

They were large, clunky, expensive, and had little recording flexibility. My first foray into digital recording was with the now legendary Roland VS-880, which had a whooping 500 megabyte hard drive! Amazingly, computers have gotten smaller, cheaper, and more powerful. My argument is that these standalone multitrack recorders are beginning to look like an old VCR to me- dated.

Let’s face it, one of the key things you want to do with multitrack digital recording is simply editing with ease. You cannot do that on the Korg D12, or any other standalone recorder. No matter how great the digital display is on the D12, you do not have a mouse and therefore you will never be able to edit easily on this thing. Again, if you are a traveling person who wants to forget the computer and just capture your ideas digitally, by all means a multitrack recorder is a great idea.

Recording & Production Tips

Before you invest in any new equipment, it’s essential to educate yourself on the proper recording/production techniques you will need to get the most out of your purchase. If you really want to learn how to make great recordings with little effort, pick up a copy of the Home Recording Studio Guide by Jim Koblick. It’s well-written, 115 page color guide of good stuff, instant download. I got this a few months ago and paid $39, now I think he has it up for $27. His site is kinda cheesy compared to how good the guide is. Check it out.

For Upcoming Bands & Artists

Digital Recording has come a long way in the past decade - combined with solid recording and production skills, your home demos can truly sound like major label recordings. Once you have an awesome demo, the next step is just promoting the hell out of it - using it to get gigs, make fans, get a record deal, etc. Are you at this step yet? If so, check out Bob Baker’s Guerilla Music Marketing Handbook. There’s a reason this book is one of the top selling handbooks on the subject. He’s got a bunch of other cool stuff on his site too (MySpace Marketing, Making Killer Press Kits, etc.).

This entry was posted on Friday, June 20th, 2008 at 1:35 pm and is filed under Digital/Multi-track Recording. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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