Need Help Setting up my Mixer on My Computer
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Posted on Oct 29, 2006 05:27 pm
kittykat7983
Member Since: Oct 29, 2006
I just got a new Helix Board 12 Mixer and Microphone and I plugged it in to the usb on my computer and then when I went to set it up when I went to my Sound and Audio Devices and changed it to USB Audio Codec I went to go set the volume for recording and it was grayed out and I could not set it up and I would like to know if anyone knows what my problem is if I am missing something or why it isnt working and why I cant set it up to record onto my computer which is a pc running windows xp and I was trying to use adobe audition 1.5 to record with. Please help me if anyone knows what is wrong because I want to be able to set it up and record with it.
Kittykat7983
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pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 29, 2006 05:51 pm if you were looking in the sound devices applet, you may not set the volume in there anymore.
I'd see if you can set the recording settings in audition, once you tell AA that you're using the helix, AA may give you more control over the device than windows does.
Oct 29, 2006 05:53 pm how do I tell audition that I am using the helix I was trying to set the mixer on audition and it just said something about a windows mixer so how do I select the helix mixer and set it up on audition??
Thanks for any help with this problem!
Kittykat7983
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 29, 2006 06:01 pm hmm, that I don't know. there should be some sort of options, or preferences, to tell AA what sound device you're using.
I haven't used it, so i'm no help there.
Maybe someone else on here uses it, I think there's a few people that use it, so hopefully someone will chime in.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Oct 29, 2006 06:03 pm Also, the mixer should have come with a driver install disc. Did you follow the instalation instructions in the oreder they gave, if you installed them at all?
With most USB devices like that, you need to run the driver disc install first with the mixer unplugged from the PC. Then it will ask you to plug the device in once the drivers are installed. AFter that Windows takes over and associates the drivers with the mixer. Then the installer will finish and you should then have it available as an audio device.
I am guessing it installed with a generic windows USB driver and of course, that will not have the required device drivers nor will it have the software control panel needed to run the device.
Oct 29, 2006 06:08 pm Its a plug and play mixer and didnt have a driver installer disc with it. What do I need to get then to get the correct drivers to make it work with the correct control pannels? Is there something I have to download and if so where can I download it from??
Thanks for any help.
Kittykat7983
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 29, 2006 06:29 pm plug and play, means windows will see it, and start the install, but you will need to give windows the drivers to make the thing work.
like noize says, you should have gotten a disc, with drivers on it.
Didn't you get a manual with it? or anything else?
Failing that, drivers should be downloadable from the website that makes the device, phonic.com, i'm guessing.
looking at their site, they show it as a firewire mixer. am I correct?
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Oct 29, 2006 06:32 pm It didn't come with any software disc at all?
Let me ask this then. When you plugged it in did windows bring up a dialog to search for a driver for it and install it that way? If so I would allow it to search the internet to find the best driver for the unit. But without and ASIO driver it will simply run an MME type driver and that is absolutely worthless for recording. It is very slow and will not give you very low latency.
Oct 29, 2006 06:32 pm Its a usb mixer its the helix board 12 and no it didnt come with any discs it has a manuel and I read through it and all it talks about is hooking it up to the computer and so I did all that it said and I still cannot get it to record so that is why I was trying to find out how to set up the recording volume and I am using adobe audition like I said. If they have drivers for the usb then that is the one I need. But I am not even sure if it needs a driver because its supposed to be a plug and play device and usually plug and plays dont have drivers to install with them they are supposed to just beable to be plugged in and work.
Kittykat7983
Oct 29, 2006 06:34 pm Okay when I plugged it in it said it was ready to be used. I dont think it tried to find any drivers for it.
Kittykat7983
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 29, 2006 06:39 pm plug and play like you mention only works when windows has the drivers built into windows itself, like some monitors, some video cards, basic stuff. When it gets more specific, you need to install drivers of some sort.
Like Noize says, it may pop up a dialog box, prompting to connect to the internet and find a new driver. Though it may only search microsoft, and that probably won't help.
to see if the drivers are loaded for the device, you can go into device manager, and see if it's loaded under the sound devices section. If it's listed under the 'other' section, with a question mark, or some type of alert icon, then the driver isn't loaded.
i'm out of ideas, maybe someone local can take a more close look.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 29, 2006 06:40 pm oop, missed your last post.
hmmm, that's odd.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Oct 29, 2006 06:45 pm OK, it is a firewire device. And it does need to be plugged into a firewire port. It will not function if it is plugged into a USB port with one of those firewire to USB converter cables. So unless it is a device specificly made to be on a USB port it wont function that way.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 29, 2006 06:48 pm nope, it's usb, i just looked at the manual, and kitty's right. the manual says, just plug it in, and windows will find it, and that's that. no driver needed. it' wakes up as usb audio interface.
then you use it from there.
pjkPrince CZAR-mingMember
Since: Apr 08, 2004
Oct 29, 2006 06:50 pm So now, I'd guess that audition has to know that it's there. I'd guess that goes back to the options or preferences inside of audition (which I don't know).
sorry about questioning you, kittykat, usually things don't work that way.
Oct 29, 2006 07:09 pm ok so now I guess we are back to trying to figure out how to get audition to recognize my mixer right?? So does anyone know how to set up the mixer with audition? Is there something in the preferences to set up different mixers because so far the only thing I can find is to set up the windows mixer and when I had my mixer in the windows mixer was diabled and I have tried setting up the devices in audition and still cant get it to work. My mixer and mic work but it doesnt go through the computer to record in audition.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
Kittykat7983
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Oct 29, 2006 08:05 pm Well if Audition can see it the mixer should show up with some short abbreviated name similar to what it is. It could though show up as you stated, simply USB audio device.
You would then need to select it as the prefered device and deselect the other device. But it sounds like you have allready tried that route as well.
Have you checked in windows control panel as stated earlier to see if the driver is functioning correctly without the warning icon next to it?
I thought someone else went through this same ordeal within the last 6 months or so. Hopefully they will come along and give a little help here.
Oct 29, 2006 08:10 pm I did check to make sure it was functioning correctly. But where would I go to make sure the device is the perfered device for audition??? How do I select the perfered device?
Kittykat7983
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Oct 29, 2006 08:25 pm I dont run Audition, but I would assume it like most other applications. You should have an options menu and generally they have it next to the help menu section. I would imagine there is a choice for audio in there and if you select that you will be able to choose your audio device and alter its properties.
I know there are a few Audition users here, weekends find many watching football, hopefully one of them can come by and shed a little more light on the subject.
Oct 29, 2006 09:39 pm I been trying all kinds of things that I can think with on audition I went to device in the options and then I set the device order and yet it still doesnt see my mixer and mic. I keep wondering why I cant set the recording volume in my sounds and audio settings on my computer it lets me set the playback but it wont let me set up the recording volume and I have it set to usb audio codec for everything just like the instructions on the mixer said to do. If I was going to use a different recorder wouldnt I have to set it on the computer because I tried using the default recorder on windows and it still would not record anything. I am getting so frustrated because it should just be able to be plugged in and set so that I can start recording and if I cant figure it out and if I try to get help from tech support and still cant get it to work then I will hafta take the mixer and mic back to the store and see if I can find something else that will work.
Kittykat7983
Oct 30, 2006 01:32 am Thanks for all the help I finally figured out the problem as to why it wasnt working I had the input and output settings wrong on it and now it is working perfectly.
Kittykat7983
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Oct 30, 2006 05:24 pm Wonderfull, good news indeed.
Sometimes it is the small things we all tend to overlook.
