Hi and welcome to this forum

I think you got it right. The limiting factor is the number of returns the AR mixers offer: only two stereo channels. With some hard thinking that could give you 4 mono channels from your DAW, to outboard gear, for 4 (stereo if you want or outboard gear needs) sends back to the DAW. But probably you want to reserve one of the two stereo returns for listening to what you're doing while you're doing it.

PS. Note that the analog input sends from channel 11/12 to the computer still work even if you switched the channel to usb input.

SwitchBack wroteHi and welcome to this forum

Thanks

SwitchBack wroteI think you got it right. The limiting factor is the number of returns the AR mixers offer: only two stereo channels. With some hard thinking that could give you 4 mono channels from your DAW, to outboard gear, for 4 (stereo if you want or outboard gear needs) sends back to the DAW. But probably you want to reserve one of the two stereo returns for listening to what you're doing while you're doing it.

Yes, Digital Return 1/2 is already blocked for the main mix out of the DAW.

SwitchBack wrotePS. Note that the analog input sends from channel 11/12 to the computer still work even if you switched the channel to usb input.

You mean I could use them as the Digital Return from the DAW and then route the returned signal from my outboard gear via the same channel 11/12 back to the DAW? I haven't tested that yet, but the manual states the following which made me believe that this would not work :

When a digital return is engaged, it replaces the analog input in the mix.

But upon reading it again, it says "mix" and not "Digital Send".

Overall:
I had chosen the StudioLive AR originally because I wanted:

• Have all my instruments be always connected to a central place to control the volume in the room independently of whether PC/DAW is on (and audio interfaces usually do not have enough directly controllable channels)
• Easy central volume control also for the the various speakers in the room (so no separate monitor control station needed)
• Easy playback of rehearsal tracks / backings via Bluetooth mixed with the instruments in the room

Back then the topic of requiring outputs was not on my horizon . Looking at StudioLive 16.0.2 USB, that would resolve the issue somewhat, since that has 16 digital outs but still again only a few physical outs (4 x Aux and Control Room) to connect to outboard gear. Would also loose the Bluetooth, but there are other ways to handle that. Plus there the onboard processing (EQ, comp, etc.) can actually be used for DAW tracking.

Or alternatively I would need another audio interface which I use as bridge to the DAW and would need to split all signals via a patchbay before that to duplicate them for the StudioLive as room control. But that doesn't sound clean either...

I guess my approach is probably a weird combo of not needing that many channels in parallel for DAW tracking (two at most), but needing/wanting at least 12 channels to have all instruments ready for practicing all the time with easy volume control and playbacks

Well, IMHO nowadays outboard gear is overrated for use in combination with audio from a DAW*. For the price of one hardware LA-2A you can buy a brilliant plug-in of it (for use on as many signals as you like) and 10 others. So unless you have an all analog studio or at least a high quality analog mixing console to use with that outboard gear you're probably better off by keeping the signal and the processing inside your DAW.

* Recording instruments and microphones is a different story, but that doesn't require interface outputs, just inputs.