another digital recording thread...
- Thread starter scarr3d
- Start date
Sunbane
Metalistic Madman
i don't get it either. so what if you don't have a breakout box, is there any way to connect a mixer to some kind of PCI sound card or somethin?
The breakout box works kind of like a patchbay in an "traditional" studio.
There's no room to put all connectors on the back of a PCI card or the connectors are too big. E.g. MIDI and XLR are to big and if you use RCA connectors you might get maybe 8 connectors to fit on the card. This would usually mean 4 in and 4 out.
I Have a Midiman Audiophile card with 4 in / 4 out and MIDI in/out so theres no other way to get all this connectors on one PCI card except for a breakout cable or breakout box.
There's no room to put all connectors on the back of a PCI card or the connectors are too big. E.g. MIDI and XLR are to big and if you use RCA connectors you might get maybe 8 connectors to fit on the card. This would usually mean 4 in and 4 out.
I Have a Midiman Audiophile card with 4 in / 4 out and MIDI in/out so theres no other way to get all this connectors on one PCI card except for a breakout cable or breakout box.
Sunbane
Metalistic Madman
Ok, I see. Apart from the space issue, does it do anything else?
From my way of thinking, the boxes looked like nothing more than a very crude mixer: Just additional inputs/outputs in different configurations (tele/mini-tele/rca) with a level control.
I was thinking that if you're going to connect a mixer anyway, you'd just run a cable to the line in socket in the back (via a cable adapter of course) and have all the inputs/outputs/level/pans covered by the mixer...
But then again, I'm pretty much new at this. =)
From my way of thinking, the boxes looked like nothing more than a very crude mixer: Just additional inputs/outputs in different configurations (tele/mini-tele/rca) with a level control.
I was thinking that if you're going to connect a mixer anyway, you'd just run a cable to the line in socket in the back (via a cable adapter of course) and have all the inputs/outputs/level/pans covered by the mixer...
But then again, I'm pretty much new at this. =)
thanks for the explanations. however, i should have been a little more specific in my initial post. i'm wondering:
1. how all the tracks get separated in a multitracking program.
2. does the b-box connect to the MIDI port?
have any pics?
1. how all the tracks get separated in a multitracking program.
2. does the b-box connect to the MIDI port?
have any pics?
To sunbane:
I think there is some systems that have a mixer connected strait to the computer trough USB or Firewire but that is not too common. Anyway, those mixers are not always very good.
If you already have a good mixer and want to use it you have to connect it to you computer some way, just as you have to connect it to any 'old fashion' recording equipment. You want to get the sound in to the computer and out again.
What the soundcard does is primarily convert the sound from analog to digital on the way in and then from digital to analog on the way out. And for each separate track you want in and out you need one mono channel on the soundcard.
Anyway I only use a mixer to record. The actual mixing I do in the multitracking software. I use SawStudio and it has a very good software mixingconsole. Then I only need stereo out from the soundcard so I can mix much more tracks than I could with a mixer and my 6 in / 6 out channels.
To scarr3d:
1. In the multitracking program you assign one input to one track when you record. E.g. at home I have a maximum of 6 inputs so I could record 6 tracks at a time if I wanted to. After recording those tracks I can go to the beginning of the song reassign the inputs and record 6 more tracks. Usually I only use one input at a time because I only record one guitar, one bass or vocals at a time. I use the same input every time.
2. The b-box connects to the soundcard. You can not get just a b-box, you need a soundcard that comes with a b-box.
I think there is some systems that have a mixer connected strait to the computer trough USB or Firewire but that is not too common. Anyway, those mixers are not always very good.
If you already have a good mixer and want to use it you have to connect it to you computer some way, just as you have to connect it to any 'old fashion' recording equipment. You want to get the sound in to the computer and out again.
What the soundcard does is primarily convert the sound from analog to digital on the way in and then from digital to analog on the way out. And for each separate track you want in and out you need one mono channel on the soundcard.
Anyway I only use a mixer to record. The actual mixing I do in the multitracking software. I use SawStudio and it has a very good software mixingconsole. Then I only need stereo out from the soundcard so I can mix much more tracks than I could with a mixer and my 6 in / 6 out channels.
To scarr3d:
1. In the multitracking program you assign one input to one track when you record. E.g. at home I have a maximum of 6 inputs so I could record 6 tracks at a time if I wanted to. After recording those tracks I can go to the beginning of the song reassign the inputs and record 6 more tracks. Usually I only use one input at a time because I only record one guitar, one bass or vocals at a time. I use the same input every time.
2. The b-box connects to the soundcard. You can not get just a b-box, you need a soundcard that comes with a b-box.
What card you should get depends a lot on what you will be doing with it. Why I chose the Midiman Audiophile is because it has S/PDIF digital in and out. I wanted this because my BOSS VF-1 has a S/PDIF output. This means I can record all guitars, bass, vocals and keyboards digitally without getting any kind of interference noises when the sound goes trough the soundcard. There is so much electrical interference inside the computer that you will always get some extra noise if the analog to digital conversion is done inside the computer.
But if you will be doing just some demorecording for yourself I guess a good 16 bit soundcard works out fine e.g. one of the SoundBlaster Live cards should be ok.
If you want semi-pro stuff check out the Midiman cards.
But if you will be doing just some demorecording for yourself I guess a good 16 bit soundcard works out fine e.g. one of the SoundBlaster Live cards should be ok.
If you want semi-pro stuff check out the Midiman cards.
Nate The Great
What would Nathan do?
I have a question about software. I'm looking for something in the $250 or less range. I've tried a Cool Edit 2.0 demo. I want to try Cakewalk Home Studio XL, but I still need to download a demo for it. I want to make sure the software has drum loops. What does everybody recommend. Also, I know it's probably illegal, but is there somewhere I can get this software for free?
thanks minDthEgaP. i've got a digital out on my GT-6! just need a card w/digital in now.
npearce, i like sonic foundry's vegas. you can get anything you want off the P2P networks. try em out, then buy...or whatever.
npearce, i like sonic foundry's vegas. you can get anything you want off the P2P networks. try em out, then buy...or whatever.
Nate The Great
What would Nathan do?
Which P2P network should I try for something like Sonar 2.0? I'm a little slow when it comes to using P2P. I've only recently started checking out MP3's.
i need a S/PDIF cable for my GT-6! a friend and i recording together. 2 guitars, bass, samples, and fruity loops drum loops. eventually i'd like to setup my own MIDI drumkit.
pardon my ignorance, but...
does the midiman card come with a b-box? i assume you run the digital outs to your monitors? what would be the best way to connect a mackie mixer to that card? (if possible)
The S/PDIF cable is no problem. I guess you can go and buy and "original" digital S/PDIF cable but they might be hard to come by and I have no idea what they cost. I tried to get one at a local electronics store but they didn't even know what I was talking about and tried to offer the most expansive cable they could find.
Then I read somewhere that you can use a video cable for this. It's a yellow RCA cable. At least you should be able to find a combocable with an ordinary stereo RCA ( red and white/black ) plus a third yellow one for video. I have one of those and I use the yellow for S/PDIF stereo in and the white and red for stereo out to my mixer.
You might be able to find a mixer with a S/PDIF input but I use the regular RCA connectors for output. To connect your Mackie use the RCA connectors. If you want to record something digitally trough the Mackie ( e.g. vocals ) just connect your GT-6 to one AUX and output the signal trough the S/PDIF.
The Midiman Audiophile 24/96 comes with a breakout cable where the S/PDIF in/out and MIDI in/out are. The line ( RCA ) in/out are on the back of the card.
this thread will never die!
cool, thanks for the S/PDIF cable suggestion. do happen to have a pic of the breakout cable that came with your card? i've searched google, no luck.
cool, thanks for the S/PDIF cable suggestion. do happen to have a pic of the breakout cable that came with your card? i've searched google, no luck.
Nate The Great
What would Nathan do?
This might seem stupid . . . but I'm having a hell of a time getting software downloaded from Kazaa. I have a partial download of Sonar 2.0 XL, but I can't even find anything else (ex. Cakewalk HS XL). Any help on this is appreciated greatly!
get Sonar first. just keep trying... remember to pick the user with the highest bandwidth rating. and, always scan for viruses before executing any files.
what kind of b-box can you connect this to? what if you were going to record an acoustic drum set?
if you had a mixer instead of a b-box, would you just connect the main outs on the mixer into the RCA In's on the card?
if you had a mixer instead of a b-box, would you just connect the main outs on the mixer into the RCA In's on the card?
