Help Connecting 003 Rack and C|24

[GCSC]

I know that you may suggest that I read the instructions first...I have! I need help. The instructions do not specifically spell out how to connect the C|24 to the 003 rack. I am wanting to use the mic pre's in the C|24 not in the 003. I think that I have that taken care of. However...I am not able to get any mics to work because I am not sure of how to route the I/O inside of Pro Tools. I am running Pro Tools 8 LE on a Mac Pro. Any suggestions?

[fakir_cz]

1) The preamps in the C24 are the same as in the 003, there's no difference. Just FYI.

2) The C24 has nothing to do with the I/O setup. The 003 is your interface so you still have 8 analog inputs and 8 analog outputs. Connect the outputs of the first 8 preamps on your C24 to all 8 inputs of the 003 (using DB25 to TRS snake) and then you'll have your mics available on inputs Analog 1 - Analog 8. Not sure if the first four line inputs on the 003 can override the front gain pots, but if not, you'd most likely have to set them to some value to allow the signal to pass through.

[albee1952]

Originally Posted by fakir_cz

1) The preamps in the C24 are the same as in the 003, there's no difference. Just FYI.

2) The C24 has nothing to do with the I/O setup. The 003 is your interface so you still have 8 analog inputs and 8 analog outputs. Connect the outputs of the first 8 preamps on your C24 to all 8 inputs of the 003 (using DB25 to TRS snake) and then you'll have your mics available on inputs Analog 1 - Analog 8. Not sure if the first four line inputs on the 003 can override the front gain pots, but if not, you'd most likely have to set them to some value to allow the signal to pass through.

I believe this to be mostly accurate, except I would run all the GAIN knobs on the 003 at the lowest setting. You can also add an 8 channel lightpipe device and patch the other 8 preamps(9-16) of the C24 into the lightpipe input of your 003. You might even get away with an old ADAT machine as your converter, but there are lots of better choices(that cost a bit more) You also can choose to feed the outputs of the 003 into the C24 for monitor control(but you don't NEED to do this).

[GCSC]

I appreciate the support. My question is....why have Mic Pre's in a C|24 if I have to run the signal through the pre's in the 003? When I upgrade to Pro Tools 9 can I avoid the 003?
Thanks again for your help

[fakir_cz]

Originally Posted by GCSC

I appreciate the support. My question is....why have Mic Pre's in a C|24 if I have to run the signal through the pre's in the 003?

It's given by the design of the 003 interface. It's quite a common practice for many manufacturers to make their interfaces unable to override the internal preamps when using a line level signal. I don't like it, but it probably cuts some costs (although the implemenation seems super-easy to me). In your situation I'd probably use the preamps on the C24 just for the convenience of having the gain pots on the board and not in the rack.

Originally Posted by GCSC

When I upgrade to Pro Tools 9 can I avoid the 003?

Yes. PT 9 can use almost any CoreAudio-compatible sound interface. That gives you LOTS of options. But as albee said you can easily add another 8 I/O to the 003 with an external AD/DA converter box connected via the ADAT ports.

[albee1952]

Don't forget that the C24 does double duty with HD where the interfaces(192 and 96 IO have no mic preamps). Many look at the C24 as a great controller that you can use with LE/002/003's, and still keep if you move up to HD(or HD/Native). There's likely many more C24's in use with HD than there is with 002/003's. If it were me, I would simply use the 003 preamps and some external "money" preamps, and just look at the C24 as a nice controller(since most folks using them will have a few outboard preamps anyway)