4 channel USB recording
 

I have just spent a ton of time on the Internet trying to find the equipment I require to do what I feel should be a fairly simple task , but I'm getting nowhere.
I want a mixer, 12 or 16 channel, that has 4 subgroups. I need it to have USB connectivity so that I can record the 4 subgroups into my audio software simultaneously on 4 separate tracks. Am I expecting too much? I can find lots of setups that will record L & R , but I want 4 independant mono channels.
Is anyone doing this, or something similar now? Or, can someone suggest a stand alone USB interface that would accept 4 line in's and allow for recording them on 4 separate tracks.

Thanks

Hi Tim,

there are a lot of mixers out there that do what you want, but using a FireWire interface instead of USB. I am not saying those don't exist, I have just never really looked for one before. Could FireWire be an alternative for you?

- Martin

Firewire is the better way to go, there are many more options. If you don't have firewire on your computer tha cards are really cheap to add it.

Other than being firewire, my setup does exactly what you ask for.

Mixer: Mackie 1642 - 16 channel inputs (12 mic preamps, 4 line), 8 direct outs on first 8 mic channels, 4 aux bus outs, 4 subgroup outs, L/R main out, control room monitor outs

Interface: Echo AudioFire 8 - 8 analog line inputs (mic preamps also available on first 2) plus stereo S/PDIF inputs. Also 8 analog out plus stereo S/PDIF out.

Hi Guys and thanks for the info.

My appologies for implying that this had to be a USB solution only. Firewire is just fine and as long as I can get 4 simultaneous channels happening at once.

So it sounds like what you are doing is mixing with an analogue board and then digitizing with a separate outboard firewire device. That will work just fine for me.

Thanks again for the info.

Tim

alesis makes mixers with both usb and firewire connectivity that offer multi channel recording...fairly decent and inexpensive.

That's certainly a possibility, but there are also mixers with built-in FireFire interfaces (ans mixers with optional FireWire add-ons) that do both at once. Just to name two examples of the many, many mixers that can do this:

http://www.mackie.com/products/onyx1640/
http://www.tascam.com/details;8,14,44.html

- Martin

I've had a similar problem more than a year ago and I've ended up with a audio interface for PC: MOTU UltraLite with about 16 line-ins and 10 or so lineouts, firewire. The interface works fine since, followed one firmware upgrade. Its external power unit died recently though, probably because 24/24h use, replaced. An excellent quality interface, check the reviews.

http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/ultralite

Otherwise there's M-Audio, Mackie, PreSonus, Edirol, FocusRite and USBPre.

What's your price range, hardware dsp req (24bit, 16bit, 44khz... 384khz etc, equalizers, compressors), latency requirements, what are the sources more precisely, etc.