Need help! - Mackie 802vlz4 into a Focusrite 2i2

imsharris

Member
I am looking for the best way to run my Mackie 802vlz4 into my Focusrite 2i2. I want to be able to use the Mackie for the extra input and to set levels between vocals, mic'd guitar, and acoustic running direct. Nothing fancy, I would just like to be able to record the main mix. Running from the XLR main outs is just way too hot, or seems to be. Is there another or a better way to run it?
 
I am looking for the best way to run my Mackie 802vlz4 into my Focusrite 2i2. I want to be able to use the Mackie for the extra input and to set levels between vocals, mic'd guitar, and acoustic running direct. Nothing fancy, I would just like to be able to record the main mix. Running from the XLR main outs is just way too hot, or seems to be. Is there another or a better way to run it?
Are you using an XLR-XLR cable? If you are, it's being treated as a mic level input. You should use XLR-TRS cable and set the switch to LINE.

If that's still too hot, just turn down the master fader?
 
I am running XLR Main out into XLR in on the 2i2.
Well, like I said, if you take the XLR out of the Mackie, it's going to be LINE level, and the Focusrite XLR input is processed as a MIC level. You need to go into the Focusrite with a 1/4", and a balanced XLR-TRS cable would do that, or you could go out of the Mackie's 1/4" output with a balanced 1/4" cable, i.e., TRS-TRS, or use an unbalanced instrument/patch cable and it probably will be Ok, with the risk of some added noise.
 
I just found that magic little button! Okay, so basically I want it to be mic level going into the 2i2. The XLR from the mixer to TRS into 2i2 worked as well. Is there a reason to use one over the other or should I still press down the mic level button and use the XLR to TRS cables as well?

I basically have a really good signal now going into my 2i2 from the Mackie. I am running the 2i2 into my iPad and getting great sound quality for videos and things. Let me throw another wrench into it. Do any of you run a signal out of a mixer into a DSLR for video sound purposes? If I run from the RCA Tape Out will that send my main mix to the camera or is there a better way? Thinking live applications.

Thank you guys so much for the help. I am really trying to hard to learn as much as I can about the sound side of things. Honestly it has really made me "listen" more to my live and recorded sound and fix something that I never really knew were broken!
 
I used to take the mixer to a camcorder a long time ago but haven't done that in quite some time.

Tape Out should work. I'm assuming the DSLR has a 1/8" (3.5mm) stereo input jack? You'd need an RCA pair to stereo plug cable for that, obviously. The level might be high, so that's the only thing I'd watch. (RTFM)
 
The camera is a Canon T7i so it does have the mic input jack. That is my only concern as well that the signal would be too hot. Is there a way to adjust the tape out level at the board? What about a 1/4" Y-cable to a 3.5mm into the camera coming from the CR Outs? Would I then be able to adjust the level some using the CR level control?
 
I just sync up the audio and video in post. Since I'm deploying up to six cameras it's not practical to get the "good" audio into all of them anyway. Plus, sometimes the camera audio comes in handy. And if the camera is wall powered it can set up a ground loop.

I would leave the mixer set to line level and use XLR-TRS. That way you're running hotter signal down the cable, which is less prone to noise.
 
From the T7i manual:
  • Do not connect anything other than an external microphone to the camera's external microphone IN terminal.
It's probably not going to be happy (as in "may be damaged," and certainly void any warranty, with a LINE level input. Maybe a pair of DIs (or a single, stereo one) with a PAD switch would work, but I'd proceed with caution. (Or, use the XLR outs set to MIC and record off the other outputs.)

I (too) do syncing with the video afterwards, and do often include some of the camera audio, too, depending on how much of the room noise I might want to add in.
 
I think that you guys are right. Syncing the sound is another thing that I really need to learn how to do. I like the idea of maybe even mixing some of the live sound with the recorded sound. That could make for some interesting things.

When it says to not connect anything but an external microphone to the camera's external microphone in terminal, I wonder if that is why you see people connecting Zoom H5 and H6 recorders to it mounted to the hot shoe? I have even seen mics plugged into into the XLR inputs of the Zoom. Have you ever seen that?
 
I think that you guys are right. Syncing the sound is another thing that I really need to learn how to do. I like the idea of maybe even mixing some of the live sound with the recorded sound. That could make for some interesting things.

When it says to not connect anything but an external microphone to the camera's external microphone in terminal, I wonder if that is why you see people connecting Zoom H5 and H6 recorders to it mounted to the hot shoe? I have even seen mics plugged into into the XLR inputs of the Zoom. Have you ever seen that?
I do see it, but IMO it's not probably helping a lot to have it right on top of the camera (another of my sore spots). I'd guess they're going out the headphone jack, which can be controlled, and just haven't worried too much. Honestly, that mic input probably has been designed with some expectation of that use case, since it's so typical. So, that wording is part "buy our mic" and probably part lawyer CYA stuff. I'd just be careful about sending a +4 LINE level from the Mackie into it.

FWIW, and if you're a PC user, it's not worth spit, Final Cut Pro X can do the sync for you. I'm spoiled since I found that feature.
 
I think Vegas Pro has a sync by audio feature, but I've been doing manually for so long that it's just how I do it. And the audio only gets it close. I always have to fine tune it a bit by hand anyway.
 
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