HELP! How would I hook up Mixer to my Firepod!

[xmortumx]

Well I just came across a sweet deal on a Allen & Heath GL2000 mixer console and i was wondering how i can add this to my set up.

Currently i use my Firepod as my main pres... but heck im willing to upgrade to this mixer if it can work accordingly to my DAW

My question is how would i use this mixer along firepod. For example I want to use the pre's from the console and the EQ and also plug-ins from my DAW.... is that possible to make them work together?

I want to mix in the box as i find it easier since i use writing automation and all that but what would be the best way(give me the best results) in joining the console to digital because it would be great using the onboard EQ and pres.. along with my daw effects.

Can anyone explain if and how they use an anolog mixer along with their DAW... i really want to have a greater understanding ASAP so that i can take advantage of this deal.


Thanks...

 

[Wolfeman]

Easy... Just go from the channel outs on your console to the front inputs on the Firepod.... That's it.

 

[xmortumx]

Do you think that using these console pres.. would make a difference to the firepods?

 

[Wolfeman]

If I had to guess, I would say they are going to be about the same....

 

[if6was9]

Just did a quick google of this desk, looks like it doesn't have direct outs- they came on its replacement the 2200. It does have 6 aux's and 4 group outs though so you can use these. basically send whatever channel you want to the audio groups and then the group outs to the firepods line ins.


Like if you want to track snare through your desk then send the snare to group 1 and then group 1 out to line in 1 on youe firepod. Its cool cause if you get confident and ballsy enough you can make mix decisions at this stage like for example send snare top and bottom all to group 1 and that mix is your 1 snare track in your daw then. You can use the aux's the same way and if you get clever with youir routing your main outs too. Handy for monitoring without latency if you've got a band in too.

Those desks look decent but its really hard to tell if it'd be an improvemt over the pre's on the firepod- without trying really you won't know!

 

[xmortumx]

Hey dude my bad its a GL2200( I though it was the 2000)

So each channel has it's direct out. Would that be better?

Correct me if im wrong.. if i would liek to mix out side the box would this be the correct way.

GL2200(direct out)> Firepods ins>DAW>Firpods Out> GL2200 ins?

 

[seditz740novaprospect]

Hey dude my bad its a GL2200( I though it was the 2000)

So each channel has it's direct out. Would that be better?

Correct me if im wrong.. if i would liek to mix out side the box would this be the correct way.

GL2200(direct out)> Firepods ins>DAW>Firpods Out> GL2200 ins?

yes but stay itb, youll be better off ..i had the same desk for a few years and used one a few hundred tims live as well. there better than a mackie and the eq is almost passable....you would only basically be summing through the a&H and not really mixing otb unless you are moving faders as your printing mixes back into the firepod which sucks if you screw up you have to start over......

sub par converters, and latency are the shitty part of having to hit the firepods in's at least twice..i had 3 of them with a 24 ch gl2200 it was an audible difference in quality in just the conversion not taking any analog equip to the firepod with good mogami cables doing a loop test....not for the better and not knocking the allen and heath... still a firepod user and hater at the same time but i bought some apogee converters and love them again...for 24 extra pres

 

[Uladyne]

I have an Allen&Heath Mixwizard WZ3 16:2 16 channel mixer. It's mainly designed for live stuff but I use it mainly for mixing how I hear things. For critical mixing I run my firepod main outs straight to my monitors, but for tracking and every day use, like computer games and what not, I run the main outs of the firepod through channels 15 & 16 of the board. Channels 1-8 on the board are all connected to the Firepod inputs via the direct outs on each channel. There are little jumpers inside that let me switch the direct outs from post fader to pre fader, so I can set the gain where I need it on the channel strips and play with the faders all day without affecting the direct out. It makes adjusting cue mixes pretty easy.

It's also cool for recording stuff I don't really want to hear while I'm tracking, like the line out from an amp. I can get the gain set where I want, and just drop the fader to shut it up, without affecting what the daw "hears". There may be a way to do this with the firepod, but since it has no internal mixer I haven't found a way yet. Honestly I haven't really looked hard, either, hah.

I use aux sends to send a different mix to a heaphone amp, so if I'm recording a drummer I can give him a seperate mix than say the guitarist who is doing the scratch track without setting up extra buses and sends in the DAW. It also makes latency a non issue, as I don't have to set up internal inputs for monitoring.

I don't really use the EQ much, but it's flexible as hell and it's nice to know it's there, but I do occaisionally use the HPF's for vocals and overheads or whatever I'm pretty sure I won't need low end on.

I haven't really done any critical tests comparing the boards pres to the firpod pres, but compared to the vlz pres on my old mackie, this board is a godsend. After getting this board everything was a shitload thicker, fuller, and warmer.

It doesn't really do anything that I couldn't pull off in the box, but since I don't have any sort of control surface for my daw, it lets me make quick adjustments to my monitoring environment without a bunch of clicking around on the mouse. I also suppose that running the main outs of the firepod through the mixer during tracking could have its ill effects, but as I never record anything extremely serious anymore, the convenience factor vastly outweighs any side effects for me.

Edit: I've never used it for actual mixing, like running tracks back through it or anything, as I don't have any external hardware. If I did want to use some sort of outboard gear I'd probably just send the track through some of the firepod outs to the gear and back into the firepod ins. The only real benefit I could think of with running tracks back through the board would be to be able to use the analog EQ, but I don't think it would be worth the trouble.

 

[xmortumx]

yeah thanks dudes... really appreciate the replys.

as of right now im still thinking about if i should go for it and buy it. The guy sells it for 400 and it looks pretty clean, but im wondering if this is something i really need or not. In other words if this console will improve my sound somehow....


Well heres a pic of it so u guys can see it.

 

[Uladyne]

I don't think it would improve your sound much if at all. I doubt the pres would be much better than the firepod pres, and I don't really see much of a use for it other than how I use mine, which is mainly a monitoring mixer of sorts. For more of improvement you might want to look into a nice dedicated mic pre with that money.