Hi everyone, im pretty new to this so you might have to bare with me.

Im trying to setup a studio at the moment, i have a Mackie 32.8 mixing desk, but at the moment theres no way im going to be looking at recording 32 channels, il be using 16 max, so i wanted to get 2 audio interfaces with 8 inputs and sync them together, i originally bought a presonus fp10 to begin with, and planned on buying another later on, its now been discontinued and im having some major problems getting another one, so i was going to upgrade to the focusrite saffire pro 26 and get 2 of them, however they too were discontinued and again, no luck finding them. Then a friend of mine said i could get a Behringer ADA8000 and hook it up to my FP10 to give me 16 split channels to run from my desk > interface > mac, would this work? and if so, how would i do it? im not too good with all the technical side of stuff.

any help would be much appreciated!

cheers!

If you buy an audio interface with ADAT I/O then you can indeed use the Behringer ADA8000 as 8 extra inputs (and outputs). The ADA8000 has mic pre-amps, so you could run into these directly, rather than going via your mixer should you choose.

Without going into all the technicalities (some of which I’m only vaguely cognisant myself!) there are advantages to running a single audio interface with ADAT expansion, rather than multiple ones - and choosing a interface with ADAT inputs (especially with the ADA8000) is a very cost-effective way of expanding the input count. With some configurations (especially PC-based) you simply can’t run more than one interface.

As a working example, I run an RME Fireface 800 that gives my 8 line inputs and 4 mic inputs as standard. By connecting a pair of Behringer ADA8000s I up my mic inputs to 20 – and no need for a mixer.

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Hi, thanks for replying the FP10 doesnt have ADAT so il probably just try and sell that on, had a scout around online and found a Motu 8pre, which has ADAT and i could hook that up to the ADA8000 and get my 16 split channels, firewire into my Mac and skip out the desk and mix digitally through Logic. Am i correct in thinking this should all work fine?

If so this sounds like a pretty decent and easy to use setup for me, at some point i would like to get my mackie 32.8 involved in the setup as well though, although im still fairly new at all this, theres something about analog mixing i really like, so i might post up a few more queries here and there about how to expand my setup.

one more question, if i want to setup a headphone amp, ive been looking at a rack unit or two with 4 or so headphone outputs, would i pretty much run the headphone amp from the Motu 8pre, and the sound from the interface and ADA8000 once synced should all come through the headphones? Oh and also if using condenser mics in the interface and the ADA, should i put phantom power on for both? or being synced, would phantom power on just the interface carry over to the ADA as well?

sorry if these are really simplistic questions, just want to get my head around it all

cheers!

Quote:

---

the FP10 doesnt have ADAT so il probably just try and sell that on, had a scout around online and found a Motu 8pre, which has ADAT and i could hook that up to the ADA8000 and get my 16 split channels, firewire into my Mac and skip out the desk and mix digitally through Logic. Am i correct in thinking this should all work fine?

---

Sounds fine to me. My Mac knowledge goes way too far back to be specific, but what you’re proposing is pretty much how we all do it.

Quote:

---

If so this sounds like a pretty decent and easy to use setup for me, at some point i would like to get my mackie 32.8 involved in the setup as well though, although im still fairly new at all this, theres something about analog mixing i really like

---

Is there? Or is it just familiarity versus unfamiliarity? Many of us have been here. Personally I’d be happy never to see a mixer again, but there are others that prefer to work with one; both approaches are valid. If the Mackie has direct outputs you could use the mic pre-amps in there and use the desk as your front end.

Quote:

---

one more question, if i want to setup a headphone amp, ive been looking at a rack unit or two with 4 or so headphone outputs, would i pretty much run the headphone amp from the Motu 8pre, and the sound from the interface and ADA8000 once synced should all come through the headphones?

---

The 8Pre has its own headphone output, so as an engineer that’s you covered.

For your artists, again, I don’t use Logic, but I have no doubt it will enable you to create an artist mix and route that to any output you care to use. I use this method in my own DAW and then use my audio interface’s own mixer application to return incoming signals back to the artist for latency-free monitoring. Whatever output you choose will then go to your multi-headphone amp.

Budget multi-headphone amps include the Behringer HA-4700/4800 and the Samson S-Phone, which is near-enough identical to the HA-4700. I have the Behringer and the studio where I work most has the Samson. Personally I feel the Samson seems a little better built – and we have had a couple of Behringers break. They’re OK, and certainly good enough to track with.

Quote:

---

Oh and also if using condenser mics in the interface and the ADA, should i put phantom power on for both? or being synced, would phantom power on just the interface carry over to the ADA as well?

---

You only need phantom power switched on for the inputs that require it – and no the setting would not carry over to the ADA8000. Being in the basement budget league the ADA8000 only has a global phantom power switch, but that won’t matter as long as everything you have plugged in is on a properly balanced connection (as any decent mic should be). It’s good practice to only plug/un-plug a mic when the phantom power is switched off, however.

HTH!

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Ive gone ahead with a Motu 8Pre and an ADA8000 for an additional 8 channels, and i had a samson s headphone amp so il be wiring that up for recording more than one person, so hopefully this whole setup should work quite well, looking forward to getting into it and learning the ins and outs of it all. I noticed that the Motu 8pre has two ADAT outputs, labeled as 1-8/1-4 and 5-8, does this mean i can have two ADA's going into it as 1-8s or does it mean that you can only have one ADAT of 8 channels going in or 2 ADATs of 4 each? might have worded that a bit badly haha, essentially im asking is it possible to hook up to ADA8000s so you can have a total of 24 channels, or is it limited to the 16 as max?

as for the analog, i know it can be a hassle, and ive probably spent more time looking at the desk finding the one button pressed somewhere thats stop me from recording, than time spent actually recording, but i sort of learnt on analog to begin with, and i just always liked the sort of feel of really doing it yourself, the EQing and the outboard gear, routing and patching, it was a pain sometimes, but it was kind of enjoyable doing it at the same time, working it all out, if you know what i mean? but im preferring the digital setup at the moment.

Thanks for all your help, im sure youll be seeing my name pop up every now and again with more problems and help needed

cheers mate!

Ithink (could be wrong because MOTU won't let me download any manuals, miserable sods!) but the ADAT system can run 8 lines at 24bit/44.1/48kHz but only 4 at higher sampling rates?

Dave.

There's an overview of th 8Pre HERE.

It reads: "Two ADAT lightpipe connections work together to support a full 8 channels of optical digital I/O at any sample rate up to 96kHz."

So it seems you can have 8 ADAT channels maximum, regardless of sample rate.

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Thanks Elf,
So what is all that diddleydiddleydiddley "1-4" "5-8" dot com about then?
Dave.

If you're running at 48kHz you'd get all 8 channels arriving at one ADAT port. The second port is effectively inactive (which seems a shame).

If you're running at 96kHz you'd get 4 channels down one port and 4 channels down the other.

It's known as S/Mux and is quite widely used. Personally I find it a PITA, because it screws up my channel assignments when I change between the two sample rates (I use two ADA8000s connected to an RME Fireface 800 - with the Fireface you can get 8 ADAT channels at 96kHz and 16 ADAT channels at 48/44.1kHz).

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

Ah! So you can only OUTPUT 8 channels at the higher sample rate?

Dave.

Well, this statement: "Two ADAT lightpipe connections work together to support a full 8 channels of optical digital I/O at any sample rate up to 96kHz."

... seems to suggest it's restricted to 8 channels on both input AND output, but I'm only making this assumption based on those words.

If anyone knows better, please step in!

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

"If anyone knows better, please step in! "

No doubt Hugh is rushing down his Wheateybangs as we type.

Looks to me tho' that you get full duplex operation up to 48k but only either 8 in or 8out at higher rates?

Seems fair, 44.1 will do me and mine!

Dave.

Hey all, thanks for all the responses on this topic.

Ive skipped out my Mackie 32.8 desk in my setup until i can get the money and knowledge to afford and run gear that can really put the desk to its full use.

so at the moment my digital setup is this:

Macbook Pro with Logic 9 Studio
Motu 8Pre via firewire
Behringer ADA8000 via ADAT for additional 8 channels
Samson S-Phone for four headphone outputs
2 Fostex PM2 Monitors

im hoping to upgrade from the fostex monitors, but im not really sure which monitors to upgrade to, and im on a tight budget, any reccomendations?

also is there any other rack gear or anything at all that you could reccomend that might be handy in recording? Im mainly looking at recording live instruments and vocals, full bands etc.

Cheers!

The subject of a ‘What are the best monitors for £xxx” comes up a lot in these fora. A search or two should give you some food for thought.

Don’t forget that serious outlay on monitors should really only be considered along with time and money spent on sound treatment for your listening environment. Personally I prefer a decent set of headphones to speakers, so I’d suggest that route is worth considering – especially if the budget is as tight as you suggest.

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

We, son and I, are very happy with the Tannoy 5a's. I dare say the slightly bigger ones recently reviewed in the Hallowed Pages are an improvement?

Tannoy have been making monitors probably for longer than anyone else in the world (and also don't make every other electronic gimcrack to boot!).

Dave.

ok im having some problems setting up my equipment, could really do with some help, ive got a macbook pro running Logic, two fostex monitors, motu 8pre firewire interface, behringer ada8000, samson s-phone headphone amplifier.

basically im trying to make my 8pre my main interface, and hooked up via ADAT with the behringer as my additional 8 channels, giving me a total of 18 (8preamps on the motu plus the 2 MIDI in the back and the 8 on the ADA8000) so i can record a max of 18 channels, and use the samson s-phone as the headphone amp for myself or a band to listen to a headphone mix

http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/8pre/images/motu_8pre_rgb.jpg/image
http://www.vitamine.ch/ada8000.jpg
http://cachepe.zzounds.com/media/quality,85/brand,zzounds/S-phone-3cf4 01ce414ef52d108b3405c9dcd82d.jpg

heres whats happening so far, i can record through the channels of the motu 8pre, i have the signal coming into Logic and i can play it back and listen to it through the monitors fine, i can also send it to the samson for headphone mixes, so all is working so far, the only problem i have is getting the ada8000 to work, when i open logic, it identifies as being able to have 18 channels, so i know for a fact that it has detected teh ADA or at least its detected the motu's detection of the ADA, anyway i cant seem to get anything going into the ADA to record into Logic, im guessing its just a setting round the back of the ADA or in the Motus software preferences, but it took me ages to get it working and i dont want to go messing around incase i cant get it running again.

any help would really be appreciated. cheers

You should be able to see 16 audio channels from the 8Pre, not 18. MIDI ports do not carry audio. I wonder if the other two inputs are from the computer’s in-built audio?

The reason I mention this is that you may need to look at incoming channels 11 onwards for the ADA8000’s inputs – don’t know, just guessing. It would be odd for Logic to list another pair of audio inputs in-between the MOTU’s internal 8 and the MOTU’s ADAT channels. Stranger things have happened though.

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.

I have a general question regarding my studio set up... i currently run a pc laptop with protools and i am thinking about buying a macbook pro. will i be able to run the 2 machines side by side? will they communicate ok with each other? If not, I may buy another pc laptop... any advice would be great

Quote Racostar:

---

I have a general question regarding my studio set up... i currently run a pc laptop with protools and i am thinking about buying a macbook pro. will i be able to run the 2 machines side by side? will they communicate ok with each other? If not, I may buy another pc laptop... any advice would be great

---

Communicate with each other to do what? Virtual synths? Effects rack? Synchronised audio tracks? MIDI? There a few ways you could do it, depending on hardware and software choices - there's a good article about it in the SOS archives.

I do know that Cubase, for example, will do all kinds of clever things to link two machines, but it takes up a digital audio line for which I can think of plenty of better uses.

Personally I think life is too short to be messing around with two computers - much of the time it's hard enough getting *one* to co-operate!

I suggest you begin a new forum thread to see if anyone else can give you more help.

--------------------
An Eagle for an Emperor, A Kestrel for a Knave.