Record in multiple Inputs Simultaneously???????????

B

batchmister1

New member
The Firewire 410 that I have only has two inputs. I know I can have more if I attach a patchbay but I want to be able to record 10 different performances on 10 separate audio tracks simultaneously.

I am not opposed to getting a completely new setup to accomplish this goal. How can I do it?



Pro Tools hardware: M-Audio Firewire 410


Pro Tools software version: Pro Tools 7.1 M-Powered

CPU: Intel Pentium 4

Processor spped: 2.8 GHZ

OS version: Win XP SP 2

Motherboard make/model: Intel D865GBF

Chipset: Intel 865G.

Ram:1gb

Hard drives: Internal 35gb. External 100Gb
 
You need an interface with at least 10 inputs if you want to record 10 seperate tracks simultaneously.
 
Yo batchmister! A patchbay has nothing to do with it . All a patchbay does is route connections to different points so that you don't have to unplug and re-plug all your gear to get different routing solutions. You are asking for a lot, and frankly, it will take a whole bunch of money to do what you are talking about. First, in order to process 10 simultaneous tracks, I would recommend upgrading your RAM to at least 2 gigs. Realistically, 8 simultaneous tracks is easier than 10. That said. if you want to do it in ProTools, you would need a Digi002 or Digi003 *and* an 8 channel preamp with optical ADAT output. For cheap-Behringer ADA8000 For better-M-Audio octane. So you would be looking at about a grand for the 002 or 003, and about $125 or so for the ADA8000. That would actually give you 12 simultaneous inputs, with the potential to add up to 6 more, if you have the right outboard preamps. Right now, you have 2 channels, and it isn't going to grow magically.-Richie
 
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Richard Monroe said:
Yo batchmister! A patchbay has nothing to do with it . All a patchbay does is route connections to different points so that you don't have to unplug and re-plug all your gear to get different routing solutions. You are asking for a lot, and frankly, it will take a whole bunch of money to do what you are talking about. First, in order to process 10 simultaneous tracks, I would recommend upgrading your RAM to at least 2 gigs. Realistically, 8 simultaneous tracks is easier than 10. That said. if you want to do it in ProTools, you would need a Digi002 or Digi003 *and* an 8 channel preamp with optical ADAT output. For cheap-Behringer ADA8000 For better-M-Audio octane. So you would be looking at about a grand for the 002 or 003, and about $125 or so for the ADA8000. That would actually give you 12 simultaneous inputs, with the potential to add up to 6 more, if you have the right outboard preamps. Right now, you have 2 channels, and it isn't going to grow magically.-Richie
Click to expand...

Well, most interfaces support both analog and S/PDIF inputs - your Firewire can record four tracks at a time, two analog and a stereo S/PDIF input.

To record 8 tracks analog plus two S/PDIF, a Presonus Firepod or FP10 is your best bet on a budget, but even that isn't going to be cheap. I mean the interface itself is another $399 or so, but that's just to get your foot into the proverbial door.

Do you have 10 mic stands? Do you have 10 mics you'd be comfortable using at once? Do you have enough cables to run 10 mics? Even if you're just talking SM57's and el cheapo $20 stands and cables, you're talking $990 for ten SM57's and another $400 for ten cables and ten mic stands. $1400, plus another $400 for an interface that can support 10 ins, and this is assuming you already have a S/PDIF-compatable preamp for two of the mics.


So, the bigger question here, is WHY do you need to be able to record 10 inputs at once? Recording a live band all playing together? If so, I'd actually advocate not going this route - unless you have good isolation rooms and whatnot signal bleed is just going to be way too big a problem.

You're going to want more than 2 inputs to record a drummer, so you might want to try to snag a used Firepod or FP10 anyway, or look for a S/PDIF compatable preamp to add two more channels to your current setup (in a pinch, 4 well-positioned mics in a decent room will give you a servicable drum tone. I don't record drums much, but when I do it's usually just with a pair of overheads and then a close-mic on the kick and snare). Then, just go through and record insturments track by track - maybe put down some scratch guitar tracks against a click so your drummer has something to follow, or just record the drums to a click track; then add guitar, then add bass, then record vocals, then add whatever else you need to. It's a way easier, way more flexible, and (importantly) way cheaper way to work than to try to record an entire band rocking out at once and then sort out bleeding/phasing issues after the fact in the mix.
 
+1 on the FP10. I played the, start small and upgrade as I go. I could have saved a ton of cash had I started with the firepod/FP10. Love that thing!
 
Richard Monroe said:
Yo batchmister! A patchbay has nothing to do with it . All a patchbay does is route connections to different points so that you don't have to unplug and re-plug all your gear to get different routing solutions. You are asking for a lot, and frankly, it will take a whole bunch of money to do what you are talking about. First, in order to process 10 simultaneous tracks, I would recommend upgrading your RAM to at least 2 gigs. Realistically, 8 simultaneous tracks is easier than 10. That said. if you want to do it in ProTools, you would need a Digi002 or Digi003 *and* an 8 channel preamp with optical ADAT output. For cheap-Behringer ADA8000 For better-M-Audio octane. So you would be looking at about a grand for the 002 or 003, and about $125 or so for the ADA8000. That would actually give you 12 simultaneous inputs, with the potential to add up to 6 more, if you have the right outboard preamps. Right now, you have 2 channels, and it isn't going to grow magically.-Richie
Click to expand...

I use M-powered. Was thinking of getting a M-audio Delta 1010. Would I need a preamp? , and why? I never had to use one with my M-Audio 410.
 
The Delta 1010 is a rack-mountable soundcard. Now one of us is not clear on the concept (and, of course, it could be *both* of us.) I'll admit I'm a lot more familiar with LE than M-powered, but- The simple truth is that if you have 10 mics, you need 10 mic preamps. Devices which act as interfaces contain one or more preamps, which may or may not be good ones (usually mediocre). Pro Tools LE is firmware, not software. In other words, to use Pro Tools LE, first, you need Digidesign or M-Audio licensed piece of equipment that allows PT to be used. That device will generally contain one or more preamps, and as a rule, will have inputs for additional devices which don't have to be licensed Pro Tools devices. There are 2 limits to how many channels you can simultaneously record. The first limit is the number of channels allowed by the version of PT you are running. The second is the number of inputs to the Pro Tools licensed device you are using.

With M-powered, you still need a compatible device that is supported by PT M-Powered, and the Delta 1010 is indeed one of them- but you still have no preamps, and no mic inputs. Now, M-Audio NRV10 is a 10 X 10 M-Powered compatible mixer with 5 phantom powered XLR inputs It's also $700. If five of your 10 channels were line inputs, you'd be there. Otherwise you would still need 5 more channels of preamps. I think Octane would get you to 8 channels, which is why I said above that 8 channels is easier than 10.

Do you see what I'm getting at? If you want to record 10 microphones simultaneously, you need 10 microphone preamps somewhere, with 10 XLR inputs into which you will plug those 10 mics, hopefully with available phantom power on at least some of them. Then you have to get M-Powered PT to recognize the source. The part I'm not clear on is whether M-powered will recognize an input from a non-supported device if you have a supported device connected. Unless it goes through the supported device, I don't think so.

So a Delta 1010 *would* give you 10 inputs into M-Powered, but 2 of those inputs are digital (S/PDIF), and *none* of them accept a microphone without an additional preamp. They are balanced line inputs, not mic inputs. The part you can't get out of is that 10 mics require 10 mic preamps. Right now, you have 2.-Richie
 
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