M-Audio Question

[leaversday]

I was hoping someone could answer a question regarding the M-Audio Solo computer interface. I am a longtime musician but rather new to digital recording on computers.

I am attempting to build a very small-scale home studio and have the following starting equipment:

Eurorack UB1204-PRO Mixer
EMX62M 6-Channel Powered Mixer
IMAC G5 with 1 GB Memory
Cubase SX
Digitec GNX4 Guitar Effects Pedal
Digitec Vocal 300 Pedal
SM57
MXLV63M Condenser Studio Microphone with Shockmount

I would like to purchase the M-Audio Solo but was wondering if my Eurorack or EMX62M Mixers could be plugged into the Solo to offer more mic / instrument inputs.

If the answer is yes, then how should I do this. Yes I know that this is a basic question but I have always had trouble understanding the correct signal path and most of the time my recordings sound third rate.

Also, Is this enough equipment to get off the ground or am I missing a vital piece?

Thanks for you help and experience

 

[blazingstrings]

The M-Audio solo? is that the firewire interface?
If so that is a cool one.

You may want to get yourself a second hard drive (firewire/USB2.0 7200RPM) for your audio files. It will add to your systems over all performance.
Other wise monitors(speakers) are a nice thing to add but not needed right away.

Otherwise that is a real nice system, I envy you. is the G5 pretty fast?

-Blaze

 

[leaversday]

The M-Audio solo? is that the firewire interface?
If so that is a cool one.

You may want to get yourself a second hard drive (firewire/USB2.0 7200RPM) for your audio files. It will add to your systems over all performance.
Other wise monitors(speakers) are a nice thing to add but not needed right away.

Otherwise that is a real nice system, I envy you. is the G5 pretty fast?

-Blaze

Yes, the Solo is the fireWire interface

You have a good point about the external second hard drive. I am pretty sure that the solo has a second FireWire port to chain these two bad boys together, if thats what its for.

The monitors are something that I have been eyeing for several week. The old stero just dosen't do it.

The G5 is one of my best investments thus far. I have always been a Windows fan but after purchasing the MAC, I will never go back. Don't get me wrong, you can do some great things on the PC based software but the MAC just seem easier and more reliable (maybe just an opinion of mine).

 

[AlChuck]

I would like to purchase the M-Audio Solo but was wondering if my Eurorack or EMX62M Mixers could be plugged into the Solo to offer more mic / instrument inputs.

It's got a 1/4" instrument level input. and XLR input with a mic preamp with phantom power, plus a pair of line inputs. That's four. That's all it can send into the computer simultaneously. If you are thinking that ading a mixer outside of this box can add extra recordable channels, no, sorry. But you can always use a mixer and combine however many inputs you have into a pair of outputs that can go into the two line inputs of the Solo. But all that premixed audio will be on two tracks.

 

[leaversday]

But you can always use a mixer and combine however many inputs you have into a pair of outputs that can go into the two line inputs of the Solo. But all that premixed audio will be on two tracks.

Is this how I would record our drummer or is there another way?

 

[Theros]

You could record your drummer with multiple mics... get the appropiate levels using the mixer, then use the mixers output to go into the Solo, but as was said above, you would get a maximum of 2 tracks if you used both inputs...

Could be sorta like this:

Kick --------------------->Mixer(output)--------->Solo----->DAW
Snare ---------------------^

Cymbols -------------------->Mixer(second output)->Solo------>DAW
Overheads -------------------^

That would provide you with two seperate tracks, one of Cymbols/overheads the other of Kick/snare... (Not being a drummer I wouldnt know what combination is most desireable but it could be modified) You would however, not be able to re-adjust the mix of drums once on the DAW.

 

[blazingstrings]

Yes, the Solo is the fireWire interface

You have a good point about the external second hard drive. I am pretty sure that the solo has a second FireWire port to chain these two bad boys together, if thats what its for.

Doesnt the G5 Imac have two firewire ports? I would just plug the HardDrive right into a port if you have a free one. I am just a firm beliver in Plugging external devices directly into the computer, and not using hubs or thru ports.

Yeah old stereos are ok to reference tracks but not to mix or track by.

Oh and with drums my favorite way to track them is with very few mics.
I have had great success with just one condensor a short(or long distance) from the kit. or one overhead and one on the kick. and just move them around.
It depends on how you want them to sound. If you want to mic kick snare high hat ect. then a couple of inexpensive compressors would be helpfull when tracking to keep a nice even level on things.


-Blaze

 

[leaversday]

Doesnt the G5 Imac have two firewire ports? -Blaze

Good Point. The G5 does have 2 firewire ports and this makes better sense to go straight into the computer instead of creating a chain.