Mixer or Audiobuddy?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sotonfan
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Sotonfan

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Hello all, I hope this is the proper place for this question!

I’m just starting out using my computer for recording.

I need a hardware setup that will let me:
Monitor sound through headphones
Send sound to reference monitors
Provide for inputs from guitar or mics, including phantom power (I plan on only recording one track at a time right now).

It looks like I’ll be starting out with a low-end soundcard like the Santa Cruz (I understand that there are some drawbacks to the SB cards…).

Does it make more sense to get a small mixer, like the Eurorack MX602, and run my inputs and outputs though that. Or would I be better off getting a box like the Audiobuddy, and running everything else straight into the back of the soundcard?

Or perhaps I’m missing something even more basic here…

Thanks for helping out!
Drew.
 
why?

Why d'you say that gidge? I was advised to go the audiobuddy route and i now would advise that for a newby that wishes to keep costs to a minimum would benefit more from a small mixer which would provide outputs for moniors and would also provide more pre-amplified inputs... i spose it depends on how much you'r willing to spend however...
 
the audio buddy is 2 channel with phantom power so that takes care of the input needs.....the Santa Cruz can have 4 outputs so 1 pair can go to the reference monitors and a pair could be used for headphones.....i dont see what other routing capabilities would be needed to justify a mixer.......
 
I'd agree with Gidge. sounds like a plan. Do you have and amp for phones and monitors?


Later

F.S.
 
Scratch that, you have your sound card for phones. Not great but it works.




Later

F.S.
 
Thanks, everyone. I can see why Audio Buddy makes sense in this case. Let me widen my question just a bit.

I'm not wild about having to run lots of cables out of the back of the computer - I'd much rather have a box out front, where I can see what my connections are doing, and adjust playback levels manually. (Currently, I'm using a Boss digital recorder, which is really nice from this point of view).

My idea with the mixer was that I could use it both to monitor the tracks already laid down, and also to output new tracks to the computer.

So maybe this is my real question... If I'm using the mixer (phones jack or one of the outputs for my monitor speakers) to monitor the existing mix, can I also use one of the inputs to send a new track to the sound card? Or will the existing mix become part of the new track because they are both being processed by the mixer?

Is that what the "Control Room" function is for?

This is probably a really dumb question, but I can't find any thread that answers it for me.

Thanks for hanging in there with this newbie!

Drew.
 
i have no idea which direction your question went, so ill just further explain my setup......

if you go with the Audio Buddy and the Santa Cruz, youll keep the Audio Buddy's output connected to the inputs of the soundcard, and keep the Audio Buddy desktop at your fingertips.....2 outs of the Santa Cruz can go to your monitors and 2 outputs can go to headphones.........you will be able to monitor tracks thru either while laying down new tracks, and the new tracks wont get added to the new one if you dont choose to.....all levels and such are adjusted on the computer screen thru your soundcard mixer and your recording software.....there will be no need to ever reach behind the computer.......
 
a small mixer is probably the most cost effective option, and once you learn the ins and outs, you'll have a much better idea of what you want and need...........
 
A small mixer has too many advantages that I don't need to fully go into here. I just bit the bullet and bought one and I was glad I did. I bought a 6 channel Mackie for about $250 and it came with 24 bit digital effects ta boot. The experience using one is also a plus.....
Myx
 
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