Get a new soundcard, quick as you can.

I don't know the Creative, but ideally what you want to do:

Connect the direct out or insert point of as many mixer channels as you can, to the soundcard inputs. A Delta 4/4 will give you 4 ins and 4 outs and is a grest stsrting point as is a Firewire 410 or Edirol FA301 if you are on Mac.

Connect outputs 1 & 2 to the line ins of channels 9 & 10 on your mixer, or lower if you don't have these.

Connect your amp inputs to the main outs on the mixer.

This gives you input monitoring channels, playback monitoring channels and later on you can connect more outputs to more channels for monitor mixes or effects mixes, and more inputs for more simultanous ins.

Best,

Jamie

I agree with Jeemy on everything EXCEPT if you're on a tight budget with the sound card - for now. If you're using something the SB Audigy Platinum series (with good cables) you can get by - for NOW, at least for playback. (it's also got firewire inputs, SP/DIF and a bunch of other good stuff).

Get your feet wet, make some inital recordings with the gear you've got, and then see how it goes. (You can always add a GOOD firewire preamp input for your mics, etc., and still monitor back out of the Mackie for playback, etc.)

If you've gotta stick with the SB card for now, you can use the Aux sends or the separate 1, 2, 3 or 4 bus outs from the Mackie to feed your computer's audio inputs. (Again, not a great way to go, but it's a start for a newbie - just use good cables and keep the run from the mixer to the sound card SHORT and away from transformers and other noise-makers). With 16 channels, you can use the last couple of stereo inputs for the Computer audio returns, CD player, FM tuner, etc. for your studio/control room playback. (Just make sure the computer's input/return is NOT also latched to the same subs you're sending INTO the computer. Very bad, loud, nasty things will happen. It'll hurt.)

As Jeemy says, use the Mixer outputs to feed your control room amps, headphone amps, etc., and you'll be off to a good start. The Mackie preamps ain't bad at all (no matter WHAT subjective nonsense you've read here or elsewhere so far), and you'll do fine with it until you can afford something better.

Above all, make some MUSIC and have fun!

Well, i´ve used Creative cards for a couple of years before having my own Delta 1010.
1. Once, i´ve used a CR1604 and conected it to the soundcard from the insert points and soon found that they were POST-EQ POST-FADER! (i think the desk had suffered a circuit fix, any ideas?)
So, plug the "Channel access" of a couple of channels to your creative card and arm a couple of channels for record, put some signal thru the desk and look if EQing at the desk makes some changes in the signal monitor at your computer (if it does so the insert points are POST-EQ, this means you shouldn´t be EQing at the desk while you record)
2.If you have a surround mixer it is a good idea to set it like this: Front speakers output with the Wave Out and rear speakers output with Line Input monitor. Plug them four at Stereo Line inputs in your Mackie and you will have a good monitoring set of what you record.

Right now i´m tired and going to sleep. Will continue later...
Good Luck!

mmmmmm-kay!

Some of the above well intended advice is wrong ... your mixer should connect to the amp via the C/R (Control Room) outs.
That way you can run the main outs to a 2 track and adjust the levels to speakers without affecting the 2 track send. also when you hit the solo or PFL buttons all will work correctly.

Run the outs from the soundcard to the 15 &16 channels ...leaving the first 14 for inputs ...

I would hook the bus 1 & 2 outs, to the soundcard but really, you can use the inserts or the channel directs as well ...

Using the insert send will limit you to one channel with no eq but a very clean signal.

Using a channel direct send will still be a bit cleaner sounding than using a bus as a send but will still limit you to one channel ... although you will now have access to the eq and fader for adjustments.

Using the bus sends allows use of all the available input channels with eq and faders all mixed to the assigned bus with a bit of added noise .... I seriously doubt that most people could hear the difference between the implementation of any of these three approaches, so I would opt for the most convenient ... which is to use the 1 & 2-bus send to the soundcard.

All of this is covered in the owners manual .... if you didn't get one with your 1604, you can download a PDF of it from the Mackie web site. http://www.mackie.com

thanks guys... i already have a better understanding!! kurt thanks man... the only question i have is that i have the cr 1604 not the vlz, so what shold i use instead of the cr outs as mine doesnt have them? thanks again..

darryl.

oops! sorry, I missed that ... the main outs are the only choice in your case ... sorry for the inaccurate post...

nice one mate.... ripping studio (well box room) apart as we speak and re-wiring.... cant wait to get this lot hooked up, have done some demo recording with the gear but think i will get better results when i get a bit more sorted... by the way kurt, check out the response i got when i put the same post on the daw forum!! thanks again mate,

darryl.