Any ideas please on the cheapest and/or best way of getting 6 channels
of microphones connected to a laptop?

I'm looking at upgrading a Talking Newspaper's systems from the current
'70's-standard analogue system. There's a need to minimise the number of
boxes, and to de-skill the setup (it has to be taken apart each week -
we'd love a dedicated home for the studio!!)

We don't really need a full mixer - my thoughts are to get the signals
in and do any needed switching or mixing in software, possibly bespoke.

Any other thoughts and pointers welcome.

TIA.

--
Mike Scott (unet2 at [deletethis] scottsonline.org.uk)
Harlow Essex England

"Mike Scott" wrote in message
...

Any ideas please on the cheapest and/or best way of getting 6 channels of
microphones connected to a laptop?

snip

We don't really need a full mixer - my thoughts are to get the signals in
and do any needed switching or mixing in software, possibly bespoke.

Any other thoughts and pointers welcome.


There seems to be a conflict between these two sentences. Do you want to
input 6 microphones *at the same time*?. If so you do need to do the mixing
before the signals get into the laptop. Only if you are happy to record from
each microphone one at a time can you use software mixing.

There are now plenty of small, cheap audio mixers with USB output which you
can simply plug into a laptop and use whichever of the audio editing
software packages available that suits. Bespoke software won't be necessary
(unless you enjoy writing your own).

David.

David Looser wrote:
"Mike Scott" wrote in message
...

Any ideas please on the cheapest and/or best way of getting 6 channels of
microphones connected to a laptop?

snip

We don't really need a full mixer - my thoughts are to get the signals in
and do any needed switching or mixing in software, possibly bespoke.

Any other thoughts and pointers welcome.


There seems to be a conflict between these two sentences. Do you want to
input 6 microphones *at the same time*?. If so you do need to do the mixing
before the signals get into the laptop. Only if you are happy to record from
each microphone one at a time can you use software mixing.

Eh? I don't understand that last bit. The current setup has 6 mic's
going into a 6-channel mixer (and thence to tape). In practice the mixer
is almost always just used to switch from one mic to the next as we
change talker; occasionally two or more mic's might be live at once.

We can either emulate the same - a 6-channel mixer but with USB output,
which is going to be expensive for that number of mic input channels, or
we can try to find a cheaper way of connecting the mic's and do the
mixing in software.

I notice there are some mic's with usb output; I'm not sure how well a
laptop would cope with 6 separate simultaneous USB data streams.
Although I suppose the data rate will be highish anyway. Let's see - 6
channels at 44.1kHz times 16 bits - about 4Mbit/sec; well within USB2
capabilities on one data stream.


There are now plenty of small, cheap audio mixers with USB output which you
can simply plug into a laptop and use whichever of the audio editing

Not with 6 mic amps, at least, not that I've found.

software packages available that suits. Bespoke software won't be necessary
(unless you enjoy writing your own).

Or want to de-skill the task. A set of buttons labelled 'talker 1',
'talker 2', etc and automatic level setting would be ideal, not hard to
train people to use, and less error-prone.

David.




--
Mike Scott (unet2 at [deletethis] scottsonline.org.uk)
Harlow Essex England

"Mike Scott" wrote in message
...
David Looser wrote:
"Mike Scott" wrote in
message ...

Any ideas please on the cheapest and/or best way of getting 6 channels
of microphones connected to a laptop?

snip

We don't really need a full mixer - my thoughts are to get the signals
in and do any needed switching or mixing in software, possibly bespoke.

Any other thoughts and pointers welcome.


There seems to be a conflict between these two sentences. Do you want to
input 6 microphones *at the same time*?. If so you do need to do the
mixing before the signals get into the laptop. Only if you are happy to
record from each microphone one at a time can you use software mixing.

Eh? I don't understand that last bit. The current setup has 6 mic's going
into a 6-channel mixer (and thence to tape). In practice the mixer is
almost always just used to switch from one mic to the next as we change
talker; occasionally two or more mic's might be live at once.

We can either emulate the same - a 6-channel mixer but with USB output,
which is going to be expensive for that number of mic input channels, or
we can try to find a cheaper way of connecting the mic's and do the mixing
in software.

I notice there are some mic's with usb output; I'm not sure how well a
laptop would cope with 6 separate simultaneous USB data streams. Although
I suppose the data rate will be highish anyway. Let's see - 6 channels at
44.1kHz times 16 bits - about 4Mbit/sec; well within USB2 capabilities on
one data stream.


There are now plenty of small, cheap audio mixers with USB output which
you can simply plug into a laptop and use whichever of the audio editing

Not with 6 mic amps, at least, not that I've found.

They certainly exist, though I guess it partly depends on your definition of
"cheap".

software packages available that suits. Bespoke software won't be
necessary (unless you enjoy writing your own).

Or want to de-skill the task. A set of buttons labelled 'talker 1',
'talker 2', etc and automatic level setting would be ideal, not hard to
train people to use, and less error-prone.


It sounds to me as though you'd already decided how you want to do this. I
am not aware of any software that mixes the output from several USB mics, so
if you want to go that route I guess you are into the bespoke software.
Sorry, I can't help with that.

David.

In article ,
Mike Scott wrote:
Or want to de-skill the task. A set of buttons labelled 'talker 1',
'talker 2', etc and automatic level setting would be ideal, not hard to
train people to use, and less error-prone.

The Holy Grail for this sort of thing. But sadly not possible if you wish
decent speech quality.

--
*Being healthy is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

Yes, I think its actually cheaper though to get a good sound card with one
input and stick with the alresady understood mixer system rather than use on
screen soft mixing as one has to also look at the recording for putting in
track breaks to save later editing time on a tight turn around.

Brian

--
Brian Gaff....Note, this account does not accept Bcc: email.
graphics are great, but the blind can't hear them
Email:
__________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________


"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Mike Scott" wrote in message
...

Any ideas please on the cheapest and/or best way of getting 6 channels of
microphones connected to a laptop?

snip

We don't really need a full mixer - my thoughts are to get the signals in
and do any needed switching or mixing in software, possibly bespoke.

Any other thoughts and pointers welcome.


There seems to be a conflict between these two sentences. Do you want to
input 6 microphones *at the same time*?. If so you do need to do the
mixing before the signals get into the laptop. Only if you are happy to
record from each microphone one at a time can you use software mixing.

There are now plenty of small, cheap audio mixers with USB output which
you can simply plug into a laptop and use whichever of the audio editing
software packages available that suits. Bespoke software won't be
necessary (unless you enjoy writing your own).

David.

"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
m...

Yes, I think its actually cheaper though to get a good sound card with one
input and stick with the alresady understood mixer system rather than use
on screen soft mixing as one has to also look at the recording for putting
in track breaks to save later editing time on a tight turn around.


The OP spoke about using a laptop, that means he can't use a "good sound
card". On-board audio on laptops is usually pretty dire, but mixers with USB
outputs are now readily available and seem to me to be the most obvious
solution to his problem. Though I get the feeling he has already decided to
use 6 USB mics and write his own software mixer.

I don't see a software mixer as being any easier to use or more idiot-proof
than a simple audio mixer, nor is it likely to be quicker or easier to set
up, after all a USB hub (probably a powered one) will be needed to plug all
the mics into.

But if the OP relishes the challenge of writing his own bespoke software who
are we to tell him not to?

David.

David Looser wrote:
"Brian Gaff" wrote in message
m...

Yes, I think its actually cheaper though to get a good sound card with one
input and stick with the alresady understood mixer system rather than use
on screen soft mixing as one has to also look at the recording for putting
in track breaks to save later editing time on a tight turn around.


The OP spoke about using a laptop, that means he can't use a "good sound
card".


If it's a laptop with a pcmcia slot he could use one of these, which is what I
use with my laptop and very good it is too.
http://www.soundblaster.com/products...roduct=107 69


--
Bill Coombes

On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:11:38 -0000, "David Looser"
wrote:

The OP spoke about using a laptop, that means he can't use a "good sound
card".

Sure he can, as long as "sound card" is defined loosely as "audio
interface". But for his application, a laptop's Line In will be just
fine, as long as he hasn't got one of those irredeemably noisy
laptops.

"Laurence Payne" wrote in message
...
On Wed, 10 Feb 2010 12:11:38 -0000, "David Looser"
wrote:

The OP spoke about using a laptop, that means he can't use a "good sound
card".

Sure he can, as long as "sound card" is defined loosely as "audio
interface". But for his application, a laptop's Line In will be just
fine, as long as he hasn't got one of those irredeemably noisy
laptops.


I said "good sound card", not "sound card", the inclusion of the word good
was important. I've yet to meet a laptop with "good" on-board audio.

IME few laptops even have audio line in, most that I've met just have
microphone input and headphone/line out.

David.