outputs of a mixing desk

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drummersteve

New member
from this forum, ive found out that outputs from a mixing desk, say were working with a 16 track, obviously cannot all fit into the 2, sometimes even one audio input on a soundcard. so an input module is needed. this way, the information can go from the mixing desk to the computer via the input module and a special cable. im guessing that this special cable tranmsfers all the information seperatley so each individual track can be individually messed around with within the computer software (i will be using acid).

now from looking at various mixing desk specs on the internet, ive noticed that some mixing desks do not mention the number of outputs. now before i thought that each channel would have its own output, and these would go individually into discrete inputs on the input module. but, like ive said, some specs do not mention any sort of output. would this mean the output could be in stereo, to go straight to an amplifier, meaning this type of mixing desk is not suitable for computer recording use? or is it just an obvious thing and each channel always has its own output? also, if a mixing desk has each channel output seperate, what type of cable would be used? would it be 1/4 line-in, like used with electric guitars? sorry theres quite alot, if all could be answered id appreciate it!

Thanks, steve
 
If you want to record the tracks seperately you can run a line out of each insert for the channels. Normally you can use a 1/4" jack and plug it just halfway into the insert of the channel then go to your soundcard. You can do this for each of your channels up to the limits of your desk and/or soundcard. The reason you plug it in halfway is because the insert is expecting a 3 ring jack for send/return and you only want the send.

You don't need any special cables. Also unless you are using some type of d/i effects box I wouldn't go direct in with the guitar. It's better to mic the amp.
 
thanx alot, NYM. although i think you misunderstood me at one point, not to quesiton your knowlegde on the subject tho! just the way i worded it may have led to the confusion
by "special cable", rather than the mixing desk to the input module cables, i was reffering to the cable connecting the input module to the card installed onto the computer. if this is only one cable trasferring all the data seperatley into one port, surely the cable would have to be special to transfer seperate peices of discrete data simaltaneously down the same line? like fibre optics, as im sure you know, can transfer more than one signal, maybe somehting like that?
steve
 
Still not sure but I think you're referring to a SPDIF Digital Audio Cable and yeah this is a special type of cable though it doesn't cost too much. Just be careful that it isn't too cheap because it could be a source of introducing a time based error called jitter.
 
The only way you can record multiple tracks at one time on the PC is if you have a multiple input sound card. A mixing console won't do it . Although you can use the console and route multiple tracks to a single stereo bus and then run that bus output to the sound card and record a decent mix to a stereo track. You can also use this method to record multiple tracks 1 or 2 at a time. Regaurdless of the sound card , a mixing console is definitely nice to have when doing PC recording.
 
Well there is Lightpipe, a digital communication format standard developed by Alesis. It puts eight channels of digital audio through an optical cable. It's not an optical SPDIF signal, they’re not compatible. When hooking up devices with Lightpipe ports you need to use a TASCAM IF-TAD conversion box to convert the Lightpipe format to the TDIF format. TDIF is an acronym for TASCAM Digital Interface. The digital communication format standard developed by TASCAM. TDIF provides for 2 way communication of 8 channels of audio through a DB25 plug.

This enables users of both formats to connect their devices digitally. It can be used to connect an ADAT to a TM-D1000, transfer audio between ADAT and DTRS machines or any other digital format application you can think of. A TDIF cable is not the same as a SCSI, parallel, or any other 25 pin cable.

Don't know if this would work for you Steve but it's something you can check into.
 
Get a mixer with Direct Outs on each channel. You will probably need to get something bigger then the small cheapo compact mixers. They usually only have a few direct outs.
 
Snive said:
The only way you can record multiple tracks at one time on the PC is if you have a multiple input sound card. A mixing console won't do it . Although you can use the console and route multiple tracks to a single stereo bus and then run that bus output to the sound card and record a decent mix to a stereo track. You can also use this method to record multiple tracks 1 or 2 at a time. Regaurdless of the sound card , a mixing console is definitely nice to have when doing PC recording.
Click to expand...

I think Snive hit the nail on the head.
You first concern would be ... how many individual tracks do you want to record simultaneously to the computer? This determines what type of soundcard you will need.
Next would be your computer specs .... Can it handle what you would like?
Third ... How much money do you have to spend? Reasons for this will be obvious. For high quality soundcards ... expect to pay around $50 to $100 for each input (ie 16 inputs could run between $800 to $1600, give or take a few hundred depending on the brand and quality).
There is no special cable that will transfer multiple streams of audio to a standard soundcard and render those individual streams to individual tracks.
Have a look at some multi I/O interfaces here .
I personally use a MOTU 828mkII (connects to the computer via Firewire) along with an ADAT outboard 8 channel pre and a 2 channel SPDIF pre (those of which do use special cables ... ADAT Lightpipe and SPDIF coaxial that connect to the MOTU), which gives me a total of 20 simultaneous inputs. All had for roughly $1300. Add another $1100 for my 24 channel 8 bus mixer. Then add $1200 for the 3gHz P4 I built.
Starting to get the picture?
It all really depends on your needs and your budget.
 
Thanks for verifying my point Crankz. Although I would like some more info on the Lightpipe thing that NYM mentioned , does anybody have any info or links to this? I have never known of any other method of simultaneous multitracking on a pc aside from a mulit input sound card , but that interface sounds interesting.

Up until a few weeks ago , I did all of my recording through an Alesis Studio 32 console ( with several pieces of outboard gear) bussed to the stereo line in on a ( don't laugh too hard ) SoundBlaster card in my 2 GHZ Athalon with 1 gig ram. Software used is Cakewalk 9 & Sound Forge.Results were not bad at all.
If anyone is interested , here are a few MP3' recorded with this set up.
Blu4U
The Last Goodbye
The Low Down
These were all done with a Drum machine through the midi ports and all other tracks dubbed in one at a time. It works great for home recording but is extremely time consuming , and not well at all for doing a live drum mix .
I recently bought a Roland VS2000 HDR , and so far I love it , but I'm finding the learning curve to be a bit difficult in comparison to PC based recording. Hopefully I will get the hang of it one of these days .
 
Lightpipe is a fiber-optic connection from an outboard device such as a digital mixer or multi channel preamp that offers ADAT (lightpipe) output.
1 ADAT lightpipe connection can carry 8 channels of audio. You would need a soundcard that supports ADAT lightpipe IN or TDIF (and converter).
A simple setup could consist of a Marc A soundcard and a ADA8000 8 channel preamp.
This would give 8 ADAT lightpipe channels into the computer.
Here is a soundcard comparison chart. Not all available cards are shown on this list, but it gives a good idea to some of what is out there. For the ADAT option, you want to look under "digital I/O" in the list.
 
So ,,, in essence , I could use my VS2000 HDR with this connection directly into a ( upgraded) sound card in my PC ? I really like the VS , but I'm still partial to the user friendly features of PC based recording. It seems that this setup would give me the best of both worlds for a small investment. Portability is my primary concern for obtaining tracks since a lot of it will be live recordings of my band plus a couple of other local bands , which the VS2000 is perfect for , but it looks like this could be a quick way to transfer several tracks at once back to the PC . Am I on the right track here , or is there a better option I should consider ?
 
I'm not familiar with the Roland and it's I/O capabilities, but if it has ADAT Lightpipe out then .... yes you could do that.
Looking on Roland's website I found this .
 
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