routing signals from mackie to digi 001

[Mitchello]

I have a mackie 1402 mixer (6 XLR inputs), 6 good mics for recording drums, and a digi 001 which has 2 mic pre's and 6 other inputs. I went from main outs L and R on the mackie to inputs 1 and 2 respectively on the digi 001. With two mics everything is great but after going directly out of the insert jacks on the mackie for mics 3-6 into the inputs 3-6 on the digi 001 (without the preamps), those inputs could not be EQued and sounded flat and weak.  I am basically trying to give each mic it's own track in the mix by recording simultaneously with 6 inputs. How can I make the mackie send 6 equed signals into the digi or is that not possible? I know my equipment is commonly used but do I need to get separate mic preamps for getting a great drum sound? Please help.

[bennychico11]

I'd just send them to the 001 on the inserts un-EQed. I know it might not be the sound you want, but then after recording it you can re-send the tracks through the mixer and EQ them that way....get them all the way you want, and then bounce them back to the 001 on new tracks.

[LRosario]

Originally Posted by bennychico11

but then after recording it you can re-send the tracks through the mixer and EQ them that way....get them all the way you want, and then bounce them back to the 001 on new tracks.

There's one problem with that:

When you're constantly changing a signal from analog to digital, you get generational loss. For example:

Mixer---(analog signal)> 001---(converts to digital)> Your computer----(digital)> Back to the 001----(converts to analog)> Back to the mixer (then repeat all over again)

In that process, you would of loss too much audio quality.

In other words, it's probably better to route your outs on the mackie straight into the 002, then mix within pro tools. It cuts that process in half, if you don't mind mixing within pro tools.

[bennychico11]

yeah i know...but he asked of a way to do it with his mixer and that's the way i came up with. he'll just have to try it and listen to it. OR, send it back through the Mackie and don't go back to the computer...just burn it from there.

[steve grimm]

I run the drums into the Mackie and the main outs to the digi 1 and 2. The way I see it, to do otherwise, you'd need a preamp that would handle everything and then your going to want compression, EQ etc. That is one of the reasons why the protools HD gets the big bucks.