Tell me if I am correct about Mixer:

  • Thread starter Thread starter Berberman
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Berberman

Berberman

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I am recording a full band, 13 Inputs (need at least 10 XLRs), through a MOTU 8PRE (8 xlr inputs) + Behri ada8000 (8 extra xlr inputs), firewired into Logic 9.
I need to be able to send 4 separate headphone mixes, as well as just a PA mix for when we rehearse.

This is where you can feel free to correct me if I am wrong:

I am looking for a mixer with +13 inputs, with 4 aux sends going to 4 different buses. Each bus would be assigned to a headphone.
All mics and instrument inputs would go into this mixer, so each of the +13 channels would need an "out" to go into the Audio Interface (8PRE and ADA8000). The mixer would hence also need Direct outs for each channel on the mixer. Monitoring through PA while rehearsing will just be done through the monitor outputs.

Right?
 
I believe that there are seperate levels for the aux outs and not necessarily the busses on any given mixer. The Busses or submixes are generally for assigned channels on the mixer.

You would need a mixer with direct outs in your situation, correct. There are some great 16 channel mixers with all those capabilities. Whats is your budget?
 
Maybe this'll help and maybe not. This is how I do my band- I have a Soundcraft M8 mixer- This gets all 4 vocals, 2 guitars and the bass. That goes into a Delta 1010lt through each mic channels direct out. I can set the direct out to prefader- that lets me get a good strong signal from the preamp to the direct out, then use the fader to control the main stereo output which goes to the PA amp and speakers- typically only the vocals are actually sent to the PA. I also have a Presonus D8 (8 channel rack preamp). That gets all the drum mics- kick, snare, 2 overheads, 3 toms. That goes to a second 1010lt card. I only use headphones when I'm doing relatively quiet overdubs, like vocals. If you're overdubbing a loud electric guitar for instance, I just playback through the monitors- the guitar is typically loud enough and the mic placed such that bleed from the monitors is almost nil.

anyway, that doesnt specifically answer your question, but its just some insight on how someone else does it.

To get a mixer that'll do what you're talking about won't be cheap- I'd guess $1k+ easy and even then, I'm not real sure if the sub groups will work for headphone mixes the way you're talking about. You are right about needing the direct outs though. Keep us posted on what you come up with...
 
Well I guess I am looking for something prices under $500. Maybe I should look in the the Behri's, and yes...I know, they get bad reviews. My other choice is to check out Ebay for some used gear.
 
Well I guess I am looking for something prices under $500. Maybe I should look in the the Behri's, and yes...I know, they get bad reviews. My other choice is to check out Ebay for some used gear.

That mixer wont give you direct outs on the mic channels. Most mixers don't. The 2 sub-one-thousand-dollar exceptions I can think of are the Soundcraft M series and the Allen and Heath Mixwizards. But, neither of those has the subgroups you're looking for though.

Personally, if I have to sacrifice best sound vs. routing flexibility for all those headphone mixes, I'll take the quality sound. Just my 2c. :)
 
You can already do this with your current gear.

Using Cuemix with the 8pre you can set up four seperate monitor mixes, which you then assign to the 4 pairs of channels on the ADAT output (which are feeds into the ADA8000)... you then hook up headphone amps to the ADA8000 and you're sorted :)

I've done exactly the same thing with my Motu 896, with the only difference being that I had them routed to analog outputs on the interface, but as the 8pre only has a single stereo output then you may as well utilise the 8 outputs on the Behringer unit.
 
Just found out I can skip getting a mixer by using CueMix, which comes with MOTU and which I do not have. (lost the Inistall CD).

Can I skip getting a mixer by using LOGIC 9 to send Headphone monitoring mixes?
 
A used 1604 will do 8 d/o's plus 4 bus outs = 12 record outs. Just check/test all the in-outs are solid on these used ones. Mine had scratchy bus assign switches which is ok (they can be 'worked out'), but a few flakey channels.
Use the pre fader auxes for phone mixes not buses.
Why four phone mixes? Why not one or two good ones. (Plus a PA mix? Seems like you'll be up for a lot of time at the board.
 
Just found out I can skip getting a mixer by using CueMix, which comes with MOTU and which I do not have. (lost the Inistall CD).

Can I skip getting a mixer by using LOGIC 9 to send Headphone monitoring mixes?

Read my post just above yours :p

You don't need the CD. You can download all the drivers / software from the Motu website. You have to register but that only takes like 30 seconds.

Using Logic to create headphone mixes will probably result in noticeable latency. Stick to using the inbuilt Motu stuff.
 
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