Topic: 4 channel Firewire/USB mixer....

[Nick Graham]

The band I archive for just signed a booking deal and will hit the road for their first legitimate tour this fall.

Anyway, I'll be going out with them for the whole six week trek, and am looking at the best way to get the shows recorded (both AUD and SBD) without worrying about media, CF card transfers, etc. I've decided using my new MacBook Pro will be the best option, but need something to interface with it. It'll need USB or firewire capabilities, at least 4 inputs (phantom/pre not necessary), and a S/PDIF output (for occasional DAT backup) would be nice.

I've looked at the M-Audio Firewire series and a few others, but any recommendations would be nice.

[poorlyconditioned]

The band I archive for just signed a booking deal and will hit the road for their first legitimate tour this fall.

Anyway, I'll be going out with them for the whole six week trek, and am looking at the best way to get the shows recorded (both AUD and SBD) without worrying about media, CF card transfers, etc. I've decided using my new MacBook Pro will be the best option, but need something to interface with it. It'll need USB or firewire capabilities, at least 4 inputs (phantom/pre not necessary), and a S/PDIF output (for occasional DAT backup) would be nice.

I've looked at the M-Audio Firewire series and a few others, but any recommendations would be nice.

Cheapest solution: Presonus Firebox.  Approx $250-300.  Two mic, two line, spdif (coax) I/O.

Most convenient: R04.

Really, if you're going to be recording that many gigs, the R04 sounds the best.

Oh yeah, if you record on laptop, buy an external (firewire) drive and backup every night after the show.

  Richard

[BayTaynt3d]

Nick, I think you've already been there, done that, with respect to the R4, but I've been making a lot of matrixes lately -- eight in one weekend at the Fillmore Street Jazz Festival a few weeks back, and numerous others lately, maybe one a week for months -- and I seriously can't even imagine running without my R4. Man, I just LOVE IT. Now, I know about the HDD Slow thing, but honestly, I haven't missed a complete recording once, and I'm already on probably 20+ matrixes since I bought my R4. Also, sometimes I run 4 AUD mics and plug my JB3 into the SBD for 6 channels total (requires syncing later, but the flexibility of using one or both of the AUDs has paid off in spades a few times). The other thing is, the DVD battery I use lasts FOREVER even running 4 phantom with the LED on the entire time. If you have an R4 for this run of yours, and you brought your lappy, and you ran at 24/48 (not 96), you'd probably be able to have full redundancy/backup for the entire tour (not sure how many shows you are talking about). You could record via R4, and then right after the show drag a copy to the lappy -- bam, full backup within minutes of the show's end. Then leave the wavs on the recorder and lappy while you move onto the next city -- maybe you could keep copies of the entire tour on both machines? If not, you could always flac the originals and put them back on the R4 as flacs to free up more space and maintain full redundancy. Anyway, just some more R4 fluffing, heh..

(If you go lappy only, I'd still burn DVDs of the flacs as you go just in case your laptop frys, LOL! The other thing about laptops is dropouts. If that lappy isn't tuned very well, has lots of crap on it, extra processes running, and a fragmented HD, recording 4 channels at high bit rates could easily run into problems.)

[GOLEAFSGO]

Nick,

I am going out for a few weeks as well.  I have the same problem.  Right now I am thinking about running my rig and running a seperate rig from the board.  Then taking the 2 sources and mixing later.  Let me know what you find out and how it sounds.

chris

[bl6216@yahoo.com]

I would go with the Digi 002 Rack from digidesign. That is the same systems that RatDog used to tape they sound boards. Also most of the other band do to. I have one and I love it and it will do all you need and more. It also come with a killer softwear to. Here is the link http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=31&langid=100&itemid=4895



-Brian

[Nick Graham]

Cheapest solution: Presonus Firebox.  Approx $250-300.  Two mic, two line, spdif (coax) I/O.

Most convenient: R04.

Really, if you're going to be recording that many gigs, the R04 sounds the best.

Oh yeah, if you record on laptop, buy an external (firewire) drive and backup every night after the show.

  Richard

The Firebox is one of the units I've been looking at. Is there a way to bypass the preamps when you go through the XLR inputs? I guess technically I need 4 line inputs, since the AUD source will come from  the Sonosax.

+T for the recommendation...

Nick, I think you've already been there, done that, with respect to the R4, but I've been making a lot of matrixes lately -- eight in one weekend at the Fillmore Street Jazz Festival a few weeks back, and numerous others lately, maybe one a week for months -- and I seriously can't even imagine running without my R4. Man, I just LOVE IT. Now, I know about the HDD Slow thing, but honestly, I haven't missed a complete recording once, and I'm already on probably 20+ matrixes since I bought my R4. Also, sometimes I run 4 AUD mics and plug my JB3 into the SBD for 6 channels total (requires syncing later, but the flexibility of using one or both of the AUDs has paid off in spades a few times). The other thing is, the DVD battery I use lasts FOREVER even running 4 phantom with the LED on the entire time. If you have an R4 for this run of yours, and you brought your lappy, and you ran at 24/48 (not 96), you'd probably be able to have full redundancy/backup for the entire tour (not sure how many shows you are talking about). You could record via R4, and then right after the show drag a copy to the lappy -- bam, full backup within minutes of the show's end. Then leave the wavs on the recorder and lappy while you move onto the next city -- maybe you could keep copies of the entire tour on both machines? If not, you could always flac the originals and put them back on the R4 as flacs to free up more space and maintain full redundancy. Anyway, just some more R4 fluffing, heh..

(If you go lappy only, I'd still burn DVDs of the flacs as you go just in case your laptop frys, LOL! The other thing about laptops is dropouts. If that lappy isn't tuned very well, has lots of crap on it, extra processes running, and a fragmented HD, recording 4 channels at high bit rates could easily run into problems.)

I've considered going back to the R4, but the "HDD Slow" errors worry me, plus I'm not sure about leaving files on there, as the more space taken on the drive the more common the error became.

+ T though, and it is something I'm considering.

I would go with the Digi 002 Rack from digidesign. That is the same systems that RatDog used to tape they sound boards. Also most of the other band do to. I have one and I love it and it will do all you need and more. It also come with a killer softwear to. Here is the link http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=31&langid=100&itemid=4895
-Brian

Very, very nice unit - but waaaaaay too pricey, and appears to need to be rackmounted. + T for another idea though.

[china_rider]

Just my .02 but the HD slow message I think is related to certain early units.  Brian was able to narrow it down to a certain recording config and has hadhis unit replaced and I believe has not seen the error since.  I've never seen the error even when recording in areas with heavy vibrations.  I just got the busman mod and had the HD replaced at the same time.  Got the unit back today.... I'm currently testing the battery and have been getting longer redcording times with an upgraded 7200 rpm drive.  I'm around 8 hours at this point and still waiting for the DVD battery to die.

Upgraded drive is:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822146020

[poorlyconditioned]

Cheapest solution: Presonus Firebox.  Approx $250-300.  Two mic, two line, spdif (coax) I/O.

Most convenient: R04.

Really, if you're going to be recording that many gigs, the R04 sounds the best.

Oh yeah, if you record on laptop, buy an external (firewire) drive and backup every night after the show.

  Richard

The Firebox is one of the units I've been looking at. Is there a way to bypass the preamps when you go through the XLR inputs? I guess technically I need 4 line inputs, since the AUD source will come from  the Sonosax.

+T for the recommendation...

Nick, I think you've already been there, done that, with respect to the R4, but I've been making a lot of matrixes lately -- eight in one weekend at the Fillmore Street Jazz Festival a few weeks back, and numerous others lately, maybe one a week for months -- and I seriously can't even imagine running without my R4. Man, I just LOVE IT. Now, I know about the HDD Slow thing, but honestly, I haven't missed a complete recording once, and I'm already on probably 20+ matrixes since I bought my R4. Also, sometimes I run 4 AUD mics and plug my JB3 into the SBD for 6 channels total (requires syncing later, but the flexibility of using one or both of the AUDs has paid off in spades a few times). The other thing is, the DVD battery I use lasts FOREVER even running 4 phantom with the LED on the entire time. If you have an R4 for this run of yours, and you brought your lappy, and you ran at 24/48 (not 96), you'd probably be able to have full redundancy/backup for the entire tour (not sure how many shows you are talking about). You could record via R4, and then right after the show drag a copy to the lappy -- bam, full backup within minutes of the show's end. Then leave the wavs on the recorder and lappy while you move onto the next city -- maybe you could keep copies of the entire tour on both machines? If not, you could always flac the originals and put them back on the R4 as flacs to free up more space and maintain full redundancy. Anyway, just some more R4 fluffing, heh..

(If you go lappy only, I'd still burn DVDs of the flacs as you go just in case your laptop frys, LOL! The other thing about laptops is dropouts. If that lappy isn't tuned very well, has lots of crap on it, extra processes running, and a fragmented HD, recording 4 channels at high bit rates could easily run into problems.)

I've considered going back to the R4, but the "HDD Slow" errors worry me, plus I'm not sure about leaving files on there, as the more space taken on the drive the more common the error became.

+ T though, and it is something I'm considering.

I would go with the Digi 002 Rack from digidesign. That is the same systems that RatDog used to tape they sound boards. Also most of the other band do to. I have one and I love it and it will do all you need and more. It also come with a killer softwear to. Here is the link http://www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?navid=31&langid=100&itemid=4895
-Brian

Very, very nice unit - but waaaaaay too pricey, and appears to need to be rackmounted. + T for another idea though.

Yes, you can use the two front inputs as mic (XLR) or line (TRS).  The back two inputs are line only (TRS).

This unit sounds really nice and is good value.

  Richard

[nic]

Yes, you can use the two front inputs as mic (XLR) or line (TRS).  The back two inputs are line only (TRS).

This unit sounds really nice and is good value.

  Richard

have you tested the front inputs as line?
the documentation says it is mic or instrument, not mic or line.

[poorlyconditioned]

Yes, you can use the two front inputs as mic (XLR) or line (TRS).  The back two inputs are line only (TRS).

This unit sounds really nice and is good value.

  Richard

have you tested the front inputs as line?
the documentation says it is mic or instrument, not mic or line.

No, I have not tested.  You're probably right!

  Richard

[Will_S]

Does anyone know how the Presonus Inspire 1394 compares to the Firebox?  Sound-qualitywise, that is, I'm aware the Inspire has fewer bells and whistles but I wouldn't miss any of them.