Need some help getting started
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Posted on Dec 29, 2009 08:27 pm
joeygent86
Member Since: Dec 29, 2009
I just bought a behringer PMP980S mixer to record to an HP laptop with 219 GBs memory. I have a UCA202 USB interface. I am new at everything and I really dont know what I am doing. I hooked my mixer up to the interface and into my computer and I'm using audacity. I'm not getting anything to come through on the software. I changed the playback and recording device to the USB port. All help would be appreciated.
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J-botByte-MixerMember
Since: Dec 04, 2007
Dec 29, 2009 11:19 pm Okay, first of all, how are you actually doing the recording? What kinda mic are you using, and would it be something that requires that +48v of phantom power? Or are you sending an instrument directly through the mixer? Also, what operating system are you using? Some of us around here use linux as well as windows.
Rule of thumb is you'll be running the line level out from the mixer to the line level in on your USB interface (in this case RCA-out from the mixer to the RCA-in on the interface) I'm assuming that's how you have the signal routed, and it sounds like you have the interface selected in Audacity itself. So that sounds correct.
To hear the playback you'll want to send the RCA-out from your USB interface to your speaker/monitoring system if you can. So in Audacity, you'll want to have the input set to the USB device (which you have done) and the output also to the USB device.
On reading the specs on the mixer, it sounded to me like the RCA-out on the mixer was coming from the master, so it's probably a stereo signal that will be going to the L/R ins on the USB interface, and you'll probably want to set the number of channels to 2(stereo) in Audacity.
Are you getting a signal in the mixer itself, as in are the signal levels lighting up when you record or play anything through the mixer? And in Audacity, there should be 2 level indicators at the top right, one for playback, and one for the mic. You'll want to make sure you're monitoring the input coming from the mixer, so select "monitor input" from the dropdown list. Assuming you have done this, are you getting a signal at all within Audacity when you play anything? The input level should show some kinda signal even if you're not actively recording.
Oh, and welcome to HRC :)
Dec 30, 2009 06:00 pm I'm using windows and an MXL V63M condenser mic that does require +48v of phantom power. I hook up the mic to the mixer and the mixer to the usb interface. I do have it hooked up right with the RCA cables. I get a signal when I plug my guitar into the mixer but nothing when I plug the mic in. I turned on the phantom power and have tried using different channels but still nothing. I plan on miking everything i record so that part is crucial. Thanks
J-botByte-MixerMember
Since: Dec 04, 2007
Dec 30, 2009 10:22 pm Hmmm, well, it sounds like everything is connected properly, and it seems odd to me that you're getting a signal from the guitar but not the mic, and that it happens on all channels is making me wonder if there's something going on with the mic itself. Bad cable maybe? that might be something worth checking.
Also, do you have a preamp you could try plugging the mic into, and running that to a channel input just to make sure the mic really is receiving enough power?
I'm not really sure what might be happening at this point, so I'm just trying to throw up suggestions for things worth checking.
-J
edit: Just saw this on the behri page as well:
"Finally, the STANDBY switch lets you mute all input channels during breaks, preventing the microphones from picking up noise or interference." Make sure you didn't flip that by accident while setting up, that might be a possible cause.
