Setting up the Mixer/DAW Loop

[getuhgrip]

Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong.......

I just got an Alesis 16FXD mixer (16 channels) to use with my ST Audio C-Port (10X10 PCI breakout box). I will record one track at a time (V-drums, guitar, bass and vocals). I will probably run 4 outs from the V-drums.

1) For effective mixing, how do I want to route all those INs and OUTs?

2) Do I want to run signals from the DAW back through the mixer?

3) The mixer has a SPDIF out and the C-Port has a SPDIF in. Do I want to use this?

I envision all these INs and OUTs having cables in them so that during mastering I can adjust levels, pan and EQ. Since I may record 16 or more tracks, I guess this means that prior to final mix-down I would have to "double up" some of the tracks so as not to max out my I/O capacity.

Or....does this mean I should use a patch bay to single out particular tracks and do my mastering in several sessions?

I dig the mixer because it has some pretty clean onboard FX and 8 half-ass pres if I ever decide to go back to acoustic drums. But mainly, I would like to be able to sit at my console with my "Blue Bear" hat like Bruce, twiddling all those knobs while mastering my pathetic music!

 

[manning1]

well i hope ive understood what you want. so here goes .
think about this concept for a moment.
the idea of two mixers.
one mixer is used to send signals to the sound card inputs.
the second is used to take the outputs from the sound card ,
and to mix these outputs to a master (if you want to do this type of mixing)
and also to send to your main monitoring and musicians phone mixes.
if you want to mix inside the daw the second mixer would be used just for monitoring.
i mention this because if instead you use ONE mixer for both recording and monitoring.....there are potential problems. as follows....
1. what i found was i was always switching between mic and line on the channels)
2. you might get feedback.
now if you have enough channels what you could do is set 8 (via direct outs)
sending to 8 inputs of sound card. and then 8 for monitoring.
but you must keep the two groups of 8 seperate to avoid pitfalls.
i found once i went to two mixers (one for recording, one for monitoring)
a lot of problems including potential latency and feedback conflicts disappeared.
hope i addressed your question correctly.

 

[getuhgrip]

Yeah manning, I think you did. Thanks.

I think I'm finding out that if I want to send all my tracks from the DAW through an outboard mixer, I need one with enough channels to support the total number of tracks.

That is, unless I group some of the tracks together like small sections of a larger jigsaw puzzle.

 

[manning1]

another idea. and i set this up fror a friend. he gets no latency.
mix in the daw and send the stereo mix out a stereo line out of the sound card into a hi fi amp or cassette deck you plug phones into while recording and / or sending on your monitoring.
hth.