It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:37 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Use Fender Passport as recording interface?
Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 1:04 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:39 am
Posts: 3
Hello there!

Is it possible to use the Fender Passport as an audio interface for digital recording?

Thanks


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Use Fender Passport as recording interface?
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 6:56 am
Offline
Aspiring Musician
Aspiring Musician

Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2011 7:24 am
Posts: 434
The short answer is "no".

You should specify which model of Passport for slightly more detail. Among current models of Passport, only the Venue has a USB-A port (like the port on your computer that you plug a USB stick into), and that's for recording in stereo directly to a USB memory stick, not for connecting to a computer, where you might hope to record each input channel to a separate track. The older 500watt model of Passport has this same feature. You can also play these stereo .wav files on the stick through the mixer, using one of the stereo input channels, so technically, you could use this feature for karaoke or for music-minus-one (or music minus many) performances, but this still isn't the kind of digital recording you are probably asking about.

So, technically, you could mix a single performance down to a stereo .wav file on a USB memory stick, then take that file to a computer and adjust the EQ and effects, but you can't do most of what you'd want to do with digital studio work. No changing the stereo mix. No multi-pass recording.

I've owned two Fender Passports (a 300 and a 500) and several mixers made by Mackie (FX-8 and FX-12, DL1608 and D32R). Most of the Mackie mixers would do what you want, since most of their models feature a USB interface for digital recording. All the Mackies I own do this. Note this means a USB-B port (like the one at the printer end of a USB printer connection) so that the USB-A end of the cable can connect to a computer.

The Mackie D32R additionally has the option of recording directly to an external USB hard drive. The recordings tap each input channel directly after the trim setting (where you set the input volume level high enough for a good signal-to-noise ratio, but low enough to not clip), ignoring all the EQ, effects and mix volume levels so you can do all that on your computer later.

It also gives you the option of playing back these multi-track recordings through the mixer, using the mixer's EQ, compression, effects, mix levels, etc. This is designed to help the tech crew set up concerts for a new hall before the band shows up, but it also gives you the option, as a recording engineer, of EITHER feeding the multi-track recording into your computer (from the external hard drive) to do all the work there with your DAW software, OR doing all the multi-track work on the mixer, mixing down to stereo, then making a recording from the stereo outputs of the mixer.

The DAW is better for multi-pass recording work. Meanwhile, if you want a mono mix for the crowd during a live performance, but want a stereo mix recording of that same performance, doing it all in the mixer gives you a familiar interface, and fewer steps to go through to get the finished recording.

Mackie's FX series mixers also have a USB-B port and work directly as a digital interface to a computer. I'm sure other mixers also double as digital interfaces, but I'm not experienced with them. If you have an iPad, I'd recommend the DL806 at the low end because the FX series is more complex as a mixer -- different channels are set up different ways, while all inputs on the DL series are equal. That gives you 8 equal input channels and a good digital interface for not much more money than you'd spend for an 8 input digital interface.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Use Fender Passport as recording interface?
Posted: Tue Sep 04, 2018 2:07 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Aug 28, 2018 7:39 am
Posts: 3
Thank you! Very helpful.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 3 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: