Jamming Equipment

Hey I have a little band thing happening and we're looking at soundboards and mixers so we can all play in an apartment with headphones. I have an electric drumkit so it will be easy to hook that up. I was looking for something that about 6 people can all hook up to, and then have everyone hear what the whole band is playing and not just what theyre playing. BUT, i would like to be able to record to a different cassette for each person (also another cassette that has everyone recorded on it) so if someone screws up i can just have them redo it. I have a picture of my plans if anyone wants to see it. Oh and money is a factor!

I use a Behringer UB2442FX mixer:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=live/search/detail/bas e_pid/631230/

It should be robust enough for what you want to do. You will have to get another device for everyone to have individual headphone capability. I can't remember what it is.

As far as recording the way you want to, with the mixer, you should be able to direct-out each instruments channel to an individual channel input on whatever recorder you want to use. I primarily use analog recorders that have multiple channel inputs. The only digital recorder I have used (a Roland/Boss BR1180) only has three inputs - Mic 1, Mic 2 and a guitar input. This particular recorder, and others like it, are USELESS for what you desire. Don't let any GC employees tell you otherwise. Unless that employee actually walks you through a tutorial with a digital and demonstrates several individual inputs , make sure that whatever recorder you get has at least 6 (in your case) dedicated inputs that can be controlled individually.

I have a Tascam 414MKII 4 Track analogue recorder, through which I can run six microphones/line level devices and a guitar (through the special guitar only impedence corrected input), and can real time record to four tracks (thus four instruments/whatever). For your purposes you would need at least 6 tracks, more manageably 8 tracks (or more), and ideally it would be reel-to-reel, or very high end digital. The real money will be in the multi-track recorder, decent cables, and very decent mics. If you use a cassette recorder, get one that records in REAL TIME, which means at normal (whatever that is) speed. The Tascam I have records at .25 speed, which means if you play it back in anything other than itself, it sounds very, very, very slow. It doesn't sound like anything. To get it playable it has to be mixed down to a DAT or regular tape machine. Mixdown is another consideration, and additional equipment, now that I think about it. Yamaha used to make some nice cassette recorders in the eighties.

Just hook up the instruments to the mixer, send each lines signal to an individual recording track, and your set.

You could also get some kind of computer set-up, but as I do not know about that, I won't comment.

This is pretty bare-bones, but I hope it helps.