OK, OK, Here's yer Mackie Satellite thread
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MoreSpaceEcho
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Okay didn't get to this thing yet utilizing the talkback mic as a drum mic, but hope to tomorrow. Instead, I used it as a talkback today and the drummer from the session remarked how much less intelligible my voice was talking through this Mackie apparatus than it was talking into the AT MB1000L dynamic I was using before. Go figure.
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Electricide
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ok, just a few updates.
I really messed with this yesterday. First problem: my firewire port is 6 pin, and will power the satellite portion using just the FW port, but when it's docked, and I plug the FW into the base unit, no power. I have to use the DC to use the base unit. All the documentation indicates that either the Satellite AND/OR the base could be powered through the FW cable. anybody else?
I recorded just my soundcard by itself, with no inputs attached, then with the 1604 attached, at Line Level with no signal, then with one of the 1604 mic pres all the way up. Then I increased the gain on each clip +24.0 dB so I could hear the noise.
I also recorded the Onyx CR out to the soundcard, and the Onyx in via firewire, both with no signal, and then with the mic pre all the way up.
The Onyx analog CR out, into my sound card, didn't sound good. Lots of sputtering white noise. But, the firewire method added a distinct low hum to the sound. Well, distinct at +24dB. But, the white noise was less. I'm going to go back, and try some of the configurations again, because I'd like to use the pres if not the whole interface.
Also...
I recorded a midi clip, then ran the clip through the MiniStixMoog sound on my micron, recorded into Tracktion through the 1604 and then Onyx. I honestly couldn't hear the difference. I recorded some guitar too, and heard differences, maybe more low end in the Onyx pres, but there's so much variation from take to take in my guitar playing. Even using the ebow.
Plus, earlier I said that my soundcard's 0-latency monitoring would help, but with the Onyx it doesn't, because I can't listen to the analog outputs of the soundcard AND use the Onyx pres. I could if I ran the L/R of the soundcard both to channel 2 of the onyx, and then muted the channel 2 input coming back into tracktion. But I could not record a stereo source, not listen to the DAW return in stereo, so that solution is no good.
I got the latency as low as the Onyx drivers would allow, and it was surely noticeable. Doing BGV or drum overdubs would be difficult. Basically, you have to record without listening to your performance through the machine (you'd rely on actual room sound..one headphone off). HOWEVER, if I want to record my Micron, well, that doesn't make it's own acoustic sound, there's no speakers. So I'd have to track with the latency.
You could monitor the inputs through the CR outs, and then send a submix of your DAW through the firewire on outputs 3-4 or 5-6, and then combine the CR outs with those other outs to get both the DAW and the inputs at the same time, but that's a lot of work. It would require another mixer.
Each monitor output, the CR outs and the Headphone outs, needs to be able to monitor either the DAW, or the inputs, OR BOTH. Have those 2-1 pots, where the outer ring controls the DAW level and the inner ring the input level. Otherwise, this thing is useless for tracking too.
I really messed with this yesterday. First problem: my firewire port is 6 pin, and will power the satellite portion using just the FW port, but when it's docked, and I plug the FW into the base unit, no power. I have to use the DC to use the base unit. All the documentation indicates that either the Satellite AND/OR the base could be powered through the FW cable. anybody else?
I recorded just my soundcard by itself, with no inputs attached, then with the 1604 attached, at Line Level with no signal, then with one of the 1604 mic pres all the way up. Then I increased the gain on each clip +24.0 dB so I could hear the noise.
I also recorded the Onyx CR out to the soundcard, and the Onyx in via firewire, both with no signal, and then with the mic pre all the way up.
The Onyx analog CR out, into my sound card, didn't sound good. Lots of sputtering white noise. But, the firewire method added a distinct low hum to the sound. Well, distinct at +24dB. But, the white noise was less. I'm going to go back, and try some of the configurations again, because I'd like to use the pres if not the whole interface.
Also...
I recorded a midi clip, then ran the clip through the MiniStixMoog sound on my micron, recorded into Tracktion through the 1604 and then Onyx. I honestly couldn't hear the difference. I recorded some guitar too, and heard differences, maybe more low end in the Onyx pres, but there's so much variation from take to take in my guitar playing. Even using the ebow.
Plus, earlier I said that my soundcard's 0-latency monitoring would help, but with the Onyx it doesn't, because I can't listen to the analog outputs of the soundcard AND use the Onyx pres. I could if I ran the L/R of the soundcard both to channel 2 of the onyx, and then muted the channel 2 input coming back into tracktion. But I could not record a stereo source, not listen to the DAW return in stereo, so that solution is no good.
I got the latency as low as the Onyx drivers would allow, and it was surely noticeable. Doing BGV or drum overdubs would be difficult. Basically, you have to record without listening to your performance through the machine (you'd rely on actual room sound..one headphone off). HOWEVER, if I want to record my Micron, well, that doesn't make it's own acoustic sound, there's no speakers. So I'd have to track with the latency.
You could monitor the inputs through the CR outs, and then send a submix of your DAW through the firewire on outputs 3-4 or 5-6, and then combine the CR outs with those other outs to get both the DAW and the inputs at the same time, but that's a lot of work. It would require another mixer.
Each monitor output, the CR outs and the Headphone outs, needs to be able to monitor either the DAW, or the inputs, OR BOTH. Have those 2-1 pots, where the outer ring controls the DAW level and the inner ring the input level. Otherwise, this thing is useless for tracking too.
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MoreSpaceEcho
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Electricide
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it would be great for a guy like joelpatterson, who could bring a laptop and the satellite part, and record 2 track live stuff all day.MoreSpaceEcho wrote:Electricide wrote:a lot of good points that seem to point to the inescapable fact that:
this thing is useless for tracking
Or for doing podcasts. I'm going to try again this week.
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