2 ins and 8 outs???

[bilibilek]

I am posting too many threads I guess..

I've been going through the multi-channel soundcards at the "musiciansfriend" trying to figure out, which one might be fine for me.

and I saw some cards, saying 2 inputs and 8 outputs. it might be very amateur but I can't figure out, why I would need 8 outputs. I just need as much as inputs to record seperate tracks at the same time, and then I will equilize, put all the effects and stuff on them and mix them all into a CD or mp3..

where is the point I am missing?

 

[Gidge]

with an 8 out card, you can take 8 tracks out into a mixer and use the mixer as opposed to the software mixer....its just a matter of taste.......

 

[ambi]

is this the method of doing your mixdown through the mixer instead of the softwear? There was a big post about it before i started, where people tried to help me understand this phenomenom, and i think i do. But would it actually benifit you? Having to convert, go out into a board, get messed with, then converted again and back into your computer, through all the cables and connections, and then encoded back through your softwear, wouldn't there be a greatly lose in signal? I mean, if you just mixdown, say, by bouncing in logic audio, its all internal so you wouldn't loose any quality? So i really don't see the point. BUT, i do understnad that for certain tracks, maybe your drums, or whatever you want, could be put through to give them a slightly grittier, analog sound. or for outboard effects, etc... But assuming your not using outboard effects, just to route everything out, say, to 8 seperate channels, then adjust the volume on them through the mixer, and the panning, then back into your computerr for your mixed down version, would that still sound good/better?

For me, what would make sense, would be doing this after everything is finish, just for mixing down (as i said above..), but after doing all effects and eqing in logic, then mixing down to one stereo track through the mixing board, just to do some panning, and final level adjustments, while listening through monitors to make it sound just right. Now thats assuming that the mixer gives your mix a nice sound, even better than just doing that all in logic, with a lot less effort. But hey, i suppose its gonna take the full length of the track to either bounce, or mixdown with the mixing board anyways, so why not have the hands on experience, and feel like your really working with your music? (assuming the quality is there, and it still sounds good)

so i guess that blathering message was just saying, if i did that, would it have a good sound? or would it just be worth it to go through the logic . (i most likely will get some sort of outboard effects eventually).

oh, and i'd be using a soundcraft m12, or a mackie 1604 vlz pro.

And this is all theorectical, because i have none of this gear and won't for a while. But thanks! im learning so much!

 

[Ethan Winer]

bili,

> I saw some cards, saying 2 inputs and 8 outputs. it might be very amateur but I can't figure out, why I would need 8 outputs. <

You are correct - you don't need eight outputs. What you want are as many inputs as you can afford so you can record multiple sources to separate tracks at one time. You need only two outputs (left and right for stereo).

--Ethan

 

[mixmkr]

the outputs, like Gidge said, are useful going thru a mixer (and outboard gear, etc). If you do NOT need to do that, or prefer not to...the extra outputs would never be necessary.

I personally do that, as I prefer to use outboard reverbs and other outboard gear. FOR ME, it is a faster way to work and I prefer some outboard gear to the software. Changing reverb tail lengths, for instance in a mix is much easier turning a knob (and I can change the EQ at the same time...for instance)..something that would be more difficult completely inside the computer, WHILE the music is playing...especially if you have a half dozen other effects happening at the same time (read... CPU's bogging down). I suspect I will see the day when this all changes, but until then, this is the method, I prefer...not necessarily suited for others.