Need some advice for my new setup

Hi, I bought a brand new PC, and I'd like to install my home-studio the best way. I'm not very familiar with connections, so it would be very useful for me if some of the forum could help me to set this up. (I use most of the time virtual instrument to compose orchestral music but I'd like to record a voice or an instrument sometimes. My stuff : - PC Proc Intel I7 2600 / 16 GB RAM (vith Sonar 8.5 PE) - Sound interface Echoaudio LAYLA 24 (8 in / 8 out + digital) - Mixing console Yamaha 01V - Active monitors TAPCO from Mackie - Some SHURE microphones (SM57, SM58, BETA 57, etc ...) - Others microphones (couple of Octava and other brands) For the moment, I plugged a stereo cable in the first and second lines of the 01V, connected to the LAYLA line outputs. I plugged a stereo cable from monitor out of the 01V to the line inputs of the LAYLA. And I plugged the TAPCO Monitors to the stereo out of the 01V. Is this right ? Do you think of another way of connecting all my stuff ? I only use 01V to connect all, maybe it's too much for me because I never use the functionnalities of the mixer. Sometimes I think I might buy a smaller one, don't know ... Thanks for your advices Alex

  Thanks That's the question : Do I really need a mixer ... Maybe some LAYLA Users could tell me how they are working, how they setted up their studio.

guinness28


  Thanks That's the question : Do I really need a mixer ... Maybe some LAYLA Users could tell me how they are working, how they setted up their studio.

I use a Layla 3G in my studio, and I have it wired into a patch bay so that I can route it any way I want.  Right now, I have a mic preamp routed (through the patch bay) to a two-channel compressor, and the outputs from the compressor go into input channels 3/4 of the Layla, which is the basic chain I use for recording microphones.  Channel inputs 1 and 2 of the Layla 3G are on the front panel, so I leave them open for plugging guitar effect outputs, etc., directly into them.  Channel inputs 5-8 are all on the patch bay so I can patch directly into them at will.  The thing here is to go directly into the Layla with whatever signal you are going to record - no need to go through the mixer for recording (unless you have an SSL console or something).
 
Where I use my mixer is on the Layla's outputs - they all go through the patch bay, and then into the first 8 channels of the mixer.  This is only necessary if you want to submix all 8 outputs from the Layla for monitoring - otherwise, you can use the Layla's headphone out (which only captures outputs 1 and 2) for monitoring.  I like to use all 8 outputs when I am tracking, and set up sub-master busses in Sonar, each sub-master going to a pair of outputs (for left/right pairs).  This way I can monitor through the mixer, and turn down (or up) the drums and bass, for instance, while tracking vocals, and basically adjust my monitor mix any way I want it.  It adds another level of complexity, but it is ultimately flexible once you get used to it.  Do you absolutely need it?  No, as I said, you can monitor everything through the Layla's headphone out, but if you want to take full advantage of all the outputs (and with the 01V you can probably take advantage of the digital outputs as well), then a mixer comes in handy.  It just depends on how complicated you want to get and how you want to work.  Good luck!

 Don't know how to edit !

Found this, is it correct ?
http://www.thomann.de/fr/...k_nys_spp_patchbay.htm

If I understood, I connect 1A on input 1 of Layla, 1B on input 2, 2A on input 3, and so on, ...
So I will only use the 1, 2, 3 and 4 jack from the patchbay, right ?

guinness28


 Don't know how to edit !

Found this, is it correct ?
http://www.thomann.de/fr/neutrik_nys_spp_patchbay.htm

If I understood, I connect 1A on input 1 of Layla, 1B on input 2, 2A on input 3, and so on, ...
So I will only use the 1, 2, 3 and 4 jack from the patchbay, right ?

The Neutrik is one example of a patch bay, and it's what I personally use.  However, there are some things you should understand about patch bays that are too detailed to go into here, and it involves normalling, or the routing from the front to the rear of the bay.  It's not always as simple as connecting input 1 from your Layla to jack 1A of the patchbay, input 2 from the Layla to jack 1B, etc.  For instance, you may want jack 1A on the patch bay front to route straight through to jack 1B on the patch bay rear.  Or, in a normalled configuration, you will probably want patch bay rear jack 1A to connect directly to patch bay rear jack 1B, which allows you to have two pieces of gear always connected unless you "insert" on the front panel.  It's not particularly complicated, but it does take some research and some thinking in order to decide what you want to do.  In your case, you might want the patch panel 1A rear jack connected to your Layla input #1, and the patch bay 1B rear jack connected to your preamp output #1 in a normalled routing.  That way, the preamp output is always connected to the Layla input unless you insert something into one of the patch bay front jacks.  What happens when you "insert" is dependent on the type of normalling you are using, but typically an "insert" in the front jack will break the connection to the rear jacks, and connect another piece of equipment to one of the rear-connected pieces.  In the case of the Neutrik patchbay, the type of normalling is decided by which way the jack module is turned, so you have to plan ahead before you start hooking things up.  On other patch bays, there may be a switch to determine the type of normalling, and on yet other patchbays you might have to break out the soldering iron to decide which way you want the normalling to go.  Just know that you need to understand normalling and how your signals will flow before you start hooking the thing up.  Google is your friend!
 
By the way, Bonzo's advice to utilize the digital I/O for tracking is a good one, and could/should be used where possible.

AT


If you want to get rid of the desk you will need a preamp.  For a mic, and even guitar (DI) to boost up to line level for the patch bay. 

The OP said he has a Presonus TubePre ...