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

Does it work?

All I can say is that if it works, you're on the right track. 

In my studio... I have my interface connected to the DAW. 

I plug my mics directly into the interface.
My guitar plugs into a POD2 which outputs directly to the interface.
My monitors get their signal from the interface outputs. 

A very simple and basic set up. 

I tried using a mixer for a short time when I first started with this rig but it soon became apparent that a mixer was nothing but wasted space. If you do not need the mixer for a specific reason.... don't use it. My recordings were much cleaner and crystal without the mixer, so I sold it on Ebay. 

  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.

You don't really need a digital mixer if your interface has a digital mixer built in.

The biggest flaw in your set up is you are doing conversion first (if I understand how you have your system set up).  The Yama is doing analog to digital (AD), then doing DA before sending the signal on to the Layla.  The Layla is doing the same process.  And the process is reversed to get a back signal out to the Tapco.  Although conversion is pretty good these days (and even back when your hardware was designed), there is no reason for this.  It would be better to use one unit or the other for one step of conversion.

The mixer can be useful for all sorts of jobs - connection (as you note) one of them.  In your situation I'd use the ADAT out to the Layla if it has it.  If not, then the stereo digital i/o if you are just recording single tracks.  Or a patchbay, where I could route the signal to be recorded to the Layla directly for recording while still keeping the hands on possiblities of the mixer.

@

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!

  Thanks very much for all your explanations !

To be very clear, I'm mostly an orchestra composer (windbands, clarinet or saxophone ensembles, truying to compose for movies as well).
You 'll say, for that, I don't need to record anything with the Layla, and you're right.

The only thing is I want to be able, if I have a project that needs it, to record either a voice (one singer) or maybe a guitar player (for a solo) or a sax and a trumpet player (at the same time).

I don't have enough space to record, so the maximum would be two musicians, but maybe I'll do this once a year, or maybe not !!!

So if I understand what you say, I can buy a patch bay and connect it to the Layla, and there two solutions :
- I record a guitar, I plug it direct on the patch bay
- I record a voice or a saxophone, I insert a preamp between the microphone and the patchbay. (I have a presonus Tubepre).

Did I understand ?

Finaly, I think I was using the 01V only to have preamp ... I may save some space in my homestudio !

 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 ?

Depending on how you wish to setup your system, I would try and utilize the SPDIF I/O on the O1V for best quality when tracking. (24 bit) The O1V uses 20bit conversion on the analog outs and (I think) 18bit on the monitor out. (Might want to check your manual there. It's been awhile) O1V workclock should be master if you use the SPDIF output to your PC. You could plug your powered monitors into a couple of your Layla outputs as well. More than one possibility to consider. You may want to bypass the O1V entirely for tracking and use it instead for monitoring seeing as you have 8 outputs from our Layla.

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.

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.