Oh Goody! A puzzle!!
So- priorities:
1) Need to get your two tracks in cleanly- no leakage from the mix that you are playing along to.
2) Need both headphone and speaker monitoring capabilities.
What I would try...
1) Have the card outs hooked up to the 2 track input. Assign it to the Control Rooom Mix. This lets you hear your mix without feeding it back to the card- with both the cans and the speakers.
One annoying aspect, you'll have to turn off your speakers to track with the cans only.
2) Send your Main Outs to the 2 inputs on the card. While tracking, pan your two track hard right and left to get total seperation. Left would then be input 1 and right input two. Annoying while tracking with headphones, but it works. This lets you use the main volume control to help set levels going into your card.
The sends are also assigned to the Mains, so you can print your effects, if you like. At least this puts the effects box in the chain after the pres.
3) Alternately, hook you card's inputs to to 2-track outs. Should function the same as the mains. Depends on the connectors (RCA, 1/4") you want to use. I'd probably use the tape outs just for consistency.
4) Hook your speakers up the the control room outs. You'll have to use a 1/8th inch to 1/4 inch adapter or cord, but it works.
SO, the phones/control room knobs control the volume to both the speakers and the headphone. The main mix knobs controls over all levels sent to the soundcard.
That also leaves the stereo channels open for MIDI devices and drums machines. Since they'll go to the main outs, they'll record in stereo with no fuss.
I'm not sure if there is a balanced/unbalanced issue there, but perhaps someone else can pcik up that topic.
That's the best I can think of given what I know about it.
Good luck!
Chris
