Yet another recording question...

[Funky Mike]

Here's how things are set up:

I've got a Behringer MX1604A mixer with the alt3/4 output going into the line in of a stock sound card. The line out of the sound card goes into channel 4 of the mixer and channels 1-3 are used for instruments/vocals. Everthing is monitored from the headphone out. I am using the shareware version of n-track for now.

Ok, and here's the problem. Whenever i record a new track, i hear a distorted version of the other tracks in the background of the new track. Its not as noticeable if there's just a couple of tracks playing at the same time, but if there's more than a few tracks its very noticable and sounds quite bad. Anybody have any idea what might cause this? Could it maybe be from cable interferance because i think i'm using pretty cheap cables. I have recorded going straight into the sound card before (no mixer) and dont remember having this problem.

Thanks in advance for any help.

-Mike

[TexRoadkill]

Are you positive that your monitor ch4 is not being sent back into the sound card via the 3/4 buss? Make sure it is only being sent to the 1/2 buss.

What kind of cable are you using from the sound card to the mixer input? Most soundcard outputs are stereo and most mixer inputs are mono. That could be causing some problems also.

[Funky Mike]

Wow, that was a quick reply, you guys are good.

I am positive the monitor ch. 4 is not being sent back through into the mix. I just checked with the headphones to make sure this was the case. My cable sent-up is kinda wacky, so that may indeed be where the problem is. I'm running line out from the soundcard into channel 4 using a stereo mini cable with a mini-to-1/4 adapter. Input channels 1-4 are mono inputs, but they are balanced so i thought this setup would be ok. For the output i have a mono 1/4 cable running out of Alt3/4 right channel into the line in of the sound card via another 1/4-to-mini adapter.

Hopefully this gives you some more info to work with.

-Mike

[Funky Mike]

Ok, i ran over how i have everything set up again and, although i still cant figure out why i get the other tracks distorted in the background, i've come to some conclusions about what its NOT...

1) Alt3/4 is set correctly and no sound from Alt3/4 is coming out where it shouldn't be (at least none is coming out of the headphone jack, where i tested it).

2) Its not interference from crappy cables being too close together. I used better cables and put them away from each other and had the same problem.

3) Its not the soundcard. If i take the mixer out of the equation and run straight into the sound card, the problem goes away. But i need to use the mixer for its XLR inputs, so just running into the sound card isnt a slolution.

Im stumped.

-Mike

[Funky Mike]

After playing with it some more, i found out that, even after taking the mix out of the equation their is a small amount of bleedover from the other tracks, unlike my previous post said. Although, it is a VERY small amount and you have to jack the volume way up to even hear it. The amount of bleedover when using the mixer is worse and quite noticable. But there's no bleedover AT ALL when i stick my headphones into Alt3/4 output jack (which goes straight into my line in) so why does it sound so bad? Geez, i think the thing is possessed. :0

-Mike

[TexRoadkill]

First- Use the right cables. You kinda lost me a little on where the adaptors are but stereo and balanced are not the same thing. They are the same cables but they are not the same type of signal. You could be getting some weirdness because of that.

Go down to the store and get some unbalanced 1/4' patch cables. If you want clean recordings don't use cheap bullshit adapter chains or the wrong types of cables..

Second- Behringer mixers are not known for great consistency and channel bleed is a common ailment of cheap mixers. Until you get the proper cables it's too early to blame the mixer... yet

[esactun]

If it's the mixer (and Behringers, unfortunately, are well known for cross-talk), can you monitor the sound card output another way, rather than run it through the mixer? If you only record one track at a time, this'll remove the crosstalk problem. If you need to record several tracks at once, then you may need a new mixer.

My pal's Behringer has this problem, sound bleeding between tracks. Since I only record myself, one channel at a time, I don't even know if my Behringer has it (but it probably does!). I don't monitor through it.

Here's hoping it's your cables!

[Funky Mike]

Well, i used the right cables and the problem persists. I still had to use the adaptors since the outs on the mixer are 1/4" and the ins on my sound card are 1/8", but i dotn see a way around that. I think i may look into getting a new soundcard (something i've been meaning to do anyway and now i have a good excuse). This bleeding sounds way to ugly to be JUST crosstalk, but i could be wrong. I guess it was a cheap mixer and i may have gotten what i paid for. Still, it seems the signal coming out from the mixer is fairly clean, so i dont know. What do you think about the EMU APS card? You can get one for $100 at musicians friend, or they're going for about $60 on ebay.

-Mike (still hoping my mixer isnt TOO bad)