Having Separate Mixes: Live vs Recording.

[tricky1]

I subscribe to Church Production Magazine and this month they had an article about using a feed from the live mixer to record vs having a separate mixer for the recording. Right now I currently take the 4 subgroups out of the 32 channel Carvin mixer into my little PV6 or whatever else I decide to use. I just changed it out from a Soundcraft 12 channel Spirit Folio to try and save space.

I am looking for a way to have my own mix without using the house mixer. I record to a Microboard CopyWriter Live and to my Macbook using Audacity and a Lexicon Alpha USB Interface. I come out of the efx send on the PV6 to the Lexicon and out of the mains into the CopyWriter. I would be happy with 8-16 channels. to me it's just how to get the same signals that the house gets but have my own independent mix.

I'm in brainstorming mode on this right now.

[Gracetech]

What particular Carvin console do you have? I doubt it has direct outs which would be handy to create a secondary mix.

One thing i've done in the past is to mix virtually on a computer using a multi-input audio interface. The only reason this worked was because i wasn't synced to video. The way you do it is use the inserts on your board and route that audio to the audio interface and mix to your hearts content. You can take the same scenario to a separate console as well. The trick is in how you wire your insert signal stealers. You have to loop the tip to the ring in the connector and the signal can't go very far because it will be unbalanced audio. The beautiful thing is the signal is only altered by the pre on the console and nothing else(console dependent).

crt

[tricky1]

The Carvin is a C3244 Concert Series. I don't recall if it has direct outs off the top of my head however.

[Gracetech]

I've never seen a Carvin with direct outs and this one definitely doesn't have them. So your options are to either do a signal steal from the inserts or buy some splitters preferably isolated and not "y' cables. Lots of options, now you just need to chose the right one for your setup.

So do you want the record mixer to be sitting beside the live mixer or do you want it some where else?

crt

[Arlin]

We use a Carvin SL24 which has direct outs... but they are post fader from the factory.
Anyway, another option is to use the inserts as direct outs with a regular 1/4" plug, but only plug it in to the first click (not all the way in). This will send the signal (unbalanced) and not interrupt the signal to the channel strip.

I would not recommend that long-term though. Just too easy to not plug the inserts in right.

[waynehoskins]

... plus, you can't insert anything easily.

A splitter bank and a second console really are the best way to do it in my opinion.

If you wanted to invest in a digital board, it seems like you could do similar things on an LS9 and feed your recorders from a pair of auxes, and you might be able to use Studio Manager to mix that feed live from a computer. But I'm not sure if that's possible, and it's certainly more a expensive console than a Carvin.