Eleven Rack As Multitrack Recording Interface?

[martind]

Anyone out there using the Eleven Rack as a mobile multitrack DAW interface? If so, how do you achieve latency free recording when adding dynamics and effects processors in a live situation?

My guitar problems have been totally solved with the Eleven Rack, it’s the best recording sound I’ve ever had. But I’m now having a problem creating a mobile recording setup with the Eleven Rack...

My setup is a Digidesign Eleven Rack, a Powerbook G4 1.67GHz laptop for mobile recording, and a Mac G5 Dual 1.8GHz with 3 x UAD-1 cards for studio use. I’m very limited for space and ideally want to use the Eleven Rack as a DAW and make use of all the inputs. I record up to four people max. Usually 2 guitarists, bass, and an electronic drum kit. Occasionally I will also need to mic up an acoustic session with a mic for tabla, a mic for double bass and mic for acoustic guitar. But the Eleven Rack only has one mic input.

The other problem I have is not enough outboard processors and effects while recording. But I don’t want to lug around lots of outboard gear. I’m finding that the bass and acoustic guitar need compression, EQ and a little stereo effect to widen the sound etc, yet I don't want to do any of that in the computer as it adds too much latency with my current setup.

Anyone have any good ideas or advice on the best way forward please?

I’m thinking maybe one of the following options? ...

Option 1 :
Use a firewire or USB mixer with DSP as the main DAW interface and leave the Eleven Rack as just a guitar processor. (eg. 2 x MOTU Ultralite MK3, or TC Konnekt 48, or a Steinberg MR816CSX). But these units don’t have stereo effects for monitoring like chorus or delay, so this load would have to go on the computer CPU, which I'm not keen on doing. This option would also offer the most inputs and is the cheaper option, but are the DSP compression and EQ really the same quality as analog gear?

Option 2 :
Keep the Eleven Rack as the main DAW interface. And use a dual channel strip with digital I/O into the SPDIF on the Eleven Rack to give 2 mono inputs with some quality analog compression & EQ. Then use a firewire DSP effects processor (eg. UAD-2 Satellite Duo) for adding stereo chorus, delay, reverb etc when recording. Or would this still produce too much live recording latency in Pro Tools? This option means the firewire DSP could be used for mobile mixing or mastering using the laptop.

Getting a MacBook Pro could be an option, but it would eat up all my budget and I’d still have the problem of needing more mic inputs and a latency free solution for recording with effects.

Cheers

[martind]

Sounds like no one is using 11R in a mobile recording setup then?

Well have moved on a bit after reading endless reports and newsgroups, for those with a similar dilema I'm now looking at one of the following ...

1. Add a Steinberg MR816CSX to the 11R via spdif. This will future proof in terms of I/O and effects for recording, but no doubt the onboaard DSP technology will be outdated in a few years time. This setup would also free me from being confined to PT8 LE on the G5 & G4. But I don't want to be tied down to using Cubase to get full integration. Seems a good solution for the price though.

or

2. Expand the 11R with two high quality pre amps and superior A/D using the Audient Mico. Although this would be the ideal in terms of getting a great sound for two channels it's only a real option if the 11R provides enough I/O.

The obvious solution is to get both and have the best of both worlds. Which is worth looking at, although GAS can lead to a less mobile setup as I've experienced in the past.

One final note .... Something I have noticed looking into expanding my Eleven Rack setup is how easy it is to get drawn in by reports of this preamp is better than that preamp, or this A/D converter is better than that converter. It all gets a bit confusing and sometimes it's easy to get hung up on achieving amazing sound quality and mixes and get lost in KHz and pico seconds with the result of spending far less time playing. Bring back the four track tape machine, it was much simpler then!!!

[madgt621]

hey I actually remember your post from a bit back. I actually use my 11R somewhat mobile-ly i guess would be the word. I wouldn't say 100% mobile cause I still need a wall to plug into.

I have a four space rack case with an RME FF800 and the 11R housed in it. MBP sits on top of the rack case, and Roland FC300 controls the 11R and other MIDI functions in PT.

I've taken this out to a number of rehearsal spaces. Works great.

I go XLR out from the 11R to the board. SPDIF is used to sync the 11R with the RME as the main clock at 48k. PT sends numerous audio to the board, as well as clicks to myself and other performers. The RME has enough input to mic up at least the lead vocals, bass, and a two drum mic setup, though i can add another multi mic pre via ADAT to capture other instruments. It makes it real easy to capture a good rehearsal session.

RME + 11R + PT9 = best decision of my life

[martind]

Yeah hard to be truly portable with any device that requires mains power, especially when it's 2U rack gear, but like you I just need a semi portable setup which I can easily dismantle and take out, and is a simple recording setup that will record a small group without getting too tied up with using a computer as I play guitar as well. Used to be a tape 4-track years ago, then a digital portastudio, but now everyone seems to be using computer interfaces. Must admit makes it much easier to edit and mix a track if it's already in the DAW software and the sound quality is much better.

Have been using Presonus Studio One Pro as it's the most intuitive I've found and great for mastering. But the 11R has inspired me to get writing again and introduced me to Pro Tools LE 8, seems very powerful but it ties me into using Digidesign gear as I have Mac G5 and G4 which isn't supported by PT9.

The RME FF800 sounds like a great interface, think I may end up with something similar as it gives more flexibility and more I/O. Was looking at the RME FFUFX but it's drivers don't support Mac G4 I have a bit more respect for companies like Steinberg, MOTU and Presonus who continue to release drivers that run on slightly older systems. I invested in 3 UAD-1 cards when they came out and am not planning to upgrade that lot and a new computer anytime soon.

I tend to do more recording than playing live, so onboard DSP would be really handy like on the MR816CSX, just hope the quality of the compressor and EQ is good enough quality. Everyone talks about how good preamps and converters are, but don't really say how good the DSP effects are and how they compare to optical compressors and solid state EQ's?

Thanks for the feedback, helps making a decision that much easier.

Cheers for now