Tech Note #1: Ins and Outs

The very early part of the signal chain is the same of course, instruments or voices being picked up by microphones or direct boxes, sent through cables to the microphone preamps in the control room. Mic preamps perform the critical step of raising the level of microphones (which are generally incredibly low) up to something usable that you can actually record. From here on, things are completely different.

In the old days the mixer would be wired up to send and receive signals to the 24 track tape machine, but not these days, oh no!  In order to record digitally you have to turn the music into digital data that a computer can store and manipulate. So you need an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) in order to record the music and you need a Digital to Analog Converter (DAC) if you ever want to ever hear it again. For this function we use the MOTU 24 I/O box which gives us the ability to record 24 analog signals simultaneously…

This unit (combined with MOTUs ‘Cue Mix’ software also gives us a way to split off an 8-channel all-digital headphone mix that you the musician can control right at your performance position!