synkrotron
Hi Beep,
What do you currently use for getting audio into Sonar?
Hi Synkro... kind of a loaded question because over the past year I've mapped out a whole pile of signal paths using my outpboard gear. Probably best if I work backwards....
My Focusrite 18i6 is my main interface. I've got an Echo Layla 3g PCI card as well that I could use but it's a bit of bugger on my new MOBO which has "bridged" PCI (which is why I bought the Scarlett). However I can, in theory, use the Layla VIA the ADAT input on the Scarlett to obtain up to an extra 8 input channels (or switch to another driver mode and use them in tandem but I would never do that).
Blah blah... I use the Scarlett as my interface. We'll leave it at that.
My simple connection method is of course straight into the multi ins. Usually with my guitar using the Inst./Hi-Z setting because I can't really do vocals in this crummy apartment. It's a VERY nice input for both intrument (guitar/bass) connections and with an XLR for dynamic/condenser mics. I've recorded lots of stuff that way and for guitar it works well for certain amp sim settings but now I mostly use it just to practice and record test tracks. Then I fire up my outboard gear to do finals. My outboard gear is big and bulky and a PITA to use which is why I kind of want a simpler solution. It is also all older stuff and completely solid state and my routing options are decent there are certain things it simply will not do properly (like reamping or transparent DI).
So from there I've got a bunch of crap I can hook up in various configs. I guess it makes the most sense to mention my mixer because although I can connect a lot of gear directly to the Scarlett a lot of the time I opt to run through the mixer for the extra EQ, the direct channel outs and the nice mic pres (which I can use instead of the Scarlett pres as well as make use of the line inputs on the back of the Scarlett to get WAY more inputs).
The mixer is an OLD Mackie CR1604. It is from the pre Onyx era (so it does not have the Onyx pres which are SUPPOSEDLY superior but these old pres are very nice and crisp). It has direct out on the first 8 (of 16) channels that I can hook up to the 8 line inputs of the Scarlett (6 1/4" ins on the back and the two multi ins on the front). I generally leave two to three direct connections from the Mackie into the line ins on the back of the Scarlett so I can do the following...
I have two amps with XLR outputs. The first is a Line 6 Duoverb. This is a VERY old Line6 amp head from when they were first starting out. It's modelling is kind of um... old but it has decent clean tones and lots of routing options as well as two independent amp and output channels. So I can dial in two distinct tones on the two amp channels and output them individually from the balanced XLR outs straight into the Scarlett or into the mixer and then into the Scarlett. It also has 1/4" line outs as well but I have never used those because I think they are unbalanced so I haven't seen much reason to (but I guess I COULD plug them straight into the Scarlett... I think I would lose the output trim capability of the amp though which would suck... whatever). I can also "blend" the two channels into one channel that outputs from one of the balanced outputs (and it seems the second balanced output continues to output the single output from the second channel which is kind of cool).
Since the modelling is kind of cheesy (remember it's old tech) I use the Line 6 to get a better "clean" signal than I can from the Scarllet input and the fact I get two signals means I get two distinct clean tones which are easily pannable (unlike a clone which would just increase volume). However even in this regard it has problems. It is all transistor and the signal kind of fizzles out when you try to sustain a note. Like the signal gets a little wierd and fuzzy then cuts off abruptly when it dips below a certain level. It sucks. Totally fine for non stop thrashing though.
If I add some extra gain before the input of the amp I can defeat this. I recently discovered that by putting my MXR Gain pedal in front of it I can get the sustain I want BUT that pedal adds a lot of noise. The ART Tube pre claims to be able to be used before an amp so maybe it will do the same thing while injecting some tubeyness AND hopefully be a little less noisy but I do not expect that. Still it would be nice.
Anyway, I use the Line6 quite often for final takes setting both channels to the cleanest/brightest/strongest settings I can find that work the best with whatever sim I'm using in the computer (so I tweak the amp if need be to make the sim respond better then save it as a preset on the amps onboard memory which is another cool function). Then that'll go through the Mackie where I can EQ it a bit to get out any low rumble or add extra air/mid, into the line ins on the Scarlett then into Sonar and into the sims.
Complicated and annoying BUT it does produce better results than just plugging into the Instr in on the Scarlett and I get 2 channels to play with.
The otehr amp is my old Traynor TS140. A very nice sounding old school solid state amp. It has a single balanced XLR out that unfortunately outputs a kind of off kilter wave form but damned if the thing doesn;t sound nice. It also has a five band graphic EQ on board for sweetening the tone which makes it hit the sims very well. Unfortunately there is no output trim, it runs SUPER hot, I cannot increase the gain at all without activating the speakers or overloading the mixer (and I am afraid to disconnect the speaker because it would likely blow the head), etc. Essentially it is like a stunningly beautiful but finicky girlfriend that DEMANDS things to be just so. That again goes into the Mackie (it actually has to because I need to reduce the output signal).
For bass I of course have all those options as well and I recently found the Traynor seems to get the best results but I have not actually recorded bass through it yet. Still this is guitar equipment that has a tendency to strip away some of what a bass needs to get through a mix. The Scarlett input is "okay" for bass but really... it kind of sucks... okay... it sucks for bass. I'm thinking a tube pre/outboard compressor will help make that input work better and/or it will allow me to DI into the mixer so I can access the EQ section (the 3 band EQ strip on the Mackie is actually very VERY nice). Again that all goes into Sonar and either a sim or sometimes I just set up a few tracks with various drive/compression/eq settings to get a blended sound (this seems to work better than the sims I have many times).
For vox... well I never get to do vox anymore but may try again soon if just to test out my mics and do some low volume vox/voiceover stuff.
Thing is my mics are either dynamic mics and/or suck. The condensers I have are okay but budget models so they've got a weird thin sound to them. Essentially all my mics need something warm/fatten them up or in the case of the dynamic mics bring up and compress their levels.
Everything else I do is in the box so drums are no longer a part of the equation (although with a single channel unit I could go back and "reamp" old drum tracks one piece at a time which might be cool) and the only real synth I own is busted and I have so many FM sounds with Sonar I doubt I'd ever need its stock sounds (DX-7).
Oh... and I have some pedals and stuff but I rarely introduce those into my signal chain anymore aside from the AXFX5G that has some interesting stuff. But many are BOSS so I need to try out some of the stuff tlw was referring to earlier.
Looooooong answer is long BUT you asked and it may give folks an idea of WTF crazy old Beeps has and what he needs... or just be an interesting peek into another dude's studio.
Cheers.