pick my next setup.

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bitsandvolts

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help with upgrading setup....

Heres what I've got now:

Behrigner MX602a
M-Audio 2496

Here's my options:

A) Presonus Firebox - This will enable me to ditch both the Audiophile and the Behringer. Down the line I would add some variety of compressor and pre, for vocal tracking. Limited by 4 tracks...and I would have to invest in a firewire card.

B)M-Audio Delta 44 & DMP3 - Again, enable me to ditch the audiophile and the behringer...I would also add a compressor down the line, I would again be limited by 4 tracks....

C) M-Audio Delta 1010lt - Would ditch the audiophile and behringer once I eventually get a board that can offer me several pres....would have 8 analog ins (which I would never use except once in a blue moon)....but 6 of them would be unbalanced.

D) Keep the Audiophile 2496, ditch the Behringer, get a DMP3....would still have unbalanced ins outs, but would that matter?

Other options are welcome...please advise!

-Frank
 
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What's your budget and what are you looking for out of it? What are the maximum amount of mics you will use? will you want to upgrade? Do want to mix "in the box" or would you prefer "hands on"? Why do you want to upgrade?
 
Also consider how many inputs you need to record at the same time. If you do a lot of overdubbing and don't record more than two inputs at once, a basic 2-input interface would be fine...and you can use a mixer to send all of your signals into the input(s). The amount of tracks you can record at the same time depends on how many inputs you have on your interface, not the inputs on the mixer.
 
Ahh, facts I didn't think to include. Thanks! Here goes:


What's your budget and what are you looking for out of it?

Budget's fairly low...my musical gear is more important to me, as recording is merely a means to an end...i.e. something I need to get song ideas and complete demos with. So high end gear isn't in the cards for me. I'd prefer to stick with the m-audio/presonus range of gear...and I'm just looking for the best sound quality within the range I'm interested in.

What are the maximum amount of mics you will use?

I envision that 99% of the time, I will be tracking 1 or 2 mics/lines at the same time...and never more. For example, vocals, guitars, bass or keys....and those particular instruments never call for more than one or 2 mics.

*however*....there's a minor exception. Although most of my drum tracks are generated via loops, there will be very infrequent opportunities to get a friend/drummer down here to track real drums. In that case, I envision us doing the 4-mic method...(2 overheads, kick, snare) as the type of music we'll be tracking is not metal or hard rock, but roots/country/classic rock.

will you want to upgrade?

From this current setup that I plan to get? Likely not...since I'm not looking to turn this into anything beyond a personal project studio. My goals are to produce good recordings for my original music.

Do want to mix "in the box" or would you prefer "hands on"?

I mix in the Box...I don't have a need for the tactile hands on approach...probably because I never did any engineering/recording on a true mixing board....all my experience has been in the box, so I don't know the other side.

Why do you want to upgrade?

As mentioned above, there's a slight and very infrequenty opportunity to track some drums here or there...I also have considering the possibility that going to balanced ins/outs might help drop my noise floor some....since I fight a tad of RFI here at the house.


The one thing I want to add, is that I *might* want to compress vocals going to 'tape' (er, um, computer) very slightly...I've always used direct monitoring...so latency was never an issue for me. Have any of you guys used computer-based compression for vocal mics and experienced acceptable latency?

The reason I ask that question, is that if that's the case (and I can acheive that latency with the firebox) the firebox might be a good option...The firebox does not have any inserts on channels 1&2, forcing me to go to an external preamp/compressor for channels 3&4...

Whereas, I could get around this issue by going dmp3 -> compressor -> delta 44....but this option would cost more than just getting a firebox and compressing inside the computer...


I've seen comparisons here using a search, where the DMP3 preamps blow away the presonus tubePre....but I haven't seen much mention of the presonus firebox's pres vs. the DMP3....I would probably want the option with the best sound quality....


Thanks guys...and I hope this info helps narrow down your suggestions...

-Frank
 
You could just get a bigger mixer, or if you want to record 4 tracks at once, get a bigger mixer and delta 44 and connect via main outs L/R, and Aux 1+2 sends. using panning and aux pots to send each channel to whatever output. ie. If recording just drums, channel 1(kick)fader down using aux 1 pot, channel 2(snare)fader down using aux 2 pot, channel 3(overhead L)using fader and panned hard left, channel 4(overhead R)using fader and panned hard right. If recording all at the same time wanting stereo drums: channels 1+2(kick+snare)using aux 1 pot with fader down(using EQ to slightly control volume in the box), channel 3(overhead L)using fader and panned hard left, channel 4(overhead R)using fader and panned hard right, and all other channels using aux 2 pot. For mono drums you will only need one overhead, and all the drums can be recording using using 1 of the 4 options(and using EQ to slightly control volume in the box), and all other instruments on each other separate option. You could use the Behringer UB1222FX mixer for this, which has MON and FX, instead of aux sends. It's $170 here and the delta 44 is $140 here
 
Another, and probably better option is the Presonus Firepod here for $520
 
The firepod is definitely out of my pricerange and features set...since I would probably only need 4 ins at a time....
 
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