Live recording with PTLE

[Tom Williams]

I purchased an Mbox/PTLE package recently with the intent of doing live recording of my group for some eventual self-produced CDs. My plan is to take a direct feed from an Aux send of my Mackie 1604VLZPro - setting each 1604 channel aux send level to suit the recording. All of this goes into channel 1 of the Mbox. Each vocal/instrument in the group has a dedicated channel on the Mackie (about 14 channels). The exception is drums...we mic kick but nothing else...so I am using a condenser mic over the drum kit going in to channel 2 of the Mbox. Obviously, this setup is not very flexible on the mix end since I am stuck with whatever got recorded (no ability to affect seperate tracks, etc. It's the capability I have at the moment though.

A future upgrade to allow sending each Mackie channel to a seperate PTLE track for some mix flexibility is a thought...I suppose via the DIGI002 rack. Unsure if this has enough capacity for my use (i.e. - 14 channels).

Currently, I am using a Dell P4 2.4 ghz laptop with an external drive.

Anyone have any advice?

Tom

[kooz]

The Mackie will allow you to buss inputs, either via subgroups or auxes (I'm a bit rusty on Mackie models) so that you can do a stereo recording (including drum overhead) to the MBox. The overhead mic doesn't need to go to the PA. Lines out of Mackie to lines in of MBox. Tah DAH! Stereo, live off the stage.

When you get tired of mixing yourself, and before you upgrade to the 002, hire someone with the right attitude, reputation and gear so you can concentrate on performing.

[albee1952]

and yes, the 002R will allow simultanious recording of up to 18 channels(16 will be easy by adding an 8 channel unit via lightpipe. Behringer, Presonus, Focusrite, etc)

[iamodd]

Since you are using only an M-Box for now, i suggest this.

Ive been doing lotsa Location Recording with my 002R and usually just use either auxes or sub-groups from the mixer. If its a smaller band ill the the Direct Outs.

But IF i only had two channel's, i will just get two condenser mics and just place em like an O/H. It captures the band, and you guys just need to balance yerself. No need to mix !

Another way ill suggest is lets say take aux 1 and from the aux 1 output send it to the input 1 of the M-Box. Get a decent mix from the aux 1 on all the channels on the mixer. Then on the other input of the M-Box get a condenser mic and place it sumwhere to capture the ambience of the band. The aux 1 on the mixer acts like the multi-track, and the condenser captures the live ambience !

Well, hope you understand anway. Not very good at explaining stuffs. PLZ feel free to tell me if im wrong ! Im still a student and learning.

[Tom Williams]

and yes, the 002R will allow simultanious recording of up to 18 channels(16 will be easy by adding an 8 channel unit via lightpipe. Behringer, Presonus, Focusrite, etc)



(I'm still a newbie at this.) For example the setup would be a Digi 002R and a ???. Ready to pull out my Sweetwater catalog...

What are the CPU requirements of tracking 16 seperate sources? Will my Dell laptop (P4 2.4Ghz 512MB) with external drive) handle it?

Tom

[Tom Williams]

Since you are using only an M-Box for now, i suggest this.

Ive been doing lotsa Location Recording with my 002R and usually just use either auxes or sub-groups from the mixer. If its a smaller band ill the the Direct Outs.

But IF i only had two channel's, i will just get two condenser mics and just place em like an O/H. It captures the band, and you guys just need to balance yerself. No need to mix !

Another way ill suggest is lets say take aux 1 and from the aux 1 output send it to the input 1 of the M-Box. Get a decent mix from the aux 1 on all the channels on the mixer. Then on the other input of the M-Box get a condenser mic and place it sumwhere to capture the ambience of the band. The aux 1 on the mixer acts like the multi-track, and the condenser captures the live ambience !

Well, hope you understand anway. Not very good at explaining stuffs. PLZ feel free to tell me if im wrong ! Im still a student and learning.



I have gotten some good mixes from the Mackie aux feed. Judging what each channel's aux send level should be is a challenge. Monitoring the Mbox over ear bud phones on stage is nearly impossible with stage ambience (bigger phones are going to look a little wierd up there I think). The only thing I can do is playback the mix during breaks and decide how I should tweak the Mackie aux levels. Obviously this method is ripe for getting alot of crap recorded. It would be a blessing to be able to change tracks at mixdown. That's new hardware I have to finesse my wife into allowing though For now, I am just capturing alot of material. It appears the 25-50% of it that is useable will produce CD I want.

[iamodd]

[QUOTE]
(I'm still a newbie at this.) For example the setup would be a Digi 002R and a ???. Ready to pull out my Sweetwater catalog...

What are the CPU requirements of tracking 16 seperate sources? Will my Dell laptop (P4 2.4Ghz 512MB) with external drive) handle it?

Tom



Well, i DOUBT with 512MB RAM will do it. Even WITH external drive. With 1GB of ram im having SOME troubles tracking just 8tracks on my laptop. Sometimes it'll just stop and "plz reduce buffer size......." ! So dangerous and anoying if yer recording a show !

Also depends alot of yer windows config as well. Last time i used to have MAJOR problems with this. I can NEVER record 8 tracks stimutaneosly. But after optimizing my laptop to the best recomended by DigiDesign, its FIXED ! Can read more in the DigiDesign web. Its called : Maximum Performance Guidelines for Digi 002 Rack Systems With Pro Tools LE 6.9 for Windows XP.

No matter, i just have a bad feeling about just 512MB RAM ! Hahahahhaa. But i never recorded up to 16 tracks before though. I think i should try one day....

Cant monitor on stage ? This is a trick i got from SoS.

Use ear phones. Then get those protective head phones. You know those used by construction workers ? That protects yer ear from LOUD noises ?

Now put yer earphones first, then use the protective head phones and cover yer ears. You are monitoring in peace now. Well, in some way you here more of the band on yer ear phones now. Im sure you are getting the idea right ?

[iamodd]

Oops, left sumthing out.

Use the 002R and any other devices that has lightpipe. Means :

Get any other devices that converts Analogue to Digital and the lightpipe will be ADAT. Cause you will wanna convert another 8 analog lines to digital so it can go in the ADAT of the 002R.

The 002R has only 8 analogue inputs. So the other 8 will be using the ADAT in it.