recording multiple tracks at once

[chris857]

This is a basic question but how do I record to multiple tracks at once? Most mixers that i have seen have only one or two main outs and is a mixture of everything going through the mixer, not each individual channel. I don't understand how people can record 8 tracks at once like when recording drums at stuff like that without having 8 seperate mixers.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

There are 2 ways:
- direct channel outs (a direct out on each channel that can be sent to a multitrack recorder's individual tracks)
- a buss (channels can be assigned to 1 or more output busses - and each buss is assigned to a multi-track channel)

Depending on how sophisticated the mixer is, it may have both options, and the bigger the mixer, the more buss outputs it will have. Typical buss configurations are 2-buss (your basic stereo out - say a Mackie 1202), 4-buss (4 buss outs plus 2 stereo outs - say a Mackie 1604), and 8-buss (8 buss outs plus 2 stereo outs - say a Mackie 24/8).

Hope this helps...

Bruce

 

[Ziller]

And if you don't have direct outs, or enough busses, you could use the insert jacks. They're usually pre-EQ, but that's ok. Do a search on insert taps.

Ziller

 

[Kelly Holdridge]

We use a Mackie CFX-16, and use the inserts "half-jacked" to feed our MD-8. However, occasionally we run out of tracks or we need to get the keyboard on a track (the stereo tracks on 13-14, 15-16 don't have inserts), so I'll route them through different sub-outs, and catch the aux. sub out or recording purposes.

The thing I'm worried about is the weight of the snake, which always seems to pull at that sub-out I patch...