The best way is to beef up your computer or get a computer that can handle it. A dedicated computer is best, with no internet, games etc on it. Music only.

I have a DAW that can run well over 32 tracks with many, many instances of eq, compression and effects at a 10% CPU load... it can be done.. you just need to plow a couple grand into your computer first.

what kind of interface would you recomend for this type of work?

Make sure your computer has two hard drives, on separate channels. One for OS and programs, and the other for audio tracks only.

I can easily run 12-15 tracks, 5-7 sampler tracks (with the samples being streamed - read from the hard drive in real time - much in the same way as audio tracks are streamed) and a good amount of effects to boot.

And all this is on an aging Mac.

You should look at the Lynx and RME audio cards. Cream of the crop, from what they say. Your needs will, of course dictate exactly which card you buy.

mitz

Originally posted by Aloha:
ie using it as if it were a 24 track tape machine and hooking it up to an analog mixer.

My own choice was to dump the analog mixer.

But if you look around at the newsgroups of the companies whos interfaces you are considering, it can be a great help toward making a decision. If there are a lot of people complaining about compatability issues, maybe you should look elsewhere.

As has been mentioned, RME and Lynx are good choices. Frontier Designs was for years a front runner. Then they fell behind in driver/OS compatability and support. I have recently heard that they now have full support for their Dakota/Montana/Siera combination under XP. If this is true, that would be a great option to check out, too.

From the standpoint of porting it all back out to an analog mixer, then adding another complete set of conversions to get it back into the computer (or to some other digital format...) again... well, that just seems like a bad plan to me. So once I get the info into the computer, it never leaves the digital realm until the client plays back his CD.

Bill

a MOTU 24 I/O has 24 in and out on balanced TRS at +4 and would do what you are asking.

I have one and its been great.

From the standpoint of porting it all back out to an analog mixer, then adding another complete set of conversions to get it back into the computer (or to some other digital format...) again... well, that just seems like a bad plan to me. So once I get the info into the computer, it never leaves the digital realm until the client plays back his CD.

Well, thousands of people still prefer to use an analog mixer along with the improved sound quality and the flexability it can give. I am one of them. My analog mixer and my outboard gear consistantly outperform what I hear most others do in the all digital realm and I get quite a bit of specific mixing work because of the sound I can get with my analog mixer and outboard gear. It is a complete phallacy that staying all digital all the way through is the better way just because you avoid an A2D conversion more than once. I'm smart enough to know that is far more significant in how to use the tools and technology of both analog and digital to give me the very best results I am capable of, and the in the end that is what is most important.