Hi,

I recently bought the Yamaha Audiogram6 (audio interface) which came with the Cuabse AI4 software which I am planning to use for home recording. I initially went in to buy M-audio delta 1010 Lt and saw Yamaha Audiogram 6 and bought it.

Please suggest which audio interface and software is good for recording from the Motif 6.

Anyone using Ableton Live lite, Cakewalk? I wasn’t sure Line 6 pod was better than Audiogram6

thanks in advance

Hi pravyn,
I was in the same situation, looking at soundcards.  Then the Audiogram 6 came along. I bought one to use with my MO8 and it works great.  I think you already have everything you need.  I can record songs and midi from my keyboard, and you can also directly put in other instruments (like guitar or bass) and microphones.  I recorded some vocals using a Shure M58 mic and it sounded great.

Be forewarned though that the Audiogram is not a mixer.  You will only get a single track output from it, even if you have 4 or 5 inputs.  When I record songs out of my sequencer I have to do it one track at a time via the solo option on the track buttons.

Steve Pas

If the audiogram unit is capable of delivering quality digital audio to your PC (and I would assume that it is) then the issue is based around which DAW to use. You’ve been supplied with the freebie Cubase AI DAW and it is a very capable beastie indeed.

I would start with that and see what I could achieve - see if I liked that experience and then upgrade to a fuller version of Cubase if so.

If you already have a DAW preference then you’ll need to purchase it.

But a few thoughts to note:
All the main DAWs are attempting to do the same thing. That means they will all have their own versions of the same gear. So they will all have several features in common, just with a slightly different look/placement/feel of operation.
Any skills learned in one DAW are applicable in another.

So get set up with Cubase AI and see what comes. It isn’t some poor relation, timed out demo version. It is capable of some fantastic results. Obviously it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the full version (there is a comparison chart floating around somewhere) but you can still get your songs done, mixed and exported ready to burn to CD!!

Cheers

Thank you Steve Pas and Wellie for getting back. Looks like I am on the right track.

Steve:  I just wanted to clarify that when I am using Cubase AI 4, I can only record one track /instrument or vocals at a time is it?  I cannot record a midi track, guitar and vocals at the same time, is that right?

How do I setup the midi (yamaha motif) to record midi tracks, Right now I am using Live Recording option to record.

Hi Pravyn,
The one track at a time recording I spoke of is an artifact of the Audiogram, not of Cubase AI.  Cubase allows recording of multiple tracks simultaneously, you just have to have the input routings all set up properly.  And, you have to be able to have multiple inputs coming into Cubase.  The Audiogram, even though you can plug in multiple instruments and mics into it, it will still only provide a single output, hence a single input into Cubase AI.

I will probably never be recording multiple inputs at one time so the Audiogram works perfect for me.  I create the song on Cubase and then lay the vocal over the top later.

I just wanted to clarify that when I am using Cubase AI 4, I can only record one track /instrument or vocals at a time is it?  I cannot record a midi track, guitar and vocals at the same time, is that right?

The AudioGram6 is certainly a mixer. I believe what Steve is trying to convey is that it delivers just a stereo input to your DAW (Cubase). So what ever is plugged into the AudioGram as an input will be routed to Cubase and go to the same track. You do not have discreet audio outputs for each input. It mixes all the INPUTS to the stereo OUTPUTs (so it is a mixer), it does not allow you to assign an individual output for your vocal, separate from your guitar.

It is designed as a personal audio interface - one where you are doing tracking is small ensembles or as an individual. If you need a mixer that allows individual discreet outputs for each input, you would need to move up to something like the Yamaha n8 console (this would be our least expensive audio interface/digital mixing console with individual digital outputs (and it uses FIREWIRE).

But to answer your specific question. You can record a MIDI track totally separately… MIDI does not go through the AUDIO GRAM at all (ever)… So recording MIDI while playing guitar and singing… would mean your MIDI would go to a MIDI track, while both the guitar (plugged into the AudioGram) and the vocal (also plugged into the AudioGram) would be recorded to the same audio track.

So if you and a buddy were playing and singing - you could record everything - just simply the audio would be recorded to the same AUDIO track. MIDI, of course, would be separate and recorded to a MIDI track.

In small home studios recording separate audio tracks is not always necessary or even desirable… it depends on what you want to do. If you want separate tracks the AudioGram6 easily allows you to OVERDUB… that is, listen back to tracks you have previously recorded while laying down new tracks (let’s all thank Les Paul, may he r.i.p.) The DAW knob on the AudioGram6 will control the playback volume of your Cubase tracks while the individual channel Levels will let you monitor your playing “live”.