ok, I need to hook a computer up to a 16-channel mixer (mackie)

I want to have at least 16 inputs and 16 outputs plus a master output.

I need to hook the 16-channels into a patch bay (balanced hi,lo,grnd).
I need a program that can record 16 channels at once (pro tools?)

so the set up will be

live band -> snake -> makie mixer -> computer

though I will be going through a patch bay so for the air feed, I will be mostlikely playing straight off the mixer mainout or the computer's.

ALSO, I would love the sound interface to have inline effects per-channel and on the master (like the old soundblaster chip from 99-ish).

this is going to sit in a room and be used for editing. an external-editing control box would be nice too.

Computer: 16 channels at once will need a good amount of memory and a good processor. Get about 1-3 gigs, 2 would be safe. Get 2 hard drives, one 40-80 gig for software and one 80-120 gig for audio files and data. You'll get better performance since the drive isn't trying to access your software and audio files at the same time.

Sound card: I've heard good things about the pre-sonus firepod. Firewire connected with 8 inputs, so you'll need 2 of them which you can run together. About $500 each on ebay.

Mixer: Sell your mackie mixer, you don't need it. The mixer won't act as a soundcard, but your soundcards will act as a mixer.

Software: Sonar or Nuendo. Sonar wins hands down as far as being easy to learn.

Effects: the software effects that come with sonar should do just fine, but if you need more there's a ton of freeware plugins out there.

External control surface(s): Berhinger(sp?) makes very cool little usb control surfaces. You can get a couple 8 channel meters and a couple 8 channel knobs (for real time control of effects) for about $100 each, total of $400

Avoid pro tools. For what you'd be spending here (about $2000 - $2500) you'll get a pro tools system that has about half the available tracks. Also, pro tools has a much higher learning curve. Also, I can't pirate you software and plugins for pro-tools like I can with sonar or cubase.

this is for my radio station so I need to have legal software.
a physical mixer needs to be worked into this since some people may just be using the snake to the makie to air, bypassing the computer altogether.

oh and the drives will mostlikely be a 200GB 7200rpm 16mb SATA pimary
and 2 320GB SATA data drives.

Drives are fine.

Check the mackie mixer to see if it has a direct out for each channel. If it does, you can go from the snake into the mixer, then run each direct out into the pre-sonus firepod. Only thing is you'll have to rememeber to disconnect the direct outs for airing, and to zero all your levels for recording.

Also, you won't be able to use the mackie mixer to adjust your levels once they're recorded, so you still might want those behringer control surfaces in addition to the mackie.

REV, How much are you looking to spend?

Whats wrong with prostools? Geesh that and digital performer is only the Industry standard.

handinjury said:



First, it's the recording industry standard. Rev runs a radio station.

Secondly, it's an EXPENSIVE standard with a very high learning curve. Rev doesn't need 90% of the higher level features and abilities, and it's HARDWARE EXCLUSIVE, which means instead of being able to buy another 8 channels of audio for $500 he'd have to spend $1600 for a Digi002.

Pro tools is not an idustry standard. It's like mac, they're system exclusive and they were there first. Therefore, people that started with pro tools hae stuck with it.

Pro tools is just software. Quality comes from your pre's, converters, and signal path, NOT from your pro-tools audio engine. There's a lot of amazing stuff I've heard coming out of studios using Nuendo, Cubase, Sonar and Logic. Just check out www.myspace.com/tesseract , all done with Nuendo.

If rev were starting a recording studio, the benefits of running the same system everyone else uses might make pro-tools worth the money. For what he's doing now, there ARE no advantages. (except that everything is bundled with pro-tools, no having to install hardware and software from different

oops, hit post too soon and trailed off.


You get the idea.

Hey Rev, tell your girlfriend I'm heading into the kitchen to make some sick gravy. I got about three types of sausage, chicken, pork, and meatballs. Probably about 6 pounds of meat, and 20 quarts of tomatos.

I HEART spaghetti.

um is it a mackie 1604 vlz pro? or one of those new Onyx series?

if it is the onyx series then you can feed the live analogue signal to the air live and then record through firewire to pc. if you get the firewire adapter.

if it is vlz pro then you only have 8 direct outs and 4 sub groups. main mix could go to the air and then the directs and subs go to a soundcard. i dont know what soundcard has 16 ins and outs. i have a digital 24 track with 24 ins and outs.

I need to read all this... later.

few other things.
I need balanced outputs/inputs.

I drew it out again and this is it

snake->patch bay

and then the patch bay will map to the inputs of the makie AND the inputs of the computer. so you won't be going from the makie to the computer. they will be in parallel.

the 16 outputs from the computer plus 1 main out from the computer will then go back into the patch bay so you can redirect them.

this is going to require so much soldering