How do these things work together?

[bnoji]

I've been using a Tascam 424 for the last 6 or 7 years and I finally have the space to setup a proper studio. I've been looking for a flexible and expandable setup. I was thinking about the Delta 1010 for input, and Pro Tools M-Powered for software but I'm a little confused about the mixer or preamp. It looks like Pro Tools has a built in mixer...so why would I need to connect an external mixer (other than for the preamps)?

Thanks.

 

[Kevin Deschwazi]

You wouldn't need an external mixer for any other prurpose than using the preamps. Of course some people like to mixdown on an analog board, great if you have a nice console and lots of snazzy outboard but a bit of a stretch on the budget for your average home recor.

I have a small mixer which I use for monitoring and it does have a couple of mic pres should I need them but I could live without it tbh.

I enjoy the versatility of a few different standalone preamps going straight into the card.

 

[Halion]

I don't use a mixer at all. All you need is a good signal coming into your computer, which means decent preamps and decent AD convertors. The delta seems like good choice. You could go for 4 DMP3s (by M-Audio, about 150 a pop, stereo). You could also go for something like the RME Octamic, which has 8 pre's and AD conversion for all channels build in. You cannot use it with ProTools though, if you want to use the AD conversion. You can however run the outputs of the Octamic to the delta. That way you can use this setup with protools, but you will have payed for 8 AD convertors that you're not using. I don't really know of 8 preamps in 1 unit that doesn't have convertors in it also.

 

[andydeedpoll]

i use a mixer with Everything, not just my recording stuff. i use the yamha MG12/4, because it's cheap and nice . i have everything going through it - mics, computer sound, headphones, CD player... everything! makes it nice and easy to change stuff, because you can leave everything else on a single setting, and then change it on the mixer. i like that.

good for recording drums on a budget as well.

Andy