What do I need to connect a mixer to an audio interface?

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krm27

New member
I have a relatively cheap Vestax mixer hooked to a pair of Technics turntables. The only outputs on the Vestax are standard audio/stereo outs (two lines, usually red & white).

I used to plug the mixer into my home stereo system but the quality was really crappy. Now that I've got a home recording studio, I've pulled out my turntables and mixer, and I'm hoping to "throw them into the mix," so I could then save my record collection on computer, sample it into tracks on my DAW, etc.

I know they sell turntables with USB interfaces, but I was hoping there's a way to do this without making a major purchase.

FYI, my general home studio set up consists of a laptop PC, an M-Track Quad as my primary interface (and a Yamaha THR-10 that I sometimes use as an interface), and then Reaper as my DAW. Mainly, though, the issue is how to go from basic audio / A/V type outs to a 1/4" jack or even an XLR, either of which I could plug into my M-Track.

Thanks,

Ken
 
Buy simple adaptor cables and plug your turntable into your interface. Not sure about levels with turntable outputs, but if it works with a mixer, no reason it wouldn't work direct..

I transferred most of my record collection by plugging the audio outs (it was a USB turntable, but I thought I could covert it better from analogue) into the standalone portastudio I had at the time. Worked fine ...
 
Armistice said:
Buy simple adaptor cables and plug your turntable into your interface. Not sure about levels with turntable outputs, but if it works with a mixer, no reason it wouldn't work direct..

I transferred most of my record collection by plugging the audio outs (it was a USB turntable, but I thought I could covert it better from analogue) into the standalone portastudio I had at the time. Worked fine ...
Click to expand...

Your USB turntable probably had a phono preamp in it, so it's output was standard line level and processed with the RIAA LP playback curve. The OP's turntables almost certainly need to be connected to phono preamps before the interface. His DJ mixer has preamps, so he should go from the turntable to the mixer to the interface.
 
krm27 said:
Mainly, though, the issue is how to go from basic audio / A/V type outs to a 1/4" jack or even an XLR, either of which I could plug into my M-Track.
Click to expand...

RCA to 1/4" adapters and cables are commonly available. That should be all you need to connect your mixer to your interface.
 
bouldersoundguy said:
Your USB turntable probably had a phono preamp in it, so it's output was standard line level and processed with the RIAA LP playback curve. The OP's turntables almost certainly need to be connected to phono preamps before the interface. His DJ mixer has preamps, so he should go from the turntable to the mixer to the interface.
Click to expand...

Ah... good info. Thanks. At least I got the cables bit right...:laughings:
 
bouldersoundguy said:
RCA to 1/4" adapters and cables are commonly available. That should be all you need to connect your mixer to your interface.
Click to expand...

Thanks. However, I'm still lost. I googled RCA to 1/4" adapters and what I found looks like it'll take ONE of my RCA male connectors and convert it to a 1/4" male. The problem is that I have two (white and red). I cannot seem to locate any kind of "Y" adapter that takes two RCA audio connectors and turns it into one 1/4" connector.

Am I supposed to convert my mixer into two separate 1/4" connectors, and plug both into my interface?

Edit: when I expanded my search from adapters to cables, I found cables with mono 1/4" male on one side and dual RCA male on the other side, so it looks like I can run that cable from my mixer to the audio interface, rather than trying to use my standard RCA cables and plug them into any kind of dual RCA female to mono 1/4" male adapter. If such an adapter exists, it's not too easy to find.

My last worry is that the descriptions for cables with mono 1/4" male on one side and dual RCA male on the other side all talk about how this can take a signal FROM a 1/4" source TO a mixer with RCA inputs. I'd be using it in the opposite direction. But my very basic concept of how electric signals works makes me feel pretty confident this cable should be equally capable of taking the signal either direction.

Ken
 
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