Specific Questions Regarding My Signal Chain

[MusicMan91]

This is my current signal chain:
Soundcraft M8 Mixer -> M-Audio Omnistudio USB -> iBook Mac OS 10.2.6 -> Cubase SL -> iBook Mac OS 10.2.6 -> M-Audio Omnistudio USB -> Soundcraft M8 Mixer -> RCA SA-155 Stereo Amplifier -> ProAc Monitors

I was wondering if anyone could help me with any of these questions:


1. I know how to connect the M-Audio Omnistudio USBo the iBook, but I am not sure how to connect the Soundcraft M8 to the M-Audio Omnistudio USB. In the Soundcraft M8 instructions provided, it doesn't say how to hook up external soundcards so I am a bit confused.

2. How do I sync up Cubase SL with the rest of the signal chain? Like when I record it onto the mixer, can I get the Cubase SL to record along and have the settings change to Cubase SL while I am changing them on my external mixer? What I want is to be able to change the EQ, gain, etc., etc., on my external Soundcraft M8 Mixer and have the Cubase SL synced up with the rest of the external signal chain so that it follows the change in settings done to the M8 while also recording it onto the computer.

3. Are there any other software programs that I should get to fully maximize the potential of my current signal chain? Is Cubase SL enough, or do I need to get a different program and use it along-side Cubase, like Reason or Logic or something else?

4. Is there a way that I can hook up my BOSS SP-303 Sampler to the M8 Mixer so that I can play with something on the sampler and then record that onto my computer?

5. Would using Ableton Live be a wise move if I wanted to use that to create some sounds that I couldn't otherwise get? It would give the person I would be recording the freedom to create a certain beat unobtainable elsewhere, IMO. My main question here is would it be worth the $300 that I would need to spend, or could I get by using the Delta Live Demo provided to me upon the purchase of my Soundcraft M8?

6. For the current signal chain I have, the one described before this line of questioning, is the RCA SA-155 enough? Obviously it is enough to power my ProAc monitors since I use it to play my Moog Synthesizer, but would it be a wise investment to purchase something like the Samson S700?

A few of these questions have obviously been about "is this worth it" or "would this be a wise investment", so a main point for me is what else do I need that would be a smart purchase? I am mainly recording other people and have no limitations as to the type of music I record.

Thanks for all the help. Also, if you know any good Books or Websites that would contain the answers to my questions that you couldn't answer, I would be very much obliged if you would tell me them.

Thanks again,
Chris

 

[maestro_dmc]

You should probably break this post into about 4 or 5 posts!

1.line out M* to Line in M-audio.

2.Not sure what you're asking. Whatever you change on the mixer WILL affect the recorded sound. But if you are looking for automation, you should have bought a digital mixer, or a protools style interface designed for that.

3.Software doesn't really affect the signal chain, so no.

4.yep, it's called a line level input and a 1/4" cable.

5.don't know, can't say.

6.May color the sound, not familiar with that Amp. Probably be wise to get a nice clean FLAT studio monitor amp.

 

[MusicMan91]

I have fiddled with my M8 Mixer and Omnistudio USB, even consulting each manual, but have remained clueless. I have tried just about everything. Ideally I would like to be able to plug in my BLUE Baby Bottle Microphone into the Soundcraft M8 Mixer, then have the Soundcraft M8 Mixer plugged into the Omnistudio which would be plugged into the iBook via USB. Well, so far, I haven't been very successful at all.

I Have been trying to hook up the M8 and the Omnistudio using a Y-Cable with Mono-to-Mono Audio Adapters I got at Radioshack. I have tried to plug the one line into the Direct Out of the M8 and have tried plugging the other two into all sorts of different parts of the Omnistudio to get that to work. I can listen on headphones to the M8 alone fine, but I am even having trouble doing that on the Omnistudio! Not to mention the iBook doesn't even seem to read the USB connection to the Omnistudio, which would make it hard for me to ever record onto the computer even if I got the external setup correct. Any ideas as to how I could achieve my "ideal" setup?

Thanks for everything,
Chris