What are your goals. What do you plan on recording? How far do you plan on taking it? Is it a hobby or do you intend on making money someday?

Very simplistically a mixer is a device that takes multiple inputs and sums them into a specific number of channels. For the purposes of illustration only, say you have four vocal mics, two guitars, a bass and piano all feeding electrically you bring this into a mixer which allows you raise or lower the individual gain (volume) on each channel (seperate input.) A mixer usually allows you to also alter the timbre or tone as well as possibly add effects before sending all the seperate channels to one (mono) or two (stereo) channels. You could essentially then take the two left and right channels into your E-Mu thus recording eight inputs through two channels. This is probably not the preferred method due to the fact that the levels set in the mixer can no longer be adjusted seperately after being recorded, you basically are stuck with the mix that was recorded.
The preferred method might be (in this case) to use an eight channel interface with built in preamps so that each input could be recorded seperately to its own track simultaneously thus giving you the ability to raise or lower, alter or place effects on each one seperately later. Did that help?

What he said. I have used an 8 channel mixer before, I also have pulled many a hair out of my head. They are frustrating, and if you can't play something perfect the first time then you might as well not even try, because you don't really get any second chances, at least if you record yourself. Once you bounce the mixdown whatever you have set as levels and pan and whatnot are set in stone. The only thing you can do is master the track as a whole.

What you want to do is get yourself a nice interface, firewire is preferred especially if you plan on recording more than 3 tracks at once. That's why I asked how many things you plan on recording. Invest in a good DAW, or go free if you want to, there are plenty of good free ones out there. But computer based tracking/mixing is the way to go if you want any kind of flexibility.

Okay i have the EXACT same set-up as this guy and i also have the same problem but i don't feel the question has been answered fully.

I am currently wanting to record say 8-12 tracks or more and then have them all running on different channels so that when i record on 8 channels at once they show up on my computer as 8 tracks so i can then edit each individual track.

I was wondering if it is possible to record like this using something like a mixer and then connect this to the EMU 0404 to still gain the 8 separate channels?
If now what is the best thing to do? i don't want to be spending too much money here & im preferably looking for something that is going to work with Cubase, Logic & Protools, and also garage band.

So i was wondering if you guys could explane a little better on how to hook this up exactly because everyone i ask never gives me a proper answer as such.
Also if you could actually recommended actual hardware that would help too.

I should add that in a previous post i said that im hoping to use protools which i have so what would maybe be the best thing for using this & keeping the cost down?

Thanks.

The Emu 404 will NOT record 8 simultaneous tracks so the quick answer is no. If you want 8-12 tracks your interface has to be capable of recording 8 inputs at one time.

Mixers do not record, they route signal.

A mixer that is also an interface (obviating the need for the Emu); or a mixer running into an Alesis HD24 or a Mackie 24/96 and then imported to the computer; or a mixer running into a separate interface (again obviating the Emu) is what would be required.

To Shorty. Buy yourself two of these, get rid of ProTools, and call it a day. You won't be able to use ProTools without a DigiDesign or M-Audio Interface, and those are all costly and you don't get a lot for the money quality wise.

link removed