Multitrack to PC?
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Posted on Dec 06, 2004 07:38 am
Jonathan
Member Since: Dec 06, 2004
Hey guys and gals,
New kid on the block, just dropping in to say howdie. I've been checking out the boards and i see that there are many knowledgeable people here willing to lend their help and advice, and it's just what i've been looking for.
I have a digital multitracker which is superb for recording to, but basically, i need more. i have cubase at home, a recent version and i'm trying to get recordings from the multitracker onto the pc software to free up tracks on the desk.
I'm in a band and we're thinking of using my set up for some home recording. Sound is great but getting all the components together is the tricky bit.
we're going to go to a studio to record the drum tracks onto my tracker and then bring that back and load them onto the computer.
Only trouble being, i'm having to do it through the aux port on the tracker as i don't understand what midi is for (apart from recording from my keyboard), nor the SCSI port (apart from connecting a portable/external cd-writer drive), and i've tried tirelessly to get the optical adat connection to work, with no results.
basically, i'm just after some begginers tips for...
1. recording. do i record through the desk straight onto the pc, or record onto the desk, then transfer it onto the pc.
2. how do i transfer it to the pc? do i have to do it track by track, literally hitting 'record' on the pc and 'play' on the tracker at the same time (which is always tricky) or is there another/quicker/better way?
3. if i do have to do it track by track, anyone got any tips for how to get the timing right in transfering the tracks over, so as the tempo is all correct and all the different tracks are in time with each other?
i have lots more q's, but i'll start with these.
thanks in advance for your help.
Jonathan.
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Dec 06, 2004 08:17 am Hi Jonathan, and welcome to HRC!
I see from your proflie that you have a Fostex VF-16 multitracker, which is the same unit that I use.
I have a Plextor external SCSI CD-RW drive connected to my Fostex. After I'm done tracking the band, I just export the tracks as .wav files to a CD, and then load them into Cool Edit Pro on my computer. Couldn't be any easier! Plus, I automatically have a backup CD in case I mess up the files on my computer!
You can also go direct to the computer (8 tracks at a time) via the ADAT pipe, if your computer has a ADAT card in it (mine doesn't). Or, you can go two tracks at a time if your sound card has a SPDIF port (mine does, but I have never tried it!)
With the CD, you can export all 16 tracks at a time, assuming that they are not too large to fit on one CD, which I have never encountered.
There are only a few CD-RW drives that are compatible with the VF-16, you can see a list at the Fostex web site.
Good luck, and let me know if you have any other questions about your Fostex...
Jim
Dec 06, 2004 08:18 am The FAQ's would be a good place to start.
You only limit the number of tracks you can record at once by how many individual inputs you have on your sound card.
Regarding getting the signal in there, I would say your best option would be to ditch the digital unit and get a simple mixing console and run the channels from there to your sound card...
Dec 06, 2004 09:04 am thanks both for your tips, thanks especially to jim for the info on the VF-16, glad to hear there's someone else with the same desk. i shall pick your brains i'm sure. the cd idea sounds like it might be the answer. it's just another expenditure. grrr! how much are they generally? as i'm find it very difficult to find any link to the VF-16 on the fostex site. do you have a link or anything? cos i can't find a trace of it. thanks.
dB Masters...when u say get a mixing console and run that to the sound card, how would i connect it to the sound card?
on my sound card i have optical in and out. spdif in and out (dunno wot that's for though) and aux in which basically consists of the red and white female ports, midi in and out and a line in, which is a thick jack input. (there's also the headphones socket).
if i was to get a mixing desk, can i connect that to any of those and get the tracks to register as indipendant tracks on the pc?
like for eg, if i have 8 instruments plugged into the mixing desk, will they register as 8 seperate tracks on cubase, or will they all come through on the one track on the pc?
and which port would be best to connect it to?
thanks again.
Dec 06, 2004 09:09 am oh, if you don't have regular analog ins on your sound card then your will need your digital mixer or something similar. You would need to go in via Optical or S/PDIF. I am no authority on that subject...
Dec 06, 2004 09:31 am aren't the aux in's just normal analogue?
Dec 06, 2004 09:35 am I have no idea, you have not said the type of sound card you have other than your profile saying "top of the range" whatever that means. Also, if so you are then limited to as many tracks as you have aux ins.
Dec 06, 2004 09:57 am ah ha! i see. oh well, that's a pain.
what kind of sound card has loads of ports like that though?
i've never seen anything like that. must be HUGE! lol!
my sound card is a creative sound blaster audigy pro blah blah blah something or other. i can't remember the exact name of it now. but it's superb anyways. lol!
Dec 06, 2004 10:02 am Well, you surely won't find those card at BestBuy Company, CompUSA, CircuitCity or any typical places like that. Look in your studio equipment section. You can get cards with up to 8 analog ins, and buy a few of them to work together. The most economical is the M-Audio Delta 1010LT which is under $250 I think...and has 8 analog ins and outs and two digital ins and outs.
Yeah, the Audigy is the "best in range" for typical consumer level game playing cards, but not for recording.
Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am yeah, it's not bad though. does the job for me.
although, one of those 8 port jobbies sound mighty tasty.
shame it's so expensive. ah well, xmas is close!
Dec 06, 2004 10:22 am Jonathan,
There is a VF-16 Users's Group:
www.vf16.com/
They even have a forum like this one, with topics related specifically to what you are trying to do.
There you can get all the information that you need, including what SCSI CD Burners work with your desk. I bought mine on eBaY for around $100. When you consider the fact that it backs up your tracks as well as lets you transfer them to your PC, it is a wise investment!
Jim
Dec 06, 2004 10:44 am spot on jim!
thanks a million, gonna go check that out right away.
ur a star!
