# Help Setting Up Home Recording Rig



## KujaSE (Jul 30, 2006)

http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/msg/1447334434.html

These are what my school uses for production purposes and it's essentially ran so that you can plug in headphones, and pot up the first input (which is just a mic) and record into Adobe Audition directly.

However the computer actually runs through the Mackie in another channel as well so I can get playback through the headphones from the computer/adobe.

I know the XLR outputs from the Mackie run into a little "Input Amplifier" or something of the like, a little box. And it has other xlr outputs as well as the red/white cords which run to the computer.

I unfortunately don't have the slightest clue how any of it works. It's easily set up on the computers here so I'd essentially like the same thing at home.

Any help would be much appreciated!
-Mike;Dojcsak


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

are you thinking of buying that mixer? if so, its a good one- but then you need some type of interface or soundcard to get it into the pc- like the box you use at school. 
i use a similar setup. i have a soundcard with xlr inputs on it- i just go straight from the mixer to the pc. and the mackie boards also have outputs that use rca or 1/4 inch jacks, so a soundcard that accepts those types will work as well. so you dont need an expensive soundcard or anything- but you want something at least decent- or you can get an interface with usb- that way you go from the mixer to interface to usb port.
a really great, versatile way to go.
however, if you only want to run one or two mics, and maybe a direct in, there are lots of decent usb type interfaces that will be simpler and cheaper for a home setup. really it depends on what you want to use it for.


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## KujaSE (Jul 30, 2006)

I'm currently using a fast track pro as well as a toneport for some occasional direct guitar recording.

My only concern is mic'ing drums for the future. I'm fairly sure that the mackie goes out to the amplifier box, then plugs into the pc via red/white RCA cables.

How expensive are we talking to pick up an amp box plus a slightly higher end soundcard to take the RCA cables.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

ok- you can run the mackie into your fast track pro via the xlr's- or the 1/4- whichever you want. basically the fast track becomes the little box you saw at the school. might be a bit of knob turning and experimentation with the setup, but itll work.
then youre simply using the fast track pro as always, into the usb- except now, with the mackie board, youve got a whole lot more options when it comes to input- you can have a bunch of mics (good for drums), some direct ins for electrics- whatever- youll have it covered. everything you used to plug into the fast track now goes to the mixer- and you use the mixer to control the output to the fast track-
the mixer adds more inputs, and more control
only place where itll be a bottleneck is using the fast track, youll be recording 2 channels only on the pc- you can control everything via the mixer and the fast track, but once those 2 tracks are on the pc, theyre there. i think itll work just fine, and thats the way i record most times anyway. in the pc, i set up 2 tracks- one panned left, one right. i pan my mixer inputs to left and right as desired- then i can edit/ tweak the left/ right tracks independant of each other.

for more freedom, i got a delta 1010lt soundcard- it was about $200 (cheaper now i think)
with this i can input a number of tracks from my mackie board into the pc at once- as seperate tracks. so if ive got 4 mics set up, each mics signal is recorded by the pc into its own track, and each track is then tweakable independently in the pc. (the tracks need to be assigned properly in the daw-)
this is less convenient than it sounds however, as it makes for more time wasting.

i wouldnt bother with a soundcard yet- as you already have an interface. id add that later if you feel it necessary.


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## KujaSE (Jul 30, 2006)

So the FTP would essentially function as the preamp for the mackie? It seems a little difficult. I'd like the option to mix the drums as individual tracks just for quality purposes.


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## fraser (Feb 24, 2007)

KujaSE said:


> So the FTP would essentially function as the preamp for the mackie? It seems a little difficult. I'd like the option to mix the drums as individual tracks just for quality purposes.


well id run the fast track at unity if i could- keep the input/output of the fast track kinda low- its only there to serve as input to the pc
use the better preamps of the mackie, and its strips

like i say- it cost me about $200 to get the delta 1010- that provides 10 inputs- ten outputs
that gets me 4 mics w/ phantom power- the number of mics is important i think to you, you want to record drums- the board you linked to has 6 of these channels- ive got the 1202 version, with only four.
that board you linked to will get you 6 mics with phantom power-
as i said, you can use the ftp so it works- once you get used to that, you can move on, but you lose nothing- youve already got the ftp.
i ran my mixer into a soundblaster at first lol.
if youve ever used one of those cassette 4 track machines- this is nothing like that. way more to it- makes my head hurt.


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