mixer overdrive
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Posted on Jul 05, 2002 09:10 am
crux
Typo Szar
Member Since: Jul 04, 2002
This site is a great resource and ill like to give a shout out to everyone contributing to this site, ive learned so much from it and have saved maybe thousands of dollars in recordings for my band, so thanx!!! :D anyhow, i have a weird problem... im using a simple 12 track mixer, the kind that records to magnetic tape, like from about '92 or so, cant remember the brand. but im lining it straight it in to my computer and recording to cakewalk... kind of childishly im lining out from the mixer's headphones port and into my soundcards mic input, cant figure out how else to do it. anyhow, i find that i have to set the mixer very low leveled or everything on my recording will be overdriven and shattered, i even have to lower the velocity on my cakewalk pro audio 9 to like -15 sometimes for things like basses, cause its so shattered. im using shure sm 58's. i find that sometimes, no matter how much i lower the volume (especially at the end of the day)its still really distorted, especially the low tones, like basses and things. is there anyway i can avoid all this distortion? is it maybe because the mixer overheats? my bass players amp sometimes, after a long day will start to distort alot because of overheating... so its my guess. any thoughts??
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Jul 05, 2002 09:21 am well, running the headphone out into your mixer isn't really the best way to go about it, that is a different signal, ammplified to an extent to get it able to be heard in the headphones...use a direct line out, you main outs you will get a better signal that way...
Also, thanks for the kind words, glad the site helps ya, that is why we are all here :-)
If you can give us a make/model of your mixing/recording unit maybe we can help you with specifics a little better.
SonicoMember
Since: Apr 19, 2002
Jul 05, 2002 10:10 am Another good thing to try is to use the souncard's line input, not the mic input as the latter tends to distort the sound.
If your soundcard is a soundblaster, you should check if the 20db mic boost is enabled and of course bypass this feature.
Hope that helps
Jul 05, 2002 10:15 am oph, holy crap, I didn't even see you said you were using the mic input...YES, YES, stop using that, use the line in!
Nice catch, Sonico, glad you saw that!
cruxTypo SzarMember
Since: Jul 04, 2002
Jul 06, 2002 02:41 am im sorry but... how? im using a analog mixer/recorder. i think its a fostex or something... sorry i really dont know at the moment.
Jul 06, 2002 06:58 am How what? We offered a couple suggestion...
How to use your line in? That's easy, just move the cord from your mic in to your line in on your sound card, they should be the exact same jack style.
How to change you mixer outs? I assume your main outs are right by your headphone outs on the mixer, you may have to go to an electronics store to get some adapters to make it work but just run the main outs into your line in of the sound card.
If you don't know (or can't get) the make and model of your gear, we really have limited options in helping.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jul 07, 2002 11:47 pm All multi-track tape machine's have line out's. They will be clearly marked as such. I know some of the older Fostex model's, especially the bizare one's, used RCA jack's for line out's, but most used 1/4" jack's. And I think the Fostex unit's that were built with more then 8 track's were given a moniter out and either a mix out or line out, they are both the same.
