Advice for which mixer to get for DAW?

C

Coops409

New member
So I'm planning on making a home studio of sorts and am a little unsure about how to go about doing it. I know I want to mix on a DAW (Audacity, SoundBooth, Cubase are at my disposal). I've been looking at the Alesis MultiMix 16USB 2.0 Mixer because it's got 8 channels with preamps and has really everything I want on it to have.

My question is how would I use a board to get signal in to a MacBook so I can mix using the Mac? I don't want to just buy an interface because I'd rather have a board to use later on if I move in to small live shows (house shows, very small venues with no sound systems). I've heard that just using the RCA outputs gives you a 2track to use on your computer but that doesn't get me anywhere. I need to move all the signal coming in to the board in to my computer track-for-track just as it comes in so I can mix it.

Let's see. I'm a college Audio Engineering student so I know my way around a mixing board and around DAWs. I've just never set them up. The MacBook I'm going to be using is a 2007 15inch with 2GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive with Snow Leopard. I'll have Audacity, Cubase 5, Adobe Audition (Adobe CS5), and if I get the Alesis board Cubase 4 LE.

My goal is to record demos in my garage for local bands as a sort of "home studio" if you will. Mainly doing this to get extra practice at engineering by myself since in school we're in groups until the last 2 audio classes. Also doing this for a bit of money on the side. The reason I don't want to just settle for an interface is because if I do well for people and they like working with me, they may be putting on a backyard show, or a show at a small venue that doesn't have a sound system and they could hire me to run their sound for that night there (yes I know I never mentioned anything about power amps, snakes, monitors, speakers, etc.) I'd rather have a board that can firewire to a computer track for track AND run sound live. If such a board does not exist then I'll just settle for an interface, but I know there's a board out there somewhere that isn't too expensive, with enough preamp channels that can transfer to a DAW track for track and not in just a stereo 2 track. I really like the Alesis MultiMix 16USB 2.0 Mixer and it seems to be just the board I'm looking for, but I'm worried it won't transfer track for track. It's got enough to mic drums how I want (K S HH T1 T2 T3 OH1 OH2), then obviously guitar, bass, vox, etc. It's got built in effects (probably cheap sounding but eh) so I wouldn't have to go out and buy a reverb unit or delay, etc. Aux for a monitor send.

The reason I liked that Behringer XENYX X1222USB 16 channel originally was because it had everything I would want and it had a built in compressor (probably just 2:1 but it would save me from buying compressor units for a backyard/small venue show).

My budget probably caps at about $500. I wouldn't like to even spend that much but the Alesis on Amazon is about that.

Don't have any equipment other than a the MacBook I described and I just ordered a few mics from eBay but they're not here yet.

So can the Alesis MultiMix 16USB 2.0 Mixer transfer to DAWs track for track? Or is it just a stereo 2 track? Can I use it to record an 8 channel drum set straight to my DAW?
 
Don't double post your question Coops.

You asked it once in noobs, didn't like the answers, so asked it again in noobs, and here it is once more....

And if you can't work out from teh interwebz the answer to a specific question like you're asking, by, y'now, looking up the specs like somegeezer just did for you, then my friend, stick it all back into its boxes and see if you can get your money back, because actual recording is going to be waaaaaay too tricky for you, I feel... ;)
 
Coops . . . you should look at the Presonus StudioLive. It will do what you want.

But it is expensive. And there's the rub. To get what you want requires a significant investment. You either have to moderate your gear ambitions, or commit to a recording goal.
 
Armistice said:
Don't double post your question Coops.

You asked it once in noobs, didn't like the answers, so asked it again in noobs, and here it is once more....

And if you can't work out from teh interwebz the answer to a specific question like you're asking, by, y'now, looking up the specs like somegeezer just did for you, then my friend, stick it all back into its boxes and see if you can get your money back, because actual recording is going to be waaaaaay too tricky for you, I feel... ;)
Click to expand...

No. I asked once in noobs and didn't give enough info for a straight answer. I replied with enough info but didn't get any answering replies. I have looked up the specs for the Onyx and for the Behringer and for 2 other boards before that. It's just that on the specs for the boards they are real shady in giving a straight answer. They say multi track recording but they don't say DAW multi track, or they say USB to record straight to your computer but what it really does is gives you a 2 track only (Behringer). I wanted someone who has used the board before to give me their opinion on it and tell me that it for sure does what I think it does before I blow $800 on it and then find it out myself. If you have nothing better to do than troll me on my own post then you may have a looooooooooong way to go on the path to adulthood, bud.
 
gecko zzed said:
Coops . . . you should look at the Presonus StudioLive. It will do what you want.

But it is expensive. And there's the rub. To get what you want requires a significant investment. You either have to moderate your gear ambitions, or commit to a recording goal.
Click to expand...

I actually love that board. I've used it before and absolutely love it. I don't have the cash to throw out for it though. :/
 
somegeezer said:
"The Alesis MultiMix 16 USB 2.0 mixer provides USB 2.0 technology for ultra–fast, low–latency, 24–bit/44.1–96kHz (with high–end A/D and D/A conversion) multi–channel audio recording straight to your computer."

Straight from their website. [MultiMix 16 USB 2.0 Integrated USB 2.0 audio interface and mixer]
Click to expand...

Yeah I saw that there already. Like I said to Armistice, I wanted someone who has used it to confirm before I shell out the $800 on it. Would FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 support this board? (I know nothing about FireWire)

Also there's the FireWire Alesis MultiMix and there's the USB Alesis MultiMix. I hear the USB only gives a 2 track to a DAW whereas the FireWire gives track for track.
 
Coops409 said:
Yeah I saw that there already. Like I said to Armistice, I wanted someone who has used it to confirm before I shell out the $800 on it. Would FireWire 400 and FireWire 800 support this board? (I know nothing about FireWire)

Also there's the FireWire Alesis MultiMix and there's the USB Alesis MultiMix. I hear the USB only gives a 2 track to a DAW whereas the FireWire gives track for track.
Click to expand...

USB 1.1 only handles 2 tracks. USB 2.0 can handle up to 16. If I'm not mistaken. Which I could be. If I'm wrong, then USB 2.0 can handle more than that. So either way, it's more than you seem to need for now.

As for the specific way it hooks up to your computer, go to the website, click "docs & downloads" and there are bits and pieces from the manual on there that you can read. I'm sure it will give you the answers. You just have to search a bit more thoroughly.

Like Armistice said, if you can't manage to find info that is given to you directly, you may find actually recording stuff to be a tad more difficult. Doesn't help to insult him and others around here. It will only lead to people giving up in helping you.
 
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