Multitrack recording with mixer

Hello,
 
I recently purchased a Behringer Eurorack Pro RX1202FX to use with my M-Audio 8R usb interface.   I want to be able to "see" each of the eight seperate tracks in the DAW so I can work on them seperately.   The standard way of setting up the mixer prevents this from happening and just gives you a main mix of everything recorded, I did some research and I found out that if you send a 1/4 jack from the channel insert of the mixer to the input of the soundcard that you can "see" each track seperately recorded the Cakewalk.   The problem with this is that it seems to prevent use of the functions, like changing the equaliser, adding effects from the mixer, the faders etc.
 
Just wondering if someone uses a similar setup and how they went about it, or if anyone knows what my problem is?    It records fine each track is shown seperately in the daw etc but that does not serve me any purpose unless I can use the functions of the mixer.   
 
This raised a few other questions, like which phantom power should I use the one on the mixer or the one on the interface, which volumn controls should I use the ones on the mixer or the ones on the interface?
 
Appreciate any assistance,
 
Cheers
Ryan

For what you're trying to do you really need a digital mixer. As far as phantom power, use phantom power on the device you plug your microphone into.

If you use the inserts like you've been doing you can send a straight signal into your recording software and use the mixer more for monitoring your live sound. What you record will be different than what you hear while you are recording but latency won't be a problem (because you aren't monitoring the audio signal as it passes through the computer) and you will have more options as to what to do with the audio after it's recorded. If you record audio with FX from your mixer you are stuck with those FX. If you record audio with no FX then you have many more options.

I'am not sure why you want to use your mixer's preamps and eq's but my advice is to go straight to the interface's preamps. Comparing to the behringer, the preamps in your interface should be of better quality and you will be able to eq your recorded sounds and add some flavor once in the digital domain.

Thanks for all your responses,

I guess I just bought the wrong thing :)  I figured I would have a bit more control over the sound and would learn basically how it effects the sound because this is all pretty new to me.   Because of the way my room is set up it is easier to change settings on hardware than software, but I can get over that.

So just keep recording through the 8R and change settings through Sonar,

What do you mean by using the mixer to monitor?  

I have a different question also, when I am recording through the 8r I now get input echo without even having Sonar open, I figure there must be an option to turn that off on my sound card but cannot find it.  I want to be able to record while listening to the entire song, less the track I am recording.    This worked fine a few months ago, I would just turn on Input echo if I wanted to hear what I was recording as I recorded it, otherwise I would not hear what I was recording as I recorded it.   Now I hear what is recording simply if a mic is plugged in and the soundcard on.

Cheers
Ryan

The M-Audio is probably set up to "echo" the input, which is why you are hearing it if you have SONAR configured correctly.  Try bringing up the M-Audio software that controls its soft mixer.  If it is like other interfaces it is capable of zero-latency recording, which means tapping your input signal before sending it to SONAR and directing it to an output (usually this is the corresponding out, so that "In 1" is echoed via "Out 1").  When you overdub it allows you to hear your new signal w/o the delay (latency) inherent in any native daw like SONAR.  4 milliseconds, for example, might be the M-Audio's latency setting.  But you have to double this since the signal is going into Sonar and then back out.  And it takes a ms to do conversion, again both ways.  10 ms might be too much latency for drums or fast guitar runs, etc.  So the interface's zero-latency function allows you to skip the back and forth between SONAR and keep latency as low as possible.  This is important for singers, too, who use the signal to adjust their pitch.  It is worse than useless if their headphone mix is too far behind hitting the note. 

For your purposes you don't want to hear this signal.  If SONAR's Echo is turned off and/or the track muted (if you have a previous overdub on that track), then it is most likely the M-Audio producing the overdub sound in the output.  Track it down in the software mixer that controls the interface and you are done.

It is confusing, since you have the interface hardware, its software control, and SONAR's own soft mixer.  Eliminate SONAR first, then track the problem back to the source.

@

ps, I hope this makes sense, it is late.

You can use the insert out jacks on your mixer. By-passing the EQ, sends, etc is no big deal. You'll have much better tools within Sonar to tweek the tracks later than what your mixer offers....BUT....if your audio interface has 8 inputs, then you don't require the mixer at all. You'll get a better result going straight into your audio interface. That's your best option.

Thanks once again for all your responses,

All sorted, it was as simple as muting the input on the monitor mixer (interface software)   I thought that muting the input would completely stop the signal from getting to Sonar, but as I now understand the monitor mix is just a duplicate and has nothing to do with what goes into Sonar, all makes more sense now.    So the effects that I can put on through 8r make no difference to the recording, only the monitor mix. 

As for the mixer, its just going to look pretty next to my 8r, no other good use as I can see because the 8r does everything I want. 

Thanks again
Ryan   

Basically use of this multi-track recording with mixer is music recording. Music recording is like to song, road show programme recording. Music is one type of entertainment programme. It is must require to the to multi-track recording

Some good info on this thread.

I've always used a mixer, but these days it isn;'t used for mixing!

I use it to route a wide variety of hardware boxes inot my monitor chain - synths, cd players, mp3 players, hell I've still got a Minidisc & Cassette recorder hooked up!

I recently rationalised my studio outboard gear and what I have left is connected via patchbays to the desk.

This way, I can patch anything in to Sonar very quickly & easily.

It's also used to bring all my ins & outs from my interface into play and setting up headphone mixes.