USB mixers. Really need help

[Kuzio]

Hey everyone,
Well im currently setting up my studio to work on recording myself and ocassionaly with the rest of my band. I dont really want to go through interfaces so i've looked at a few USB mixers. The only problem is i hear that usb mixers only come out as one track. I know firewire ones dont but i have a latop and cannot install a firewire card. So i was wondering if someone could please let me know how i could record multi-track with a usb mixer?is that possible? Here is what i was looking at. THANKS!


http://www.phonic.com/en/mixers/helix-board-12.html

as a USB mixer that one only records as 1 track. But its fire version can do multitrack. is there anyway i can put the firewire into my laptop? maybe through a usb to firewire hub? Im not sure. Here is another mixer i was viewing

http://www.electronicsbonanza.com/c..._viewItem.asp?idProduct=13655&sku=11175&src=g

can this one multi-track? Any and all help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[TimOBrien]

Is there anyway i can put the firewire into my laptop? maybe through a usb to firewire hub?

No, there is no usb-to-firewire hub.
The problem is that usb is a little 1/2" garden hose while firewire is a 4" fire hose.
Usb just cant handle the huge amount of data that firewire can (firewire400 has the bandwidth to stream over 100 simultaneous audio channels!) because usb works in SHORT BURSTS while firewire works in CONTINUOUS LARGE BANDWIDTH STREAMS.

However, if your laptop has a PCMCIA or Expresscard slot you can easily add a firewire card.
Belking and SIIG make good ones that dont cost a lot, but MAKE SURE you get one with TEXAS INSTRUMENTS firewire chips.... they are the gold standard and are REQUIRED by most firewire interface manufacturers for proper operation.

 

[Kuzio]

wow thanks that really helped! So i just found that my laptop has a pcmia slot so im going to install a firewire card. By the way im using an older dell lattitude d600 it should still read the card right? Im looking at getting this http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...LTIMIX_8_FIREWIRE_MULTIMIX_8_FW.html#features

will that multitrack the different inputs when i record in my software? Right now im using mixcraft 4. thanks again

 

[Chili]

Yes, those Phonic Helix firewire mixers send 8 or 10 channels of audio. Looking at the specs on your dell you should be okay if, you have plenty of ram (at least 1 gig) and you have upgraded your hard drive. You should be looking at something at least 5400 rpm but preferably 7200 rpm. It would work better if you also bought an external firewire hard drive. Having a separate hard drive for your audio files is the best route.

have fun.