anyone here can help me with a 12 input A/U choice?

[skidder652003]

Hi Guys, anyone here could offer some advice?
So we just got a nice little peavey FX16 desk for a bit of a steal off ebay with multicore setup in a flight case with some space for another rackmount unit. What we want to do is record our gigs and maybe make some demos of our own stuff in a home studio. In a live situation we use about 12 inputs to the desk ( 7 drums, 2 vocals, guitar mic, bass DI, plus mp3 player for intervals), there's only 3 of us!
The Peavey, apparently has a feature where if you push the input 1/4" jacks halfway they also produce an output signal? I think you need something called TRS cables.
So the thinking was, and we are pretty newb about all this, was to get a 12 input audio interface, rackmountable, with a firewire or usb out to a laptop. Does anyone have any experience of this? Would it work? Ive seen some 2nd hand of these
[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M-Adio-Profire-2626-Firewire-Audio-Interface-with-ADAT-/121101247504?pt=UK_Musical_AudioMIDI_Interfaces&hash=item1c32326410"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item1c32326410[/url]

any good?

we want a fairly simple(ish) soloution to recording in a neat unit. I've used Tracktion 3 as a Daw before and thats pretty simple to operate. Any thoughts or suggestions, greatly welcome!
Steve

Edited April 28, 2013 by skidder652003

[skidder652003]

im guessing thats a big old no then??

[lurksalot]

The output signal you refer to is possibly part of the effects send return chain , normally a Y lead which has a stereo plug goes into the 'insert' on the channel and splits so that the signal can leave the desk to an effects unit input and the output returns the signal back to the desk via the same stereo plug , I guess you could check the manual get a load of leads made up and try it , but would reckon if you have that sort of mixing capability can you not get the sound right through the desk and use the stereo outs to a 2 channel interface ? it might not give you the DAW mixing potential but it might give you a few clues about the process .

[mike257]

Yeah, it'll be the channel insert points, not the input, that gives this functionality.

This is usually used with a Y cable that has a TRS jack at one end and two TS jacks at the other. When you fully insert the jack, the signal path inside the mixer is broken and diverted down the cable to (for example) a compressor or gate.

If you only push a jack in to the first click, you will connect with the channel and receive an output signal but will not break the flow of audio within the mixer. Should work just fine, and some mixer manufacturers actually advise on this technique in their manuals.

[cheddatom]

You're using the pre-amps in your desk, so ideally all you want from the interface is line inputs, no pre-amps. Unfortunately these tend to be more expensive. This looks perfect: http://www.thomann.de/gb/echo_audiofire_12.htm

Not used their stuff before though so I can't recommend it. I do the same but with PCI cards which have loads of line inputs. I also have a Tascam USB audio interface which is great, but the first 8 inputs are all mic inputs with pre-amps so to do the same thing I'd have to make an insert loom with XLRs on one end. Not a big deal I suppose.