HELP!! easy fix!?
hey guys…new here. ive looked everywhere for info on this and turned up empty, so my question is is it poss. to record separate tracks from channels on the board (i.e. 3 drum mics: 2 OH to track 1, kick mic to track 2…2 mics: 1 records to track 1, 2 to 2) with the multimix/ntrack combo? a fellow user buddy of mine said i could be done with panning? 
thanks
Signal path is Board => Audio Interface => DAW
If your board is outputing the signals you wish to record,
and your audio interface is recognized by your OS and is capable of
recieving mulitple inputs, then I believe nTrack can be configured
to sumultaneously record your board outputs to indiviual tracks.
The USB combo’s consolidate the mixer outputs (audio streams) over a USB interface, then use software (drivers) to assign the audio streams to
virtual channels which can then be assigned to individual tracks within
the DAW. So again the answer to your question is yes.
You must realize that combining mic’s is essentially mixing. If your Alesis
pre-mixes 2 mic inputs then you will record the mix. If however you send
each of the 8 or 12 output channels (4 stereo pairs) or (6 stereo pairs,
then you will be able to record each of those outputs on a seperate track
in nTrack. Depending on the monitoring capabilities of the Alesis you should
be able to a) monitor input and b) monitor an output mix. How that is
accomplished will be a function of the Alesis - not nTrack.
This is my opinion - not gospel
thanks for the response…im desperate to figure this out. as i see it, my signal path= board/interface (the alesis)–> usb direct to laptop/ntrack/win7. there is no “soundcard” to speak of other than generic windows vol. adjustments. so if im not mistaken, ntrack “reads” the entire board as a single signal. by all means correct me if im wrong! is this really that difficult? my goal here is to be able to record a single take using multiple mics, then edit each mics “track” accordingly. again, much appreciated…
It may be that you will have to get a multi-channel interface I guess you are pluging multi-channels into the Alesis - right? It sounds like the USB is only sending a mixed (stereo) signal to the computer - or you do not have the correct drivers for the USB interface to receive the 8 tracks. I don’t think the problem is with N-track.
N-Track will look at the information sent to/from a sound cards drives to determine the number of input/outputs available. You can then select the number that you want to record or play back. The computer does not have this information - Windows is only giving you a single input. Check the Alesis site and see if they have multi-channel drivers/software.
Hope that helps
Bax
What you have is a two channel audio interface in your hands (unless u have a Multimix 8 usb 2.0 that is a 8 channel audio interface). It’s a 8 channel mixer but it is a 2 channel interface.
So what you get is two simultanious mono tracks (or single stereo track) to N-track with it. With clever panning you can make some of the mixer channels to track 1 and some to track to or some to both.
Panning something hard left will go to track one, hard right to track 2.
So you may try Beatlesque recording methods with that.
You better check this out before you buy.
Seems there are 2 versions of this unit. USB1.1 and USB2.0
The USB1.1 ver only records a stereo output.
If you want to record all outputs, you need the USB2.0 ver.
Alesis provides a USB2.0 driver on their website.
excellent advise. think its time to upgrade to firewire…i need 12 channels anyway…
If you are going to firewire - do some checking there too. Look at the forums for the units you are interested in. Firewire is a trickier interface than USB. I have a USB a Firewire and a PCI interface. They all have strong points. In my case I had the least trouble with the PCI interface - may have been the brand (Echo Audio). The USB is only two channels, but works well right out of the box. I tried three different Firewire units before I found one that worked well - MOTU 896. Unless something has changed, firewire units almost all want real TI chipsets - something most laptops do not have. Laptops are a problem if you are thinking of being able to use one with you interface. Afer you do your research, be certain the seller will allow you to return the unit if it does not live up to what you want.
For recommendations: if you are happy with your pre-amp board you might see if you can find a Echo Audio Layla 24 ( the Layla 20 is also good, but really getting long-in-the-tooth when it comes to drivers and it does not record 24bit or have drivers for Windows 7 - but they are cheap and do a decent job if you can find one in good working order.
There are several firewire or USB units that will record 8 channels without a separate mic pre-amp. I know that weveral are made to take 12 in, but I am not up on that - I have owned a Presonus 8 channel Digimax 96, an ADAT pre-amp for a long time. However,I had bad luck with several Presonus units because Presonus could not get the drivers to work properly, but they may have solved that, but I am wearly of them. I use a MOTU 896 which can record 8 channels and accept two 8 channal ADAT units so I could plug in 24 mics with two ADAT units. By the way, a plus with the Layla 24 - it will accept 8 channels from your board along with 8 channels of ADAT or other mic pre-amp (no on board pre-amps)
Bax
Not long ago I purchased an Alesis Multimix8 FIREWIRE which has since been discontinued in leau of the Multimix12 I think. The reason I went with the Firewire is as mentioned above. Unless you got the USB 2.0 model, you are only sending 2 signals to your PC. Firewire sends all 8 signals to the PC resulting in 8 different tracks.
I route my output back to the Multimix for monitoring so it is basically my soundcard also. To do this you have to make it the default playback device in Windows media settings.
cliff
Good post this - i have been trying to get a straight answer from Alesis, Yamaha and Behringer about what exactly their USB & Firewire mixers DO… Are they emulating inserts or IL outs for each fader? They imply they do, but don’t actually say in plain engrish: THIS MIXER WILL BEHAVE LIKE A MULTICHANNEL AUDIO INTERFACE… Some of the newer Behringers have 4 or 8 Busses available as 1/4inch jacks on the rear of the units, yet don’t clearly state You can use all 4 as seperate inputs to Your Computer at the same time over USB…
So, i’m going to assume the Alesis USB 2.0 and Firewire Jobs do actually appear to a system as 8-input soundcards, and i can actually send 8 discrete audio streams to the Computer at one time, and record them into nTrack.
I will report back if this is NOT the case.
Been checking the Behringer Website re: the new USB range of mixers - they look excellent - the 2222 has basic compressors on each mic input, and has USB on board - but, the claim is it’s a STEREO USB interface only… So, not even 4-buss or even stereo + aux send(s) are available… What a shame… So, it looks like Alesis are the daddys on this front.
I can see the alesis + nTrack as a killer capture setup… Going to take the plunge… 
Quote: (maggot @ Mar. 02 2010, 12:10 PM)
Good post this - i have been trying to get a straight answer from Alesis, Yamaha and Behringer about what exactly their USB & Firewire mixers DO.. Are they emulating inserts or IL outs for each fader? They imply they do, but don't actually say in plain engrish: THIS MIXER WILL BEHAVE LIKE A MULTICHANNEL AUDIO INTERFACE.. Some of the newer Behringers have 4 or 8 Busses available as 1/4inch jacks on the rear of the units, yet don't clearly state You can use all 4 as seperate inputs to Your Computer at the same time over USB..
So, i'm going to assume the Alesis USB 2.0 and Firewire Jobs _do_ actually appear to a system as 8-input soundcards, and i can actually send 8 discrete audio streams to the Computer at one time, and record them into nTrack.
I will report back if this is NOT the case.
I know this is a bit late, but I do hope you did not "take the plunge" on any of these boards.(except MAYBE the Yamaha)unless of course you are only recording demo's of your group.
IF you are trying to record something like a CD or anything of semi-pro quality you are soon going to find these boards all though they do pass 8 channels of signal are not up to the task sound quality wise, you will shorty find yourself reselling them and buying something else, so why bother for a bit more of what they retail you can buy something used like an ONYX1620 or an Allen and Health.
Alesis are cheap crap boards, that is why they are used for live sound companies, when they break down (and they do alot) they just get another.....but don't take my word for it read the many many bad reviews and break down complaints on the web...
Beheringer's are even cheaper, and if they break down you are dealing with a foreign company so everything has to be shipped off shore to be fixed (basically they are so cheap they just send you another one) and a lot of their power supplies are tricky too (weird 7 prong plugs like a comuter mouse that bend and break easy) if you break one of those you have to wait a month or so for them to mail you a whole new unit)
just my 2c.
keep shinin
jerm
