Firepod as A/D converter

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Bguzaldo

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I was looking to get an actual mixer for my recording set up. I had my eye on a soundcraft 200B or something of the nature, something with character. But anyways, I was wondering if anyone has used a firepod as an A/D converter to go from a mixer to a computer. I mean I just figured I can go from the outs on the mixer to the ins in the Firepod and via firewire it'll record thru cubase just as the firepod would. Just curious and looking to experiment with my set up.

Let me know if you got an opinion

thanks
-Barrett
 
Never actually tried it but did own a firepod. That should definitely work, although it seems like adding an unnecessary link in the chain. What are you looking for that the firepod doesn't have? Better mic pre's?
 
Anomaly Design said:
Never actually tried it but did own a firepod. That should definitely work, although it seems like adding an unnecessary link in the chain. What are you looking for that the firepod doesn't have? Better mic pre's?
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Yeah it does seem to be a bit unnecessary but I guess I was looking for the actual character and functuatlity of a real mixer, I'd also like to be able to use my outboard gear as inserts and the firepod only offers inserts on channels 1 + 2. Also I think using a mixer will help me with ear training since I'm just a youngin :D

Thanks for the reply
-barrett
 
Bguzaldo said:
Yeah it does seem to be a bit unnecessary but I guess I was looking for the actual character and functuatlity of a real mixer, I'd also like to be able to use my outboard gear as inserts and the firepod only offers inserts on channels 1 + 2. Also I think using a mixer will help me with ear training since I'm just a youngin :D

Thanks for the reply
-barrett
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You can also route your DAW out of your 8 inputs and mix on your mixer and use the inserts on your mixer for your outboard gear. I always wanted to mix like this but I've managed to mostly stay in the box. Plus I have limited outboard gear. Good luck with whatever you do. :)
 
Erockrazor said:
You can also route your DAW out of your 8 inputs and mix on your mixer and use the inserts on your mixer for your outboard gear. I always wanted to mix like this but I've managed to mostly stay in the box. Plus I have limited outboard gear. Good luck with whatever you do. :)
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Do you mean like record using the firepod then go out to a mixer and add the inserts there?
 
Bguzaldo said:
Do you mean like record using the firepod then go out to a mixer and add the inserts there?
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Precisely. And you could also record through the mixer into the firepod too. You just need quite a few cables to do it. :)

Eric
 
Erockrazor said:
Precisely. And you could also record through the mixer into the firepod too. You just need quite a few cables to do it. :)

Eric
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Yeah that's actually a pretty cool idea! I'll definitely have to try that out when I get a mixer!

Thanks,
-Barrett
 
Most of my recording is done from the direct outs of an Allen & Heath GL2200 into a firepod(s). I am very satisfied with the results, but then again I don't really have anything to compare it to. :D
 
dastrick said:
Most of my recording is done from the direct outs of an Allen & Heath GL2200 into a firepod(s). I am very satisfied with the results, but then again I don't really have anything to compare it to. :D
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Alright I sort of have another question maybe you can help.

I see videos of pro engineers at consoles with say a neve desk and then there's a computer to the right. The engineer hits play on the computer but is able to continue to mix on the console adjusting faders and eq's and whatnot. I would think if it goes into the computer you would have to mix it solely on the computer.
I mean the only way I thought logically you could do it was to then switch the cables to go from the firepod outs to the mixer ins but that seems like a bit too much work. How does this work? Because if I bought a mixer for my setup I'd like to be able to do the mixing on there as well.

Thanks for the help
-Barrett
 
Let say you run your mics into the preamp on the mixer. Take the direct outs from the mixer and run into the Firepod Line Ins and record. Once it's recorded in your DAW you can send each track back out of the Firepods direct out into the Line Inputs of the mixer.
 
Bguzaldo said:
I see videos of pro engineers at consoles with say a neve desk and then there's a computer to the right. The engineer hits play on the computer but is able to continue to mix on the console adjusting faders and eq's and whatnot. I would think if it goes into the computer you would have to mix it solely on the computer.
I mean the only way I thought logically you could do it was to then switch the cables to go from the firepod outs to the mixer ins but that seems like a bit too much work. How does this work? Because if I bought a mixer for my setup I'd like to be able to do the mixing on there as well.
Click to expand...

I do that using SSL XLogic stand alone converters. I go back and forth from the console with the analog I/O and back and forth from the DAW with the ADAT I/O, all of which operate simultaneously. All of my outboard and the console inputs terminate in a patchbay, so I can mix or record entirely in the box, out of the box or a mix of the two. I do all of my automation ITB and I can still use all of my favorite plugins AND all of my outboard compressors/EQ/reverb.

Frank
 
dastrick said:
Let say you run your mics into the preamp on the mixer. Take the direct outs from the mixer and run into the Firepod Line Ins and record. Once it's recorded in your DAW you can send each track back out of the Firepods direct out into the Line Inputs of the mixer.
Click to expand...

And then back to the DAW (or whatever recording device) to record an stereo track...
 
dastrick said:
Let say you run your mics into the preamp on the mixer. Take the direct outs from the mixer and run into the Firepod Line Ins and record. Once it's recorded in your DAW you can send each track back out of the Firepods direct out into the Line Inputs of the mixer.
Click to expand...

I'm probably going to make myself unpopular for saying this, but I don't think the ADDA on the Firepod is up to that task. I wouldn't make multiple trips in and out of the box on it...you'd be degrading the signal more than you'd be improving it. I say this having owned and used a couple of them for years...they were fine for what they were, but now that I do much of my mixing out of the box, I wouldn't dare do it on the Firepod's converters. ITB is a whole different thing...just one trip through the Firepod's converters is fine.

Frank
 
I can't speak on how well that method works because I've never tried it, but I know it's possible. As Weasel said, the quality may suffer.
 
Weasel9992 said:
I'm probably going to make myself unpopular for saying this, but I don't think the ADDA on the Firepod is up to that task. I wouldn't make multiple trips in and out of the box on it...you'd be degrading the signal more than you'd be improving it. I say this having owned and used a couple of them for years...they were fine for what they were, but now that I do much of my mixing out of the box, I wouldn't dare do it on the Firepod's converters. ITB is a whole different thing...just one trip through the Firepod's converters is fine.

Frank
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Yeah I figured with all the transfering in and out there would be plenty of needless sacrifices. Could you recommend me a worthy A/D converter for this particular task? I looked around a lot but couldn't make much sense of what I was looking at because I've never been down this road before and some of the jargon was hard to follow.:confused:

Are most A/D converters ADAT? Could I accomdate this by just getting an ADAT card for my computer to plug the converter into? Would Cubase read this ADAT connection? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!

Thanks a lot
-Barrett
 
Bguzaldo said:
Yeah I figured with all the transfering in and out there would be plenty of needless sacrifices. Could you recommend me a worthy A/D converter for this particular task? I looked around a lot but couldn't make much sense of what I was looking at because I've never been down this road before and some of the jargon was hard to follow.:confused:

Are most A/D converters ADAT? Could I accomdate this by just getting an ADAT card for my computer to plug the converter into? Would Cubase read this ADAT connection? SO MANY QUESTIONS!!
Click to expand...

Again, I'm probably not going to be any more popular for saying this, but I'd mix ITB until you can get into the likes of SSL, Lynx or Apoggee. At that point you're gaining by coming OTB to your outboard then back in. None of that stuff is particularly cheap though...I think I spent about $5,000 on my converters including the RME ADAT card and the cable sets.

Lots of converters are ADAT...it's a very simple, workable solution that you can run for miles. My SSL converters will run MADI or (if I bought them this way) AES EBU. There are lots of ways to do it.

Frank
 
Weasel9992 said:
Again, I'm probably not going to be any more popular for saying this, but I'd mix ITB until you can get into the likes of SSL, Lynx or Apoggee. At that point you're gaining by coming OTB to your outboard then back in. None of that stuff is particularly cheap though...I think I spent about $5,000 on my converters including the RME ADAT card and the cable sets.

Lots of converters are ADAT...it's a very simple, workable solution that you can run for miles. My SSL converters will run MADI or (if I bought them this way) AES EBU. There are lots of ways to do it.

Frank
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I know this is by NO MEANS anywhere near SSL or any of the high end conversion, but would this be a step forward or a step back.

If I got this mixer

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MixWizard316/

And this converter

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/142/

and skipped out on the whole firepod thing and went from the Mixers analog out to the converter analog in and then got an ADAT PCI card and connected it to my computer....

Thanks for all the help man
-Barrett
 
Bguzaldo said:
I know this is by NO MEANS anywhere near SSL or any of the high end conversion, but would this be a step forward or a step back.

If I got this mixer

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MixWizard316/

And this converter

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/142/

and skipped out on the whole firepod thing and went from the Mixers analog out to the converter analog in and then got an ADAT PCI card and connected it to my computer....
Click to expand...

Honestly, it'd probably be on par with the Firepod. You're looking at RME's stuff before you get a real upgrade, and that's about $1,200 for eight channels. I've never used the MOTU stuff, but that gets a good rap too.

Frank
 
Weasel9992 said:
Honestly, it'd probably be on par with the Firepod. You're looking at RME's stuff before you get a real upgrade, and that's about $1,200 for eight channels. I've never used the MOTU stuff, but that gets a good rap too.

Frank
Click to expand...

Alright I'll stop perstering you haha, Thanks for all the help though, I really appreciate it.

-Barrett
 
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