they'd all be grouped together if you run through an analog mixer (generally).

what you really want is an audio interface with 8+ channels for input. take a look at the FireStudio Project, the Profire2626, and other audio interfaces.

thats what you want.

Mixers mix things down. Interfaces provide ways for a signal to get into your PC.

What you want is an 8-input interface (and probably 8 preamps) - a mixer may provide 8 preamps but most 8channel interfaces will have 8 preamps already.

Having said that, some mixers (the Phonic Helix series, the Mackie Onyx 1640) will allow you to use firewire to stream (more than) 8 channels to your PC.

Okay, it looks like I need to figure out what exactly he has running into his computer. Im 90% sure it's a mixer, so it looks like I need to investigate interfaces. On the off chance that it does somehow run the channels independently, I should be able to select which channel I want as an input for each track in the software, right?

The Helix, Onyx w/firewire option, and Allen Heath Zed R16 are all interfaces AND mixers. There are a few other dual purpose items as well but probably those are the three main options. If the mixer is also an interface you will be able to select which channels are in record mode. Most mixers are not also interfaces. Get back to us when you know what gear you actually have.

Most gear also comes with good entry level software. I don't know how you "came across" Audition but I can guess. I would suggest ditching it for the LE version of whatever comes with the interface.

The Delta 1010 or 1010lt is also worth your consideration.

Audition is actually a good piece of software. I use Audition 3 though and not 1.5.

hueseph wrote: Most gear also comes with good entry level software. I don't know how you "came across" Audition but I can guess.

C'mon now hueseph, we all know that software is free and everywhere.

iamfrobs wrote: [quote=hueseph]Most gear also comes with good entry level software. I don't know how you "came across" Audition but I can guess.

C'mon now hueseph, we all know that software is free and everywhere.

Oooo. I missed that little phrase. I don't even think that way. I just save the receipt and write it off on my taxes. If one is a student or teacher there are all kinds of websites that sell educational licenses too. Being legal is too easy to possibly justify going down the dark path.

iamfrobs wrote: [quote=hueseph]Most gear also comes with good entry level software. I don't know how you "came across" Audition but I can guess.

C'mon now hueseph, we all know that software is free and everywhere.

Are you really ready to go down that road? Do a search on piracy on this site and see what kind of fighting words you are using.

learning2fly13 wrote: I've come across a multi-track editing program (Adobe Audition 1.5), and would like to use it to enhance our home recording capabilities.

i'm am totally new at this as well but i have an alesis multimix 16 firewire and not sure if this is helpful or if i am wasting everyones time and anyone correct me if i am wrong but i know on my alesis audition 1.5 will not work because it does not support asio drivers so you cannot record the tracks indavidually. You will need to get 2. 0 or higher in order to do this. Atleast thats what the support from alesis told me because i had 1.5 and was trying to record each track seperatly and couldn't do it.. now i have 3.0 and have no problem doing this. the only problem i have is a weak signal from the mixer but that is a different story.

A legal and fully licensed copy of Audition 1.5 will in fact use properly installed ASIO drivers for multitrack recording. A cracked/shareware/trial version will not. This was true even back in the Cool Edit Pro days. Audition 3 is far superior to 1.5 any way you want to shake it though.

If another universal ASIO driver is needed then try ASIO4ALL.

hueseph wrote: Are you really ready to go down that road? Do a search on piracy on this site and see what kind of fighting words you are using.

I was being sarcastic. I hate pirates.

iamfrobs wrote: [quote=hueseph]Are you really ready to go down that road? Do a search on piracy on this site and see what kind of fighting words you are using.

I was being sarcastic. I hate pirates.

Sorry man. I wasn't sure. I was thinking that might be the case but damn these keyboards! I can never read the intent properly. :oops: :P

I hate 15 year old pirates....

Okay, thanks for all the help. I still don't know what we're looking at, but I'm 90% sure it's a mixer and not an interface. So I've been doing research and shopping around for an interface that can do what we want...and I found the PreSonus FP10 Firepod. Someone might have mentioned this one...I'm not sure. I think it's what we're after, and it's relatively inexpensive (college students...no $$$). Thanks for your help, people.

I'm 90% sure it's a mixer and not an interface

You go right ahead and buy that mixer. When you discover that you have to mix all 16 channels of that Be*****er mixer to two channels in your stolen DAW, go sell it on craigslist. Then you can come back here and ask how to record 8 channels of audio to separate tracks in a legal DAW.

If however you think about it and decide on that FP10, welcome to logical thinking. 8 simultaneous channels of recording. 8 reasonable pres and free and legal recording software.

No, I mean what we have is a mixer, which means we need to get an interface, which means we'll have the accompanying software.

Kindly ask for clarification in the future before you go assuming that I am a complete moron. We've already covered the difference between the two.

And stop getting on my case about my software. I'm not a pro, I don't intend on being a pro, and I'm on a college student's budget...I take what I can get. Audition for right now is what I have and I was trying to avoid spending money I don't have on something I don't need, but since I have to anyway, I'll be ditching it for whatever comes with the FP10. Thanks.

Regarding the issue of clarity: The onus is on you to be clear in what you are saying. Otherwise you will get responses you don't expect.

Regarding crack: It's a highly sensitive subject here since most of the forum members buy our software. That means we pay for development of piracy prevention.

I know what it means to be restricted as far as money goes. I had a student loan and payed every penny of it back. I have kids and child support to pay. Don't cry to me about being strapped for cash. I work hard and save my pennies for the things I can't afford right now. Otherwise I make due with what I have. That's how it's done.

I get that it's a touchy subject. I'm not saying that I think it's a great idea, I am just trying to make do with what I have, the only difference is that mine isn't legal. It's also old, so it's not like I'm getting a fantastic product for free. Since I'm going to be spending the money anyway, it's no longer an issue...it was just getting frustrating that my software kept becoming the point of focus when my question was about hardware. That's all. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

http://koblo.com/studio

http://www.kreatives.org/kristal/

This is new for Windows. Previously Linux only: Antress

Antress

Edit: incidentally, these are all free if you hadn't figured that out already. LMMS looks very good for the price. Actually they all look good for the price but LMMS is particularly nice. ASIO and VST support.

I appreciate it, really. My software is something from a while ago...I don't use p2p anymore. But I'm afraid it's a moot point...the FP10 looks like the way to go for us, and I would certainly ditch Audition for whatever software package comes with it, because a) it's licensed and b) it'll be completely compatible. At the start, I thought we might not need any hardware, so I wasn't concerned about the software, but now that it looks like we need an interface, it'd be stupid not to take the opportunity to go legit.

"it'd be stupid not to take the opportunity to go legit."

Word!

Agreed on that.

I've been half following the thread so this is probably miles off the mark, but I don't recall you saying you already owned a mixer.
Perhaps this is where the confusion came from?

Second paragraph, first post of this thread. And I tried to get them turned on to the Delta 1010 / LT somewhere about the fifth-ish post.

No body loves me...

Everybody hates me.

Lets go eat cake.

I wasn't sure at the time if it was a mixer or not...but I'm fairly certain now that it is, and that we consequently need an interface.

The M-Audio Delta 1010 is more expensive and less all-inclusive than the FirePod, putting it out of my price range. Like I've said, we don't have much in the way of funding, and we can get the same bandwidth (24-bit/96kHz) from the FirePod, plus my laptop has a Firewire 1394 connection, which would make setup simpler.

I've always preferred licensed products to unlicensed, but when you're in a basement setup for a weekend band, it seems kind of silly to put that much money into optimal recording equipment. However, now that we've been to a studio and had a taste of semi-pro quality sound, it seems like a good investment.

The Delta 1010LT if you have a spare PCI slot inside a PC, will be far cheaper and more all-inclusive than your FirePod will ever be.

Unfortunately you don't have a PC >_>

No, I do not have a PC available, I have a laptop which I use for school, as do my bandmates, so a hardwired setup might not be the best idea. The PC we use right now is kind of old, so I'm not sure it would have a spare PCI slot, but if it does I will investigate it.

Ok, that was kind of confusing. Let me clarify. We use a PC, but it's a relatively old PC that is used only for that purpose, so I doubt it has the processing power to handle this form of recording. One signal obviously takes less memory than 8. I'm not sure if it has a spare PCI slot, but if it does and it can meet the system requirements, I will look into the Delta. If not, I'll stick with the FirePod and run it through my laptop, which is much newer and more powerful.

All you need really is 512MB of RAM, a separate hard drive (you'd need this in the laptop as well) whether internal or external and any P4 or higher CPU would do the job nicely, I assume.

I used to record 2 tracks on 384MB and a 1.6GHz P4.
To the system drive. But then I added a 2nd drive and felt better about it.

I don't know if it's even that new...it may not have a P4...we have an external hard drive, but the hardest thing about the PC is that its USB ports are in the back, so external memory will be a pain to use.