Seperarte Drums to seperate tracks.

[dumass]

hey guys i need help learning how to put seperate mics to different tracks.

i have the cakewalk sonar xl, a soundblaster live soundcard, and a behringer mx2004 mixer. i'm planning on using about 6 mics on the drums....what kind of sound card should i get? i wanna get seperate tracks of the bass drum, snare, rack toms, floor toms, and 2 over heads...

what kind of sound card would be good for this? im looking to keep the price down...

after i get the new sound card, how do i hook everything up from the mixer to the soundcard?

thanks a lot everyone

[moskus]

You need a soundcard with 6 or more inputs. I use the Audiotrack INCA88, which I think is great.

If you are climbing up the ladder, I think you should look for the Delta 1010.

[dumass]

thanks, but how would i connect it all...from like the mixer to the sound card? do i do that by panning?

[moskus]

Well, hopefully your mixer either has direct outs or insert-points. My mixer only has insertpoints, so I've made 8 cables from the inserts to the mixer. Using stereo-plugs: the tip is wired to the tip, and the ground is wired to the other ground, leaving the ring in the middle free, so I won't be using the 'return' function on the mixer.

[Track Rat]

You would use the channel inserts as direct outputs and patch from them to the inputs of whatever soundcard you go with.

[moskus]

That's what I said...


Wasn't it?

[Track Rat]

we were typing the same answer at the same time.

[dumass]

thanks a bunch, so then if i do that, i wont need to use the main outputs for left and right from the mixer?

[dumass]

and also i didnt really get what u were saying bout the stereo tips...

[dachay2tnr]

Yes, you don't connect from the Main Outs of the mixer to the sound card. You connect from each individual channel to the sound card. That's what gives you the ability to record individual tracks. You will need a separate feed for each track.

You can use the Main Outs of the mixer for your monitor speakers. However that will require you connecting the output of your sound card back into the mixer. This will use another channel in your mixer, which could be problem depending on how many channels you have available to begin with.

As regards the cabling, first tell us whether your mixer has direct outs or channel inserts available. How you cable them will differ depending on what you have available.

[dumass]

my mixer has channel inserts...but also, i have another question. would it be a good idea to go with the m audio delta 44? ( http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/.../base_id/52398 ) then i would use still 6 mics, but then i would prbly try to put the bass, snare, toms, and over heads on a seperate track. would i do that by using one of those y-cords and connect 2 different tom tracks to a track input on the soundcard, and another one for the 2 different overhead mics and put then into another input? ...or is that jus a totally stupid idea?

[moskus]

If you get a Delta 44 (only 4 analog mono-inputs), you need (as you say) to use two inputs for 4 mics. This is best done with the mixer (as the mixer basically is designed to mix different sources... ). The other two inputs can be used for whatever input you like, say kick, snare or whatever...

[dumass]

yea thats what i was thinkin....so is this how i would hook up 2 mics to one input....
run 2 cables from the channel inserts of the tracks that have the 2 mics that i want......plug it into y cord adapter......and then plug that into one of the inputs in the sound card? and are these jus regular 1/4" cables i would be using?

i really appreciate all of this help...thanks

[moskus]

I would:
1) Connect two Insert-channels to the card. (Then you have two seperate channels)
2) Connect the Mains on the mixer to the two last inputs on the card (giving you a mix of the rest of the channels on the mixer, if you use the insert on a channel, that channel will be muted on the Main, because it doesen't get sound in to Recieve. A Insert is a stereo-plug to two mono plug, where one is the Send and the other is the Return).

[dumass]

ok thanks....would this work also?

for the toms, use the main l and r....

and for the overheads, use the alt 3/4...

and for both of those, i would need a cable that had 2 ends with 2 mono plugs, correct?

and for the inserts, one 2 mono end plugs, and the other end is a stereo...

and as far as the 2 mono plugs, one would go to the receive (same as input?) and the other would go to send (same as output?)

thanks a lot again, and sorry for the stupid questions, im kinda new at this