Behringer XENYX 1202FX question

MrFiggityFigs

New member
I've looked here, searched. Did some Google'ing, Youtubez, etc.

We're not recording music, but rather broadcasting live content, and want to use a mixer to combine multiple audio sources, adjust levels, then output to a computer for broadcasting.

So we'll have a Mic, we're looking at an AT2020, a Stereo input from 1 computer, a stereo input from another computer, stereo input from a 3rd sound device.

Output to a headset and output to the broadcasting computer.

Where to plug in each device into the mixer and all that I know, that's the easy part.

I'm thinking of getting a Behringer Xenyx 1202FX (without USB) for the mixer... now many many many moons ago (1993-1997) I worked in a sound room for a church the mixer had monitor buttons to tell what sources you wanted to go to the monitors/headphones. I don't see that on any of the small mixers I've looked at.

Basically we want all sources to go out to the broadcasting computer, and all sources except the mic to go to the headphones. The broadcasters don't want to listen to themselves. We could do a USB mic to the broadcast computer, but they want to be able to put some of the FX on the mic that the 1202FX has (also they want a better mic than the blue snowball that's being used now). Can this be achieved with a sub $250 mixer, more specifically the 1202FX?

Thank you
Heath
 
What software are you using for broadcasting on the computer? I'm just wondering if you get a USB-enabled mixer, if you software could get its signal from there. Otherwise, I assume that you plan on running the main L/R outputs of the mixer into a 3.5mm stereo cable and plug it in to the line input on your computer's sound card?
 
You'd be correct, out the mains or the tape RCA's(in my research I've seen a few do that) to 3.5mm stereo.

It'll be OBS or xsplit. We'd have to get a few more sound cards to have enough line in's on the broadcasting computer, many of the "pro's" doing this run mixers just because it's more reliable, faster to change levels.
 
I've never done broadcasting nor used either of those software apps, so my advice isn't going to be worth a lot here :D But this is interesting, I'm curious how broadcasters/podcasters/etc. do what they do.

I looked at the guide for OBS, and there are some settings where you can select your default audio device (i.e. choose a device other than your computer's built-in audio chip). I'd think that you could get a higher quality sound by using the analog-to-digital converters (ADC) in a USB-enabled mixer over the super-cheap ADC in an integrated audio chip. But I guess that the increase in quality at this point in your signal chain would be negated when you have to "dumb down" the quality in order to stream it to an audience over a network connection. Personally, I'd rather start with a high quality signal and let the over-the-network encoding be the only degradation of the signal.

I'm only going down this road because we in the home recording community greatly value ADC that's done on a device that's designed for that purpose (like an audio interface or a USB-enabled mixer) rather than an integrated sound card/chip where ADC is really an afterthought and is done with very cheap components. With these devices, you send your stereo mix (or each individual track, in the case of most audio interfaces) to the computer via a USB cable, and you select that device as the input device in Windows or your DAW (OSB in your case).

There are several users around here that use the Allen & Heath Zed10 mixer, and it has some nice features for the price (about $300). Although I don't think that it has enough stereo line-level inputs for your purposes. You can always make a couple of mono inputs act as a stereo input. But you can select each channel individually for monitoring via headphones and it has some nice routing features for what you send to the USB output for capturing on your computer.
 
And most of the pros will use an audio interface, rather than go from a line out of a mixer to the 3.5mm line in of the computer.

For your purposes, a mixer is fine, but consider one with USB. It will deliver better quality for broadcasting. Note that you are unilkel;y to find flexible routing options with budget mixers such as the 1202, though you may want to look at the Allen & Heath Zed 10 which is a bit more sophisticated.

As for broadcasters not wanting to hear themselves . . . they should get used to it. If they want to run effects on voices, then they need to hear what's happening.

Edit: sorry Tadpui . . . I effectively posted the same as you. You got there before me!
 
That Zed10 looks nice... those are the buttons I was looking for, but ya it doesn't have enough stereo inputs. I could use say 2 mono for 1 stereo and fade them to R/L to keep the source balancing..

But it is a little pricier and a lot pricier with the FX.

I like HeathKit stuff, that stuff has been around forever. (my name is Heath btw) I could get a Behringer with USB, and then use it, or not use it... I was just shying away from the USB as a number of reviews on the sub $250 mixers said the USB to DAW didn't work very well if at all.

More research to do.
 
Ya, that's where you'd hit the button to put it through to the headphones while you play with the effect, then turn it off when back to no effect.

This is still a entry level, not making any money of broadcasting setup, so we don't want to break the bank.
 
What about the Behringer X1222USB? Could I run the headphones off the monitor out, and use the monitor pots to turn off the mic? That is a critical feature that the wife wants. Hmm if I read the manual right.. it looks like the monitor out is mono, not stereo.. am I reading that right?
 
Like Tadpui, I do not have any experience of broadcasting...But I do have a ZED 10!

OP you need 3 stereo line inputs and one mic input? The zed can do that. Two stereo line ins and then you run two of the mic channels as balanced lines. Still leaves you a mono mic/line input!

I would seriously avoid the cheap USB mixers. People seem to have a lot of problems with them, most notably noisy monitoring and whistles. The USB side of the Ten is very good but I don't use it that way, I drive a 2496* PCI card with it and I suggest you do the same.

*Getting hard to find now but there are still a few other PCI/PCIe cards around. One that is a lot better than system chip sound is the Trust Optical Expert. Sorry, 1/8" (ugh!) jacks again but not a bad card for a score! If you MUST go USB and you MUST go cheap the Behringer UCA202 is very useful. So good in fact that I cannot see why cheap USB mixer are mostly such crap!

Dave.
 
Well I need 3 stereo in's and "may" need a 4th, but we could manually plug and unplug one of the 3.

I was going to use the mains, only really thought about USB due to this thread
 
Well I need 3 stereo in's and "may" need a 4th, but we could manually plug and unplug one of the 3.

I was going to use the mains, only really thought about USB due to this thread

You could expand any input with a simple input switch box or have a row of jacks and switches and expand ad inf!

The quality of on board computer sound varies tremendously, this i3 HP laptop I am using is actually not at all bad. OBS is generally slated in audio forums as much for it inflexibility and high latency as much as poor sound, those two first qualities may not matter in your application.

One thing I would say. Build some "breakout boxes" to standardise everything on 1/4" jack and make the 1/8" jack into the PC very secure. Buggering about trying to adapt connections will drive you potty!

Dave.
 
I'm ordering 1/8" stereo to 1/4" Y cables, so that part is fine.

The broadcasting computer is an i7 3770K, 16GB ram, Asus Z87 Sabertooth with realtech onboard sound. We have a PCIe Asus Xonar with better RAMDACs floating around somewhere....

For the one where I need to switch inputs I could do a simple A-B switch box.. then out to the mixer derp.

As to OBS and latency, not a big deal if we get the mixer doing all the audio mixing, all OBS will be doing is combining the Audio and video feed and broadcasting it. The broadcasting service we connect to has a 15-30second delay anyhow, so what's a few more milliseconds.

Hmm that Zed10 is looking better and better.. just too bad it's twice as much as the other mixer I was looking at.
 
"Hmm that Zed10 is looking better and better.. just too bad it's twice as much as the other mixer I was looking at."

Yes but, see here! You are going to be giving that mixer some mechanical grief, plugging, switching, Jodrelling knobs. The A&H can take it...The Berry????

Dave.
 
Lol.. once setup.. most of it will be set, document, and forget.. the one where I'd switchbox the 2 inputs.. even that would be rare. :P

The cue to phones is the most important feature, and maybe worth the extra cost alone.. even though there's no FX on the board..


Thanks again
 
Caution regarding USB mixers! Many do not have a dedicated USB output volume control, the USB level is set the same as the main outputs. These mixers MAY have an inherent high frequency 'whine' (whing if you're in the UK) when the volume goes up.
I don't know if the A+H Zed series have a USB control,, but the Mackie ProFX series does. The Behrs do not.
 
Caution regarding USB mixers! Many do not have a dedicated USB output volume control, the USB level is set the same as the main outputs. These mixers MAY have an inherent high frequency 'whine' (whing if you're in the UK) when the volume goes up.
I don't know if the A+H Zed series have a USB control,, but the Mackie ProFX series does. The Behrs do not.

Yes Mike, nothing is caste in stone in this game. If the quality is acceptable, in the OP's case it looks as though going into the computer's OBS is the most practical and economic solution. He seems to have enough nonce to get levels sorted.

Dave.
 
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