Well, a friend of mine has been asked to run the sound for a TV program. It will be a "false direct" (I don't know the right expression in English for a TV program straight recorded which will be edited later), so instead of recording the 6 mics on the two channels the cameras gives him, (using the master outputs of an analogue mixer) recording it on his laptop using the inserts of the mixer as sends. As his Mac laptop has is not "audio prepared" (on his desk one he's got Protools running with Digi002 Rack), I'd like to know what audio interface and software could he use for that purpose.

Perhaps it's a messy explanation (I'm Spanish... mind my English)... the project is this:

Recording live a TV program with 6 lavaliers for latter edition. If possible using compressors for each channel (just for limiting... a pair of Behringer Multicoms 4xComp would do the job).
He owns a Digi002Rack, the mikes, a desk computer (running Protools) and a laptop (with no audio software).

As it would be not just fot a recording (probably the all the programs) he wouldn't mind investing in some stuff.

Though he could install the Protools on the laptop and take the Digi002R... he'd rather leave it in his studio as he's always asked to make gingles and this kind, but perhaps he would do it.

What are the best options you find?
Buying a DAW? (for 6 channels... perhaps too investment, especially wanting nice pres which DAWS usually fail in)
Taking the Digi002R with the laptop? (fall... putting all your efforts on software... can be dangerous).

Having all their pros and cons, what would be your options when you want a mobile equipment?
Needs: 6 or 8 not-rubbish mic pres, possibility if inserting comps for limiting and chance to record a channel a track.

Thanks all for your comments, suggestions and any kind of answer .

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"Musical people always want one to be perfectly dumb at
the very moment when one is longing to be perfectly deaf" (Oscar Wilde)

A Metric Halo 2882 Firewire 8-ch pre-amp/interface will do this job nicely.

Does it run with Protools? (suppose so, but the manual mainly refers to Nuendo, Logic and Cubase)...

Perhaps it could be possible to get a friend's ADAT, what do you think about it? Pros and cons of it?

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"Musical people always want one to be perfectly dumb at
the very moment when one is longing to be perfectly deaf" (Oscar Wilde)

Quote Mac the Naif:

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Does it run with Protools?

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Metric Halo hardware doesn't need to 'run' with anything other than it's own drivers and control panel. Just use the record pane included in the MIO software while you're out on the road to get the tracks down and then bung them into Pro-Tools once back in the studio.

So it also goes with it's recording software (just saw config software in the manual sorry).

In that case I could use it "stand-alone", recording in the laptop with its own software, am I right?

Sorry, I'm snowed of work today and just made an "birdseye" view of the manual. Thanks again.

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"Musical people always want one to be perfectly dumb at
the very moment when one is longing to be perfectly deaf" (Oscar Wilde)

I had skipped what it seems as an interesting choice... an Onyx (model 1620 with 8 mic pres). Using it's fireware card it could be saved channel by channel, and, in case of "digital disaster" I could use its main outs, auxs... etc to save a stereo mix on the audio channels of the master camera as it would be still. I could also make inserts...

Well apart from the Halo mentioned before (Thanks ), this is an option I find quite affordable and versatile.

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"Musical people always want one to be perfectly dumb at
the very moment when one is longing to be perfectly deaf" (Oscar Wilde)

I haven't used the Mackie so I don't speak from first hand experience. Many people seem to be reporting problems with its FireWire interface. (too bad)

You might look at the MOTU products: UltraLite and Traveler which seem to be particularly Mac friendly. These would offer some "out of the computer" mixing possibilities-but the Traveler is hardly a substitute for an external mixer or a controller. But it does have all three flavors of digital and SMPTE code. The smaller MOTU product is a bit more limited.

I have a portable recording rack based around an alesis HD24 running the same way you have said (using the inserts of the mixer). This is a 24 channel recorder, but you could do a similar thing with and other recorder (like an 8 ch BOSS recorder or something). After you record, you can just transfer the audio files to ProTools. You can see my rack at www.songdoctor.com.au/equip.htm if you're interested.

Taking into account the problems the onyx series mixers seem to have, perhaps the best solution would be taking an VLZ Mackie and use its inserts for sending the signal to a firewire interface which would accept at least 6 line level ins for the Mac laptop.

Any suggestion about the interface? any other solution?...

Thanks all

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"Musical people always want one to be perfectly dumb at
the very moment when one is longing to be perfectly deaf" (Oscar Wilde)

Is this being recorded in a studio? If so, I would question the use of radio mics. These can cause more problems than they solve, expecially six of them. A good boom operator with a Sennheiser would do a better job, or some well place mics on the desk.

I second the The Metric Halo: it's an excellent piece of kit, or so my friend Ralf tells me, and his location recordings are top notch.

The HD24 is overkill for this job, and a bit of a pain to transfer the audio from there to Pro Tools. But you could also do loc for bands and orchestras with it. It's a good sounding machine, even at 44.1kHz despite the bizarre cloccking arrangement.

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madtheory creations
Synths and pianos for Kontakt

I use a 1GHz G4 Powerbook running Pro Tools and Logic Pro with a Digi 002 Rack.

I did six months of hardcore mobile recording - from basic X-Y pair stuff up to 14-mic recordings.

The rig coped fine but there are some things that you must take in to consideration:
1) The 002R only has 4 mic pres - this means that, if you want to record using more than 4 mics simultaneously, you need either an eight-channel preamp unit with A-D conversion (to plug into the ADAT input) and/or a four-channel mic pre with line outs (for inputs 5-8 on the 002)

2) Depending on your hard drive, Pro Tools may not be able to cope with the track count (you said six to eight, which should be fine). I found, when recording 16 tracks to my internal HD, ProTools would get a bit tired. For this reason, I use an external 7200rpm drive for audio. However - its a good idea to use USB 2.0, as daisy-chaining a Firewire drive with the 002 is a bit risky with high track counts. Using USB takes the strain off the Firewire buss.

Hope this helps

I had a quick look through the Metric Halo 2882 manual. It has 8 analog ins but only 4 of them are mic inputs, right? It seems a nice piece of kit though...

4 XLR mic inputs plus 4 quarter inch jack inputs...

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www.banarzi.com

I've posted my concern because the original poster needed 6 mic channels...

Quote archdake mkII:

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I had a quick look through the Metric Halo 2882 manual. It has 8 analog ins but only 4 of them are mic inputs, right? It seems a nice piece of kit though...

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No, it really is 8 mic channels with 4 of them are on 1/4 jack. All 8 feature individual phantom-power.

Thanks James. So I guess the quarter inch mic inputs are primarily for wireless mics, right?

Quote archdake mkII:

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Thanks James. So I guess the quarter inch mic inputs are primarily for wireless mics, right?

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Um... not really, they'll take any mic. (Well, with ribbons you might be better off looking at a pre-amp with more gain than the 2882, but other than that it's all good.)

Quote James Lehmann:

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Quote archdake mkII:

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Thanks James. So I guess the quarter inch mic inputs are primarily for wireless mics, right?

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Um... not really, they'll take any mic. (Well, with ribbons you might be better off looking at a pre-amp with more gain than the 2882, but other than that it's all good.)

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I mentioned radio mics because the feeds from the receivers are usually on 1/4''. Your clarification is justified though.

This may be no use if you are using macs but before you drop loads of money on expensive software, check out Reaper http://www.cockos.com/reaper/

Runs very nicly on my Dell laptop



Dave

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Dave
Viva las Cockos! http://www.reaper.fm