Audio Interface for complex setup

[AKTrumpet]

Hello all!

I am trying to determine the best option for what I consider to be quite a complex set up for Live performance, and would appreciate your advice.

I'm a trumpet player, and currently run my bell mic (AMT P800 condenser) into a string of guitar effects pedals then out through a passive DI to the front of house. My band also has a guitarist and bass player (both of whom run effects pedals), and a drummer. I want to start using Ableton Live 9 (with Max4Live) and my MacBook Pro (2GHz Intel Core i7, 8GB RAM) in my concerts to grab clean (pre-effects rack) audio from each player in my group, then process it in Ableton and output it to front of house as a stereo feed, whilst still allowing the band members to keep playing as they always have. I also want the option to potentially record the entire set, and use the interface in the studio (this is not something i'm aiming at just yet, but want to future proof my setup as much as possible).

As I see it there are a couple of options:
1 - use a splitter in each signal chain before the effects pedals and send one split to the audio interface.

2 - use the audio interface to split the signal and send an output through a reamp back to each player's effects pedal board. (i assume there isn't an audio interface that will let me output instrument level signals?)

The interfaces I have been looking at are the Focusrite Liquid Saffire 56, the MOTU traveler (though i think the limited preamps may kill this as an option - i want to be able to take a drum mix into Ableton) and 896mk3, and the Lexicon I-O fw810s.

So... my questions to you are:
Can you think of any other options to achieve my goals?
Which option do you think will give the best quality sound?
Which audio interface would you recommend?

Thanks in advance for sharing your knowledge and advice!

Cheers!

[n2design]

Yeah, I do pretty much the same thing using a RME UFX. Really easy to setup using the external effect rack in ableton.

[AKTrumpet]

Yeah, I do pretty much the same thing using a RME UFX. Really easy to setup using the external effect rack in ableton.

Unfortunately the RME is a little out of my price range, and doesn't have the preamps i need to be able to take mic feeds from the drums (to control some sidechain compression within ableton).

How do you split the signal? Before the interface, or within the interface, then use reamping to get it back to the effect pedal setup?
Cheers!

[Liam]

Look at the new Behringer X32 Rack version.

Worth saving for.

[divonic]

I'd use live to do most of my routing and get a interface with lots of I/O. Look into Interfaces with ADAT (lightpipe) the Travler has 16 channels of ADAT I/O at 48kHz. You can then get up to two behringer ADA8000s (or ADA82000s when they com out) which will give you an additional 8 mic or line ins and 8 line outs per unit) they are about $250 each. Also just so you know you can daisy chain the MOTU firewire units to give you additional I/O that way as well.

http://www.behringer.com/EN/Products/ADA8200.aspx

if you use the ableton external effect device you should be able to send the audio that you are recieving from your trumpet mic or the guitar's line back out to a daisy chained stomp boxes/guitar effects and rout that back to live and still have enough I/O to do a decent drum mix.

before the drummer you'd need 1 mic in (trumpet) and 5 line ins (guitar, bass, effected guitar, effected bass, effected trumpet) and 5 line outs (clean to guitar effect chain, clean to bass effect chain, clean to trumpet effect chain, plus two for your FOH) If you only needed 3 mic ins for the drummer you'd be O.K. with the Traveler.

As always check my math/recomendations to see if they are what you need.

[AKTrumpet]

Thanks, Divonic - that's very helpful. Cheers!

[outsidesys]

Just a thought, but have you considered a mixing console that also acts as an audio interface? Something flexible enough to work in both a live and studio setting?

[AKTrumpet]

Just a thought, but have you considered a mixing console that also acts as an audio interface? Something flexible enough to work in both a live and studio setting?

I did think about it for a while, and decided against it due to the weight of gear to carry around (frequently on flights etc) and also from a desire to keep things 'in the box' as much as possible. I will take your suggestion, and revisit the option though. thanks!