Newbie help about set up.

[Antony]

Hi.

As described I just bought a 4800 and wondering the best way to patch it up.
I don't have a fw card but have 3 adat cards so I was going to light pipe to my converters that way. I have outboard pres and compressors that I want to use.
Do I use a patchbay or the 4800, I've never used a digital console but been on logic for a long time and know my way around it well. I have a meter bridge and want to use that (do I need a fw card to do so).
This has probably been asked lots here so sorry for repeating but any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers Antony

 

[TascMan]

Hi Antony,
Let me say that you are asking a lot here. It's like saying "I just bought a 747. Soooooooo, now what? Could someone show me how to fly this thing? And be brief, we're on a forum after all...."
That being said, you could use your adat cards. Just to be clear, these are 8 channel adat cards that are in your computer? That you are planning to use as your Logic inputs? Or do you mean you have DACs that accept a stereo Toslink optical signal as an input? I don't quite understand this: "...I was going to lightpipe to my converters that way" ....what'????
The hardest thing with these DMs is to get your head around how everything is routed. Find the "routing" button, go to that page and get to know it as best as you can. Its pretty incredible how its done, but if this your first digital mixer, I would run through the manual first, page by page, and learn routing.

 

[TascMan]

BTW,
As for your outboard pres and effects, many of us have the IF-AN/DM analog expantion card for the back of the mixer. This is a great way to patch your outboard gear into the mixer. You can also use the ASSN Sends and Returns for this; one of its main functions. Or, if you want to use a patchbay, you could use channel insert cables between the DMs 24channel inserts and the ins and outs on your patchbay. You have a lot of flexibility here. But, I gotta throw in the suggestion to get the firewire expansion card. It's really a great way to go with any daw.

 

[Antony]

Cheers for reply, yes I know it's an overwhelming question, when I've got the 4800 it will be great. The adat cards are in the tascam which are 8 channel each so I was going to go from those to my converters ( do I use the FireWire from the converter or stay with the dm USB) and be able to use my pres. My main question is my patchbay, I did a lot of research before buying and a lot of response was that the dm is a big patchbay which it seems to be. So my question regarding my outboard is should I stay with a patchbay or can I route everything with the dm via inserts. I am also wondering about the meter bridge at the moment in remote mode using my daw it
doesnt work Hope my thoughts are clearer.

 

[TascMan]

I am confused when you say "converters." What "converters" are you talking about? Do you mean your computer?
I get that your DM has three ADAT cards in the back, giving you a way to send 24 channels of ADAT to something else....like your computer, to use as inputs into logic. You would not typically connect a 32 channel firewire cable to a stereo "converter". You WOULD connect it to your computer, to use with your daw, however.
As for the USB, this is not used to send any audio data. Typically your firewire would be used for that. The usb cable from the DM is used to send midi data to/from your computer and daw program. You would use this to allow your DM to be used as an external midi controller for your daw. It also works with the TC companion software.
As for your main question, if you are currently using a patchbay, and you are familiar with channel inserts, then yes, you could go this route to add your outboard pres. Just realize that using channel inserts means that you are using up one of your 24 channel inputs. In other words, if you are patching an outboard pre into CH1's insert input, you can't use that mixer channel preamp for anything else at the same time, like a microphone. Seems obvious I guess. Finding another way to input a preamp or effect would free up that mixer preamp input. As previously stated, you could use your Assn sends and returns for this. I use all three ideas. I have two patchbays, one has channels 1-8 being the Ins and Outs of my IF-AN/DM analog card, in the "thru" position on the patchbay's jacks. On the other patchbay I have channels 1-8 "normaled", using the DM's channel inserts for channles 1-8. By "normalling" the patchbay jacks, the insert signal is continuoulsy looped back into the channel as it normally is when nothing is plugged into it. The loop breaks when I plug something into either the channel's send or recieve part of the insert loop.
that got a bit deep. Sorry, you asked.
As for the meter bridge, use in remote mode requires some skillfully crafted routing that has been described before but might be a bit much for now.

 

[Antony]

Great reply.
As for converters I mean before I got the dm I use motu and octopre's toslinked then fw to mac
As you described the patchbay that is how I drew up my diagram.
Normalised 1-16 in out for my motu's and octopre's
And inserts for my comps,eq and pres.
As for the meter bridge where is that post you were mentioning, ill give it a go.

 

[TascMan]

read this thread

Enabled MU1000 Meterbridge Remote layer DM4800