I have searched the site and looked at the various compatible device posts here and on the wiki and was unable to find what I was looking for.
I have a Mizwiz 3 16:2 analog mixer. My plan is to take a split off the channel direct outs to feed a Windows 7 laptop for mutli-track recording of performances and rehearsals. I have been dabbling with Audacity via the built in sound card and have decided I would like to use it for my recording processor.
My problem is finding an Analog to USB 2.0 adapter that has emphasis on line inputs as opposed to microphone inputs. My preference is to be able to mutli-track 16 channels but I can probably get by with 8 or more channels. Most adapters I can find are significantly less than 16 channels and emphasize microphone inputs (although they also allow line level). There also appears to be a lot of 2-4 channel stuff for the home hobbyist (no offense intended). My issue with the microphone inputs has nothing to do with function or technical reasons other than the less unneeded function the less there is to break.
Any suggestions as to what is out there that might meet my needs or can they be met? My upper budget would be under $1K but preference would be less than $750.
Thanks for any assistance.
Keith
The reason most lower-end multi-channel setups have Mic-In is that most people in this group don’t have a mixer. The instant you graduate to a mixer and better system, you’re directly in ProTools territory.
One of the things that ProTools does that Audacity doesn’t is it has native support for ASIO and probably other custom drivers as well. This is the only way to get very low latency, top quality, multi-track support short of a real Digital Audio Workstation.
Audacity doesn’t come with ASIO, although if you haven’t filled out your torture dance card yet, you can recompile Audacity from the source code to include native ASIO support. But you then can’t sell or provide that software to anyone else. It becomes your single, personal license.
Write back if you find a way to do this.
Koz
Koz,
Thanks for the reply. I was afraid it was going to be more of a “not possible at this level of investment”. I’m a retired software engineer so recompiling code is not a big issue for me. However I was looking at adding multichannel the recording as an up charge to the bands/events I provide PA support to. This would also differentiate me from the other small providers in my area. Being a small time provider I won’t get the return on investment I need with professional equipment. Guess I’ll have to back burner this for a while.