trying to understand setup using 8 bus mixer

  • Thread starter Thread starter Falopo
  • Start date Start date
F

Falopo

New member
ok im a little confused on a setup that i would like to use.
currently i am using a yamah 01v mixing board with adat in/out to my computer, with a terratec ews88d adat card. I am recording into nuendo.
the most i can record is 8 tracks at a time which is fine right now. however i would like to be able to have a mixer that can control all my channels instead of using the nuedno mixer for everything. id rather have something laid out infront of me. unless i just got a really big monitor that showed me all of the channels, but i usually have around 24 different channels. so i guess thats one option.

besides that i was thinking about this setup.
mackie 24 channel 8 bus, into my 01v, into my computer. i have an 8 channel sound card so i figure if i have 8 buses that would work out but when i send it to the computer would it seperate the tracks or record one signal for each of the bus.

im sort of confused. if used this setup before but im not really sure how it works. i just want to be able to mix 24 channels hands on with my setup. thanks for any answers
 
If you want to mix 24ch through an analog mixer you would need a 24ch sound card. You can also use digital mixers or midi control surfaces and use them to control the virtual faders in your software.
 
yeah, i guess thats what i was trying to figure out. how can i mix 24 channels by an analog mixer.

so where would i find a 24 channel soundcard for an analog mixer?

second, for digital mixers that directyl control the faders, what are some that would work for that. i think ive seen them, where they have 8 faders but you can switch from channels 1-8, then 9-16, etc...

thanks for the help maybe something like the aardvark q10 pro? a few of those?
 
Last edited:
You can use a couple of 8-12 ch cards like the Aardvark, Delta 1010, Motu and RME's.

Almost all digital mixers will do midi control. Your 01V should do it. Check the manual.
 
i know my 01v can do midi, but i dont think for 24 channels
 
how to the q10 and the delta 1010, as well as some others compare in quality?

ive heard good things about the q10, the 1010 is somewhat cheaper though, opinions please, thanks
 
im trying to figure out the wiring pattern if i were to use a mackie 24-8 using a delta 1010
for example: lets say i was recording vocals into a mackie pre.

i would plug the mic into say channel 1
then wired out, to the in of the delta
then out of the delta and back into the mackie mixer?

and if i want to be able to record midi with my motif. and control upto 8 channels with it on the mixer, would i need a snake that goes from a 1/4" out of the keyboard to 8 1/4"s in to the mixer? thanks for helping my confusion
 
The Mackie 8-bus is an in-line console, sort of. This means that each channel has two paths which can go any of the busses. There is a record path and a monitor path. In a traditional, tape based, situation, you would bring your mics in through the record path (which has the mic pres) and either go out through the direct outs, or through one of the busses if you want to record a sub mix (stereo drums, a stereo keyboard mix, all three mics on a snare on one channel, etc.). You would listen to the playback from tape on the monitor path. Usually the EQ is switchable between paths, as are the Aux sends. On a large format console such as a SSL or Neve, there are two sets of faders, on a Mackie 8-bus, there is a separate set of pots for the monitor path, which Mackie calls rotary faders. There is a flip switch which changes which path shows up at which set of faders. On the 8-bus, it is usually the record path at the faders, and the monitor path at the rotary faders. You use all the flip switches when you want to mix the tracks (large format consoles have universal flip switches).

The other option would be a split console design, which keeps the record and monitor sections of the console completely separate. This is not a design I would want to work on, personally. Just too cumbersome.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
no. once im done figuring everything out i will have a place where i record at and then a seperate place where i record vocals and do the mixing and final production. so im going to be transfering tracks from one to the other.

this setup would be for the mixing production studio, not recording 24 tracks at once but i want to be able to mix upto that many tracks and also have outboard effects etc... i'd prefer to have everything in front of me on a mixer than on a vst mixer in nuendo
 
but then i thought maybe if i could just see everything at once on two monitors that might make me feel more comfortable. i have one 15 inch right now, so if i got 2 17 i think that owuld help
 
ok so let me try and understand this.
lets say i got a tascam 2400 and then a q10 for inputs.
the q10 would be for recording vox and whatevevr else, maybe i could even get the 4 input one. anywway, i want to be able to use rack processors such as reverb, compression, while tracking and while mixing.
say i have the mic pre/ compressor. i would plug it into an input on the q10 and assign that channel to one on the tascam.
would i then be able to assign that effect to an audio channel on the tascam?

im sort of confused because i havent used a controller before.
im just trying to figure out the wiring circuits and what would go to what.

so i would be able to plug a mic into the q10 and then assign it to a channel on the tascam through nuendo? thanks for helping my confussion
 
Falopo said:
ok so let me try and understand this.
lets say i got a tascam 2400 and then a q10 for inputs.
the q10 would be for recording vox and whatevevr else, maybe i could even get the 4 input one. anywway, i want to be able to use rack processors such as reverb, compression, while tracking and while mixing.
say i have the mic pre/ compressor. i would plug it into an input on the q10 and assign that channel to one on the tascam.
would i then be able to assign that effect to an audio channel on the tascam?

im sort of confused because i havent used a controller before.
im just trying to figure out the wiring circuits and what would go to what.

so i would be able to plug a mic into the q10 and then assign it to a channel on the tascam through nuendo? thanks for helping my confussion
Click to expand...


A controller is only a control device for the mixer in the program you are using. It has NO audio functions, just control functions. If you want to use outboard gear, you need to use it either before you go into the computer, or you need to come out of the computer and then back in. This of course means a trip through a DA and an AD, which means you will get some signal degradation. If you are wanting to use outboard gear for mixing, I think (personally) that you would be best off with a analog console and enough outputs from your computer to get all of your channels, individually, to the console. This gives you the most versatile routing options (for outboard gear), and you don't have to worry about latency.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
from what i understand, you can use a plug in while tracking by use of an aux track. is that correct?
 
Falopo said:
from what i understand, you can use a plug in while tracking by use of an aux track. is that correct?
Click to expand...

It depends on the software but there really isn't any reason to use effects while tracking in a DAW unless you just want it for monitoring.

With something like the Q10 and a control surface you could still use some outboard effects by making an effects loop. You take an output from the Q10 - Input to FX - Then run that FX output back into an input on the Q10. Record that input onto a new channel and you have your wet effects track to mix in with the original tracks.
 
as far as using effects during tracking, i was just wondering cause i want to use a compressor to limit when recording vocals with a wide dynamic range
 
Falopo said:
as far as using effects during tracking, i was just wondering cause i want to use a compressor to limit when recording vocals with a wide dynamic range
Click to expand...


This is exactly what compressors where invented for, and is still one of the primary professional uses for them. It is important to be able to do some processing, particularly dynamics, during the recording process.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Falopo said:
as far as using effects during tracking, i was just wondering cause i want to use a compressor to limit when recording vocals with a wide dynamic range
Click to expand...

In that case you usually use a hardware compressor. Part of the reason for compressing while tracking is to get a hot signal to tape and to prevent digital distortion on the convertors. When you use a plugin on a DAW it is already after the convertors so you lose the protection. You will also be introducing latency while tracking.

You might as well just compress during the mixdown.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top