multitrack home recording howto question

[Rockin Mike]

I have an Allen & Heath MixWiz 16 with 6 monitor sends.
I want to use it to record some multitrack demos onto my PC.
I guess I can mix 4 drum mics into monitor send A
Bass into monitor send B
Vocal into monitor send C
MP3 player into monitor send D
and run those 4 into a USB interface to the computer.

I've never seen a recording interface, I know literally nothing about them.

Do I need 4 free USB ports, one for each track?
Does the interface multiplex the 4 tracks into one USB port?
If multiplexing, is there a standard protocol for doing that, i.e. can I count on my DAW software being able to demux the tracks and give me true multitrack on the computer?
Do I have to worry about which interface is compatible with which DAW software (I'm a Linux person so Ardour would be the DAW software)
Are the multiple tracks automatically timesynced?

I basically just want to get those 4 tracks onto the computer and synced so I can set the levels in software.

I've previously gone from the board's headphone jack (unbalanced) into the mic jack in the soundcard, but in that case everything is in one track and the balance, EQ and effects are taken straight off the board post-faders. I'm looking to take the cooking off the board and do it in the puter.

Thanks!

[MNAirHead]

Basically you're asking for a 4 channel/track interface

Or

Record 4x.... One track at a time

[Passinwind]

If you get an 8 analog input interface you can use the MixWiz's direct outs and keep the drum tracks separate.

[Rockin Mike]

MNAirHead

Yes I was thinking of a 4-channel interface.
Question is, do I need 4 separate USB ports?

If not, if it somehow combines all 4 channels through a single USB connection, then another question is:
Does all DAW software handle that the same way, or do I have to find an interface that does the combining in a way that my DAW software understands?

[Rockin Mike]

Originally Posted by Passinwind

If you get an 8 analog input interface you can use the MixWiz's direct outs and keep the drum tracks separate.

Oh yeah, good idea. Even though I don't need more than 4 at the current time that's a simpler more logical way to do it.

[Jim Nazium]

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

Question is, do I need 4 separate USB ports?

No, you only need one port.

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

Does all DAW software handle that the same way, or do I have to find an interface that does the combining in a way that my DAW software understands?

The device driver software for the interface should handle that. Most interfaces these days come with a limited-features version of a DAW, like Studio One, Sonar, etc. If not, or if you want a different DAW than your interface came with, most of the name-brand DAWs and interfaces play well together.

[Rockin Mike]

Originally Posted by Jim Nazium

No, you only need one port.


The device driver software for the interface should handle that. Most interfaces these days come with a limited-features version of a DAW, like Studio One, Sonar, etc. If not, or if you want a different DAW than your interface came with, most of the name-brand DAWs and interfaces play well together.

I am (will be) using Linux and Ardour DAW. The interface probably won't come with Linux drivers or limited-features version of DAW that will run on Linux.

Sounds like I need to go to the hardware compatibility list and find one that is known to work with Ardour on Linux.