Monitoring options

[EddieRay]

I have an RNC on order after reading about it here. As I understand it, it would be connected between my mixer and my soundcard. But I won't be able to monitor the compressed output as far as I know. Is this a common situation?

In order to monitor existing tracks while recording new ones, I run the inserts of the new tracks from my SpiritF1 to the Aark24 soundcard. Existing tracks are fed back to the mixer's tape-in from the soundcard. I can't run the mixer's mains to the soundcard because the existing tracks mingle with the new tracks.

Is there a better way to monitor? Is there any way to monitor the compressed output? How can I get there from here?

 

[Ethan Winer]

Eddie,

> Is there a better way to monitor? Is there any way to monitor the compressed output? How can I get there from here? <

See "Using a Mixer with a DAW" from EQ magazine, first in the list on my Articles page:

www.ethanwiner.com/articles.html

It explains exacty what you are asking.

--Ethan

 

[EddieRay]

Eddie,

> Is there a better way to monitor? Is there any way to monitor the compressed output? How can I get there from here? <

See "Using a Mixer with a DAW" from EQ magazine, first in the list on my Articles page:

www.ethanwiner.com/articles.html

It explains exacty what you are asking.

--Ethan

Ethan, thanks for the link. That's a very informative article. It answered some
questions and confirmed some things I've discovered. But I'm still at a loss as to how to hear new compressed tracks. At this point my only option is to record blind, so to speak, and decide at playback time what adjustments to make, then re-record. I don't think I'm the only one trying to do this, or am I?

One thing I'm not sure I understand is why I can't route tracks into the sound card and back out. In other words, new tracks from the board into CW9, then out of the soundcard back into the mixer. Should I be looking to the Aardvark Manager for the solution?

 

[Ethan Winer]

Eddie,

> I'm still at a loss as to how to hear new compressed tracks. <

What mixer do you have? Assuming it has insert points, you'll take the preamp's output from the insert point, send that to the compressor, use a Y-cord to send that back into the insert point and also send that to the sound card's input. If your mixer is designed properly that will let you hear the compressed version and also record the compressed version.

> why I can't route tracks into the sound card and back out. <

That's not a good way to do it. The sources you're recording should go into the sound card, and the only purpose of the sound card's output is for monitoring the entire mix. Indeed, the whole point of DAW recording is to do the mix inside the DAW so you can apply effects to the tracks, hear those effects, and export the finished mix with those effects to a stereo wave file.

If you think I'm still missing something in your question let me know.

--Ethan

 

[EddieRay]

I have a Soundcraft Spirit F1 mixer. I'm monitoring from its headphone jack.

My mission here is to record new tracks with compression and to monitor those tracks if at all possible. Compressing the tracks AFTER they've been recorded will be too late for what I have in mind.

So are you saying it's common to use the insert to add and hear a compressor, then split off the compressed signal to the soundcard? If so, great. I'll try it. Is that what everybody else does in this situation?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[EddieRay]

I have a Soundcraft Spirit F1 mixer. I'm monitoring from its headphone jack.

My mission here is to record new tracks with compression and to monitor those tracks if at all possible. Compressing the tracks AFTER they've been recorded will be too late for what I have in mind.

So are you saying it's common to use the insert to add and hear a compressor, then split off the compressed signal to the soundcard? If so, great. I'll try it. Is that what everybody else does in this situation?

Thanks so much for your help!

 

[EddieRay]

Problem solved

My RNC arrived today and I just finished checking it out. I'm able to monitor from the soundcard. I'm sure I tried this before without success but that was back when I knew less than squat. Whatever. Anyway it works well and I'm fucking jazzed.

 

[Ethan Winer]

Eddie,

> Anyway it works well and I'm fucking jazzed. <

And that's what matters the most!

--Ethan