Multichannel Playback Question

[TechPastor]

I am trying to setup a practice system for my tech team. I would would like to record each line on my mixer to a separate channel (easy enough to do). But I want to be able to play each channel back to separate channels on our sound board so my team can practice mixing and adjusting eq settings.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how this can be accomplished? This far I have not been able to find a digital recorder that has more than a couple of outputs.
Thanx for your help everyone.

[waynehoskins]

Look at something like an Aleais ADAT or Tascam DA88. Those are both 8 tracks per tape pack, and you can sync multiple decks together for more than 8 tracks. In my experience (which this is a few years ago), the DA88 was more reliable.

[tedanderson]

You can get an ADAT XT-20 or something similar (that takes a standard VHS tape) on ebay for a few hundred bucks. I also have an analog 6-track recorder that I am about to list in the classifieds for $75 plus shipping if you are interested. It's not good enough to produce an album but certainly good enough for training purposes.

[Gracetech]

You might check out hardware/software setups. I use these types of setups for 90% of my recording/playback. Long gone are the days of stand alone recorders. Hop on a computer and ride the wave of the future.

Some manufactures to help you get going

MOTU(aka Mark of the Unicorn)weird name but i've owned almost every piece they've made
Presonus-very good entry level stuff
M-Audio- low end stuff

As for the software take a look at
Reaper-Free
Steinberg- I use alot of different software from this group.

crt

[TechPastor]

The Alesis HD24 appears that it will meet out needs and will allow us to expand in the coming months. Does anyone have any feedback on this for a solution?

[cmchamp]

For those who aren't going with a DAW/CPU and interface option, which is what I do with Mark of the Unicorn products and a Mac, the HD24 is probably the next best solution. It's more portable than my CPU, 2 interface, monitor, keyboard, mouse rig and if you want to import the WAV files to a CPU for DAW processing, that's an option too.
For what it is, recording and playback through the mixer for "learning" it's a good option.
For growth into producing anything with transfers to a DAW, the FTP option is slow, only 100mb ethernet from what I remember, so large file transfers will be pokey.

Depending on what mixer you have, you may wish to have a patch bay in the input portion of the board isn't accessible. The patch bay would allow for patching I/O without messing with the back of the console.

I don't know about using the insert of the mixing board as an I/O loop on the HD24, I'll have to research the I/O on the HD24 to see if there is any latency.

C.

[FBCaudio]

on that note would people here go with a MAudio Profire 610 or a MOTU ultralite ?
Like the OP this is about the outputs


(I have heard that MAudio has had driver issues in the past, that said I know folks who have used their gear without issues AFAIK and apparently said issues have been rectified)

[Gracetech]

I would go with the ultralite hands down. Of course if you don't care about quality then the Profire has more analog outputs i believe.

crt

[FBCaudio]

Originally Posted by Gracetech

I would go with the ultralite hands down. Of course if you don't care about quality then the Profire has more analog outputs i believe.

crt

Yeah, A second headphone jack, that doesn't affect my usage though.

thanks

[tedanderson]

Originally Posted by TechPastor

The Alesis HD24 appears that it will meet out needs and will allow us to expand in the coming months. Does anyone have any feedback on this for a solution?

We purchased one of these for a similar purpose and I think that this was indeed the BEST investment that we have made. What I like about it is the versitility. It's simple and user-friendly enough to run as a stand-alone device but it can also be integrated with a PC or a DAW and can do a multitude of functions. One thing that I like is that we can copy and bounce tracks. So I might have my mic connected to Track 1 for the entire session but after I do a take I can bounce the vocals one by one on tracks 17-24 and play them back as I record the next vocal.

We paid $1500 for ours from Musician's Friend but the price is probably a little bit lower now.

[Gracetech]

If your interested i have 2 hd24's that i would be willing to part with if the price was right.

crt

[tedanderson]

Originally Posted by Gracetech

If your interested i have 2 hd24's that i would be willing to part with if the price was right.

"....Nowwww.. Graaaace.. Thats TWO HD 24's...if they are lower than $1100.... you WIN! What is the actual price of that item?"



LOL! Sorry.. couldn't help it.