Sorry if this doesn't make sense but I shall try the best that I can. I use studio one artist and I have a behringer xenyx x1832 usb mixer ( which is also an audio interface). What I want to be able to do is multitrack for instance drums so I can have separate tracks. Such as kick, snare, and so on. But the problem I'm having is that it sends all the inputs into one track. Does that make sense? Sorry. And sorry if this isn't the right place or anything for this. Any help would be nice.
Help with multitrack recording
- Thread starter jrieggs
- Start date
Steenamaroo
...
Hey,
That makes perfect sense. It's how the xenyx x1832 works.
To be able to keep each input channel discreet you'd need to look and an audio interface like the ones from tascam/presonus/rme/focusrite.
Are you especially interested in having a mixer front-end? I think the alesis multimix range are multitrack capable, but have a google to be certain.
Personally, I'd go the straight interface route.
That makes perfect sense. It's how the xenyx x1832 works.
To be able to keep each input channel discreet you'd need to look and an audio interface like the ones from tascam/presonus/rme/focusrite.
Are you especially interested in having a mixer front-end? I think the alesis multimix range are multitrack capable, but have a google to be certain.
Personally, I'd go the straight interface route.
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
Your problem, unfortunately, is that your mixer is not capable of doing that. It's not what it was designed for. It was designed as a mixing board for live sound management. It is only an "audio interface" to the extent that it has a USB output that can send its 2 output buses to a computer enabled with recording software, rather than to two powered speaker arrays, meaning the left and right side of a PA. That's the inherent concept of a mixer. It takes a bunch of signals and combines them into a smaller number of outputs, usually an even number. The only case in which a mixer makes sense in recording is when you have more signals than you have channels. Drums are the main culprit, as it is the instrument that wants to send out the most simultaneous signals.
The simple answer is- you have the wrong piece of gear to do what you're trying to do. What you need is a multichannel audio computer interface that has however many channels and preamps you need. How many you need is determined by how many open mics you intend to use at the same time. Short of some *really* expensive units, there are very few that will give you more than 8 simultaneous inputs with preamps, although some of them will allow you to combine, or "piggyback" (2) 8 channel units for a total of 16. Be aware that many units have a bunch of inputs, but only some of the channels have preamps, which means that you need an external preamp for every channel you want to use that doesn't have its own preamp.
That's something a mixer *is* good for, because, at least, it has a bunch of preamps with line level outputs, so you can send the line outs of the channels on the mixing board to the channels on your interface that don't have preamps. Lately, there's the beginning of a trend toward standalone recorders that are also recording interfaces. These *can* do what you are talking about, up to the limit of how many simultaneous inputs and outputs they have. Here's a not-particularly expensive unit that would do your job-
Zoom R16 | 8thstreet.com | Call 1-800-878-8882 | Most Orders Ship Free!
t has 8 preamps, but only 2 of them have phantom power, which is required by most condenser mics. Dynamic mics, which are used often on drums, don't need that, so you would probably use the two phantom-powered channels for 2 condensers as overheads, and the other 6 with dynamic mics for snare, kick, ride, high-hat, crash, and toms.
Here's an 8 channel audio interface that isn't a recorder, but has somewhat better preamps. It will give you phantom power on all 8 inputs:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 | Sweetwater.com
Hope that helps. I'm sorry your board was designed to do something other than what you want to do. If you bought it for that purpose, I feel your pain. Best of luck.
The simple answer is- you have the wrong piece of gear to do what you're trying to do. What you need is a multichannel audio computer interface that has however many channels and preamps you need. How many you need is determined by how many open mics you intend to use at the same time. Short of some *really* expensive units, there are very few that will give you more than 8 simultaneous inputs with preamps, although some of them will allow you to combine, or "piggyback" (2) 8 channel units for a total of 16. Be aware that many units have a bunch of inputs, but only some of the channels have preamps, which means that you need an external preamp for every channel you want to use that doesn't have its own preamp.
That's something a mixer *is* good for, because, at least, it has a bunch of preamps with line level outputs, so you can send the line outs of the channels on the mixing board to the channels on your interface that don't have preamps. Lately, there's the beginning of a trend toward standalone recorders that are also recording interfaces. These *can* do what you are talking about, up to the limit of how many simultaneous inputs and outputs they have. Here's a not-particularly expensive unit that would do your job-
Zoom R16 | 8thstreet.com | Call 1-800-878-8882 | Most Orders Ship Free!
t has 8 preamps, but only 2 of them have phantom power, which is required by most condenser mics. Dynamic mics, which are used often on drums, don't need that, so you would probably use the two phantom-powered channels for 2 condensers as overheads, and the other 6 with dynamic mics for snare, kick, ride, high-hat, crash, and toms.
Here's an 8 channel audio interface that isn't a recorder, but has somewhat better preamps. It will give you phantom power on all 8 inputs:
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 | Sweetwater.com
Hope that helps. I'm sorry your board was designed to do something other than what you want to do. If you bought it for that purpose, I feel your pain. Best of luck.
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
Yup to everything people have said. Your mixer is simply not capable of what you want.
However, one thing that might help occasionally:
You can at least do two individual tracks if you pan one input hard left and the other hard right on the mixer then set up your DAW to record the board output as two mono tracks rather than a single stereo one.
I know it's not 8 separate tracks for drums but there are a good many times you only need two anyway.
However, one thing that might help occasionally:
You can at least do two individual tracks if you pan one input hard left and the other hard right on the mixer then set up your DAW to record the board output as two mono tracks rather than a single stereo one.
I know it's not 8 separate tracks for drums but there are a good many times you only need two anyway.
I use a presonus studio alive 24.4.2 mixer/interface when Im fooling around with non analog recording. It interfaces with your studio one Artist beautifully (or is it the other way around). You can use the Presonus as a stand alone mixer, or as an interface with 24 inputs. One reason I selected it is because it also has direct out for every channel so I can use it in the analog studio as well. Im very happy with that board and I really like Studio one 2.
Edit: It is a Firewire interface, and people report issues with that, although to date I have had not a single issue with it or the stability of it. YMMV
Edit: It is a Firewire interface, and people report issues with that, although to date I have had not a single issue with it or the stability of it. YMMV
mjbphotos
Moderator
Presonus mixer: $3000.00
Behringer mixer: $280.00
Not so fast there. I bought mine new at guitar center: $1400.00
BroKen_H
Re-member
Not so fast there. I bought mine new at guitar center: $1400.00
Sign me up, I'll take 6!
Bobbsy
Boring Old Git
Not so fast there. I bought mine new at guitar center: $1400.00
Yeah, and a bit of searching found me the same Behringer mixer for just over $200. The main point is that you're comparing a mixer worth more than five times the price.
Frankly, that's the issue. Mixers CAN be very useful in home studios--but you have to pay significantly more than the bargain basement range before you get anything flexible enough to be worthwhile. The trouble is that most people starting out have seen photos of big six figure mixers in pro studios and assume they need something similar but cheaper--when the reality is that, for Xenyx money you get something with more limitations than advantages.
OT aside...I've heard that the reason for the low Presonus prices is that their sales dropped to almost nil with the release of the Behringer x32. If I was in the market for a new mixer it would certainly be the x32 that would get my money.
mjbphotos
Moderator
Not so fast there. I bought mine new at guitar center: $1400.00
Maybe you got a demo unit or they just f*cked up. Here's GC's current listing.
Yeah that listing is for the new AI version. They were blowing out the originals as the AIs were just arriving.