how many channels on your mixer?

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A1A2

A1A2

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hi, for those of you computer musicians, who own an outboard mixer, how many channels do you have on your mixer??

I am struggling right now cuz I am getting a new mixer and am struggling with how big a mixer I need.

My gear list:

an acustic guitar
a Fender strat
Roland XP30 keyboard
4 mics

now comes the tricky part,

POD pro
RNC

these outboard processor seem a lil tricky to me cuz I can send so many dif channels to them and come back as either mono or stereo to my mixer before they all go into my soundcard.
I understand that I don't even need a mixer cuz I am pretty much doing one track at a time myself, except for drum, which takes a mixer cuz my Audiophile only got 2 ins. I don't wanna plug and un plug my cables all the time, so I definitely want a channel per cable/gear. If I did my math correctly, I have total of 11 inputs (4 mics+1 Acustice gtr D/I+2 POD+2 RNC+2XP 30)

Will Mackie 1402 do? or should I consider furture "live" needs and get a 1604 or 1642??? Any opinion? I wanna get a mixer that I can stick with in the long run instead of getting something small and regreat later. Help, plz
 
trackrat:


I have seen some pics of your workstation, it really looks like you were to launch a space shuttle or something! lol

Anyways, do you record alone more often than with others? if alone more often, why do you need so may channels? I am asking to find out things that I really don't understand, not to imply any smart-azz comment.
 
oh my god!

just checked your pics again, oh my god, is that 3 mixers i am seeing there????!!!!
are you tracking a piece of hair per channel or somehting? lol
 
24 channel, 8-buss.... plus 16 channels on the comp!

Bruce
 
I usually track full bands. A drum kit can eat channels fast. Plus I mix down thru the console as well which uses up mixer real estate. I have a 16 channel StudioMaster and use a Mackie 1604 as a side car.
 
Sixteen

>I understand that I don't even need a mixer

Sure- but it does come in handy when you actually want to MIX some stuff together and record it to a stereo pair.

Plus it's fun to use one as a front end in a voice chat. You can easily play DJ.

On the other hand (OTOH for you internet freeks) when I'm building the cleanest computer mix I can with my limited equipment, I like running the signal DIRECT into the soundcard.
This is a pain in the ass because I have to constantly unplug the source and plug in the next source into the soundcard.

But the cleanest audio results from the shortest signal chain.
 
I totally agree with the shortest signal chain idea, but, there is no way for me to keep things organized w/out a mixer. I have just way to many cables with the few gears I got, can't even imagine getting more in the future.

TRackrat& Bruce:

what do you record your tracks into first? ADAT then playback to the mixer, mix there, and then send a stereo channel to computer for "Final touch-up" ?(I tried to avoid using the word mastering, Bruce. lol)
 
For me... tracking direct to ADAT using an outboard pre, bypassing the console completely.

ADAT to comp (via Lightpipe) for any digital editing, then back to ADAT.... mix thru the board down to an Alesis Masterlink.

From there I can tweak it on the Masterlink, or bring it into the comp as needed.

Bruce
 
I am running a 24x8x2 yamaha mixer with a couple of blackface adats.Sometimes I will mix from the board to 2trk in the pc and just edit and burn from there.sometimes I will dump the tracks in via lightpipe and edit them up in cool edit pro,however the mood strikes me and depending on how much detail the project requires.I could get by with a smaller board,but the customers seem to like sitting behind the big mixer,and I do too!
 
thanks for all the replies!

now, Bruce, I am so glad that you actually joined this thread, I 've always wanted to ask you questions/opinions.

Hey guys, from what I have so far, how would you go about setting them up??

Let's say I am using a Mackie 1402 or 1642 as pres and organizing cables from plugging/unplugging. POD Pro and RNC as effect processor (or sometimes POD as pre). PC for tracking/mixing/editing. How would you wire everything up with what I have?

should I consider getting an ADAT or real-to-real tape machine, so I can track on them, mix on my board, and edit on PC? What's the pros and cons for doing that comparing to doing it all on PC? I kinda like the idea of mixing on an actual mixer cuz PC mixing can get annoying (one mouse, tons of faders/pop-up windows...so on)

thanks for sharing your setups
 
>should I consider getting an ADAT or real-to-real tape machine,

You should consider it and then dismiss it out of hand.... :)

Direct to HD is the way to go method.

No track or format constraints that aren't related to physical limitations common to ANY system.
 
yeah, I personally think that recording into hard-drives is a very convient way to go(in fact, that's the only method I have used so far), however, if I want to process the signals with outboard processors (for better processing power) or even mixing on a real mixer, I would then have to deal with many A/D D/A conversions, which can degrade the sound quality....or do we have soundcards/convertors that will do the job right already??
 
A1A2 said:
yeah, I personally think that recording into hard-drives is a very convient way to go(in fact, that's the only method I have used so far), however, if I want to process the signals with outboard processors (for better processing power) or even mixing on a real mixer, I would then have to deal with many A/D D/A conversions, which can degrade the sound quality....or do we have soundcards/convertors that will do the job right already??
Click to expand...
A digital mixer can be used as a control surface to control the faders on your computer screen. A good AD/DA converter is a good idea too.
As far as outputing to outboard gear, the converter will have an input state, and an output state.
Run the output from the converter to your outboard gear's input.
Run the outboard gear's output back into an open bus on the AD/DA converter's input.
Track that input.
There you have it. One track pre-processed, one track post processed. Pick and choose the best.
There may be other ways, but that one works.
 
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