mixer and usb audio device to record on computer, need help

A

arewethereyet

New member
ok, quick and simple, i just purchased the samson mdr1064 mixer and the m-audio fast track usb device, to get the audio to my computer. i wanna record my guitar and some drums just with a mic in front of my amp, and another in front of the drums, basic i know but im a beginner. i've hooked everything up, put a mic on the first channel to test it out, played around. anyways, i used nero's wave editor just to record some basic sounds, and it barely shows up on the computer. should I be using other software? i connected the mixer to the fast track with 2 1/4" stereo to one 1/4". any good websites to help me maybe? thanks
 
you should be plugging your mic into a mic channel (3 pin xlr input)
on the mixer. i'm sorry - i dont know much about the samson mixer - but i assume it preamps mics. are you doing this ?
if you want to try multitrack software, i use powertracks from pgmusic.com.
just try the demo. 49 bucks for 48 tracks.
also a helpfull pg forum of users that will help you, that helped me years ago when i started using it.
please tell me what brand of mic your using. and i'll try and help further.
peace.
 
thanks for the advice, yeah i'm plugging a samson r11 into the 1st channel xlr plug. and i've just learned to raise the gain knob, so the meter is nice and colorful now, even put the headphones on and heard it nice and loud on the mixer. problem seems to be the fast track or the computer itself. in the wave editor program i have, barely anything shows up on the little wave display. like, maybe some setting i've overlooked. ok, thanks for any help. and, i read in my manual that there are six mic pre's, if that helps.
 
I am having the same problem. but I am using CW Homestudio. I can get the all the lights on the mixer but the input levels within homestudio are weak? I think I have a button on the mixer that says preamp. Will that make a difference. I think I already tried that though.
 
arewe. i'll deal with you first. look on your mixer for an output level on it for sending to the sound card. also look in your usb device control panel.
prolly it has a fader not up.
esand. tell me your mixer plus mic plus soundcard. thnx.
also make sure you have identified your drivers to HS.
 
ok, here's something interesting. i went down to the store to get help, and they didn't hekp much, but i tried to take the cable between the mixer and the fast track, and run it from headphones out, to the fast track, and it worked just fine! one cable only of course. so, is my mixer messed up? i'm using a Hosa send and return cable, 2 meters stereo 1/4" to 2 mono 1/4". i also tried running the cables from control room out to the fast track but didn't help. only headphones out is working... thanks for help
 
arewe. it looks to me like the fastrack does not have a stereo line input.
please confirm we are talking about the same fastrack that you can plug a guitar or dynamic mic into ? frankly this is not the device i would have bought if me. unless i'm wrong it doesnt not look you can record in stereo - please confirm......
 
and arewe.....forgetting the equipment....
tell me in full what you wish to do, and i'll help make suggestions. write songs ? produce a cd of your music ? multitrack recording ?
set up a web site of your music ?
forget the gear - tell me your aims and i'll suggest.
 
hey manning, thanks for the help. i was thinking it wasn't stereo input either, on the fast track, and when i took it back that's exactly what they said, so i shelled out a lil more and got the tascam us-122 and now everything's clear as a summer day, haha. thanks again. ill probably be back soon with more questions, bye
 
and also, as for what i wish to do, i want to record my electric guitar, a drumset and possibliy bass too, and definitely vocals with mics in fron of amps, and in front of the drums. i have been told i can plug my guitar to the mixer, is that correct? anyways, i don't plan on doing that anyhow, just putting a mic in front of my spider 112 amp. besides all that, i plan on just recording the mix out to one wav file in nero's wave editor, being the beginner i am. any advice? thanks again :cool:
 
i had a feeling the fasttrack wasnt stereo.
nero is not the right product to do multitrack songs in.
i'm a songwriter myself . nero is only usefull after youve written and produced a song for burning a cd. in fact ive found the nero wave editor is pretty useless. far better options around. just my opinion.
not wishing to upset you, but it sounds like you are pretty new at this.
i would suggest you learn as much as possible searching the net.
but be carefull ...dont spend a lot of money...the whole cost equation of setting up a studio has changed. years ago a few million was needed to set up a studio. now you can be flying for just a couple of thousand.
also to save money my wife sometimes brings home from sales all sorts of cast offs from other peoples studios. //yard sales.
you dont need a lot to do a song. most of it is talent in writing good songs and talent in how you engineer them.
it sounds to me you dont have other musicians to play with.
for folks in this situation i recommend you try band in a box, and learn from lots of pro's on the pg biab forums. it will also teach you a lot about music theory...and its tons of fun. what it does as the name implies is build a back up band in software then you can record your guitar and vocals with the back up band.highly usefull for fleshing out and ghiving you new song ideas. its used by lots of music teachers world wide. but as its a bit pricey ...sometimes you can find it discounted.
peace.
 
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