New Guy Setup Advice

[SaintEmpire]

I'm hoping you'll all be able to help me. ANY advice/comments/criticisms would be appreciated.

I'm not trying to set up any type of professional recording studio at home by any means but would like to record my band for fun. This is what I have thus far.

Computer - Typical
Soundcard - http://www.m-audio.com/products/en_us/Delta44-main.html
Software (using Adobe Audition)
Large PA using as power amp as I blew the mixing portion
Mixer board - http://www.directproaudio.com/product.cfm?directid=13502
And then of course speakers and mics, cables etc.

Q#1 - Am I missing anything critical? I am able to record and it sounds fine but I'd like to get the most out of what I have, and to be honest, I don't know the proper way/order to set all this up.

Q#2 - I'm trying to record drums....How do I set it up so that I can record Snare/Toms/overhead/kick, all simultaniously, but on separate tracks? I do not know how to do this using the "8 channel mixing console" and my software.

Again...ANY info would be great.

Thanks in advance.

 

[danny.guitar]

To record to separate tracks you need that many inputs on your sound card/interface.

I'm not sure how many inputs the Delta 44 has but I think you can add another Delta 44 card in your computer if you want, without any problems.

Snare/Toms/overhead/kick

So 4+ mics? Then you need 4+ inputs on your sound card.

 

[2lim]

Delta 44 has 4in/4out. You are definitely on the right track. Your mic selection at this point in the game is gonna impact your sound the most. The delta card is good because you can expand later and still keep it. I say go for it!

Simon

 

[Freudian Slip]

You can get a pretty good drum sound with 3 to 4 mic's. using two overheads and a kick mic (3 mic's) and you can add a snare mic to blend in making it 4 mic's.

I would do some serious reading and searching of the boards on drum micing techniques and the mic's people use.

You can pipe guitar to the guitar player and the drummer via headphones to get the drums down. Or the guitar could go first next to a click track and you could play that back to the drummer on phones while he records.

Good luck.



F.S.

 

[SaintEmpire]

Thanks so much for all the info.

I guess my real question at this point is HOW do I set it up so I can record multiple tracks simultaniously.

I do have 4 inputs on the sound card, but (forgive my ignorance) where do I plug those cables into? The Mixing Console? And if so...WHERE on the console.

And THEN, (I'm asking a lot, I know and apologize) how do I set up the software so it accepts what I'm trying to do?

Again, ANY info is always appreciated.

 

[Freudian Slip]

I have to be quick but I'll try.

Mic cord goes into input on the board. Hopfully your board has an insert on each channel (1/4 inch plug near the mic cable input). You would take a quarter inch cable and put it into the insert to the first click. This should be a direct out. It will bypass the eq and slider on the board and only out put from the preamp controlled by the trim knob.

That 1/4 inch cable plugs into your sound card input. lets say you run channel 1 on your board to input 1 on your sound card and so on.
So you have 4 channels on your board running into your sound card now.

Then you go into your software and on each channel in your software you can select your input. There you would bring up a list showing delta 44 input 1, input 2, 3 and 4. Select the input you want to record to that channel.

once you have all your delta inputs selected as sources in your software you would set your input levels with the trim knobs on your board.

If your board does not have inserts on each channel that function as direct outs on the first click in, I would recomend you get a different board. You will only be able to record two channels at a time by using the left and right main outs of the board if this is the case.

Hope that made some sense.


If you have a manual for the board you need to read it. It should explain your output options.


F.S.

 

[Bethledeign]

I'm with you Saint!

I have Adobe Audition, and about to buy a Delta44 so I can record drums simultaniously, and all on separate tracks to make editing/mixing a lot easier!! (Track 1 Kick, Track 2 Snare, Track 3 LEFT overhead, Track 4 RIGHT overhead)

I've read this thread, and yet, I'm still confused myself!

Would I plug all the mic chords into the Delta, or the mixer? If they go into the mixer, then how would I seperate them? If I plugged them into the Delta, would I need mic preamps for each mic?

<--- Frustrated, and a newbie

If you have any info that you've tried....and it worked....let me know.

 

[Freudian Slip]

I'm with you Saint!

I have Adobe Audition, and about to buy a Delta44 so I can record drums simultaniously, and all on separate tracks to make editing/mixing a lot easier!! (Track 1 Kick, Track 2 Snare, Track 3 LEFT overhead, Track 4 RIGHT overhead)

I've read this thread, and yet, I'm still confused myself!

Would I plug all the mic chords into the Delta, or the mixer? If they go into the mixer, then how would I seperate them? If I plugged them into the Delta, would I need mic preamps for each mic?

<--- Frustrated, and a newbie

If you have any info that you've tried....and it worked....let me know.

The delta does not have preamps to the best of my knowledge.

Plug into the board to use the boards preamps. Each channel with a mic/xlr input on it has a preamp. So 16 channel board 16 preamps (for sake of discussion). You access those preamps individually by pluging in to the insert jack (to the first click) on each channel (for most boards). From there you run that cable to the desired input on your sound card. The insert jack on the board only taps into the signal of the channel it is on, unlike the main stereo outputs of the board.

A little on the insert jack so you know what it is. The insert jack serves as an output and an input on each individual channel if a mixer has them. It is there so you can use it as an effects loop, say if you wanted to use a reverb on channel one or a eq. If you plug a 2 connector 1/4 inch (or mono) plug into the first click on the insert jack it will serve only as an output. So in most cases your mic goes into the channel (via a mic cable) to the preamp and right back out of the the preamp via the insert jack and into your sound card.

I hope that helped a little

F.S.