Do i need a mixer?? help please

[prophet]

Originally Posted by Onkel Dunkel

That´s also a possibility but it all depends on how you like to work. I´m a hardware lover who likes to be independent of my computer until the very last bit where i have to record something but still i am able to route any signal to anywhere in my studio (without having to mess around with long cables behind the desk). This is why i use this setup. Another benefit is that if (when) you buy more gear and run out of inputs on the DAW you can always just plug in to an existing input and break tho signal flow or buy another patchbay. On the other hand, if you are the kind of person that never turns off the computer and like to control everything from there then Tomer´s solution is also worth considering...

Thanks for your help..im finding it very helpful......

Im very interested in this method as well, and you have made me change my opinion about mixers...ive been looking at buying the mackie 1402 vlz3 mixer...to give me some more options if the ableton one is no use to me.

I just dont want to over complicate my set up....and i wonder if hooking a patch bay into my firebox would allow me to run more equipment into ableton, then i could work from there, would that work??

Or maybe i should just bite the bullit and get used to the mixer!

Thanks

[Onkel Dunkel]

You could use just a patchbay connected to your firebox´s inputs and outputs and to all your gear. Then just plug a patchcable in from and to whereever you like. I just like using a mixer. It´s not a must. You could get a Mackie Onyx mixer with a firewire I/O card. Then you have mixer and audiointerface in one

[insub]

Dunkel's advice is solid since you already have hardware effects units.

Increasing your DAW's inputs/outputs would simplify things much more & with less physical cable routing. However, a new soundcard can be VERY expensive. When you may be able to find used patchbays for CHEAP.

Snatch up people's discarded patchbays who have already made the switch to DAW, if you're hurting for money. But if you have the cash, I would recommend a better interface for your DAW.

My MOTU 828mkII has 8 trs ins & 8 trs outs & 2 Mic pres w/phantom + digital SPDIF and all that. The Mic ins have direct outs for using effects and I can increase my inputs/outputs by 8 using an ADAT interface.

[AlexHall74]

I'm no I/O genius, but wouldn't everything have to:

(1) INPUT into your audio interface if it were ultimately going to be routed from within Ableton...

AND

(2) EVERY INPUT of your synths, Filterbank, FX, etc. would need to be connected to an OUTPUT of your audio interface.

It seems like if you had a setup like this, anything could record to your PC, and the PC (via Ableton and your AI) could send (or route) signal from one device to another.

Does that sound right?