TR8 (but I think won’t need anymore, because DT just came in)
Moog DFAM and/or Mother 32 coming soon
How do I connect them all out? I’m totally lost, especially with cables/USB/Live setup.
Do I need like an 8-port extension of my sound card to link all the devices together?
Do I need Overhub?
Also do I have to use Midi cables between the devices to sync them?
And do I need something more than the audio cables (TRS/XLR, just one or two, mono or stereo?) between the DT and the soundcard because unless I use Overbridge vst in Live there’s no sound coming from my soundcard.
thats a lot of gear and a lot of possibilities to set up. first, you have to think about, what exactly you want to do. and than post it here. for example: should it work without the computer, or do you want to rely on it?
I come from a DAW background but the more I go about it and discover hardware potential, the less I’d like to rely on Ableton (only for arrangement and FX purposes at a later stage).
I like the fact that the Digitakt could now become the center of the setup, as if I understood well it can capture and sample external synths as well.
But in the meantime the easiest solution (technically, hassle-free) is the best to me.
You could buy a bigger audio interface and/or an expansion rack. And you could buy a multi-port MIDI switcher. And you could buy some audio patchbays. And then “connect them all out”…
But don’t.
You seem to have acquired a large amount of equipment in a short time, and aren’t yet familiar with it’s abilities and how it relates to your workflow. And, from your questions, it is clear you are completely new to technical side of electronic music production.
There are easily a thousand different legitimate ways to hook up that set of gear. It would depend highly on how you were using it to make music, your personal style, and what workflows you find musically productive. I’m don’t think you know the these things yet, and so none of us can tell you the right way to hook it up for you.
Strong suggestion: Stop, and don’t buy another thing. Make sure you have:
A pair of high quality ¼" TR (not stereo) audio cables.
A pair of MIDI DIN (big round) cables
Now - spend one week using nothing but a single instrument, your computer and your interface. Wait until you get through all your gear. Then do it again. Really - I know - this is like 3 months…
At that point, you’ll know what you want do, and how - and then we can help you with the mechanics of connecting it.
Yes totally agree with your points. I’ve been producing for like a year but mostly vsts so indeed looking for specifics regarding hardware setup, although I watched a lot of videos and researched intensively each and every product, it’s not always easy to figure it out when your receive the products since it’s very specific on the use like you mentioned. Thanks for all the valuable advice!
Would you be so kind to point to a link for the two cables you mentioned, I’m worried to take the wrong specs (male/female, mono/stereo, etc.) until I see them for real - yes as you’ve noticed I’m a highly visual person :))
“A pair of high quality ¼” TR ( not stereo) audio cables."
You are going to need to get much more comfortable with gear, than relying on me to show you cable pictures. Pick your first instrument, say the Microfreak. Pull it out and spend half an hour looking at the back. Look at the manual where it talks about connections. Manuals usually have diagrams. If you don’t understand cables, read about them online, start with https://www.sweetwater.com/insync/cable-buying-guide/
This stuff may not be as exciting as making beats, but you need to learn it just as much as kick patterns and scales.
Ok guys I made great progress by understanding and connecting all my different pieces with Midi, audio, controllers and stuff - thx Only waiting on Arturia to release the Keystep Pro to add the final touch but they postponed its release today until April, I think they’re still beta testing it and the Coronavirus probably didn’t help after I receive it I will pair it with DT as well.
Meanwhile you could perhaps help me out with my interface expansion as I’m looking to grow it:
I have had an Audient ID14 (2 analog inputs, and 1 ADAT digital IN only) and as the number of outputs is not enough anymore I will get an 18i20 3gen a friend has it and according to the tests also it’s very solid with its 8 analog inputs and its ADAT IN and OUT, as well as its MIDI IN and OUT for my hardware instruments.
I would not want to throw away my Audient because it is really great in terms of volume and clarity, amps etc. and in addition it would allow me to reach a total of 10 analog inputs by combining it with the Scarlett.
Do you confirm before my purchase that I can put the Audient as Slave and the Focusrite as Master, through an ADAT cable from the ADAT OUT of the 18i20 - which will auto sync the world clock of the two cards (through the settings in the respective driver applications, ID Audient and Focusrite Control) - is that the principle?
Do I still have to connect the two sound cards to my Mac via USB? And which sound card becomes actually active, and should I choose in Ableton as IN and OUT? Does it becomes a single card, or you have to choose only one of them (and which one, the Master of Slave one)?
Do I lose functions, for example the AIR mode of the Scarlett 18i20 or for instance the monitoring function from the Audient? Which application driver (ID or Focusrite Control) is then actually actively used once they have been “paired”?
How do the additional tracks appear? Do I then see the newly obtained “ADAT / SPDIF” (?) audio tracks right away on the active driver application (ID or Focusrite Control?), such as: digital tracks 3, 4, 5, etc…?
If possible I would like to keep my headphone monitoring on the slave Audient because the Audient from my experience (and according to technical specs) has a better headphones power and clarity level (111db vs 104db) vs. the Scarlett, is it possible to continue using the headphones in this configuration or the ADAT only works in one direction (descending), and therefore it would be impossible for me to monitor all 10 audio tracks of the two cards from the slave Audient? In other words can I only monitor with headphones from the Scarlett here, or from one or the other, or from both thanks to the monitoring settings in ID and Focusrite Control apps, or even through an Aggregate Device?
Lastly, precisely what about an Aggregate Device of the 2 cards as an alternative to this setup, I saw on the forums that it is a fairly used technique and visibly easy to set up on Macbook. Would you recommend it? But then what about a risk of latency in Ableton afterwards in this setup? Which clock would be used, since each card has one? And is there a risk of losing functions here in this case as well, or of creating conflicts between tracks / sample rates / etc. ?
Thank you very much for your lights!
PS: I could have perhaps opted for an Audient ASP800 and all this work is done automatically in the Audient ID app, but it is twice as expensive as the Scarlett 18i20 which does the job so not much choice here for me (and the Scarlett has MIDI IN and OUT, when the Audient does not).
after I receive it I will pair it with DT as well.