confused on setup!

[drummersteve]

ok, im getting really confused now with the way that the whole recoring system is set up. i checked what i thought was right with someone n they confirmed my suspisions, but now iv gone n got myself confused again.
So, youve got your 8 XLR ins from your drumkit running into your analogue mixing desk. the line-outs of the mixing desk, then go into the line-ins on your computer soundcard. of course, if you have any outboard hardware, compressers, reverb units etc, youd connect them in your channel inserts. but after looking at the Delta 1010LT, i see it has 8 line-ins, and 8 line-outs. now, from what ive learnt, i thought the computer was the last stage of processing the signal, and out of the computer comes the stereo out to an amplifier, then to monitors? so really what im asking is, what are the 8 lineouts on the soundcard, have i got myself confused in the journey of the electric signal? thanks in advanced for any replies.
Steve

 

[regebro]

so really what im asking is, what are the 8 lineouts on the soundcard

Mostly for outboard gear, such as reverb and delay.

 

[protein]

It depends how you mix. If you want to mix completely on the computer using software then don't worry about the outs. You monitor from the computer rather than the desk.

If you want to mix using the desk then you use the outs to go to the desk so you can use the EQ, inserts, sends etc. This way you use the computer in a more conventional way as a digital multitrack tape machine.

 

[Ronan]

so really what im asking is, what are the 8 lineouts on the soundcard, have i got myself confused in the journey of the electric signal? thanks in advanced for any replies.
Steve

This way you can do your final mix with the console, unless your console is awful, its a far better way to mix than all inside the computer. It can be more fun and will sound better.

 

[drummersteve]

this is what im saying, i originally thought that the mixing console was userd before the computer, input into consoles from mics., then output of misxing desk to input of soundcard, so then where do the outputs of the soundcards go?