Mackie Inserts Vs. Direct Outs

[Rocket Boy]

I was wondering if it's better to use the direct outs on my 1604 VLZ Pro or the inserts to record with. The insert is pre everything, the direct out is not. Does that make a difference in the sound, since the direct out has to go through the extra circuitry... or is the unbalancedness(i assume) of the inserts likely to make more of a difference. I'm using this with a delta 1010

[mr.rich]

i dont know wether or not if using an insert is good or bad but i used to use the inserts on a ramsa as an out until i leaned about the direct out. i switch to direct out and it did sound a bit better i thought. could have just been me not knowing much and learning. id say try both and see.

[travelin travis]

I would think that using the inserts would be less noisy. have you done a comparison recording? do you use the mackie's eq?

[The Axis]

The INSERTS come directly after the preamp, avoiding all other circuitry.

The direct outs come after the channel EQ circuitry. So if you want no EQ, you can also avoid any signal coloration it may add by using the INSERTS. If you want to use EQ, which is probably a pretty good circuit, I don't see anything really wrong with using the direct outs. That is what they were intended for.

I think the direct outs are also balanced, whereas the inserts will be unbalanced. In most cases that makes no difference, but that is a whole separate discusion.

[Bob's Mods]

I am no fan of Mackie. They make rugged boxes but load them up with poorly designed electronics, cheap components and tons of cheap electrolytic caps. Using the direct output will reduce the component count and thus provide for an improved track as opposed to running through the whole box to the main outputs. I was very unhappy with my Mackie VLZ Pro after the honeymoon was over. It is naturally compressive and dulls the sound....although you may not realize this for a while. They produce tracks that have dulled dynamics. You will find these problems can't be fixed with EQ. A knowlegable audio electronic engineer could not have designed that box as far as I'm concerned.

Bob

[Rocket Boy]

I know I need better pre's, but I might as well get the most out of what I have until I can afford them.

[TGB]

As previously mentioned, the Insert outs will be a shorter signal path to tape (errrr... um.... converters) and thus a cleaner, less colored sound. The Delta 1010LT has unbalanced inputs, so there's no advantage to using the balanced direct outs (other than that they're post-EQ and post fader, if'n ya want that.).

The nice thing about using the Inserts is that you can use Tip/Send to go to your Delta1010, and Ring/Ret to the 1010 outs -- giving you essentially an in-line console (meaning you can use the console EQs and faders to mix on).

TGB

[Rocket Boy]

It's not an Lt. That's what I've been trying though, thanks for the help. Would the RNP or RNP/RNC combo be a big step up? I've had my eye on one for a long time, but Ive read where people said they got it and it wasnt really as big of a step as they'd hoped for...

[themaddog]

According to the Mackie manual, if you are going to use the insert jack just as an out, only connect your 1/4" unbalanced line so that it clicks in only once, and does not go in all the way. By doing this, the board knows not to open up the loop and expect a return signal.

-MD