Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer

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jupuca
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2010/12/29 16:20:08 (permalink)

Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer

Hello All,
 
I'm looking to get a new mixer and the key feature I am looking for is being able to send the dry signal to Sonar but be able to monitor with the built-in effects.  The Allen & Heath ZED10FX monitor looks like a good choice, but looking at the user manual, I'm still not clear if I would be able to accomplish this task with it.
 
I'm hoping there is a ZED10FX owner out there who can answer this for me.
 
Thanks in advance!
 
JC
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    CJaysMusic
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    Re:Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer 2010/12/29 17:12:16 (permalink)
    You dont need a mixer to record a dry signla while monitoring effects in sonar. just enable input echo yand your all set.

    Invest in a good sound crad with good drivers, like Echo, Motu, RME, or Maudio. A mixer is not needed and youll need a sound card anyways, because if your mixer can be usd an an interface, their drivers will suck and your latency will be horrible
    Cj

    www.audio-mastering-mixing.com - A Professional Worldwide Audio Mixing & Mastering Studio, Providing Online And Attended Sessions. We also do TV commercials, Radio spots & spoken word books
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    bmdaustin
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    Re:Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer 2010/12/29 17:29:42 (permalink)
    Like CJ says, save your money. The process he's describing lets the dry signal be directly recorded by Sonar through your soundcard's inputs, but the effects are added after the signal is recorded and you hear them via Input Echo. You'll typically get much better performance this way. The only likely issue you'll have to fiddle with is adjusting your recording buffers to eliminate any echo effects which can result from the timing difference between your direct signal and the effected one. This is caused by the time it takes the signal to make the trip through your system and is entirely normal. Those buffers are adjusted in Options/Audio.

    Paul Baker
    Baker's Jazz And More
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    #3
    jupuca
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    Re:Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer 2010/12/29 19:42:34 (permalink)
    Thanks for the replies!  I actually still do need a mixer for other reasons, but I will give the input echo a try.
    #4
    CJaysMusic
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    Re:Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer 2010/12/29 19:53:09 (permalink)
    Thats fine, but dont use the mixer as a sound card, as your sound card/interfce will have better drivers.

    You also do know that audio sound card/interfaces acts like a mixer. This is why you dont need a mixer.
    Cj

    www.audio-mastering-mixing.com - A Professional Worldwide Audio Mixing & Mastering Studio, Providing Online And Attended Sessions. We also do TV commercials, Radio spots & spoken word books
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    jupuca
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    Re:Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer 2010/12/31 15:37:19 (permalink)
    Thanks again!  I would never use the mixer as a soundcard.

    I'm using a Focusrite Saffire 6 USB which I am really loving right now.  Great mic pre's, 6ms latency, definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a new USB sound card.  However, one of its drawbacks is the number of inputs/outputs.  It does have a monitoring option so you can control the level of the input source vs the mix, but there is no option to add reverb to say a vocal track, which is really what I would like to be able to do. 

    I tried using the input echo in Sonar for vocals, and it seems to work ok, but I've also seen some threads here where that is not recommended as there could be issues with even a minimal amount of latency.  I'd be curious to hear from folks who are successfully using input echo on vocals.
     
    post edited by jupuca - 2010/12/31 17:40:39
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    jungfriend
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    Re:Allen & Heath ZED10FX mixer 2010/12/31 17:55:01 (permalink)
    Hi jupuca,
    I don't have an A&H ZED10FX mixer, but I do use a mixer in my studio for all sorts of jobs. I have an Edirol M16DX, and I don't use it as an audio interface for recording in Sonar, although it does have a USB out. I do use it for headphone mixes, routing ins and outs to various devices, and sometimes even use the preamps for rehearsals though I wouldn't record with them. So I understand why you want a mixer, and the ZED10FX looks like quite a value. As you say latency is an issue when recording multiple intrumentalists/vocalists, and there is no latency (except for the time it takes sound to travel a certain distance) using a mixer.
     
    Mostly I just wanted to tell you how much I like your avatar. Kolchak, (the original one, Darren McGavin) is way cool.
     
    Paul

    Sonar X2 PE, ADK Core i7 920 3.6ghz 12gb, UAD-2 Quad,  2x20"+2x19" LCDs, Focal CMS 50, POD HD500, Layla 3G, PoCo mkII PCI-e, Tranzport, Edirol M-16DX, Remote SL61, Mackie MCU, NI Kore 2, NI Komplete, NI Maschine, etc.
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