24/44k1 is just fine for 'todays recording environment'. Try 44k1 (or 48K if for DVD) versus 96K (or 192K) and see if you can perceive any difference. I can't, even with extensive subsequent processing which, so they say, can show a benefit.

44K1 also fine especially if it all going to be subsequently mangled thru an AC3 encoder !

My MOTU 2408/2 and 24i work fine., though thet work thru the MOTU ICI324 card, which is effectiively firewire. Latency is a fixed thing relating to the buffer size set, which in turn relates to the power of your DAW system as opposed to the interface itself..

geoff

RickZ
Any chance you could give out some more info on this 5.1 recording setup?
Specifically the mics you used, the stand and the mic placement details.

I am trying to decide between a spaced and coincident setup.
Spaced using omni's would give better sound but (it seems like) my mics would be around 6 feet apart - awkward out on location in the field. I just made a dummy setup and it would be like carrying around a large Yagi TV or shortwave antenna.

Coincident using cardiods would be much more compact but l wonder if the loss of "time difference info" would make the sound less pleasing.

Time differences are what I'm striving to avoid with the single stand for 6 mics approach. My 'mic holder', or 6-mic T-Bar so to speak, holds the mics as follows:

Center: KM184 aimed straight ahead
L/R: TLM103 pair aimed 45 deg left/right
SurrL/R: TLM184 pair aimed 90 deg left/right, behind TLM103's.
LFE: TLM183 aimed straight ahead, at rear.

I had to go to right angle mic connectors for the SurrL/R mics to have room for LFE mic, which also has right angle connector.

I would say that the capsules of the directional mics are in about a 10 inch circle, roughly.

The first time I mixed down a recording with this setup I was astounded by the presence. I mostly record live concerts, solo vocal with piano, choral, theatre organ with big band, lots of variety. I've found that this mic set up, and the flexibility in post, to tweak levels of all the channels separately gives me many more options.

The RME Multiface/Cardbus handles 6 channels at 24/96 no sweat. I've been sticking with Vegas 4 for live recording because I had some glitches when I upgraded to Vegas 5 years ago when that was the newest. Not sure if Vegas 7 has better behavior on that score, but I don't feel a need to find out, ha ha.

Within Vegas for I set up the .veg as 2 stereo tracks for L/R and L/RSurr, then 2 mono tracks, one for Center and one for LFE. Total of 4 tracks on Vegas screen, but still in Stereo. I don't monitor while recording, just watch level meters, and tweak preamps if needed. BTW Grace V2 for L/R, V3's for L/RSurr and Cent/LFE. Entire rig is battery operated.

When I get home I copy the sets of 4 audio files and the .veg to this computer, and open with Vegas 7. If I want to create .ac3's for DVD, I change to surround master, and set all the pans appropriately, if Stereo, then just listen and tweak levels, then render to a stereo file.

Besides creating stereo mixes from the 5.1, I've made a few DVD's with DVD Architect, but haven't done much lately. Seems almost no one has Home Theatre, in the audience for my humble offerings. I really need to spend a lot more time with DVD Architect to make anything worthwhile.

Hope this long post helps . .

Rick Z

Nice setup!
I want something unobtrusive mostly for location sound. I thought you might have been using a modified Decca tree from your original post.
I haven't found anything portable that will do 5 channel recording like my 2 channel M-Audio Microtrack.
Seems like a solution involving a laptop pc would be OK if there was a small 5 channel mic preamp box available.
But here we're getting back to the size and weight of my old Uher mono reel to reel recorder back in the late 60's. That got tiring lugging that around on your shoulder!
Edirol has a 4 channel hard disk recorder, but would I be satisfied with a phantom centre channel? Probably yes, that's what I do right now with the stereo stuff recorded on the Microtrack.
It would be a lot simpler and way less expensive than trying to use a PC.

I can't wait for the zoom h2 to finally come out. I supposedly can do 4 channel sort-of surround from the internal mic. I think its FR, FL, RR, RL. Easy enough to reassign to 5.1 in vegas!

Jesse

FWIW . . I've found that a real 5th channel, ie a directional mic pointed straight forward can help realism when recording a choir, or I suppose a band. Listening to playback, while adjusting center channel level, the sound goes from sounding like 2 choirs, one left and one right to 1 choir with sounds correctly laid out left to right.

For many years I did stereo only, and listening to some of those old recordings, I'm not too sure that all the effort I go to now results in recordings that are better by as much as the $$ as I've spent, but don't we all have that around our necks, ha ha.

Best regards,
Rick Z