Alesis Multimix 12 FireWire mixer with GarageBand

Question

Alesis Multimix 12 FireWire mixer with GarageBand

I'd like to use my Alesis Multimix 12 FireWire mixer with GarageBand. (I have the Leopard OS on a MacBook Pro and the version of GarageBand that came with it in early 2008.) I'm not interested in multitracking (impossible anyway). I just want to get a decent live mix of bass, drums, and guitar for a single track (or two tracks of stereo) in GarageBand. I've found a driver for Mac for the mixer, which I plan to download tonight.

Has anybody tried this mixer with GarageBand?

Has anybody had luck running a four- to six-mic live mix into a single GarageBand track or two tracks of stereo? Any hitches I should look out for in trying to do this?

Thanks.

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.5.5)

Posted on Apr 28, 2009 3:01 PM

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Answer 1

isteveus

Level 5

4,340 points

Apr 28, 2009 3:25 PM in response to matthew.vanek

Your Multimix allows for 12 separate tracks at the same time. Of course Garageband will only allow 8 tracks at once. So you will be able to record each input channel to it's own track.

You will need the latest driver from the Alesis site don't use the one on the cd. You may also have to update the Multimix firmware. Very easy all you need to know is included in the download.

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Answer 2

Apr 28, 2009 3:37 PM in response to isteveus

Thanks. Will GarageBand really let me assign the various mixer channels to discrete tracks? I thought that simultaneous recording to different tracks in GarageBand was impossible.

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Answer 3

poflynn

Level 4

1,303 points

Apr 28, 2009 3:48 PM in response to matthew.vanek

matthew.vanek wrote:I thought that simultaneous recording to different tracks in GarageBand was impossible.

Where on earth did you hear that? You can record up to 8 tracks at a time in a GB Project.

Also you may want to get clear about "stereo."
http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/Tutorials/StereoVsMono.html

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Answer 4

HangTime

Level 9

53,853 points

Apr 28, 2009 3:55 PM in response to poflynn

8 tracks at a time in a GB Project.

8 stereo audio tracks, plus 1 MIDI track

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Answer 5

isteveus

Level 5

4,340 points

Apr 28, 2009 3:55 PM in response to matthew.vanek

Garageband is a very powerful multi-channel recording workstation. Don't let the pretty interface fool you. You can record 8 real and 1 midi track at a time. Once you install the Alesis driver and choose Alesis in the garageband preferences you will then see all the available inputs from the multimix.

Then create your tracks, assign your inputs to tracks, record enable each track your good to go.

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Answer 6

Apr 28, 2009 4:00 PM in response to isteveus

Thanks. This is all very helpful. (I'm not sure where I read that multitracking was impossible, but I've used a PreSonus Firebox as my interface before now and haven't seen a way to assign its various inputs to discrete tracks.) I'll post on this thread later on once I've downloaded the Alesis driver and tried assigning tracks in the way you've described. Thanks again.

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Answer 7

HangTime

Level 9

53,853 points

Apr 28, 2009 4:03 PM in response to matthew.vanek

here's a tutorial about recording multiple tracks, the pictures alone should explain everything:

http://www.bulletsandbones.com/GB/Tutorials.html#bsqrecordmultipletracks

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Answer 8

Apr 28, 2009 8:58 PM in response to matthew.vanek

Problems persist. I've downloaded and installed the driver and firmware update. GarageBand lets me select the Alesis as the audio input device. But as soon as I do, GarageBand sets the recording level at zero and grays out the slider so that I can't actually put in any kind of signal. Any idea how to fix this? I've searched various GarageBand forums and this graying-out seems to be a widespread and mysterious problem.

Thanks again.

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Answer 9

poflynn

Level 4

1,303 points

Apr 28, 2009 9:27 PM in response to matthew.vanek

There's actually nothing mysterious about it. You set the input level from your interface.

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Answer 10

Apr 28, 2009 9:52 PM in response to poflynn

That's a fair answer. It took some additional fiddling, but I've got it now, I think. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

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Answer 11

lwlion

Level 1

0 points

Jul 24, 2009 2:12 AM in response to matthew.vanek

Matthew, or anyone, how did you get it to work? I understand the sliders are greyed out because I control the volume from the board itself. But I can't get any sound to show up in Garageband, etc. It shows up on the board, but with the correct inputs selected, its like the sound does not make it across the firewire connection into the computer. What fiddling did you do?

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Answer 12

isteveus

Level 5

4,340 points

Jul 24, 2009 5:53 AM in response to lwlion

Did you download the latest driver? Did you choose the alesis in garageband > preferences? Did you select a real instrument track, set the correct input channel, record enable the track?

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Answer 13

lwlion

Level 1

0 points

Jul 24, 2009 11:58 AM in response to isteveus

Thanks for the reply. Yep latest driver and firewire installed, alesis selected in prefs, using a real instrument track, and record is enabled. And I don't think the firewire cable is bad, because I was able to update the firmware. I just can't think of what the problem is. I've searched the net and found nothing helpful.

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Answer 14

Oct 20, 2009 10:13 AM in response to lwlion

I'm having the same problem since my mixer came back from being fixed at Alesis last week. I had no problems for 1/5 years up until this point. I updated the drivers, than backdated them, then re-installed the latest and still no joy!

Sound goes out from the computer fine, and audio input registers on the System Preferences audio panel, but nothing is going into Garageband. I went into the Audio MIDI Setup software and the master level control for the Multimix is blanked out.

This is infuriating and renders the mixer useless to me. The problem seems not to be a specific Garageband problem as it happens with other software I tried too. Perhaps it's a driver problem? Or a mac 10.5.8 problem?

Anybody got any ideas?

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