Please explain

[brainofj]

I use an audiophile just now but want to get more inputs. I was thinking of the delta 10/10. Can anyone suggest another soundcard? I have a Soundcraft m12 mixer. I am aiming at recording drums, guitar, bass and vocals. Can anyone explain the basic set-up to me? Just now i plug into the mixer and hook up the s/pdif out of the mixer to the s/pdif input of the audiophile and monitor through a minidisc player/recorder which is connected to the analog outs of the audiophile. How would i set up using a card with more inputs. I need proper monitors as well, would the monitors be hooked into my mixer? Can anyone suggest descent monitors to me round aout the 300 pounds range. A simple explanation or diagram of the type of set-up i am trying to achieve would be most appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[wheelema]

Right now the Soundcraft is doing the A/D conversion. You could run your inputs to the Soundcraft, and then out to the 1010 individually, where the Soundcraft controls the levels, and the 1010 does the conversion on each individual channel. Or you could throw away the Soundcraft and do everything on the computer. Or whatever. I do not know if the S/PDIF out of the Soundcraft carries indvidual channels to the 1010... my gut reaction is that it will not... it will mix everything to one channel.

Let us know!

As far as the outputs, connect your 1010 outputs to your board. The 1010 will do the D/A conversion and the board will control the level.

The Wharfdale speakers (American Musical Supply carries them) are the current cheap favorite on the board.

 

[brainofj]

Im pretty sure the s/pdif output on the mixer is only a stereo output. I don't have the 10/10 yet but thinking of buying one unless there is anything out there that for roughly the same price is any better than the 10/10. This is new to me using a card with more inputs than the audiophile. I still want to use the soundcraft mixer. Am i right in saying that i would hook up my instruments/mics etc to the mixer, then the mixer to the 10/10, the signals get recorded onto my pc where i can use my cubase sx2 then the signals will go back out through the 10/10 and into the mixer, and my monitors would be hooked up to the mixer?

 

[mattamatta]

Yeah, S/PDIF will be carrying only a stereo signal.

You've pretty much got it figured out. Plug into the mixer, then run each track from a direct out or send or whatever into an input on the 1010.

Then, from there, you have a couple options.

1. Mix using cubase, and cubase will mix it down to a stereo signal. You can run that directly out of the 1010 into your monitors, or youc an run it into the mixer, and hook the monitors to the mixer. I think the benefit of the first approach would be if you didn't want to include your mixer in the monitoring chain. The benefit of the second approach, is that you can control the monitor volume with the mixer, and you can probably route the things you're playing directly through the monitors before it goes to the computer, which might be useful, depending on how you like to do things.

I'm not entirely sure how this would work on the 1010, if you'd have to use a pair of it's multiple outputs, or if it has seperate line outs, or what (I've never used one), but it's most certainly possible and easy to do.

2. send multiple outs back to your mixer, and mix using your mixer. Monitors would be hooked up the the mixer. This approach would be usefull if you prefer to mix using your mixer and outboard hardware gear. If you're using cubase, though, most likely that's because you prefer to mix using cubase.

Only real reason to mix thign with the mixer is if you'd prefer to do it all with outboard hardware, such as your favorite tube compressor and analog reverb unit.

 

[brainofj]

Thanks guys, its more clear in my head now, but another question - If i were to use my mixer for mixing down, the monitors connected to the mixer, where would my final mixdown be recorded? Would i have to use another recording source such as a dat machine or something similar?

I would like to be using outboard processors etc but i suppose both options you have given me will be useful to different recording situations.

If you have any more knowledge on this subject you think may help me, please pass it on. I would like to find out as much as poss before i start spending.

Thanks for the advice.

Cheers.