Analog mixer meets computer...how?

[ruganuga]

Hello, all. I am resigning myself to try something new...using my PC to record music. I've been recording analog for 15 years, starting with old 4 track cassette machines to what I'm currently using - a Tascam M1516 board and my old Tascam 38. The 38...well, capstan motors, pinch roller, drive belts, tape biasing, degaussing, calibration, etc... I'm ready to try the computer. So...I would welcome advice on how to interface by M1516 (16x8x4) to my PC. Please don't make me go to Guitar Center for advice unless absolutely necessary.
I would typically sum 6 drum mics to ch 1 and 5 for stereo out, and use ch 2,3,4,6,7, and 8 direct out to the deck for guitars, bass, vocals, keys, etc. Any suggestions for the software / interface would be greatly appreciated. Next problem would be the $$$. Thanks.

 

[smtcharlie]

Home recorder here. If you are happy with the pre's on that board (I have little experience with different boards), you would just need a A-D convertor and software. And you will need 8 channels of conversion so that you can keep your tracks separate within software for mixing, etc.

I hadn't used very many of these products, so I'm not really going to be helpful here. But if you do a search on MOTU 828, I bet that you would find exactly the discussions around here that you are after...

good luck

smtcharlie

 

[dinorocker]

What you really need is two things:

1. An interface card that lets your get sound from your mixer into your PC, and back again (for monitoring, mixing, etc.)

I use a M-Audio Delta 1010LT card - not the newest thing on the market, but proven and fairly respected. And quite affordable.

http://m-audio.com/products/en_us/Delta1010LT-main.html

It has a variety of connection options, including 8 analog LINE-INs (two of which are balanced), SPDIF, MIDI, etc.

2. Software to glue the whole thing together.

I use Cubase SX2 under Windows (pretty old, but I see no reason to spring cash for an upgrade to SX3), and a variety of applications such as RoseGarden, JAM, etc. under Linux. Other options for Windows could include Cakewalk's Sonar.

I am not familiar with Macintosh based apps.

You will need some cables to link mixer to card (probably 1/4" to RCA).

And of course you'd need a decent PC - with tons of hard disk space (which is luckily cheap these days - look for 200 GB++) and at least 1 GB of RAM, based on a snappy Intel or AMD processor.

Once you start playing around with these, you will quickly find that your experience with Analog recording equipment will not be wasted at all - most of the concepts are really the same, and you will just have to learn to use the additional capabilities of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

Hope this helps you get started.

 

[Thunder33]

I will second the 1010LT. Great card for the price.

 

[LemonTree]

I'd skip the LT and get the straight 1010, it's balanced throught.

It doesn't have the two crap mic pre's the LT has and you don't need them with the pre's on your board. The 1010 is just a solid A/D D/A convertor with no bells or whistles....you don't need them anyway. It has solid driver support on all platforms and you can have up to 4 of them in one system for 32in/32out. You can actualy have a combination of any the Delta family card in one system. I run a 1010 and 2 410 PCI cards for 12in/24out. I've been glitch free for the past 2 years. My board is a Soundtracs Topaz project 8 24/8/2

 

[ruganuga]

Thank you all. It seems I can be taught. What to do with the 38? It's been a great workhouse for nigh on 12 years (for me. anyway). Were it not for the maintenance.......plus now I get to try something new AND feed my gear habit. Life is good.

 

[BluMusic]

What you really need is two things:

1. An interface card that lets your get sound from your mixer into your PC, and back again (for monitoring, mixing, etc.)

I use a M-Audio Delta 1010LT card - not the newest thing on the market, but proven and fairly respected. And quite affordable.

http://m-audio.com/products/en_us/Delta1010LT-main.html

It has a variety of connection options, including 8 analog LINE-INs (two of which are balanced), SPDIF, MIDI, etc.

2. Software to glue the whole thing together.

I use Cubase SX2 under Windows (pretty old, but I see no reason to spring cash for an upgrade to SX3), and a variety of applications such as RoseGarden, JAM, etc. under Linux. Other options for Windows could include Cakewalk's Sonar.

I am not familiar with Macintosh based apps.

You will need some cables to link mixer to card (probably 1/4" to RCA).

And of course you'd need a decent PC - with tons of hard disk space (which is luckily cheap these days - look for 200 GB++) and at least 1 GB of RAM, based on a snappy Intel or AMD processor.

Once you start playing around with these, you will quickly find that your experience with Analog recording equipment will not be wasted at all - most of the concepts are really the same, and you will just have to learn to use the additional capabilities of a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW).

Hope this helps you get started.

Nothing to add only that you & I have the same setup .. excluding the board which you didn't mention. .. M-Audio Delta - SX2

Are you recording live instruments or Sampled & Built In Sounds

 

[dinorocker]

I'd skip the LT and get the straight 1010, it's balanced throught.

I'd agree, if it werent for the $200+ difference and the "Next problem would be the $$$" comment by the OP. Money saved is money spent on decent pre-amp.

And unless we are dealing with distances of more than 2-3 metres from mixer to PC, the additional 6 balanced inputs don't make much of a difference. The first two inputs are balanced even on the LT, and the internal pre-amps on the LT can (and should be) disabled, anyway.

Of course, having lots of balanced connections even if they arent really needed isn't a bad thing, but spending $200 more than you need to *could* be.

 

[LemonTree]

I'd agree, if it werent for the $200+ difference and the "Next problem would be the $$$" comment by the OP. Money saved is money spent on decent pre-amp.

And unless we are dealing with distances of more than 2-3 metres from mixer to PC, the additional 6 balanced inputs don't make much of a difference. The first two inputs are balanced even on the LT, and the internal pre-amps on the LT can (and should be) disabled, anyway.

Of course, having lots of balanced connections even if they arent really needed isn't a bad thing, but spending $200 more than you need to *could* be.

The convertors on the LT are on the pci card. Having them in the breakout box gives much better signal to noise ration plus you're paying a bit more because the convertors are a bit higher end in the non lt version

You get what you pay for

 

[dinorocker]

Nothing to add only that you & I have the same setup .. excluding the board which you didn't mention. .. M-Audio Delta - SX2

Are you recording live instruments or Sampled & Built In Sounds

If that was meant for me - I record live instruments and vocals, as well as midi and triggered samples.

For my use, the 1010LT is really overkill - I don't record more than 2 tracks at a time anyway (and in a really quiet PC - hand picked components and assembled), so a 2x2 card would probably have done the job.

I haven't yet recorded real drums - when I do, the 8 inputs may come in useful, but I will probably just use the inputs to feed triggers to Drumagog+samples. For me, drum micing is music's answer to having your nails pulled with nosepliers.

 

[dinorocker]

The convertors on the LT are on the pci card. Having them in the breakout box gives much better signal to noise ration plus you're paying a bit more because the convertors are a bit higher end in the non lt version

You get what you pay for

You are right, that is something I can't argue with - the non-LT version has D/A 108db, A/D 109db, while the LT version has D/A 101.5 dB, A/D 99.6 dB.

 

[BluMusic]

If that was meant for me - I record live instruments and vocals, as well as midi and triggered samples.

For my use, the 1010LT is really overkill - I don't record more than 2 tracks at a time anyway (and in a really quiet PC - hand picked components and assembled), so a 2x2 card would probably have done the job.

I haven't yet recorded real drums - when I do, the 8 inputs may come in useful, but I will probably just use the inputs to feed triggers to Drumagog+samples. For me, drum micing is music's answer to having your nails pulled with nosepliers.

Yeah - I have the Roland V-Session Set, so all I'm doing is using Stereo out for the Drums and within the TD-10 you can pan the individual pads left-right-center. I'm not using the 1010, I have the older Delta-66 because I use my Board for all my instrument patches and just use the Delta for my Main Outs L/R .. works for me

Question : My dedicated PC runs Win98se ... would there be any benefit in upgrading to XP ?

 

[ruganuga]

After doing the research, it looks like I'm going after the 1010 (not LT). I downloaded the manual, and it seems easy enough for me to digest, and looks like exactly what I need. I've always recorded acoustic drums (one day I'll make it easier and get an electronic kit). It's the challenge, right? Excellent; thanks again for all the advice. Now to lay the old 38 to rest.