I also posted this over on the RME forum, but I thought you guys might have some opinions/answers...

I record Bluegrass music, usually with no more than 8 tracks. I was thinking of routing each track to a different output of the FF800 and into a decent mixer. I would output the stereo mixdown to a good AD converter and back into the SPDIF of the Fireface (or the SPDIF of a little M-audio Microtrack recorder if there is any feedback loop danger). Purpose? To see if this made a better sounding mix than my software DAW, Sonar Home Studio 2. I've read varying opinions that summing of tracks with hardware rather than software can make a big difference...especially if the software is not particularly high end.

Is this possible? Advisable?

Thanks for any help,

Tracy

I don't know the software, but as a general rule, if you get a half way decent little analog mixer w/EQ, I think you'd be capable of a better sounding mix. Not just the summing...you have full resolution output to each channel (bringing volume down in the analog world)...you have EQ...ability to insert analog compressors...and since software really falls down on reverb-external unit.

So, if you're just going to sum on a little Mackie...no...I wouldn't venture it would make a big enough difference to care...but, if you're going to embrace the full analog mixing plusses, it will easily outpace software--especially inexpensive software.

I know someone I helped design a system like that for his Roland VS1680...he's way happier and his mixes sound better. He's got a little Allen&Heath, if I remember right. I helped someone else, but I don't remember what mixer he used.

IMHO, with this few tracks you'd be better off buying yourself a UAD-1 card or a good external set of EQs/Compressors and call it a day. I don't think external summing in so few channels will have much, if any, sonic benefit.

Can you return it back into the Fireface?

If you had a good mixer and GREAT A/D/A it might be cool. I have considered doing this myself, but just don't have the gear that would make it totally worthwhile.

jmp

quote:

If you had a good mixer and GREAT A/D/A

Funny. I woke up with the thought this morning that the benefit I'd gain with the mixer might be lost by the loss in the extra conversion back to analog and then digital.

IMO, it definitely makes a difference. I'm mixing through a Tascam M600 and find it to be quite a big improvement over ITB. I'm using a Lynx Aurora 16 for my I/O but would not hesitate to use my Fireface 800 if that's all I had.

I set up an aux buss and route everything that doesn't get it's own channel to it. Even route reverbs and other effects to it and it really helps them out as well.

You can find some decent boards on ebay for a good price that would fit quite nicely into what your thinking of.

Don't know if you have a board already but if so try it and see what you think.
I say go for it.

If your interested you can check out a mix I did over in the song section of this forum. It's title is Blues Regardless.

quote:

Don't know if you have a board already but if so try it and see what you think.
I say go for it.

I sold a little Phonic mixer on Ebay a few weeks ago. I didn't even think of trying it at that time, but I don't think it had inserts for each channel where you could bypass the preamps. I've been looking at the Peavey V10 or 14. I haven't read one bad thing about them, and they are cheap enough. Thanks for the advice. I don't know what I will do yet. I'm just trying to figure a way to be more satisfied with my computer setup in case I need to rely upon it solely. My AKAI DPS24 is doing a great job for now, but I'm just thinking ahead.