Slouching Raymond
Well-known member
Marc Bolan was recorded in the toilets to get some ambiance.
FrankD77
Photographer / musician
I ended up with the x32
Can highly recommend that one for home use.
In my daw i created busses which correspond with the x32. So 16 stereo busses. More than i need. But it's great to be able to control the balance with faders.
Also a huge advantage of a console is lag.
I'm mostly mic-ing a cab or use the captor x and there is a noticable lag between the input and the daw. Not shocking but it's there. If you're fast enough it will probably be noticable
An extra advantage from the x32 are the on board effects which are very decent for home recording. Plus you can store whole setups. No automation which is a shame.
Can highly recommend that one for home use.
In my daw i created busses which correspond with the x32. So 16 stereo busses. More than i need. But it's great to be able to control the balance with faders.
Also a huge advantage of a console is lag.
I'm mostly mic-ing a cab or use the captor x and there is a noticable lag between the input and the daw. Not shocking but it's there. If you're fast enough it will probably be noticable
An extra advantage from the x32 are the on board effects which are very decent for home recording. Plus you can store whole setups. No automation which is a shame.
E
ecc83
Well-known member
I would just like to add a few points not, I think covered in the original thread?
Mixers of all but the meanest specc' have pan controls per mono input. This is most convenient if you are plugging in single mic or instrument because you can centre the pan pot* and get a double mono, central image. I don't know of an AI that can do that?
Mixers wil have at least LF and HF EQ and although it is debatable whether to "EQ on the way in" it is sometimes handy. Many mixers have a high pass filter button which can be engaged for almost all recordings, keeps out bumps and mud.
One downside to a mixer is that most do not have high impedance guitar inputs (though the A&H ZED range do and some Soundcrafts) This is easily fixed with a decent guitar pedal.
In the early posts the mic pres of cheaper mixers were criticized...These days even the $50 Behringers have very acceptable pre amps and because mixers generally run from much higher DC supplies than many interfaces they usually have higher headroom and, as pre gain is "split" between a gain knob and a channel fader, gain setting is often more precise.
Frank mentioned "lag" and by that I assume he meant latency? Analogue mixers of course have none so if multiple instruments are hooked up a mixer gives the advantage of latency free sound and no need to fire up a computer. With a bit of thought you can route monitors through the mixer or kludge/buy a switch box.
*Remembering of course that you must pan ch1 (say) hard left and ch 2 hard right if you want to record two discrete tracks!
Dave.
Mixers of all but the meanest specc' have pan controls per mono input. This is most convenient if you are plugging in single mic or instrument because you can centre the pan pot* and get a double mono, central image. I don't know of an AI that can do that?
Mixers wil have at least LF and HF EQ and although it is debatable whether to "EQ on the way in" it is sometimes handy. Many mixers have a high pass filter button which can be engaged for almost all recordings, keeps out bumps and mud.
One downside to a mixer is that most do not have high impedance guitar inputs (though the A&H ZED range do and some Soundcrafts) This is easily fixed with a decent guitar pedal.
In the early posts the mic pres of cheaper mixers were criticized...These days even the $50 Behringers have very acceptable pre amps and because mixers generally run from much higher DC supplies than many interfaces they usually have higher headroom and, as pre gain is "split" between a gain knob and a channel fader, gain setting is often more precise.
Frank mentioned "lag" and by that I assume he meant latency? Analogue mixers of course have none so if multiple instruments are hooked up a mixer gives the advantage of latency free sound and no need to fire up a computer. With a bit of thought you can route monitors through the mixer or kludge/buy a switch box.
*Remembering of course that you must pan ch1 (say) hard left and ch 2 hard right if you want to record two discrete tracks!
Dave.
FrankD77
Photographer / musician
latency indeed.
In the case of the x32 the recording is made without the eq and FX settings. Unless you use the build in stereo recorder.
On most analogue mixers it's indeed fixed.
In the case of the x32 the recording is made without the eq and FX settings. Unless you use the build in stereo recorder.
On most analogue mixers it's indeed fixed.
rob aylestone
Moderator
just a solid solution - usb cable into mac, press record and every track goes to the computer if you want. I just sold my x32, but still have the midas m32.
FrankD77
Photographer / musician
M32 has better pre amps
I opted for the x32 because I mostly go in on line level and bought a few (tube) pre amps to experiment with or when I need a mic.
For more budget the wing would be awesome.
I opted for the x32 because I mostly go in on line level and bought a few (tube) pre amps to experiment with or when I need a mic.
For more budget the wing would be awesome.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
Do you mean in the monitor path? Many have software input monitoring control with pan.
E
ecc83
Well-known member
Not really, I mean that if you plug a single mic to record on almost all AIs into say CH1 you will only record the left channel unless there is some means to change*. that in the DAW. Then of course, having recorded a double mono, central image you will have no need to setup mono monitoring.
*Samplitude allows the setting up of a single track, L or R, a stereo track or a "mono mix" not many DAWs do that I am aware of?
Dave.
FrankD77
Photographer / musician
In logic i can just select mono or stereo input
Seems to be a major oversight in a daw if they don't have that option.
Most instruments and vocals are recorded mono in basis.
In logic i will send all tracks to a buss which is stereo and mirrored on the x32. The mono tracks you can place anywhere in the stereo field. Or surround if you work in that setting
I use a max of 16 stereo busses that are occupying the 32 inputs of the x32. It's nice to be able to lower the complete drum track with one slider (linked sliders) but fine tune every part in the box.
Working with a console opens up so much possibilities.
Seems to be a major oversight in a daw if they don't have that option.
Most instruments and vocals are recorded mono in basis.
In logic i will send all tracks to a buss which is stereo and mirrored on the x32. The mono tracks you can place anywhere in the stereo field. Or surround if you work in that setting
I use a max of 16 stereo busses that are occupying the 32 inputs of the x32. It's nice to be able to lower the complete drum track with one slider (linked sliders) but fine tune every part in the box.
Working with a console opens up so much possibilities.
Steenamaroo
...
Yeah, I was thinking that.
Reaper and ProTools the same.
Maybe it's more common in basic editors or something but in any recording software I've used inputs are numbers,
and tracks are stereo or mono.
Left and right have no meaning, at least not on the way in.
FrankD77
Photographer / musician
I'm no expert but when i talk to people starting with a DAW it's often not clear that they can/have to use busses which makes the workflow a lot less clear and will slow down not only your workflow but also the machine when you use channel strips without busses.
I saw a video online where they used the same reverb plugin on all tracks. If he would have set the reverb on a bus and route it via sends it would make a huge difference.
Maybe it's because I worked on a console and 8 track tape for a few years.
I saw a video online where they used the same reverb plugin on all tracks. If he would have set the reverb on a bus and route it via sends it would make a huge difference.
Maybe it's because I worked on a console and 8 track tape for a few years.
TalismanRich
Well-known member
I remember a local recording studio that used their concrete garage with a speaker and a microphone as their reverb chamber, much as Capitol records had their underground chambers in LA. Anything that needed reverb was sent down that buss.
I know that you can get IRs of the Capitol chambers today. I wonder if someone sells an IR called "Allen's Garage Reverb"? It might be great for all those people wanting that real LoFi, grunge, very early 60s sound! I think it's a money maker idea.
2026 TalismanRIch Enterprises!
I know that you can get IRs of the Capitol chambers today. I wonder if someone sells an IR called "Allen's Garage Reverb"? It might be great for all those people wanting that real LoFi, grunge, very early 60s sound! I think it's a money maker idea.
2026 TalismanRIch Enterprises!
rob aylestone
Moderator
The abbey road one is available, but the kind of reverb I hate. Clearly it's me as so many hits have that room's sound.
bouldersoundguy
Well-known member
All the DAWs I've used can create tracks as mono, and many do by default. They're panned center to start with. Vegas Pro tracks are not fixed mono or stereo as you can have both kinds of audio files in one track, but they would have to share the pan mode. Vegas also has a mono button for the monitor output.
Papanate
Well-known member
Stereo/Mono Switch on the Stereo Buss - I think that is an oversight - of course you can insert the Stereo Gain control and it has a mono switch.
Papanate
Well-known member
You still use Vegas for a DAW?
FrankD77
Photographer / musician
Don't know what you mean with your answer?
I got the idea TS did not know you could select stereo or mono by input.
When recording you use tracks which can be mono/stereo in a stereo setup. Standard logic creates a stereo track but you can just click on the stereo icon and make it mono.
Those mono tracks can be panned in the stereo field and are then send to a stereo buss.
If you use gear that expects a stereo input you can :
Use a plugin that creates a double mono out.
Or (what i do) use the FX on a buss and send the mono track to the FX buss. FX bus can be routed straight to the master out (in the box) or a dedicated FX return on the console.
Do make sure to use the sends after fader otherwise you'll always hear the instruments coming through and you can't control the blend correctly.
E
ecc83
Well-known member
YES!!! Chaps! There are no doubt ALL sorts of ways to mono things in all sorts of DAWs! But we are talking MIXERS! And if'n you have one AND it has pan pots, and most do, it is beer into water to mono a single source.
'King end of!
Dave.
'King end of!
Dave.
FrankD77
Photographer / musician
Agreed pro consoles and mixers are all mostly mono unless you link channels.
That said my first consumer mixer had a few mono and a few stereo inputs. But those where line only.
That said my first consumer mixer had a few mono and a few stereo inputs. But those where line only.
E
ecc83
Well-known member
Not really the point of my rant Frank but yes. It makes sense I suppose for "prosumer" mixers to have stereo line inputs? These will most likely carry signals from a hi fi rig, cassette, vinyl, radio or the stereo return from a DAW. Oh, and yes! Mini Disc...I have two!
Dave.
