Hi All,
Looking for a bit of help.
I have been asked to look at setting up a new 'project studio'. I am getting together a load of gear that's not currently being utilised and trying to make the best out of it.
I would be interested in ideas for configurations/ gear that could make things easier/better than the ideas I already have!
So far the equipment I have is as follows:
A Mac Pro (the old one)
Logic Pro X
Allen & Heath ZED 436
A Tascam 1608
A couple of 2 channel Dynamic Processors
3 Stereo FX Processors
A load of old synths - about 14 output channels total
I'll need a couple of Mic channels for recordings but theres no live room so the focus of the studio will be electronic production and sound design.
I'd like to have all/most of the synths available, either plugged permanently into the desk or via a patch bay. I'd like the FX processors and the dynamics permanently available.
With what I've got now, I was considering buying a couple of the samson 48 channel switchable patchbays and configuring as per the attached pic.
Am I missing anything drastic? Any suggestions? Any suggestions for interfacing that would increase the number of inputs?
Any help always much appreciated kfhkh
New project studio configuration
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- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 3 posts since 8 Nov, 2017
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- KVRAF
- 8826 posts since 6 Jan, 2017 from Outer Space
The number of inputs on your Allen&Heath seems sufficiant for what you want to do, it can be also your interface to the Mac. No need for a patch bay as far as I can see, just plug all into the mixer with the Tascam you get even more, you can combine the two interfaces in Audio/Midi setup...
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- KVRAF
- 1568 posts since 1 Aug, 2006 from Italy
I would use a patchbay, but I would also normalize the connections, so you don't need a lot of patch cables just to get the standard routing... if you need a patch cable for each connection, you'll soon get mad (the setup is a mess and it's not easy to work with).
I would connect every synth to a channel (or to two channels or a mono channel, if the synth is stereo) of the mixer and I would bring those connections to the patchbay (and I would normalize them), so if you need to insert something between the synth and the desk (for example an effect pedal) or you need to change the routing on the fly for whatever reason, then you can do it easily. This way you can keep the synths in a standard position on the desk and you can label the channels.
Then I would normalize the group/submix outputs of the mixer to some inputs of the soundcard (or I'd use the direct outs of the channels, it really depends on your preferences... my mixer has no direct outs, so it's not a question in my case). I'd also keep some spares inputs on the souncard for the occasional microphone, if possible.
Then I would probably normalize aux sends into the fx inputs (if the fx have stereo in but your aux sends are mono, I would bring both the fx inputs to the patchbay but I would leave one cable disconnected at the fx side, if the fx automatically tests the connections and configures itself as mono or stereo in). The returns of the fx would be normalized into some channels mixer (if you have some spares) or into your soundcard. In my setup the fx are not normalized, but I planned to move them often when I setup the routing (though I may change that in future and normalize them).
The choice for souncard ouputs is up to you: you may want them to go into the mixer (so you can send some steams to the desk) or you may leave them disconnected, so you can connect them to fx and such when mixing down (it depends if you use the mixer as a front end with the computer as the center of the studio, or if the mixer is the center of the studio and the computer is just a tape machine). In my setup, the mixer is just a front end and I monitor through the soundcard, so my monitors are connected to the first pair of outputs of the soundcard.
Dynamic processors are not normalized in my setup and they are ready to be connected to whatever synths needs them (though some are de-facto reserved for my DrumBrute).
A month ago I described my current patchbay setup in this post (link), maybe you can steal some ideas (my homestudio has a decent otb setup dedicated to electronic/dance music).
I would connect every synth to a channel (or to two channels or a mono channel, if the synth is stereo) of the mixer and I would bring those connections to the patchbay (and I would normalize them), so if you need to insert something between the synth and the desk (for example an effect pedal) or you need to change the routing on the fly for whatever reason, then you can do it easily. This way you can keep the synths in a standard position on the desk and you can label the channels.
Then I would normalize the group/submix outputs of the mixer to some inputs of the soundcard (or I'd use the direct outs of the channels, it really depends on your preferences... my mixer has no direct outs, so it's not a question in my case). I'd also keep some spares inputs on the souncard for the occasional microphone, if possible.
Then I would probably normalize aux sends into the fx inputs (if the fx have stereo in but your aux sends are mono, I would bring both the fx inputs to the patchbay but I would leave one cable disconnected at the fx side, if the fx automatically tests the connections and configures itself as mono or stereo in). The returns of the fx would be normalized into some channels mixer (if you have some spares) or into your soundcard. In my setup the fx are not normalized, but I planned to move them often when I setup the routing (though I may change that in future and normalize them).
The choice for souncard ouputs is up to you: you may want them to go into the mixer (so you can send some steams to the desk) or you may leave them disconnected, so you can connect them to fx and such when mixing down (it depends if you use the mixer as a front end with the computer as the center of the studio, or if the mixer is the center of the studio and the computer is just a tape machine). In my setup, the mixer is just a front end and I monitor through the soundcard, so my monitors are connected to the first pair of outputs of the soundcard.
Dynamic processors are not normalized in my setup and they are ready to be connected to whatever synths needs them (though some are de-facto reserved for my DrumBrute).
A month ago I described my current patchbay setup in this post (link), maybe you can steal some ideas (my homestudio has a decent otb setup dedicated to electronic/dance music).
