timtheenchanteruk Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 Hi, me again. Just been working in the studio at work (school) and I`m trying to work out how to do the mix-downs through the mixer, rather than on the PC. Or rig is this. Sound Craft Ghost 24 channel console, into a Fostex D2424LV hard-disk multi-tracker, which is basically used an an A-D converter to the PC, running Cubase SX2, and a Hammerfall DSP 24Channel PCI soundcard. Currently this them plays back through a Tascam DA-20 DAT machine (used as an D-A converter) through a pair of channels in the desk. The Fostex has ins and outs connected to the mixer, but I can only get it to work as an input device to the PC, not out again, which would be much better for mixing tracks down, instead of having to do it all on Cubase. I`m struggling with this at the moment as when I arrived, they had been without a tech since June, I started in December, and the Studio did not work at all, So I am quite chuffed to be at this stage considering I have never touched Cubase before here. Many thanks. Tim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 This doesn't seem to make sense? You are using the Fostex as the A to d? Why are you not using the 24 track pci card? Assuming the card can take the output from the Fostex. then the thing you need to get your head around is old fashioned routing. So your Ghost desk is nice - you have the choice of two ways of connection, but both really need a patch panel to make it flexible. you can connect the direct out from each mixer channel to the input of the recorder, and the output back to the line in of each channel, or you can take the group outs to the first 8 inputs of the fostex, with the outs back into the channels. Not sure about the fostex, but the adat versions link the inputs so that an input on channel 1 also goes to 9 and 17 - making routing a bit easier. The patch bay is pretty important because you're going to fill up the available channels with the recorder outs, as default, and you need to be able to overpatch other line inputs like synths and other stuff. The output then needs to go to the 2 track or 2 ins on the PC. Being very honest, having spent a long time in studios like this, doing it in the PC is far far simpler - routing is paramount. if your system involves pulling cables out the back of the desk all the time you will hate it. You also have to teach people how your own studio is wired - rarely will you find two studios the same. I did the setup and wiring for my old college studio. I let somebody else install the next one, and I hated how he liked it, and never used it! Much depends on what you wnat to do, and how you want to work. When you've been used to a pc system, going back to HD and analogue desks is a backwards step. Even A level Music Technology now kind of assumes you do it in a machine - not a mixer and recorder. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shez Posted February 22, 2008 Share Posted February 22, 2008 The Fostex has ins and outs connected to the mixer, but I can only get it to work as an input device to the PC, not out again, which would be much better for mixing tracks down, instead of having to do it all on Cubase. If the Fostex is anything like the HD24, you'll have to set all the inputs to digital rather than analogue (which also means setting the clocking to be external), and turn on monitoring for all inputs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobbsy Posted February 23, 2008 Share Posted February 23, 2008 Perhaps you could give us more details of exactly how your components are wired together...I'm struggling to make sense of your description so far. Are you recording on the Fostex or on the PC? If you want to mix on the Soundcraft and record on the Fostex, just take the analogue outs to the Soundcraft inputs. On the other hand, if you're ending up with your tracks on the PC, why are you using the Fostex as an A to D converter since (depending on the model, which would be handy to know, chances are the Hammerfall is a much better unit for this). In any case, frankly I'd mix down in Cubase anyway. Your adjustments will be more precise and repeatable plus you have a wide selection of effects that would be expensive to duplicate outside the computer. The Soundcraft Ghost doesn't support any automation so you'd have to have pretty nimble fingers to even come close to "in the box" quality doing your mix live. Personally, while I do have a mixer connected into my mix system, it's a modern digital one and, for mix downs, just acts as a remote control for the software. I can do a very rough mix "on the fly" then work on the automation lanes in Auditiion (sometimes for days on end) to tweak the timings and balances far more precisely than I can achieve by hand. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtheenchanteruk Posted February 24, 2008 Author Share Posted February 24, 2008 All the recording we do is on the PC, I was under the impression the PCI card was digital only (I may be wrong), I kind of assumed that mixing down was done back through the desk rather than all PC/Mac based The ins/outs of the fostex are connected to the desk, so thinking about it, if I recorded on the Fostex, it should then play back via the desk. And then thinking again, if the PC is connected via digital, am I right in thinking that optical is one way only, ie needs seperate in/out and co-ax is 2 way? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted February 24, 2008 Share Posted February 24, 2008 No - coax and optical are always single way - assuming we're talking adat litepipe, or spdif or AES/EBU. It sounds as if what you have is an analogue studio with a pc interfaced to the digital outputs of the HD. So this could work ok, a bit unusual, but you could put the HD into input monitor/record ready, then take the 3 digital lines out of it into the pci card, and record on the pc. You could o back the other way, but proably wouldn't need to - completing the project in the computer! I could live with this - damn expensive A to D convertor. The card you have doesn't offer any analogue inputs at all, normally being used with a mixer with digi outputs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtheenchanteruk Posted February 25, 2008 Author Share Posted February 25, 2008 you could put the HD into input monitor/record ready, then take the 3 digital lines out of it into the pci card, and record on the pc. You could o back the other way, but proably wouldn't need to - completing the project in the computer! thats exactly how it works, yes its all spdif on the digital. Looks like I will leave it as it is then, if it ain't broke etc, I'm still new to this recording lark, my main area being live theater. Thanks for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesperrett Posted February 26, 2008 Share Posted February 26, 2008 yes its all spdif on the digital. In order to prevent any future confusion... I think you'll find that these links are actually ADAT format with 8 channels of audio going down each fibre. Cheers James. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timtheenchanteruk Posted February 26, 2008 Author Share Posted February 26, 2008 funny you should say that, just having a nosey, and yes the outputs are set to adat, although can be changed, but the PC seems to think its receiving spdif! anyway, if it ain`t broke etc. but there is def 8Ch on each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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