Interface choices?

[MisterPopo31]

Hello,

This is my 3rd post, thanks to everyone who's helped me so far. I'm still a bit cloudy over how to connect everything to my laptop.

I'm trying to decide between getting a firewire interface or getting an analog mixer and sound card. I will be recording on my dell inspiron laptop using adobe audition 2. I want to be able capture live peformances as well as overdub, so I'm looking for at least 10 inputs. Can someone explain to me exactly how I get these 10 inputs (mics/guitars) to record on audition using either the mixer and sound card or the firewire interface? Is one choice more advantageous than the other? Also can you make any suggestions for interfaces/mixers/etc, anything I'll need to route these 10 inputs to record to 10 separate tracks on audition. My budget for the interface or mixer/card is $1000. Thanks for your suggestions in advance!

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

Well if you use a mixer and soundcard you’re still going to need 10 sperate A/D inputs into your lpatop so the mixer is kind of a waste of time, unless you’re using it for the mic preamps?

If you could cope with 8 ins then it would broaden your options significantly. I can’t think of a way of getting exactly 10 ins, it tends to be 2, 4, 8 and then going upwards in multiples of 8.

A pretty cheap setup would be a Tascam FW1804 (8 channels) and a Behringer ADA800 (another 8 channels) connected to the Tascam via ADAT. That’d set you back about £350 ($700) over here in the UK. We usually pay a bit more for most stuff though so if you’re in the US it should be cheaper than that. That would give you 16 simultaneous inputs with mic preamps on 12 channels (the tascam has 4 pres and the behringer 8).

In fact for 10 channels (plus) on your budget I suggest that’s the way forward- an 8 channel firewire interface with ADAT giving you another 8.

Others may be able to think of other solutions but I hope that helps a bit.

 

[cusebassman]

Well if you use a mixer and soundcard you’re still going to need 10 sperate A/D inputs into your lpatop so the mixer is kind of a waste of time, unless you’re using it for the mic preamps?

If you could cope with 8 ins then it would broaden your options significantly. I can’t think of a way of getting exactly 10 ins, it tends to be 2, 4, 8 and then going upwards in multiples of 8.

A pretty cheap setup would be a Tascam FW1804 (8 channels) and a Behringer ADA800 (another 8 channels) connected to the Tascam via ADAT. That’d set you back about £350 ($700) over here in the UK. We usually pay a bit more for most stuff though so if you’re in the US it should be cheaper than that. That would give you 16 simultaneous inputs with mic preamps on 12 channels (the tascam has 4 pres and the behringer 8).

In fact for 10 channels (plus) on your budget I suggest that’s the way forward- an 8 channel firewire interface with ADAT giving you another 8.

Others may be able to think of other solutions but I hope that helps a bit.

Well, if its for live use, it might be useful to have a fully functional mixer that either runs to 8-16 channels of conversion, or has em built in. This runs pretty expensive, but you can probably find an ebay deal if you wait long enough:

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/Onyx1640/

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/OnyxFWCard

You could also get an all-analog 16 channel desk & 16 channels of conversion, but it would probably end up being about the same cost, but the Mackie is much more compact and simple (a friend who runs a coffee shop uses one of these for all his live stuff, and records the bands that play for an additional cost, straight to his Macbook from the firewire output of one of the Mackies listed above).

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

When he said "live" I took it to mean everyone playing at the same time in the studio rather than live on stage.

That Onyx mixer with the firewire add-on would be a pretty good option either way though (provided he can get it within his budget). I hear good things about the mic pres in those onyx boards.

 

[MisterPopo31]

Mackie Onyx 1620

Thanks,
I think I'm going to go with the Onyx1620 board. Has anyone else had any experience with this board and the quality of its preamps. All comments are appreciated. Also, just make sure I'm clear, I get the board and firewire card and I'll be able to record 8 simultaneous tracks on Audition just using the firewire connection. thanks!