Live recording question!

Could you have the aux outs from the mixer (that you think are currently feeding the monitors - power amp, etc?) go into your V Studio, and then have your V Studio feed the monitors with the input signal?

A 3 hour recording project with no stops would make me nervous.

Just for information the US-2000 has 16 in and 4 out + (main monitor outs)

Personally, I wouldn't even attempt something like this if I didn't have splits (of one form or the other) for every channel....otherwise, you might as well just capture a mix off of the board...which usually sucks.

Introducing ANYTHING (besides splitters) into the chain prior to the FOH mixer is going to really get under the skin of most engineers.  And if there's anyone in the venue that you want on your side, it's the FOH engineer.  They can tend to be pretty territorial.

Talk to THAT GUY as soon as possible.  Let him know what the band is hiring you to do, and that you're going to try to be as helpful and non-intrusive as possible...but that you've got to get it done one way or the other.  He should know his system well enough to tell you what he thinks your best options are.

Don't surprise the guy and just show up.

You might have to buy splitters and enough cables to supply yourself and the FOH guy with feeds from the individual instruments, so make sure you charge at least enough to cover your expenses.  And then, in the future, you'll have the gear to make things like this profitable.  (Assuming you plan to do this fairly often.)

It's a lot of work....good luck!

Does the mixer have direct outs?

That would be the best point to tap into provided they're set to pre & not post

of course you could always rent/buy a Presonus Firestudio interface.  They have a direct output for each channel that acts as a pass-through specifically for sending to FOH without affecting the signal.  Even if your recording computer crashes, as long as there's power to the firestudio the FOH sound won't be affected.

You can expand it with 2 DigiMax boxes to give 24 channels, all with pass-through, or even chain 2 firestudios with expansions to give 48 channels...

This is how its done

Well I got in touch with the FOS guy and the last two times a show was recorded and splitters were rented, which were apparently not working right, and it end up costing the venue time and money so they're not willing to go the splitter route. So looks like my options are pretty limited... mic the room and take a stereo feed from the board.. Waiting to hear back from the FOS guy once more and then I'll have to present the options to the client... 

Unfortunately I don't get work like this often enough to justify getting a bunch of splitters I looked at some online after it was mentioned here. 

Some surely can be grumpy...no doubt.

But to be fair - ABILITY/QUALITY aside - most FOH guys I've met over the years have been pretty cool guys if you take the time to talk to them.  I try to treat them with a little respect, and come at them knowledgeable and with a helpful attitude.

I honestly believe that they're so used to only hearing from the pissed off girlfriends and fans..."Why can't I hear the guitar"....or "You NEED to turn up the vocals", that they're in automatic defensive mode.

I've dealt with them accordingly.  If I come at them in a friendly, helpful way - and they don't warm up within a few minutes, I'm not afraid to PUNT a paying gig.  Because it's usually not possible to get a decent recording without him buying into what's going on, and he gotta be willing to do things a bit differently from his "norm".  You just have to do your best to keep his hassle to a minimum.  After all...he's probably getting paid 1/10th of what you are.  And in the end, YOU can't afford to deliver crappy product because you're behind someone else's 8-ball.

But that's just ME.  Early for the setup.  Stay late for the tear-down.  Carry your own reliable splitters and snakes.  Bring enough good cables to tie both of you into the splitters.  Bring your own mics in case there are problems.

If, in the end, all I could do is record the room and a stero feed from the board....I'd punt.

I just couldn't see myself charging a band for that....and I certainly wouldn't do it for free.

Mackies are designed for splitting off the insert.  Have a model number? You can pull up the manual online.