#1 wtf is the point of the direct outs all i see it as is a XLR to 1/4" adapter built into a mixer...???

Some prefer to have an unaltered signal going to disc so that they can make adjustments after the fact rather than making permanent alterations to the signal which may or may not sound "right" the next day.

want to (best case senario) run 16 channels at the same time into 2 firepods linked and run the monitors through the Mackie HMX56. is there a way to do this?

YOu can route the stereo output of your DAW to any two outputs on either Firepod and connect your (powered?) monitors or amplifier there.

sorry to clarify when i say monotors i was meaning 3 channels of mixed down audio +mix from DAW that would do into the Mackie HMX 56 to run out to headohones for the artist to monitor with

3 channels would probably go like this

Mic 1
mic 2- Channel 1
Mic 3/

Lead Guitar Channel 2
Rhythm guitar/

Bass Channel 3
Synth/

Mix - channel 4

i want to do this so i dont have to hear 'wah! i need more guitar/vocal/synth in my heaphones' i figure the artist can deal with it themselves

So, you are able to get signal from the mixer to the firepod. Can't you just use the aux sends on the mixer to go to your headphones?

k i want to EQ my mics/guitar and stuff BEFORE it gets to Sonar and the Direct outs dont run through the EQ so i am having to mixdown all my 16 channels into the 6 aux sends to get them EQd. this being done i have used the aux send and cant use them for monotoring. i want to find a way to either mix the 7channels i want to monitor into 3 or (prefeably) i want to find a way to run the 16 channels SEPERATLY through the EQ and into the 2 Firepods so i can have 16 Seperate channels in sonar

Looby,

I think you have been misinformed about the inserts on the MG24/14fx. Unusually for a mixer of this type, they are post-EQ, so using them as direct outs will do what you want. They are still pre-fader, but that should not affect what you want to achieve. Here's a link to the block diagram of the mixer:
http://www.yamahaproaudio.com/products/mixers/mg32_24/pdf/MG32_14FX_block_level_diagram.pdf

Now, next question: how do I take direct outs from an insert without breaking the signal chain to the rest of the mixer? Answer: use a cable with a TRS jack wired with T and R shorted together. You can either make them (I once spent a happy afternoon soldering up 24 channels of these to feed an Alesis HD24), or you can buy DOC106 adaptors from Hosa. Not everybody's favourite brand, but these are OK:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--HOSDOC10

question #1 wtf is the point of the direct outs all i see it as is a XLR to 1/4" adapter built into a mixer...???

The point here is that the direct outs are at a standard level of +4dBu, all the needed gain differences between the channels having been taken up on the gain trims.

i have a TRS 8 channel snake and use it the way i am suppose to and i do not get use of the EQ why could this be? the signal is routed though the direct out and i can hear and record the signal but i can not alter it with the EQ

Did you read this part?

Now, next question: how do I take direct outs from an insert without breaking the signal chain to the rest of the mixer? Answer: use a cable with a TRS jack wired with T and R shorted together. You can either make them (I once spent a happy afternoon soldering up 24 channels of these to feed an Alesis HD24), or you can buy DOC106 adaptors from Hosa. Not everybody's favourite brand, but these are OK:
http://www.zzounds.com/item--HOSDOC10

sorry i didnt understand what these things meant

short the TR together

how do I take direct outs from an insert without breaking the signal chain to the rest of the mixer?

i understand very little about signal routing and dont understand signal chains or anything like that.

will these adapters give me the ability to run a mic into the XLR jack and route it through the fader and EQ and back out the Insert jack?

i have a TRS 8 channel snake as previously mentioned and was told that the TRS cable inserted halfway was the same thing as these adapters true false?

Looby wrote: will these adapters give me the ability to run a mic into the XLR jack and route it through the fader and EQ and back out the Insert jack?

As stated above, it will go through the EQ but not the main channel fader.

Looby wrote: i have a TRS 8 channel snake as previously mentioned and was told that the TRS cable inserted halfway was the same thing as these adapters true false?

Maybe. The half-way trick works with some mixers and some looms, but it is not reliable.

i have tried this and no luck it does not seem to go through the EQ could i have a setting on the mixer wrong?

Well, the Yamaha MG24/14FX and MG32/14FX diagram clearly shows the EQ before the insert point in the microphone input channels with no by-pass switch. In fact, there is no way signals can get from a microphone input to anywhere else in the mixer without going through the channel EQ.