I don't want to complicate things here but as you may understand and know, using a DAW "limits" the usage of ONE and ONLY audio interface and I am trying to figure out how you connect all your USB audio gear to your DAW.

Let’s start with a clarification on this statement. You can have only one audio interface connected to your speakers at a time. You can, certainly use multiple Audio interfaces on a project. There are several ways around this conundrum.

First, decide how many musicians, or devices/instruments, you are going to be recording simultaneously. This is important because, in the small home studio environment, if it is just you, you do not have to connect everything at the same time. It needs to be stated, there is no one way to configure.

Second, an audio interface handles the job of getting audio into and back out of the computer. If you laid down basic tracks using the MONTAGE as your audio interface, (and why wouldn’t you, with its 32-bus capability), once rendered as audio, you could then add additional audio using your other audio interface. Or vice versa, say you lay down audio using the MX1 as the audio interface, you could then connect the MONTAGE as audio interface and utilize its 32-bus capability to overdub it to your Project.

An audio interface can playback Audio, period. The MX1 will not care if your MONTAGE Audio Tracks were recorded on a different audio interface; the MONTAGE does not care if the Audio Tracks were recorded on the MX1. (As long as your Project keeps a single sample rate, it’s easy peasy).

If you are thinking you need to have everything connected at once, you don’t.
If your thinking that reconfiguring is such a hassle, ... don’t. It’s the nature of recording. Every session that walks into a professional recording studio winds up as a unique as a snowflakes. Learn to reconfigure your system to meet your creativity.

Here’s what you need to know. Macintosh computers allow you to have both audio interfaces connected to the computer at once. And, yes, you can record through both simultaneously. You create what is called an “Aggregate Audio Device” - the Mac sees this “aggregate” device as the ONE Audio interface. It can contain Audio Inputs from both of your Audio Interfaces.

Let me state for the record, I do not know the Roland mixer, I’ll refer to it as it could be any audio interface. The Aggregate Audio Device is how the Mac combines USB audio inputs from multiple devices and you select this new audio device.

Each audio interface can be recorded directly via their USB connection to the computer. But here’s the thing, only one of these Audio interfaces is going to feed your Monitor speakers... this means that the analog outputs of one of the Audio Interfaces is going to have to connect to other, for monitoring purposes. We’ll call the interface connected to the speakers as the ‘principal interface’.

It might sound a bit self-serving for me to recommend using the MONTAGE as the one that connects to the speakers, but you said it well. It is going to be very hard to beat the audio quality of the MONTAGE. I know that I work for the company, but having been a recording engineer and musician for more years than I care to state, I have to say MONTAGE has sound quality that is unprecedented! And hard to beat...

You mention a downside to this, that, in reality, does not exist. The mixing capability of the MX1 will still be in play, completely. Because it still is sending digital audio directly to the computer via USB. You are simply taking the analog L/R Outputs and running them through MONTAGE to go to the speaker system for monitoring purposes. You will NOT be recording any of the mixer’s devices through the MONTAGE. You are only Routing their signal to the speakers so you can hear what you are playing.

The analog connection will allow you to monitor any of the devices plugged into that mixer “direct” (zero latency).
If you are sending audio from that audio interface to the computer via USB, you could then route the signal post Cubase to the MONTAGE, you will be at the far end of the latency (is all).

If you have a Windows computer, you will not be able to deliver audio simultaneously via both audio interfaces. You simply will have to use one, and then reconfigure to use the other.

We must stress, there is not going to be just one single way to proceed. But by definition, the audio interface’s job is to send audio into and get audio back out of the computer. Multiple audio devices can be used on any project. If you are recording by overdubbing (one-person Studio) then plan your projects accordingly. If you decide to use a Sample Rate of 44.1kHz just make sure when you switch interfaces that both agree on the sample rate (Cubase can even help you with that), but it makes for less work, if you pick one Sample Rate and stick to it.

Hi Bad Mister!

Thanks for dedicating your time and getting back to me.

Your answer confirmed exactly what I was thinking about and was good to get a confirmation from your part as well!
This will be the way that I am going to setup my connections as MONTAGE's audio quality is one of the best in the market.

Just a small question, I noticed time ago that the analog input on the MONTAGE is performance dependent (obviously). When I change performances the input signal changes volume or effects as well, which is absolutely normal. Is there a way to bypass this and tell to the MONTAGE to use the A/D input flat for all the perfomances?

Thanks ina advance,

Dionysios -

Just a small question, I noticed time ago that the analog input on the MONTAGE is performance dependent (obviously). When I change performances the input signal changes volume or effects as well, which is absolutely normal. Is there a way to bypass this and tell to the MONTAGE to use the A/D input flat for all the perfomances?

Yes, there is.

After selecting MIC/LINE in Utility, and then setting up the A/D In as you require in a Performance, you can make this A/D IN Performance setting “global”.

Touch the “FX” icon on the very top line of the screen. This is the shortcut to the Global Bypass functions.
Set “Global A/D” = On

This will ensure no change or interruption in the signal coming in the A/D In when you move from Performance to
Performance. The two Insert Effects you assign to the A/D In will be available throughout.

Thanks for the questions.

Fantastic! Love this so much! 🙂
Thanks again for your support.

Dionysios -