need some advice on setting up...

[rockstar_not]

ah...i didnt make this part clear...im not using on-board sound. i have a creative x-fi xtreme gamer fatal1ty pro sound card.... i know its an older card, and wasnt ever that good in the first place...but ive never really had any complaints about it. ive never had any problems with it sound wise or running lots of vstis and effects.

That probably will not be an issue - other than the dodgy 3.5mm connection. Some of the Creative soundblaster series had impressive specs. What I might be concerned about here is that on this card, the 3.5mm is a 'shared' connection for:

from the Creative site: Line In / Microphone In / Digital Out* / Digital I/O** (shared 3.5mm FlexiJack)

There is a different line in via a 4 pin Molex connector and a front panel drive-bay connection (probably RCA connectors) Do you have a front of the case drive-bay connection panel? If so, I would use that for your audio input. I used such on a Sounblaster LIVE! platinum edition for many years. The specs on the X-fi Fatal1ty look even better.

[chaosWyrM]

no i dont have the drive bay panel. that came with the next version up, although i could get one off ebay or something for fairly cheap if i needed it....like 50 or 60 bucks.

so...does it seem like setting it up like my diagram would work then? that would be great as its not a lot $$$ to spend to get those extra components.

what is the concern over the shared 3.5mm jack? is it just not optimal? because i can live with it not being perfect as long as things function the way that they should.

[rockstar_not]

what is the concern over the shared 3.5mm jack? is it just not optimal? because i can live with it not being perfect as long as things function the way that they should.

1. It's not very much contact area, so if you have a weighty cable or whatnot- you can break contact and get noise. 3.5mm jacks are notorious for 'going bad' over time with use. But, you probably won't be plugging in/out regularly. General rule is more contact area on a connector the better, and if you can take any strain off of the cable/connector that would be better. RCA connectors have significantly more contact area. I bet that any of the Creative drive bay panels would work - at least the form factor on the front looks the same. If you don't have a drive bay panel, try to keep any weight off of the 3.5 mm jack.

2. You have to depend on the software/card to determine what type of signal is present at the jack - unless you can somehow force it to be used as stereo analog in.

I wouldn't spend 50$ on it however, save that for a new audio/midi sound card

[thecontrolcentre]

ah...i didnt make this part clear...im not using on-board sound. i have a creative x-fi xtreme gamer fatal1ty pro sound card.... i know its an older card, and wasnt ever that good in the first place...but ive never really had any complaints about it. ive never had any problems with it sound wise or running lots of vstis and effects.

Seems all you need is a small mixer. Run all the synths into channels and connect your soundcard to it via the 2trk send/return (to avoid feedback loops). Your monitors (speakers) would be connected to the mixers monitor output.
For Midi, a basic splitter will let you control/sync your hardware via the Novations midi outs.
I ran a simple setup like that for years. Works fine.

[chaosWyrM]

thnaks everyone for all the help.

so it seems like ill be able to set it up like i had in the diagram...which doesnt look that difficult to me, and shouldnt break the bank. its going to be a few months before i can get this going as we arent even moving until the end of october.

all update when i try it out. in the meantime anyone with more/other ideas...please do chime in.

[thecontrolcentre]

Something like Allen & Heath ZED 10 might suit you. It has a built-in soundcard (16bit), aux sends, nice eq. There's an FX version too. I bought the ZED 14 for the extra channels, 4 aux, channel mutes and faders.

[rockstar_not]

To be clear - thecontrolcentre's idea to connect the monitors to the mixer output works, but you have to run audio from your soundcard into the mixer, as well as out of the mixer. Look on your local Craigslist for small format mixers for next to no money. A&H mixers are great if you can find one inexpensively. Mackie are not bad and should be slightly less expensive than the A&H. The great thing about a small format mixer is that if you ever gig, it's a great thing to 'throw in the bag' because you can use it for a personal monitor setup, combining your sources to send to the house mix, etc. I use an Alesis multimix as a sort of a/b switch for my guitar multi-FX - sending my electric on one channel and my Casio XW-P1 on another over to my Zoom G5. I use the rotary speaker simulation with overdrive on the G5 because the one built into the Casio, while the rotary sim is fine, the overdrive is awful.

-Scott

[T-CM11]

so would this work then? i apologize in advance for my terrible photoshop skills



i would need to get the midi interface and mixer, all the other stuff is what i have already.

so unless im still missing something...this doesnt look that difficult to me.

-edit: the midi interface and mixer are just place holder images...not exact products i was thinking of getting. i just wanted pics of a 10 channel mixer and an 8x8 midi interface.

The Motu midi interface needs to be connected to your PC, not to the Novation.

And even if you don't understand why*, look at the back of your novation... does it have a port to plug this (motu) in:

Nope!


*Midi interface = interface between computer & (DIN) midi devices.

[T-CM11]

The connections in the picture would work if that MOTU midi interface was a Midi Patchbay, or a simple merger/splitter. The latter devices are usually used with a computerless setup, or to add more connections (but not more ports) to an existing midi interface.
Ideally you'd want a midi interface (or multiple) with enough ports for each synth/midi device, and not a workaround like an interface+patchbay/merger/splitter.

[chaosWyrM]

so would this work then? i apologize in advance for my terrible photoshop skills



i would need to get the midi interface and mixer, all the other stuff is what i have already.

so unless im still missing something...this doesnt look that difficult to me.

-edit: the midi interface and mixer are just place holder images...not exact products i was thinking of getting. i just wanted pics of a 10 channel mixer and an 8x8 midi interface.

The Motu midi interface needs to be connected to your PC, not to the Novation.

And even if you don't understand why*, look at the back of your novation... does it have a port to plug this (motu) in:

Nope!


*Midi interface = interface between computer & (DIN) midi devices.

thanks...but the motu is, as mentioned, just a place holder image (the same goes for the mixer). i have no idea what connections it uses, nor any idea what midi interface i might want or get. all i was looking for was an image of an 8x8 midi interface for purposes of the diagram.

the novation has a usb connection for the computer...but only one...so i was going to use the midi out (or through if thats what i need to do) from the novation into the interface.

also...even if the motu was what i was using...its easy enough to just connect it to the computer. so the equipment would all be the same and it would work...yes?

[T-CM11]

thanks...but the motu is, as mentioned, just a place holder image (the same goes for the mixer). i have no idea what connections it uses, nor any idea what midi interface i might want or get. all i was looking for was an image of an 8x8 midi interface for purposes of the diagram.

the novation has a usb connection for the computer...but only one...so i was going to use the midi out (or through if thats what i need to do) from the novation into the interface.

also...even if the motu was what i was using...its easy enough to just connect it to the computer. so the equipment would all be the same and it would work...yes?

I knew it was a placeholder when I posted that. It doesn't matter what Midi Interface you get - they all have to be connected to a computer, and not to the Novation.
Yep! Just move the double arrow, and place it between PC & midi interface.

[chaosWyrM]

thanks...but the motu is, as mentioned, just a place holder image (the same goes for the mixer). i have no idea what connections it uses, nor any idea what midi interface i might want or get. all i was looking for was an image of an 8x8 midi interface for purposes of the diagram.

the novation has a usb connection for the computer...but only one...so i was going to use the midi out (or through if thats what i need to do) from the novation into the interface.

also...even if the motu was what i was using...its easy enough to just connect it to the computer. so the equipment would all be the same and it would work...yes?

I knew it was a placeholder when I posted that. It doesn't matter what Midi Interface you get - they all have to be connected to a computer, and not to the Novation.
Yep! Just move the double arrow, and place it between PC & midi interface.

gotchya...thanks