I have a sort of newbie question regarding outboard preamps and fire interfaces.

[Barry Jive]

Hi Guys,

 

I posted not too long ago about standalone DAWs, eventually settling on purchasing a laptop with a firewire interface. I've recorded once with this set up, a M-Audio Firewire 410 completely dry.

 

My current plan is to buy the mackie ONYX 400F (http://www.mackie.com/products/400f/index.html). This would be a big step up from my friends M-Audio including more and better preamps.

 

I also however want to buy something fairly classy like the Universal Audio M-610 (http://www.uaudio.com/products/analog/M610/index.html). This would give me a nice new color to paint with.

 

Here my questions arise though. Having never used an outboard pre-amp before I'm a little confused. I would assume if recording one mic through the UA I would turn the 48V off of the mackie pre-amps (it's a master button for them all), then use the XLR line output into the XLR input on the mackie. No problem. On the other hand, what if I'm using two mics that both require phantom power, and want to run one through the UA and one through the Mackie pre? Because I can't turn the pres off individually for each channel, would plugging the UA line XLR output into a live 48V pre be . . . bad? How can I get the UA line XLR put into the interface's line TRS input? Am I being at all clear or do you need further explanation?

 

Thanks a ton. You can hear songs from my Firewire410 project (recorded using 2 mics goddamn it!). At the website in my sig.

[Kiwiburger]

Balanced gear that doesn't need phantom power simply ignores it. It's ok to leave it on.

 

Just buy, or get made, some 1/4" TRS to XLR cables.

 

 

[StrykeBack]

i'm thinking of swapping my aardvark q10 for one of these new mackie units and if you look at photos of the back 1 through 4 are the preamp inputs. and 5 - 8 are line inserts. Just run your ua preamp through channel 5 with a trs cable and your good to go with 4 more preamps available for other stuff.

 

I'l be doing this same thing with my RNP and RNC

[sweet]

Hey, off topic a bit. I checked out your site, including your myspace profile. Good stuff. It sounds very well produced. It sounds pro to my ears. The acoustic right from the start on Wedding Cake sounds great.

 

Good luck.

[where02190]

When connecting an outboard preamp to the Onyx interface, use the TRS line inputs, NOT the mic preamp inputs.

[Barry Jive]

Thanks guys, that helps alot.

 

Thanks also to Sweet. We mixed with Larry Crane and mastered with Doug Van Sloun which really hid alot of our crappy engineering . Just goes to show what you can get with a Studio Projects C1, SM-57, and a little bit of time.