Specific Studio Setup Workflow Question

[quincybanks]

EDIT: BASICALLY I WOULD LIKE TO SAMPLE FROM MY COMPUTER TO MY 404 AND RECORD ONTO MY COMPUTER FROM THE 404 WITH EASE (NO SWITCHING CABLES AND NO FEEDBACK).

(I feel like my question might have been a little unnecessarily confusing)

I've been switching around between equipment recently and things have gotten a bit frustrating. I have a vison and I'll tell you what I have and what I want to do and hopefully someone can help me...

What I have:

- SP-404
- Numark M3 (2-Channel mixer)
- Alesis Multimix 8 USB (Used as an interface)
- Laptop (w/ Logic)
- Turntable

Basically I want to be able to sample drum sounds (etc.) from my laptop (or turntable) into the SP and use the SP as my drum machine/sampler, then be able to easily record the sounds from the SP back into the computer without having to unplug/plug any wires or anything.

How would I be able to do this most efficiently without feedback?

Current setup:



If any clarification is needed, I will gladly further explain...

Thanks!

[tape smoke]

looks like it should work just turn down the dj mixer when you need to record to the computer from the 404, you could also use the mic in on the 404 and cut the feed back like that. you could try splitting signals to but would need the right cables.

[tape smoke]

i think youll have to wear headphones to sample for this to work, or cut the signal with ext source mic input, this can make it more rugged because its mono,

also on the 404 you can use both the rca output and headphone output at once. i dont remember if you can use the mic and rca input at once.

[quincybanks]

So I should connect my mixer to the mic in rather than line in? That will cut feedback?

[LAZER BEAR]

using headphones will eliminate feedback, just be sure to listen to your mix in your monitors to be sure of the levels, trusting headphones alone will not provide a flawless mix

[springwater]

if your talking about feedback as in hum and noise. Thats a pretty hard thing to do unless your an electrician or have a bunch of money to spend on shit that has nothing to do with actually making the beat. But if that laptop is hearing what its putting out since you have the laptop looping, you might hear feedback delay unless you keep the ext source button off on your 404 when its playing. Other than that, your best bet is to set it up and see what happens. Might even be able to use the CUE on that mixer to hear a signal thats not getting spit back out. Just curious, are you recording into the laptop than resampling it back into the 404. If not then just take your laptop from your mixer and all is golden.

[yo-yo crunch]

i know exactly what you're trying to do and i used to have my setup like that. i used a piggy back rca cable. its a regular rca cable but with male connections at one end and both a male and female set at the other end. that was to split the signal going out of the 404 into the tape in on the mixer and directly into the computer/interface. or you can use the headphone out and skip the piggyback cable.

i also used a behringer xenyx 802 with a tape in and a 'tape to mix' selector button. this is very important and if your mixer doesn't have this you might not be able to do it.

turntable and computer to mixer inputs 1 and 2.
tape out on mixer to 404 input.
404 out to mixer tape in & 404 out to computer interface input.
monitor outs on mixer to speakers.

the tape monitor button on the mixer will allow you to switch between monitoring the 404 or the computer. this way you can also use logic as a multitrack for the 404.

to avoid feedback loops turn 'monitor off' in logic on the track you're recording onto and/or turn off 404 external source

[preqwal]

I actually have my set up exactly like this. It will only work well if your audio interface has more than 1 stereo output!

I have my turntable plugged into channel one of my mixer with the mixer's master output into my 404sx. the output of the 404 goes into my us1641 and I record into ableton. I then use the us1641's second stereo output to go into the mixer's 2nd channel. The main stereo output of my us1641 feeds the speakers.

How I do it is I'll make a beat in Ableton just using sounds on my PC. I'll then sample into the 404 and play the sample into ableton on anther track. THEN, I'll change the output of those tracks IN Ableton to the second us1641 output, creating a loop back through the 404. This means I can apply the DJFX and other FX over the whole beat once I got everything pieced together.

[quincybanks]

I actually have my set up exactly like this. It will only work well if your audio interface has more than 1 stereo output!

I have my turntable plugged into channel one of my mixer with the mixer's master output into my 404sx. the output of the 404 goes into my us1641 and I record into ableton. I then use the us1641's second stereo output to go into the mixer's 2nd channel. The main stereo output of my us1641 feeds the speakers.

How I do it is I'll make a beat in Ableton just using sounds on my PC. I'll then sample into the 404 and play the sample into ableton on anther track. THEN, I'll change the output of those tracks IN Ableton to the second us1641 output, creating a loop back through the 404. This means I can apply the DJFX and other FX over the whole beat once I got everything pieced together.

So when you:

"make a beat in Ableton just using sounds on my PC. I'll then sample into the 404 and play the sample into ableton on anther track"

the us1641 output is set to the mixer, the monitors, and also the PC?

When you:

"change the output of those tracks IN Ableton to the second us1641 output, creating a loop back through the 404"

the us1641 output is set to only the monitors and the PC?

Wouldn't recording from the PC to the 404 during the first step give you feedback since the sound is looping from out of the PC back into itself?

[quincybanks]

I guess I'm still figuring out a good workflow that is right for me.

I don't have money for analog synths right now, so I basically want to incorporate the synths in Logic with my 404 then back into Logic to multitrack.

Same goes with drums. If I want to use a drum pack from online. I want to use the 404 pads to tap shit out back into Logic to multitrack.

If anyone could give any tips to make this work (even in a way that I didn't describe) that would be dope!

Thanks

[preqwal]

Thought I draw a little pic to hopefully show you and I'll walk through the process

1) I make a beat on ableton which the output of the track is only sent to speakers.
2) I sample into the 404, chop and then monitor into a brande new track into Ableton, with it's output to the speakers. (so both tracks are going to speakers.
3) Once the track iss arranged in ableton, I change the output of both tracks to my second output, which goes into channel 2 of my mixer.
4) I then make a new audio track for the 404 to record on, essentially creating a loop, sending all ableton stuff back through the 404 and back into ableton.

You'll only get a feedback loop it the track you are sending back to the 404 is armed for recording and monitoring it's input. When I move to step 3 I unarm and take monitor off all the tracks other than the new one I'll actually record into.

Hope this makes a little more sense

[quincybanks]

Thanks a bunch. What about using external effects in Logic though?

(cross-post):

I would like to use the effects on the Roland SP-404 for the sounds that I have on Logic. What is the easiest way to do this?

I have:
Macbook
Alesis Multimix 8
Roland SP-404
Monitors
2-Ch DJ Mixer (don't hink I need it use this for to make this work, though)

I have read the little tutorial that Logic provides on their website for "Working with External Audio Effects", but I am not sure where things need to be plugged in and which buttons need to be pressed on my Alesis Multimix 8 for everything to work out nicely. "Trial and error" hasn't helped too much...

How exactly can I stop the audio from looping?

Right now I have my Macbook connected to the interface via USB. The interface's CONTROL ROOM OUT into the SP-404's LINE IN, then the SP-404's HEADPHONE to the interface's LINE IN 1, then finally the interface's MAIN MIX OUT to the monitors...

Here's a photo of the Alesis Multimix 8 USB for reference:



Thanks!

(please let me know if further explanation is needed)