I've heard of Yep's legendary mixing tutorial, but never looked at it. Thanks for including the link.
Check out a member here, Gamblerschoice. He does mixing in his home, and he has links in his posts for some of the stuff he's done, notably Rick Larue (sp), Nutty and Mamabear/Janet.
More snow!? We got about 6" here, and most of it is still there. I've already missed 4 days of work since I can't get out of my driveway. One-hundred feet, uphill. My brother finally got out today and went to work, but my little Miata won't do it.
Looks like you have the right idea for recording the module into MC. Run a line out or record out from the mixer into the interface. If the module has nice stereo patches and/or effects, you would want to use a stereo input. Otherwise use a mono input in MC.
Set the input, press the R in the track to arm the track for recording, start the project and adjust the output from the module or mixer so the recording level doesn't go into the red (much) during the loudest parts of the song, stop the project, rewind it, then click the Record button in the transport toolbar. 
 
 

Greg,
 
Another good set of tips/advice is on the PG Music Forum.  It is on the Tip and Tricks Forum and the title is My Tips.
 
The poster, Manning1 - I believe - has been posting detailed advice for about a year.  He has long posts with a lot of interesting ideas.
 
Scott

Thanks, Herb.

That explains some of the issues I have had assigning drivers.

Let me describe a process to see if anyone thinks I can carry it out with only my UA-25EX interface - it has two "in's" and two sets of "out's."  

If I can't do it with just one interface, can I do it with two interfaces (I am considering buying a Saffire model when they get their Win 7 driver out) - one for the signal from the computer to the mixer and the other for the signal from the mixer back to the computer and MC 5, or a similar program, for recording.

Basically, I would like to send a song with a file containing both midi and audio data from the computer into the mixer via an interface, add my vocal and record the mixer's output in MC 5 or a similar program in the computer - all at the same time. 

I suppose I would get the recorded data on only a single track - so perhaps it would be better to record the audio output from the mixer first and then record a second track with just the voice - right?  Or two separate tracks for stereo voice?

So, I open MC 5 first.  It takes the ASIO in and out. 

Then, using just the UA-25EX, can I send an audio signal out from BIAB/RB with the MME on a file with both midi and audio (real tracks) into one of the "in's" on the UA-25EX, use the interface to split the audio and the midi and patch them into my SD-20 and mixer.   I will add voice directly to the mixer, and then feed one "out"  from the mixer into the second "in" on the front of the interface. Can I expect the interface to simultaneously send the total audio signal from the mixer's output back to the computer to MC 5 and have it recorded there or will using the two "in's" in this manner just make a horrible mess (my guess is a mess!)?  I may have already asked you this question.

If I can't do the above with one interface, can I use two interfaces - one for the signal from the computer and one for the signal from the mixer back to the computer for recording?

Or is there a simpler or better way to accomplish what I would like to do?

I suppose this is all covered in Recording/Interfaces 101 somewhere.  I just haven't found this kind of basic information anywhere yet.  If there is something I should read to answer such questions rather than taking up the time of you kind people on this forum would someone please tell me where to find it!

Thanks, Scott

With BiaB you can drag and drop the tracks directly into MC5. I have tried it iand it works great. Also you can open the tracks in RB and record the vocals there. I do this all the time and it works fine. RB and MC5 are very similar. Both are DX based in their background, and both are true DAW softwares programs. RB will use Cake effects and Cake will use PG effects nicely. They make very good partners.
As Beagle said any decent interface that has input and output can minitor the mix. The key ingredient is the mixer window in the software applet. The interface you have has everything you need to record with. The output can feed a set of monitor speakers, and the phone jack and monitor the mix. and the inputs. Just make sure that the software drivers are setup so that they are working on somekind of a mon mix setting and not a stereo mix setting so that you get the entire mix being fed into the newly recorded tracks.

Basically, I would like to send a song with a file containing both midi and audio data from the computer into the mixer via an interface, add my vocal and record the mixer's output in MC 5 or a similar program in the computer - all at the same time.

There is no need to send the music back out into an external mixer... simply send your new audio IN to an MC track and record it and mix it there. Sending it out and back in is too much work and complicates the issue..... keep it as simple as possible...... it will function better, and you will remain partially sane.
Why not do it all in MC?   Any full duplex soundcard/interface can handle that chore. I agree with Beagle..... pick ONE interface and use it, not 2 at the same time.....


Greg... when MC is opened first it grabs the ASIO driver and if I open BB it uses the WDM  or MME driver ..... I never check to see which one it grabs... but I listen to BB from my lappy soundcard (always).... what  I think is causing some confusion here is that I do not use BB in what many might consider the "normal" way.....

I use BB by itself as a sketch pad of sorts to work on and edit a tune. Once I have it where I like it.... I render the BB tracks to audio and export them to MC. I never intended to use BB as the final destination for my tunes... it is and has been a starting point for certain audio tracks that end up in MC. As such, I have no need to have BB work with ASIO. In fact, when I am working on a real track in real band, I almost never listen to anything in RB..... I always (99% of the time) export it directly to MC and listen there.

longer is good as long as it's focused....

So what you want to do is possible and easy. You can use Real Band OR MC or any other sequencer that handles midi and audio. Simply plug in the interface, and as long as it also handles audio and midi and has a midi out... you're in business.  the audio tracks come out of the audio outputs and the midi data is transmitted on the midi output.... you run a midi cable to the hardware synth(s) and assign the proper channels and you should have audio that plays in sync with the midi played through your onstage synth. 

I once saw a "band"...actually 2 guys that did that..... and had everything assigned to channels and ...well it was impressive.  Even the guitar and vocal harmonizer switched at the proper place in the song...lights too.

Greg - BIAB is not programmed to use WDM driver mode and it also doesn't use full ASIO2 mode.  what I mean by that is that ASIO2 allows multiple applications to use the same ASIO driver (that is not to be confused with using multiple soundcard drivers - those are different things).

since BIAB does not allow multiple applications to use ASIO drivers, then if you are in ASIO mode in BIAB it will not allow sonar to use the soundcard at all.

If I was planning to do some live shows, I think I would put all the audio backing tracks on CDs and just play along with them.
The more stuff you put into the loop, the more that can go wrong. I would carry a couple-3 CDs and a couple CD players.
It would be different if I was ad libbing, making music and sounds in real-time, improvising. Then a computer could help, but It takes me months to finish one song! so it's unlikely that I would be quick enough for improvisation.

Greg, thanks. 
 
I will have to think about the CD approach.  I'd have to get all 500 songs on the CD and then be able to get around quickly to take requests.  I have to see how the selection process works when going from one song to another.
 
In RB I can just push two hot keys to go to the next song in the play list when I am not hopping around the playlist to find a request or adapt to a percieved mood in the audience.
 
I'll work on it .  Thanks, Scott

Traphillman,

Since you already have MC4, try to use that for regular recording and Mixing. The PG music software is OK, but can get complex or limitted for recording purposes. That's because their products are oriented to their specialty. By limitted I mean scalability. With the Sonar products you can go up, meaning the effort in learning is an investment that is not limitted by a specialty. Scalability here means also that one can learn and progress on a 'what you need" basis.. I am rather new to Sonar but this is my view so far.

I thing the advice to use cd's or other means to playback AUDIO tracks for backing is good, and a mixture that you can handle, and are confident upon is also good. Simplicity is good. Being greedy ruins it for me. The middle ground is somewhere in between, though, I would say.

I am not sure if you are a keyboard-player singer..If so, quite a few of those use an arranger keyboard, and combinations of MIDI/wav files.

Another alternative for what I read you are seeking is the Sonic Cell. That one is an audio interface, has builtin hardware synth, AND plays MIDI files, wav files, and mp3's, standalone, or with pc, or connects to a keyboard. As a synth, I believe it is one of the best ones...I don't have one yet, though. It is a little more cost than the average audio interface, but it has many more uses.

For improving sound, don't forget that it's drums and bass that can make a big difference when playing MIDI. Realistic drums make a big difference...PG music realized that and that's what started their Real Tracks business..I've had PG software since it came in 5" disks for D.O.S. they have great talent and products, but as said, it's a specialty...Their proprietary Music Styles is their backbone.

Also, if you are not using an Equalizer, try it. It can make a big difference, spcially if you go to different places to play.

Hope all's the best.

To me RB is not more complicated than MC5. BiaB might be but Rb is just a straight DAW with a flavor of BiaB mixed in for drum tracks and real tracks. But to record on it works great. Also it has playback live abilities that MC does not. Actually if you want to really get fancy BiaB even has more live work features. With the conductor and juke box features. Still i prefer RB. I use mostly midi file i have picked up and reworked.