Home Studio Setup, Advice re setting up Options

[communics]

Hi there

Help!

I am new to hard disk recording (and extremely confused). I urgently need some advice about my setup for recording audio.

I have an ibook500, with an M-Audio Audiophile USB soundcard, and a Yamaha MG12/4 mixer.

I have a number of questions:

First, I would like to monitor recording through the mixer to avoid latency, but how should I route the ins and outs? When I'm adding a bass track, for example, how can I listen to the bass along with the tracks I've already recorded? If I route the soundcard's output back to a regular channel of the mixer, I guess I will be re-recording my existing tracks along with the bass.

Second, someone told me it's a good idea to send the soundcard output back into the mixer to 'polish' the mix. How do I do that, which ins/outs should I use, and what is the purpose? Does this mean you should re-record everything again?

Then I have a question about the relationship between recording software and the mixer. To achieve a good stereo mix with instruments panned, is this something you do at the mixer stage or the software stage?

Any help greatly appreciated.

[ButtonMunky]

OK this may take a while but here goes.

Take the Aux 1 send output of the Mg12 mixer (on the back on left side) plug it into you soundcard using a stereo jack - 2 mono plugs.plug stereo jack into aux and 2 monos into your soundcard.

If you bas is plugged into input 1 then turning the blue knob on the channel that says aux 1 will rout the signal to the aux 1 send thus sending the signal into your soundcard.this way you can record the bass whilst listening to the main mix without latency.
IMPORTANT on the right side of the mixer you will see anothe aux1 send knob ,also blue, turn it halfway up . this is like the master out for the bass signal.

Now you should be able to record your bass without having to wait for the mac to record it and play it back .

Take the output of your soundcard and plug it into channel 9/10 a stereo channel. DONT ever turn aux 1 up on this channel as you will create a feedback loop. Now you can hear back what you have recorded on your mac and play over the top on channel 1 and record it at the same time.

Hopefully you will get this and all will go well.

Its a difficult thing to grasp all at once so just read carefully and follow the instuction ive given and it should all work well.

I do studio troubleshooting in Australia and encounter similar problems everyday,
It is very important to understand the signal flow before plugging it all in.

Good Luck

[communics]

Hi ButtonMunky

Thanks a lot for your detailed reply - will try this out.