A Designs make a really cool, well-built 2 channel attenuator.
It's called the ATTY

Check it out.http://www.adesignsaudio.com/
Hope this help
Chris

What is commonly used and what i use is an line attenuator pad. Shure is one source that makes a good quality pads. Some that are fixed and a few that have switchable settings. I believe others like hosa make them as well. Sometimes you need or want to use them, others times you don't.

Thanks alot you guys. I found the Atty, If im not confused you attentuate using a knob right ??? That would make it a variable attentuator ? I couldnt find the shure A15AS anywhere, I found a similar one from Audio Technica with a -10, -20 and -30 db switch (the Shure is -15, -20 and -25).

This is the link for the Audio technica:
http://www.bswusa.com/prod_item.asp?item=AT8202

This is the link for the Atty
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=home/search/detail/base_pid/189900/

I also found these fixed attenuator from ProCo. They come in -10, -20 and -30 db.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MAX10/

The Audio technica looks good or should I egt the Atty ??? Thanks again!

When the APIs are used in a console as they were originally intended to, you can drive the pre hard and pull the fader back ... If you have a small mixer in your setup, you can return the pre to a insert return and the route the direct out of the channel to the recorder .. you will then have a post send fader to control the level of the signal.

Another thing is, be sure you are running your soundcard or converters at +4 to insure that you get the best signal to noise performance.

Kurt Foster wrote: When the APIs are used in a console as they were originally intended to, you can drive the pre hard and pull the fader back ... If you have a small mixer in your setup, you can return the pre to a insert return and the route the direct out of the channel to the recorder .. you will then have a post send fader to control the level of the signal.

Another thing is, be sure you are running your soundcard or converters at +4 to insure that you get the best signal to noise performance.

hi Kurt, Im the guy who has the crappy mackie 24:8 mixer, you suggested to try to stay away as much as possible from using anything on the mackie. Wouldnt it degrade the quality of the API 3124 to run it thru the mackie ??

Does the API 3124MB+ (the one with a built in line mixer) solve this problem ??? Thanks

With Mackies, a lot of the problems are in the summing amps in the bus's and the 2-bus.

As long as you keep the levels down to a resonable level (not asking the Mackie for a lot of headroom) and go into a channel insert and then come out of the direct send to the DAW you should be ok. This will avoid the summing amps. ... It's not the purest path but in a pinch it will be ok ..

Use your ears ..

The mixer on the API will allow you to trim down 2 channels at a time.