USB microphones, a hub and software

[Haopengyou]

I am hoping that I can find some kind of hub that will let me connect 4 usb microphones to a computer, install a program like Audacity and have Audacity assign each microphone to a different track. Does such a thing exist?

[yoda313]

Can't answer the audacity question but the first part is easy - usb is usb. Any usb hub will do it. (just be sure its usb 2 if they are usb 2 or 3 if they are brand new.

Edit - on second thought the more devices you are connecting makes me think you may want a POWERED usb hub. That is one that will use a power plug into either a second usb plug on the computer or a physical wall power plug to supply power to make sure nothing drops out.

[Haopengyou]

Thanks, but will the computer keep each mic confined to its own track? or will it lump them all together into one track?

[Cornucopia]

Nope. Most mic-to-usb devices that I have seen are very specific in their manuals that you should use them DIRECTLY attatched, NOT connected to hubs. Since your intention is to use multiples of these mics, you should find a 4-port usb controller card (where each port is governed by its own controller), otherwise you could find yourself with serious data jitter issues.

Scott

<edit>in this scenario, each mic would be assigned its own track. Also, it might be possible, but I don't know how well Audacity supports this multitrack setup. It is an audio editor app, not a DAW.

[Haopengyou]

and...if I plug each microphone into its own usb port in the computer....can I save each microphone's input as its own track? If so, what kind of software will I need to do it?

[Cornucopia]

I just told you. DAW softs, like ProTools, Dig Performer, Logic, Audition, Soundforge, Cubase, Nuendo, Samplitude, Abelton, Sonar, Reaper etc. There some free tools out there, too, that do multitrack well, but I much prefer the big boys for tasks such as this.

Scott

[Clockwork]

Is running multiple instances of Audacity and then combining the tracks an option?

[budwzr]

The singers need to be isolated too, with a feed into their headphones. They can't sing without that. Can't control their voice without the feedback.

You might take a look at iRig Pro. Or the regular iRig if you don't need phantom power. Each iRig becomes a Windows Audio Device, so in that case you might be able to run multiple Audacity instances. Not sure on that.

I suppose you can create several small windows of Audacity and see the action. Interesting idea. Poor man's mixer/DAW I suppose. A lot less learning curve.

Those DAW's are not a piece of cake to set up either.

[Haopengyou]

Thanks for the info - a gold mine for my newbie mind. So it sounds like each USB microphone has its own interrupt. If so, why can't Audacity also recognize each microphone as a separate device and create a track for it - have a multi track session - which I thought audacity could do? Why would I need to open multiple windows of Audacity?

To give you the bigger picture...I prepare a puppet show to show my students, and video it. The people who helping me do this do not all live nearby. The audio recording will be done off-site, or perhaps on-site but not with everyone there at the same time - perhaps 2 now, 3 later. I want to be able to record each part separately to give me the most options later when editing. Also, some of their voices will be morphed.