DAW for recording AND listening????

[solo2racr]

I'm sure every noob and alot of others only use one computer for both a DAW and for general use. I boot to one of two drives myself depending on what I want to do. Anyway, any tips or ideas for getting around having to unplug and replug back in a different signal routing to keep from running the mixer every time I just simply want to listen to some music or get sound from, oh say, a YouTube vid? I know 2 different cards would be an option. As would running it all through a patch bay and swapping out connections. Is there anything I am overlooking? Some kind of audio switching? Y cord from the card out to each system?

HELP!!!!!!!!!

 

[KineticSound]

How is your system wired currently? If your DAW interface is USB or Firewire, you can simply reassign your computer's system audio output to the interface. I do this myself, with my Mac's system audio output assigned to my Tascam interface. That way, if I pop in a CD or play something in iTunes, the output is sent to the 'monitor out' on my interface.

 

[solo2racr]

I am running the signal through a M-Audio 2496. Pretty much like what Ethan Winers says to do here For some reason, I am thinking a patch bay would be the best way. I also have a verb, comp, & EQ that would benefit. Plug everything into the back and swap patch cables around as needed. I just hate having that many connections.

I should have said I was running a 2496 card. When I said that that maybe 2 cards were an option, I guess I assumed that one would be taken as what I use for an interface. MY BAD.

 

[KineticSound]

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding the desired result. If you assign the 2496 card as your system audio output (not just for your recording software) and you have your mixer and monitors turned on, you should be able to listen to the system sounds, CD's, iTunes, etc. via your monitors.

In re-reading your original post, are you looking for a way to do this without turning the mixer on? If that's the case, you could use a monitor switching device, such as this unit from Behringer, which you would just leave on all the time. Much cheaper to simply turn on the mixer!

In your case, I would suggest you not try to bridge two sources into your monitors with a y-cable, as you run the risk of damage in the event you inadvertently send the recording signal from both the soundcard and mixer simultaneously (not sure how I did it but in one of these danger-loops, I once turned a woofer cone inside-out).

 

[solo2racr]

Yea, that would do what I am wanting to do. I'm just trying to easily take the mixer out of the loop. Yes, it would be easier just to turn on the mixer but, I'm trying to avoid "ON" time on it, since it's not really being used as such. I'm trying to swap two things at once. The out from the DAW either to the mixer or to the monitors and the the source to the monitors from either the mixer or the DAW. Looks like I'll have just as many connections as using a patchbay. The difference would be pressing a couple buttons VS. plug and un-plug a couple 1/4" patch cables. I guess I am looking for a way to do this passively (some kinda wiring trick) that I couldn't think of. Doesn't look like it.

Thanks for the help. Anyone else have a different idea?