Mixer before interface?

L

LanndeZ83

New member
I’m trying to figure out what the best setup is. I’m looking into getting a Firepod (or something similar for around $500) but am not sure how it will affect my rig. Currently I use a Carvin 1644 mixer and then go into an old Omni I/O to Delta 66. This makes monitoring really easy and frankly, I need the preamps.

Will it still make sense to do this if I get a new interface? I like having faders, effects, and multiple mixes at my fingertips for monitoring, but I’m not sure if I should go direct to the new interface for the preamps, and if running multiple monitor mixes is easy enough. Seems the MOTU 8pre doesn't have many outs, so in that case I wouldn't have much of a choice.

Any recommendations? What is more commonly done?
 
Considering the firepod has mic pres on all ins, 4 pairs of outs and a headphone out I don't see what the mixer would be doing for you at all (other than adding a bit more guff to your chain).
 
i don't know about the firepod, but it looks like the firestudio has a software mixer that you can do monitor mixes with.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/closeup/FireStudio--mixer.jpg


if you still want the effects from the mixer, i think you'll be sacrificing quality.

if you want to use the mixer as an outboard reverb unit...i suppose you could...but you could get a better quality one if you sold the mixer and got a rack reverb..unless you just want to use plugins.

but...yes...your original ideas works. monitor mixing with the mixer, outing each track to the firepod and then to the computer.

but...you'll be going through 2 preamps, and there's a guarantee of quality loss
 
I don't know anything about the new Carvin mixers but I have and old Carvin MX series console that preamps sound better than all my external pres. These external pre aren't highend but paid alot more for them than I did for my mixer.
Some of the old Carvin professional consoles had some quality pres in them.

I've been using a Motu 828MKII that will give you the outputls your looking for.
I have a couple Delta 1010's in another machine performance per buck its hard
to beat the 1010's unless you need to run VISTA. I'm beginning to wonder it they plan on updating drivers for Vista at all?
 
cello_pudding said:
but...you'll be going through 2 preamps, and there's a guarantee of quality loss
Click to expand...

this seems likely, but will I really be "using" both preamps if I go line-in into the box?
 
I'd suggest you get an interface with a good deal of flexibility in terms of I/O and routing, do some critical listening tests of it's preamps compared to your mixer's preamps, and then if necessary decide which is more important to you, best sound or most comfortable workflow. Also, think up the road towards working with a "gold channel" high end standalone preamp, and/or hardware compressor, and how that will work into your setup.
 
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