2 questions about DAWS and a specific product

  • Thread starter Thread starter loudyouth
  • Start date Start date
I'm a complete noob and obviously still in the process of learning (who isn't?). I have two questions.

1. What is a DAW?

2. This has 6 outputs. What does that mean as far as separate tracks are concerned?

http://www.zzounds.com/a--2676837/item--PRSFSMOBILE

Thanks! :)

Daw= recording software

And they keep saying six out puts all down the reading of this unit but don't explain that .... but at the very end under features they say TWO out puts?








:cool:
 
http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/Fi...anual-V1-9dfe4caa770f24a40499efe9420a5e3d.pdf

• High-speed FireWire (IEEE 1394)
• 24-bit, 96 kHz sampling
• 10 simultaneous inputs
• 2 Class A XMAX™ microphone preamplifi ers
• 2 instrument inputs
• 6 analog line inputs
• 2 balanced TRS outputs
• S/PDIF I/O
• MIDI I/O
• High-defi nition analog-to-digital and digital-toanalog
converters (118 dB dynamic range)
• JetPLL jitter control for improved imaging and clarity
• OS X and Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) compatible
The FireStudio Mobile includes PreSonus Studio
One Artist recording software, which comes with
over 4 GB of plug-ins, loops, and samples, giving
you everything you need for music recording and
production.

DAW > digital audio workstation?

Looks like 8 analog in's at once (two front jacks are either xlr or 1/4"), plus the stereo SPDIF makes 10 ins' I guess.
 
If you go here http://www.rainbowguitars.com/recor...ewire-recording-interface/FIRESTUDIOMOBILE/PS there's a rear view (you usually pay more for that :eek: ).

Looks like it's got a stereo pair out unless I'm missing something.

loudyouth what you'd do with this is hook it up to your computer with a firewire cable, then the main L and R outs would go to your amp and speakers for listening. Then by the 2 mic inputs on the front, or the 6 inputs in the back you could record up to 8 things at once onto your computer. Each would be on it's own track. With most modern computer software you could record track after track and end up with as many tracks as you'd ever need.... infinite really.

There's also a S?PDIF in which could come from something like a digital mixer, that would give you an additional stereo pair of inputs. That's a digital in.

What the MIDI - S/PDIF jack is on the back is a new one on me... :confused:

I get the 10 inputs (2 mics + 6 unbalanced 1/4" + S/PDIF L&R) but how it has 6 outputs is beyond me, I only see 2... unless they mean S/PDIF L&R, MAIN OUT L&R plus the headphone (what do I win?) L&R out, yes, that would be 6. If they are counting it that way it's kinda stretching reality but I guess it's true, sorta...

It's probably a great unit. Presonus repaired my BlueTube mic pre for free, several years out of warranty and gave me a free ac adapter so I plug them whenever I can.
 
Welcome to the world of recording and HR in particular, loudyouth.
A DAW is a digital audio workstation which is a fancy title for a recording machine that records digitally. That could be a standalone like this or this or it could be one of the many software packages like Reaper, Cubase, Protools, Logic etc. These ones are loaded into your computer and work from there, usually through something called an interface which could have one, two, four, eight or ten or more inputs, which means you can record more than one instrument at a time or a few vocalists or both or drums if you're using more than one microphone {which is more often the case}. The computer DAWs often have many many tracks, the standalones are fixed in the number of playback tracks although they may have many virtual tracks. The AKAI DPS series for instance have 250, any 12 of which can be used at a time. When people say DAW the perception is of a computer but any machine that records digitally is a DAW.

Having 6 outputs should mean exactly that ~ that you should be able to record to six separate tracks on whatever DAW you record to. You might use more than 6 inputs but however you play it, you'll have 6 outputs. So, if, for example you were recording bass, guitar and drums and you had 10 inputs, you might give the guitar 2 ins, the bass one, and the drums 7. You then have to decide how you group that into 6 outs. You might give the guitars one out each, the bass one, the snare one, the kick one and group the overhead/tom mics to one output, hence 6 outs going to your DAW which you send to 6 separate tracks.
I don't use a computer for a DAW as I have a standalone but that's how I understand it. Might be totally off beam, in which case, someone will be along shortly to put you right. Sometimes, the product descriptions aren't exactly as they describe in reality which can be annoying.
 
I think you can record 10 tracks at once. The signals come in through the 10 inputs and go to the computer thru the Firewire cable.

You could play back infinite tracks at once, but they would have a choice of either going out the S/PDIF, MAIN or headphone stereo pairs if my brain is working norbally. :(
 
Thanks everyone for replying, it's really helpful!

One more question (sorry!)

I already have this:
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-MultiMix-8-USB-2.0-8Channel-Mixer?sku=801473

Could I use both devices at once? For example:

Record all the drum tracks separately on the Alesis Multimix
and
Record the rest of the tracks such as guitar, bass and vocals on the PreSonus.

I understand if possible you would need a decent processor...

It might work. However, you would be using two separate sets of A/D converters with unsynchronized clocks, so there will be some drift. Whether it's noticeable over the length of a song is hard to say. You really need one interface with enough of the right inputs.
 
Thanks everyone for replying, it's really helpful!

One more question (sorry!)

I already have this:
http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-MultiMix-8-USB-2.0-8Channel-Mixer?sku=801473

Could I use both devices at once? For example:

Record all the drum tracks separately on the Alesis Multimix
and
Record the rest of the tracks such as guitar, bass and vocals on the PreSonus.

I understand if possible you would need a decent processor...


You most likely will not be able to use the Multimix and Presonus at the same time because they will use different drivers. Unless your DAW (software) allows it, which I don't know of any that do.

Presonus is a good company. I've bought 4 of their products before without any problems with any of them.

If you're going to be recording drums, vocals, guitars, etc. all at once you'd probably be better off selling the Alesis nad getting something like the Firestudio which has 8 mic pres.
 
Yeah good point. I was considering that. 8 mic pres would be nice.
 
If you had stand alone six mic pre's (or if something like that Alesis mixer worked as a stand alone unit and has line outs) you could plug them into that Presonus interface you were looking at and have 8 mic pre's in.
 
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