M-Audio BX5a, Mac Pro, what else?

C Walker

C Walker

Well-known member
I just pulled the trigger on some BX5a monitors, what sort of connection/mixing device do I need? I'm looking for a bare-bones system at the moment. Thanks!
 
To do what? Is this for use primarily with FCP? STP? Cubase? Peak? ProTools?

Do you need input as well, or just output for monitoring?

If recording, what will be your main source(s)?
 
C2V said:
To do what? Is this for use primarily with FCP? STP? Cubase? Peak? ProTools?

Do you need input as well, or just output for monitoring?

If recording, what will be your main source(s)?
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FCP, and Soundtrack Pro - a little. Just output for monitoring. I doubt I'll get into hardcore mixing within the next 6 months.
 
Cracker said:
FCP, and Soundtrack Pro - a little. Just output for monitoring. I doubt I'll get into hardcore mixing within the next 6 months.
Click to expand...

Well, a basic interface will do you for STP, which will include input as well as output. There are lots of good, USB-based boxes out there. Sound Devices makes a USBPre.

On the less expensive side, the Lexicon Omega is very effective (don't expect miracles form the pre-amps, but they're not terrible). Avoid the Lexicon Alpha. The Lambda is okay, but only bus-powered. The Omega has a power supply.

Or, if you want to future-proof yourself, get a small mixer with USB. Yamaha has a couple, and Allen & Heath has their Zed mixers with USB. Tascam has one, too. That'll give you some pretty flexible routing.

For FCP, you need to be monitoring audio from the same source as video, especially if you are dealing with DV. So if you are using FCP's desktop for all your video monitoring, listen from the computer. But if you are using an external video monitor, you should listen from the same place. That will require some monitor management to switch between sources such as the Mackie Big Knob.
 
C2V said:
Well, a basic interface will do you for STP, which will include input as well as output. There are lots of good, USB-based boxes out there. Sound Devices makes a USBPre.

On the less expensive side, the Lexicon Omega is very effective (don't expect miracles form the pre-amps, but they're not terrible). Avoid the Lexicon Alpha. The Lambda is okay, but only bus-powered. The Omega has a power supply.

Or, if you want to future-proof yourself, get a small mixer with USB. Yamaha has a couple, and Allen & Heath has their Zed mixers with USB. Tascam has one, too. That'll give you some pretty flexible routing.

For FCP, you need to be monitoring audio from the same source as video, especially if you are dealing with DV. So if you are using FCP's desktop for all your video monitoring, listen from the computer. But if you are using an external video monitor, you should listen from the same place. That will require some monitor management to switch between sources such as the Mackie Big Knob.
Click to expand...
thanks for all the info. i'm just using the desktop for now, no video monitor. i hope to solve that in the next few months, maybe. Let's say I buy the Lexicon Omega, just hook that to the Mac, and the monitors to the Lex. Is that what you mean by "listen from the computer?"
 
Cracker said:
thanks for all the info. i'm just using the desktop for now, no video monitor. i hope to solve that in the next few months, maybe. Let's say I buy the Lexicon Omega, just hook that to the Mac, and the monitors to the Lex. Is that what you mean by "listen from the computer?"
Click to expand...

Pretty much. As long as the Omega is connected to your computer, you should be able to use it as your computer's sound output.
 
Cracker said:
what's this?
Click to expand...
You can simply use an ordinary inexpensive stereo mini-phone cable to plug into the audio output of the computer and then directly into the speaker line-level inputs. This will work quite well for most non-critical purposes. Total cost $5-10.

You can make a decision about a proper external audio interface (or mixer or whatever) after you have used your computer for audio editing for a while.
 
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