Qestions using delta 1010lt & Mackie

[ybor_knight]

I just got a Delta 1010lt and I want to use my Mackie CFX20 splitting it for 10 channels recording and 10 for playback. I'm new at this so I wasn't really aware that the rca analog inputs on the 1010LT were stereo making it act more like 5 tracks counting the balanced ins instead of an 8 track. I have (2) 8 channel rca to 1/4 recording snakes to work with. What would be the best way to utilize what I have in order to get the most seperate tracks for all my drums?

 

[ap]

I have the 1010 with breakout box so I'm not sure exactly how the LT version works.

If you have direct outs, it's probably best to run them to the inputs of your 1010. If not, you can push your cables half-way into the inserts(until you feel one click instead of two) to get that signal. Now, even if you can't control the inputs of the 1010 control panel with separate channel faders, you can still independently control the record levels being sent to left and right with the gain knobs on your mixer.

If your software forces you to record as stereo pairs as well, the left and right will still have independent information. Some software lets you then split stereo files into independent mono files, which of course would be the way to go. If not, the L-R levels can be somewhat independently controlled with the software pan. But they will still be tied together to share the same channel fader, inserts, plug-ins, etc.

You can send the output of the card to the tape-ins, aux-in, or whatever. I usually have more channels on my mixer than I need, so I usually just route the card output to the last two channels on my mixer simply cuz I like controlling those faders/knobs better than reaching for the tape or aux, or other controls.

 

[Jeff_D]

I just got a Delta 1010lt and I want to use my Mackie CFX20 splitting it for 10 channels recording and 10 for playback. I'm new at this so I wasn't really aware that the rca analog inputs on the 1010LT were stereo making it act more like 5 tracks counting the balanced ins instead of an 8 track. I have (2) 8 channel rca to 1/4 recording snakes to work with. What would be the best way to utilize what I have in order to get the most seperate tracks for all my drums?

Welp, first off, unless you have another external AD converter to use, then you're only going to get 8in and 8 outs. As far as the logic of only 5 stero ins, thats kinda flawed (in relation to this application). All the Delta stuff (and probably alot of other cards) group the inputs togaether in pairs. No big deal. End result is still the same amount of sperate recordable channels...

....so, take one of the snakes, and connect the direct outs from the first 8 channels our mixer to the 8 inputs of the 1010lt. You'll need an adapter for the first 2 channels that have xlrs. take the other snake and connect your 8 outputs from the 1010lt and connect that to the next 8 channels on the mixer.
Now, you have the first 8 channels of the Mackie sending audio to the 8 ins on the sound card. AND, you have the 8 outs of the sound card sending signal to the next 8 channels of the Mackie. So when you're recording your using Mackie channels 1-8. When you are mixing, you're using Mackie channels 9-16. This is nice because you wont have to move levels on the recording channels during mixing that you might want to keep setup.

The real trick to making all of this jive together is learing your software, how to arm tracks and route the signals. what software are you planning on using for recording?

FYI, you could also "mix in the box" in which case, you'd use the Mackie basically just for the preamps- send a signal into the 1010lt to record and then use the software for your mixing. you could also pick up another 1010lt use all 16 pres in the Mackie and record 16 tracks at a time.

 

[ybor_knight]

I'm using Cool Edit Pro to record. I've used it in the past simply recording from the tape outs or utility outs of the mackie, but since I just got the Delta 1010lt I'm new to the multitracking it allows. I was just a little confused on how to set it all up properly. When messing around with it last night I was running into some problems. See the Delta 1010lt has the 1&2 Xlr's then 3-8 rca's which is all fine since I have the recording snakes. The problem was Cool Edit Pro has you tell it what input will be for each track such as: 1/2, 3/4, 5/6, or 7/8. Then you specify right, left, or stereo channel. I was trying to set it up where each channel on the mixer had its own track in CEP when coming out of my inserts, but what was happening was say I had kick into track 1 and snare into track 2, I would get 2 tracks with snare and kick recording into a stereo setup rather then each in their own mono track even though I told CEP to use 1/2 on each (one with left channnel and one with Right channel).

 

[Jeff_D]

I'm using CEP too. When you go to select the source for the track, you'll pick the group- say like "1/2" and then for the first track select "left" then for the second track select "right". then for track 3- pick the second group and hit left........ It will record a mono wav for each channel. You'll do pretty much the same thing for the output section if you intend to use the Mackie to mix. Personally, I mix everything in CEP. I only use my mixer for the preamps and for monitoring.

Hopefully that made some sense. If not I might be able to give a better description when I have CEP in front of me...

 

[ybor_knight]

Yeah, I understood that totally. Thanks. Now I just want to hurry up and get home from work so I can try it. It was driving me crazy last night having different pairs of channnels combined in all my tracks.