24 Trac DAW and Analog Mixer Combo - Help with Setup

[Deface7String]

I'm planning on buying 2 MOTU HD192's and a mackie mixer. The mixer will either be the 24 or 32 trac VLZ Pro mixer. I need help with setting the system up for recording and monitoring.

1.) When useing the trac inserts on the mixer pushed all the way in.... and then connecting the inserts to the inputs and outputs of the MOTU unit with a TRS connector on one end and two XLR connectors on the other, will the output from the MOTU unit come back through the mixer? (I know this is probobly a no brainer for most of you, but I've never even owned a mixer )

2.) If the answer to 1 is yes, what will be the effect on the sound quality be by useing the inserts this way?

3.) If the answer to 1 is no, can I just use the mixer inserts pushed in half way to connect to the MOTU's inputs then use my Ardvark USB3 (has left and right outs) to connect back to the mixer from the computer for monitoring and talkback functions?

4.) If the answer to 1 and 3 are both yes, which is better?

5.) Are there any other/better possibilities?

Feel like I'm giveing an exam here lol...

 

[Track Rat]

1. If you're using TRS type connectors in the inserts, yes signal will flow the way you anticipate BUT I wouldn't do it that way. With the type of monitoring in this class of mackie, monitoring can be strange.
Here's what I'd do. take TRS connectors and short the tip and ring together when making the cables at the insert side and plain old tip and sleeve connectors at the recorder end (or better yet a patch bay). What this gives you is a tap of what's coming off the mic preamp with the TRS connector fully seated without breaking the connection to the rest of the channel strip. Obviously you only have level control going to tape (or discor whatever) and no EQ or effects but I see this only as a plus. Tape returns now are the problem I was eluding to earlier. This type of mixer won't allow double duty on a channel (being a mic preamp AND handling tape returns at the same time) so for 16 tracks of mic pre's going in you need 16 more channels of mixer to monitor; 32 channels of mixer. What you could do in a situation like this assuming you had a 32 channel mixer is dedicate 8 channels of mic pre's as inputs and bring them up in a patch bay. Bring the inputs of the HD 192's up into a patch bay as well. This way you can patch any mic pre to any input. You then bring all 24 outputs to the remaining 24 input on the mixer.

 

[Deface7String]

gotcha... thanks...