Serious MOTU 896 contraversies!!!

  • Thread starter Thread starter ambi
  • Start date Start date
A

ambi

New member
Ok, so heres my Contraversies!
I was originally planning on getting a mixing board, such as the mackie 1604 or the soundcraft m12, and getting a delta 1010. Then i had a good long look at the MOTU 896, and a good long talk with the manager of the local long and mcquade store. I realized i really don't need the mixer, because i won't be recording live stuff, this is just home studio kinda stuff. And with the motu, you have good preamps, as good or better than the mackie boards, and its all in one, so its cleaner, less signal loss from a smaller chain. and its firewire, so , fast connection. But i have many questions, and confusions about the motu. (also portable)

So the motu is a sound card, but external, and hooks up through firewire? So all your sound processing, and sound output, and everything comes through the motu?

Stereo inputs... so i have turntables and a mixer, or a mini disk player, or a tape deck, and i want to record them onto my computer. The motu has 8 mono xlr inputs with preamps, or 8 mono 1/4' inputs (balanced/unbalanced? does it make a difference), so how do i get a stereo signal in? With my soundblaster i would just get a 1/8' male to male cord, plug it from the output of the mini disk and into the soundblaster, and get a stereo recording. Or an rca - 1/8' from the turntables or mixer , then into the soundblaster. So how would i do that with the motu?

now the other way around, i want to record sound from my computer onto mini disk or tape, how do i get the stereo signal out from the motu into a tape deck or mini disk? It only has xlr outputs, i guess i could get a cable thats xlr - 1/4', then an adapter thats a female 1/4' - rca, but thats a lot of adaption and signal lose! help me find a way!

AAAHJ so many confusions!
 
You just need the right cables man. Pop down to Studiospares or Radioshack or any electrical type store and ask them to make up the cables you need. XLR-RCA or XLR to minijack or whatever.
Each input on the MOTU is a mono input to the computer, so if you want to record stereo then you use two. From your turntables use 2 RCA to 2 XLR and plug them in side by side, or could use RCA-jack if you like. Sound down cables is all the same stuff and all connectors are just that - connectors they are all interchangable. Balanced/unbalanced - ignore that as you dont have any other balanced gear so just treat them as normal jack sockets.

Honestly, you can't go wrong :)

Robin
 
ok cool, so if i get a motu i don't really need a mixnig board?
 
You cant plug a turntable straight into any mixer or pre. You need a phono preamp that applies the proper EQ curve for playing records.

In regards to do you need a mixer. I think they are an absolute neccessity for creating monitor mixes, adding clean line level gain for keys and using external processors but you can survive without one.

There are many ways to configure a recording setup and it just depends on your budget, needs and preference.
 
yea, im realizing all the flaws in having a motu system, and swaying back to a soundcraft m12, or mackie 1604, and a delta 1010. I would use a Vestax 05 pro dj mixer, which amplifies it, can eq it, has the cross fader and everything. ive recorded from the mixer on that through a mackie before, and to mini disk, and to comptuer, etc.. it works. Its a special mixer for the turntables, so thats worked out.

What were you saying about proper moniter mix? could you please expand on this slightly? and how it can only really bedone with a mixing board?
 
ambi said:
yea, im realizing all the flaws in having a motu system, and swaying back to a soundcraft m12, or mackie 1604, and a delta 1010. I would use a Vestax 05 pro dj mixer, which amplifies it, can eq it, has the cross fader and everything. ive recorded from the mixer on that through a mackie before, and to mini disk, and to comptuer, etc.. it works. Its a special mixer for the turntables, so thats worked out.

What were you saying about proper moniter mix? could you please expand on this slightly? and how it can only really bedone with a mixing board?
Click to expand...

Yeah, you will be fine with the DJ mixer for the tables.

With a mixer you have a lot more control over deciding how much of the live track vs playback tracks you are hearing and it's also easier to add effects during tracking. If you ever need to provide different monitor mixes for multiple performers it can help there also.
 
ok.. but even in the home situation, where most times it will be just one - two sources being recorded? in the future most likely a drum kit will be miced, and quite possibly pieces of a band live. Guitarist, bass guitarist, vocals, few drums maybe, etc... Yea, i think a mixing board a delta 1010 is definatly the way to go. That way i have 12 mic pres on the spirit m12, and possibly 16 if i get the mackie 1604, so i can always add another delta 1010 in the future for another 1000 canadian, as opposed to another 2000 canadian for another Motu 896.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top