At the risk of boring everyone to death, I would appreciate some advice. I have done a fair amount of research the past few days including these forums, but I cannot say that I have a definitive answer to the direction I want to take.

I am fairly new to the DAW recording game, having taken off many years from music recording. As I’ve started getting back into music, I have discovered that I love writing and recording and mixing in X1. I have had a Mackie 32-8 that is now relegated to being used only as an audio input and monitoring (studio monitors and headphones) system. I only record myself, no commercial or outside work. I use microphones for an occasional vocal, acoustic guitar, drums (6-8 mics at the most), and on my guitar cabinets. So since it is only me, these are obviously done one at a time. Given this, I don’t think 32 inputs are required.

After I get inside the box, I stay there (other than monitoring).

I’ve been considering selling the 32-8 and picking up whatever I might need in its place. This is where I need lots of advice. I am probably way behind the times on asking this but what direction would everyone recommend I focus my research on as I seek an alternative to having a large mixer in my small studio…a mixer than gets used about 10% of its capability. In some of the research I’ve done, these names keep popping up: M-Audio Project Mix, Mackie Universal Control, and Tascam FW1884. I’ve read about audio interfaces, control surfaces, and control surface/audio interface combos...is there something else I should be researching?

I would also consider simply downsizing my mixer to something like a 1402 VLZ Pro or something similar if this were the sensible direction to go.

I already have a Delta 1010 so please factor this in (should I keep the Delta or sell along with the 32-8). I’m on a $500-$1,000 budget if that helps. I am also now in the process of dramatically upgrading my PC to be much speedier and able to fully support what I’m trying to do in X1. I’m also using an A-Pro 500 if that little tidbit helps at all.

Thanks for your comments! Roger

If it is just you and you, I'd ditch the mackie and delta etc. and get a high-quality ADDA.  The lynx is superb tho pci based, or the rme babyface for usb.  The TC Konnect series is just about as good, sonic wise, and is FW.  Any of those run less than $700 and will give you ADDA that you won't have to worry about.  It sounds like you have an assortment of older, hobbled together gear and since you are in the box production, this makes a lot of sense to upgrade your tools ergonomically.

If you are happy w/ your mics, a good preamp is hard to beat for nailing acoustic bits.  Lots of reason to have a good one, and cost is the only reason not to.  A good cheap one is the ISA One.  I'm testing a new one, the Warm WA-12, which is a very nice api-style transformer preamp, too.  Either are about $400-500.  Like the above AdDAs, you can spend a lot more money for a little bit more quality and can do a throughly pro job w/ them.

Since I've already blown your budget, a last bit that really helps is a good analog comp/limiter for stereo mixdown.  No more piling on the digital saturation on individual channels - let some analog goodness do it for you.  That, of course, blows your entire budget right there, but is a real bang for buck addition for the digital world, capable of delivering a nice round tone to your final mix, besides helping on the input side of things.

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AT…thanks for the advice. Let’s just assume my goal at this point is recording an acoustic guitar or vocals and I increase the budget to $2,000.

So (please bear with me…I’m really trying to come into the 21st century) after I get rid of the 32-8 and 1010 I start by replacing these ancient pieces with an audio interface such as the RME Babyface. This takes the place of the 1010…correct?

For mics, I guess I am a true noob as I only have a Rode NT1A and Shure SM57. I think I can find my way around improving the mic situation as I’ve done lots and lots of reading (much here in these forums) and have a wish list just waiting for cash.

In your opinion would the Babyface pres be adequate until I’m further down the learning curve or should I take the plunge into something better right off the bat?

Two other questions that I’m not clear about…..(1) how to monitor once I no longer have the 32-8. And (2) I’ve just read an interesting discussion about the Mackie MCU started by Mod Bod that makes me think I would be missing the boat if I couldn’t control X1 externally without a mouse. Any thoughts about this for someone at my beginning level?

Thanks for any comments.

Ok...I admit...I'm old and stupid. How do I format my posts as paragraphs with spaces between them without having everything look like one paragraph? I type as separate paragraphs but once posted it looks like this.

Thanks AT....I figured out a work around..now my posts don't visually look so stupid(saying nothing about the content...)

Some of the browsers won't let you pp.  It ain't you, it is your browser!

RME has good quality, great drivers and an internal but digital mixer built in.  It replaces both the delta and mackie.  The mics are a different subject, but those are two of the home studio standards.  To skip to your monitoring question, you mix and monitor in-the-box (RME + SONAR).  Although I haven't used the babyface, it should have zero latency monitoring where the sound you are recording is basically spilt - one goes to SONAR and the other directly to the outputs and synced w/ SONAR's output that you are tracking to.  That is the way my TCK works in the mix software, and the way most interfaces work.  The soft mixer is teutonic, and my TC mixer is hard to grok, but you may take to it easier.

The RME does have a knob built on top to control input/out levels, which is a nice feature.  Not a board, of course, but I don't miss mine.  As far as remote control a la mackie, that is a personal choice.  I've never really missed having hands on control, tho the Roland VS700 was a whole 'nother animal fitted to SONAR.  But I imagine control is going the table way very soon.  Not the same as real faders, but better for many things.

The only real bummer about the babyface is the lack of more than stereo outputs, which means no external effects w/o repatching.  If that is an issue and you might grow into it, more ins/outs are always good.  You could add a cheaper ADAT ADDA or just get a Fireface.  That is twice the price but many more ins/outs.  Or the TCK TWin, or Roland's interface.  You can spend more, but unless you are planning on mastering or selling your adda as part of a studio, you aren't going to see a great advantage in sound quality.  The only thing I would spend money on is a nice preamp for acoustic stuff.  Worth the $400-500 - but that is something you can add.  The preamps in most interfaces are OK - clean and enough gain until you get a ribbon mic.

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I noticed Guitar center has a used gear section. There are a lot of babyface's on there.

I think I'd sort of go nuts without some sort of mixer. But, I have some hardware synths I like to use. And, I also find it convenient to set up mixer tracks with stereo pairs for monitoring. Whatever soft synth I'm working on will go to ch 3-4 so I don't have to deal with levels in the box. just my 2 cents.

A mixer does make life simpler in many ways.  So does a controller.  For a home studio doing simpler tracking, they might not be worth the money/space.  It is a work flow question we each have to answer for ourselves.  Of course, it is a **** if you sell your mixer and find you can't work well without it.

I appreciate the responses. The last couple of days have been eye opening. Long ago I recorded on a 4-track Tascam cassette and then spent the next many years performing rather than recording. Now I’m back with a stronger interest in recording and this world has changed tremendously and seems to change almost daily.

I have done tons of research the past few days and I really like what I see with the RME Babyface and even the Fireface. I am almost there but it has taken some getting work to get used to the idea of not having the mixer. I mean, heck, it looks so cool in the studio…knobs….faders….meters…cables….(sigh).

Anyway, you guys have helped a ton in my thought process. I will continue to research audio interfaces now that I better understand what I’m looking for. I will also continue to look at control surfaces (vs a smaller mixer vs nothing outside of the box at all) and see what I feel comfortable with. I guess I can always add something if I find that I am lost without my shiny knobs and faders to touch.

Finally, it appears to me that the market for Mic Pres is overwhelming…so when I seriously think about going that route after I’ve made my initial switch from the mixer world….I’ll be back for more advice. THANKS!!!

A note to a post above..... it was mentioned that Guitar Center has a bunch of interfaces in it's used gear section..... I do not recall if it is GC or SA..... but one of them is now renting their used gear. SO...... rent an interface for a few days and try it. 


I have been totally IN THE BOX since the beginning when I started back with Music Creator 4.   I bought a nice Focusrite Saffire interface. It has some very nice pre-amps on the audio inputs so I did not need a mixer. 

I plug my Rode mic directly into the Saffire, and I plug my POD2 guitar modeler into the Saffire.  I have plenty of gain either way I go on those 2 audio input selections.  

To monitor, I use the outputs on the back of the Saffire. 2 go to my Mackie MR5 studio monitors, 2 go to my home stereo system for comparing and headphones, and I have others going to sub and my 4 channel headphone amp. 

I have no need for a mixer. That would simply be redundant and a waste of space and money. 

When I got this rig up and running originally, I did have a mixer (2 to be precise) but the signals were too hot and distorted on both, and so,  on a whim, I plugged in straight to the Saffire and the sound was pristine and crystal. Both mixers were on Ebay the following week and I have never regretted getting rid of them. 

You can get a DEMO Rme Babyface at Sweetwater

AND make 3 payments if you don't want to fork out all the
money at once..
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BabyfaceSEd