Alternative to a mixer.

[Glenn Mitchell]

I put my 12 channel Korg D1200 recorder (http://cgi.ebay.ca/KORG-D1200-D-1200-D-1200-Service-Manual-/380191804507?pt=Keyboards_MIDI&hash=item5885328c5b) away for a while due to frustrations with the CD, FX and USB functions and because I bought a Boss Micro BR which was simpler ,and it's been fun and a real education, but then I started looking for a mixer to take multiple inputs direct to a PC for MP3's which so many are doing now.
In the process I remembered the multiple inputs, FX and real faders on the 1200 and was wondering if I could use it as a direct mixer or maybe to Record and Mix but then go direct to the PC to make MP3's (In Audacity.) Bypassing the whole CD burn process.
I note that the stereo RCA Master out (in the back of the Korg) does bring them in to Audacity and I can monitor it as it records there, but the tone changes a lot on playback in Audacity.
1. Does this method make sense for getting to making MP3's as direct as possible? (It's a snap in Audacity & I just want to avoid burning CDs and the slow USB1 exporting process on this unit)
2. how do I get the mix to sound the same on playback on the PC (Is this just the poorer quality of the PC sound card vs the output of the recorders?)
3.Would it be better to send it thru the MBR and make the MP3 there?

[cuthbert]

I don't have a Korg D1200, but why not just export a stereo WAV file from it, connect the unit to your computer via USB and copy the WAV to your computer hard drive, and then encode it to MP3 in either Audacity or the MicroBR later?

[Glenn Mitchell]

That's a large part of the problem. The Korg first needs to export individual track wavs to a clipboard (each very slowly) and then a separate set of instructions to upload the wavs with USB1 (again slowly) to the computer. Very slow and complicated (You have to name each file with no keyboard for one example).
Would the quality of the signal from the master out not be as good?

[64Guitars]

I agree with cuthbert. Export to WAV then convert it to MP3 in Audacity.

The Korg first needs to export individual track wavs to a clipboard (each very slowly) and then a separate set of instructions to upload the wavs with USB1 (again slowly) to the computer.

Individual tracks? Surely you can mix down to two tracks on the Korg, then export just those two tracks as a single stereo WAV file? Then load that WAV file into Audacity for conversion to MP3.

Very slow and complicated (You have to name each file with no keyboard for one example).

Then just accept the default name or give it a simple, short name ("m.wav") and rename it when it's on the computer.

Would the quality of the signal from the master out not be as good?

The master out signal is analog. To make an MP3, you'd have to convert it back to digital again. Exporting to a WAV file instead will eliminate the unnecessary digital-to-analog conversion and the subsequent analog-to-digital conversion.

[Glenn Mitchell]

Thanks guys.
I was hoping to be able to ride the faders as it recorded externally to the PC in one step.
Yes I can:
1. bounce the final mix to 2 tracks, then
2. export to a clipboard in WAV format, then
3. export from the clipboard to the USB drive (2 & 3 have 8 steps!)
4. export to PC via USB1. (Long wait)That's the design and the problem. It takes about 15 steps and 15 min.
Less creative "music time", more technical manipulations and computer work, more chances for errors.
I find in the end, if I don't like the product at the mp3 stage, having to go thru the whole process again means I usually look at the ceiling and scream F******K!!! and then just give up.
I didn't know about the digital/analog/digital conversion losses. That's a show stopper I guess.
The manual says I can go Master digital out to a DAT recorder with the SPDIF in/out but I've never seen a cable like that and don't think I have one on the PC. Would that do the trick if I did?
It also agrees with you that the Master RCA's are analogue.
(L&R RCA jacks unbal.
Output Imped. 150
Nominal level -10dBu
Max level +2 dBu
Load Imped.10 or higher)

I'm thinking now of sending master out to the line in of the MBR for the real-time take. It seems pretty good.

[64Guitars]

The D/A and A/D conversions are not a show stopper. It's just generally preferable to keep the signal digital whenever possible. But some pretty great recordings have been made with analogue equipment. In the old days, an eight track tape machine would be connected into the mixing desk, and its analogue stereo output would then be recorded to a separate two track recorder for the final mix. That's basically what you'd be doing by connecting the Korg's analogue output to the Micro BR's Line In. It will work just fine and the sound quality should be very good. Just make sure you're aware of your effect settings. You might want to turn all of the effects off for your final mix (don't forget the reverb). Or maybe you'd prefer to apply a mastering effect. It's up to you. As long as you're aware which effects are enabled when you mix, you should be able to get the results you want.

SPDIF would have the advantage of keeping everything digital, but you propably don't have anything with a SPDIF input. To buy an interface with a SPDIF input would probably cost as much as a small mixer, so it defeats the purpose.

[Glenn Mitchell]

Excellent! Thanks so much for the explanation.
It did seem as if the MBR played back a better sound than Audacity, (I did play with the EQ of the sound card on the PC which helped a bit), but it was also because the MBR playback had some mastering FX on.
I just wasn't sure if the degradation was due to my sound card on the PC.
So Yes, there will be probably a bit of loss, but not a huge amount.
I'll probably do the MP3 in the MBR for now.
It allows me to ride the faders to a simple MP3 product yet avoid the long Korg Process..