How to connect it all?

[Big Hoss]

I am just needing to double check myself here. I have a pretty basic recording setup, but I wanted to make sure I am connecting things right so that my practice / recording goes right...

My bass amp is a Crate BX-100. Yes Crate used to make Bass Amps. The amp can either line out via XLR, or 1/4" mono. I use a guitar cable to cable out to the mixer mono channel 5

I have various vocal mics, mostly cheapies, but my favorite is the Nady SP-5. This gets cabled via XLR directly to channel 1 on the mixer.

My mixer is a Behringer XENYX 1202FX

I am using a Behringer U-Control audio interface to my Windows 8 / Audacity laptop. This is connected to the RCA in / out jacks on the mixer.

Up to this point, I am totally with it. Now I get to the point that I get confused.

I want to add a stereo audio input from a separate PC to the mixer. And maybe I am thinking about this wrong, it could be from the same PC theoretically if I could figure out how to do it...

Specifically I am wanting to add drum synth software into my mix. I am not sure what software to use with Windows as the only drum synth software I am familiar with is Hydrogen which the Windows version is Alpha, and a bit flaky... So that leaves me either hooking up my Linux desktop, OR hooking up the onboard windows laptop sound card output AND some different drum synth software...

I assume to make a PC to mixer connection I would get a 1/8" TRS to dual 1/4" TS cable, and I have say the bass amp in channel 5, and my friend comes over with his guitar amp and plugs into say channel 7, I should probably connect the PC to 11/12, does that sound close to right?

Is there affordable (read cheap, I am just a hobbyist), drum synth software that runs on Windows 8?

 

[wlater]

Yes, 11/12 for the other computer would be a good match. You might want to use 1-4 (your mono channels) as much as possible for your mono sources (guitar, bass). As for drum synths... there are some free VSTs you could use with whatever DAW you're using. Would that be good? Take a look at: Invalid Link Removed
Otherwise, the only drum "synth" I've worked with is EZ Drummer 2. Not super cheap, but awesome.

 

[Big Hoss]

I am using Audacity on the laptop. I understand that Audacity isn't considered a DAW although I am not sure why. (I did mention I am just a hobbyist right?). I also have Traktion4 but no clue how to use it.

The XLR channels (4 of them) I am keeping in reserve for mics. I actually keep the mics plugged in and on stands. My rig does double duty for music recording / practice as well as some voiceover / podcast type stuff that I do as well for a series of DIY videos I am working on.

 

[wlater]

Ah OK. I know of Audacity, but don't use it myself. I use Reaper. From Wikipedia, looks like Audacity supports VST effects plug-ins (at least 32-bit ones) but not instrument VST plug-ins, so my VST plug-in suggestion is no good for you.

 

[Big Hoss]

I think I might have it licked. I have Hydrogen on the Windows box running. Yeah it's alpha, but no crash yet...