Hardware connections to Ableton

[Magik]

Later this year or possibly next year, I'd like to eventually start buying some module synths. For example, the Access Virus, Moog Taurus, or the DSI Prophet 12 module. I'd also like to get some effect pedals and maybe a drum machine like the TR8.

My question is how would I be routing these all? Ideally I'd like to have up to 8 modules connected at a time so I'm not switching cables so often. I'm unfortunately not at all familiar with any hardware. Would these connections be through my interface, some kind of external mixer, or some sort of daisy chained setup?

Thanks

[Richie Witch]

Hey Magik,

The answer to your question depends on which interface you have.

If you have enough stereo line inputs on your interface, you can connect each of those synths directly. If you don't, you can either buy a bigger interface, or buy a stereo line mixer to add to your interface. All the synths would then connect to the line mixer, and the output busses of the line mixer would connect to the interface.

I use the Tascam LM-8ST in my setup, and it works really well. There are several others out there, depending on how many channels, how many busses, and what other features (like parametric EQ) you might want.

But that's only the audio signal...

You'll also need to think about how your going to route MIDI to all those synths. If you daisy-chain more than three of them, you're going to see a lot of signal degradation of the MIDI data, which can cause drop outs or misfires. With that many synths, you'll want to get a MIDI hub. I use the MOTU MIDI Express XT. It has eight ports plus a USB connection to the computer, so it would be large enough to handle your future setup.

[ImNotDedYet]

It really depends on how you want to play/sequence them from an audio perspective.

If you want them all to play at once either an interface with enough inputs (don't forget you can usually expand some interfaces with ADAT to get more inputs) or a mixer with enough channels going into your interface.

But, if you want to get them all into your DAW on separate channels while all of them are playing at once, you'll have to go the interface with enough inputs or ADAT expanded interface. If you don't need them all playing at once and recorded to different tracks on your DAW, you can go either route, and I'd probably recommend the mixer route in this case (or perhaps a patch bay) if you want to have some effect pedals as well. That way you wouldn't have to unhook one module's output from an effect pedal and plug a different module in, etc - you could just use the mixer's send (get a mixer with a send/return ability, factoring in the return(s) will take up a channel for each send/return on the mixer)

[Magik]

Thanks so much Richie Witch and ImNotDedYet for explaining how it all works and giving me examples too, much appreciated!