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Localhero 31 March 2011

I am looking for some expert thoughts on this one please ;-)

I am using Sonar x1 which I love by the way! and my inputs and outputs are going through a noisy soundcraft spirit sx desk-have cleaned inside but ready for the tip I think!

I am really fed up with the crackling and having to keep moving sliders back and fore to get rid of the noise!

I am going from 4 outs into the delta and 4 ins to my spirit.OK after all that!
Can anyone recommend a mixer/firewire or suggest something I can use(currently use 8 stereo channels into mixer from keys/guitar boards/minidisks/data modules etc etc.
I dont want to spend my money and find after a few months I have another dusty mixer!

Thanks all.

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Localhero Thu, 03/31/2011 - 11:01

Thanks JD. I only have 4 ins into my sound card,BUT when Im recording i can go straight into my sound card yes?-I must be honest I havent tried that yet as how would i monitor sound coming out?
Main problem is Im not getting true sound coming out as the mixers noisy any other alternative budget prob max £400

TheJackAttack Thu, 03/31/2011 - 12:05

Well, first off you normally wouldn't use your onboard sound chip for recording or mixing audio. By skipping the board I meant going into a proper audio interface and then into the computer via whatever hookup. There are a few posters here who live in the UK so they might be better able to tell you what is available for 400GBP. Typically that would be a firewire or PCI interface for best results and you would monitor from that same interface. Maybe Boswell will pop in here and give some advice.

Boswell Fri, 04/01/2011 - 04:22

There's nothing around for that sort of money that would do 8 stereo channels directly into a computer. The M-Audio Delta 66 is a reasonable value 4-channel interface unit, but has limitations, one of them being the +14dBu full-scale input level.

How do you have your Soundcraft SX arranged? It has 4 stereo channels, so do you pair up mono channels for the other 4 stereo sources? Do you use other mono channels for microphones and the like? Which SX outputs do you connect to the Delta 66?

I've done servicing on those SX boards, but have not encountered huge problems with noisy faders. It may be best for the moment to consider spending a little on having the noisy SX faders attended to while you save up more money for a better mixer or audio interface combination. The crunch is going to be the stereo channels. How many stereo inputs do you really need?

Localhero Fri, 04/01/2011 - 09:34

Boswell thanks a lot for your comments.

All I have is delta outs 1-4 ch15/16 l and r and ch 19/20.
Ins delta from soundcraft main output sub l and r and 2 dir (l and r).
I had the faders done by a pro but only lasted short while-he said its nearlly ready for the dump!
Line ins then are taken up by keys/gtrs-in pairs and panned left and right.Perhaps I havent wired it correctly as well?
I dont mind spending what I need to really to get the best results if firewire will do the job for 900 I will start saving ;-) Help Please!!

Boswell Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:11

You could reduce it to how do I get 16 mono channels into and at least 4 out of my computer for £900 or less? You can do all you need with using mono channels, panning them L and R in pairs for stereo as necessary after they are captured in the computer.

An expanded 8-channel audio interface is one choice, and of those, it's probably going to be something like the Presonus FireStudio Project with the Digimax FS ADAT expander unit. However, there are several hardware choices and options in this area, and others may want to chime in with suggestions.

TheJackAttack Fri, 04/01/2011 - 11:20

If the budget is expanded I do have some suggestions. Caveat: I still have no idea what things cost on your side of the pond.

I think I'd keep it on a PCI bus if it were me since that is what you are used to and it has the lowest latency. The RME Multiface II is a great option and you could combine it with a Digimax FS or an Octamic II or a used Mackie Onyx 800R or similar for 16 inputs and very low latency. The Multiface can also be had used very often at reasonable prices and as long as you check it prior to purchase they last a very long time.

The MoTU PCI interfaces are also excellent and a 2408 + ADAT mic pre would provide much the same I/O. The MoTU gear seems to be hearty enough to me but I see a lot that have been broken by users too-more so than RME but maybe that's just because they are more prevalent in the US or were.

Localhero Sat, 04/02/2011 - 03:12

Just a quick question guys(due to my naivty on this subject)!!

Would I need an expander if I just want to use say 2 in to my pc at a time (like keys left and right) then say plug gtr effects processor in left right then mic etc etc

as I will never be recording several things at once-I am a one man band!! Program a lot on keys and then send over to sonar prod x1 and work then from there?
Any ideas.

Localhero Thu, 04/14/2011 - 02:07

TheJackAttack, post: 367793 wrote: If you could truly expand your budget quite a bit a perfect option for you would be the Allen & Heath ZED R16. This is a fabulous board with very good preamps in built and lots of other cool features. It just may be beyond what you wish to spend.

Best of luck.

-
Just to let you know I am seriously thinking of this one I may as well it will last me a long time and what Ive read about it it is the business!! Many thanks!

Localhero Fri, 04/15/2011 - 01:35

Allen and Heath ZED R16

TheJackAttack, post: 367793 wrote: If you could truly expand your budget quite a bit a perfect option for you would be the Allen & Heath ZED R16. This is a fabulous board with very good preamps in built and lots of other cool features. It just may be beyond what you wish to spend.

Best of luck.

Hi TJA,
I have had many people tell me that mixers and pci cards are best kept seperate(ie best to use delta card and mixer rather than all in one) and I was seriously considering buying the allen and heath zed r16? what are your thoughts?
Cheers

Paul

TheJackAttack Fri, 04/15/2011 - 02:36

I don't know who these people are and what their experience is. If you were willing to jump to a Lynx Aurora 8 then it would be worth keeping a mixer separate from an interface if the mixer were high quality. If you don't need a mixer then of course just an interface with the requisite preamps and line inputs. PCI has less latency than firewire but in a home studio environment and in fact in most semi professional studios, that isn't much of an issue. Latency can be an issue if the computer is not tweaked for audio but that is true regardless of the interface format.

The Allen & Heath Zed R16 or GS24 are so much better than anything in the Delta series or any other M-Audio interface that they really can't even be compared. Along those lines, the Presonus Studio Live mixers (16 and 24 channels) also far outstrip any M-Audio device. The Mackie Onyx i1640 also trounces any M-Audio interface though it isn't on the exact plane of the A&H.

Boswell Fri, 04/15/2011 - 02:57

Localhero, post: 368892 wrote: Hi TJA,
I have had many people tell me that mixers and pci cards are best kept seperate(ie best to use delta card and mixer rather than all in one) and I was seriously considering buying the allen and heath zed r16? what are your thoughts?
Cheers

Paul

It's a question of what you get and at what quality for your money. The Zed-R16 has not only 16 top-quality pre-amps, but also the matching quality A-D and D-A converters. As a live and recording desk, it's very hard to come close to the quality in any other mix of gear for that amount of money. If there is a downside, it may be that the R16 is a fixed-size unit, and it's not easily possible to use it in a system where you need more than 16 channels. Also, because it is orientated towards computer interfacing, the number of conventional Auxes is barely adequate for live stage use with effect units and monitors. However, it's unmatched at the price for small studio use.

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