Home Recording - Do I really need this?!

Paligulus

Ok folks I'm thinking of getting the following Mixer (of course any better suggestions are welcome!!):
http://www.thomann.de/ie/alesis_multimix_8_firewire.htm

The thing about it is, when I'm playing at home I play everything through a PA system:
http://www.soundcraft.com/product_sheet.asp?product_id=129

The recording S/W I use is Adobe Audition - Which I think is great. Simple to use etc...

So if I'm recording the Setup is Guitar to AMP to PA to Laptop.

Now the recording dosn't sound the best, but I'm pretty sure that's because the Soundcard is rubbish.

So would http://www.thomann.de/ie/alesis_multimix_8_firewire.htm be the answer? I would use this to record the output of the PA. But would this be just duplicating what the PA is doing except with a better sound card. I still wanna get it as opposed to a better soundcard (The more nobs I have to twidde the better!!!). But if it's pointless, I dont wanna waste my money!!!!

Cheers folks

frobisher

What kind of music are you making? What instruments/set up do you have? And how many instruments will you need to record at the same time?

squibs

With that signal chain you wont get a great signal. The signal will degrade with every extra stage you put it through and some of your signal path has a bad signal to noise ration (the PA).

I assume that as you are using an amp you mean a combo amp and you have an electric? If so you could mic the amp's speaker to capture the true sound of the amp. Use a dynamic like a shure sm57. Alternatively if it's a good amp with a clean sounding line out you could try recording from that but you'll lose what the power amp stage and the combo loudpeaker characteristics add to the sound. You could invest in an amp modeller/effects box which can be had for 100 bucks (behringer V-AMP).

A small mixer will always be handy. Make sure you have enough mono channels with trim pots as well as faders to give you all the headroom you might need. Phantom power should be available on a couple fo channels in case you buy a condenser mic later and it's nice to have direct outs on each channel.

nohshow

Everything Squibs says (say?) is pretty much what I was going to say. You may be doing your guitar a disservice by using the PA at all. An amp modeller would be a much better buy for the money you're talking about and a mixing desk will not necessarily make you sound any better.

But I'd take another look at your sound card as well. If the quality of recording is what you're concerned about, this is most likely to be the reason and, again, a new mixing desk won't help. The desk really only comes into its own once you have settled all your other problems and need to combine multiple signals (of course) and it's quite possible that your current set-up is doing that perfectly adequately. Quality sound cards won't necessarily break the bank, either.

Paligulus

Cheers for the replies folks...

that's a great point about the signal depleting due to the PA. Hadn't considered that!!!

I was kind of looking for something that would over-ride my sound card (it would also be more portable i.e use in different PC's etc...) I presumed that's what the firewire multimix would do. However, I think I've got this arseways!!! Is this more along the lines of what I need?:

Line6 TonePort UX2 USB Computer Recording Interface
http://www.zzounds.com/item--LINTPUX2
(any better suggestions are welcome!!!)

By the way, Im recording electric guitar mostly. And acoustic guitar and mandolin.

cheers