How to hook up a mixer

F

Flet

New member
for a short time I have a borrowed Mackie 1202 VLZ. Now, I followed the instructions on http://www.tweakheadz.com/how_to_hookup_a_mixer.htm to the letter, including the little diagram they have.

Problem is, I did get sound, but it was all in Mono. When I play back my recorded songs, it's in Mono. What's wrong?

Also, is it possible to discretely record two tracks at once? If so, how do you do it when all the signals are going through the Alt 3-4?
 
I've attached a visual diagram of the hookup I used last night.
As I mentioned, I get a signal out of the the mixer, but it is in Mono despite having hooked up both Left and Right outs of the soundcard (M-Audio FireWire 410) to the Left and Right Line ins for channels 11/12. Why was it mono?

Any help is appreciated, as usual.
 

Attachments

  • 1202 Hookup.jpg
    1202 Hookup.jpg
    42.4 KB · Views: 97
I'm a bit confused. One input is only going to be on the left side and the other is only going to be on the right when using a stereo channel on the board.

What happens if you run the outputs to channel 1 and channel 2 on the board? Even if it is mono at the time it reaches the board inputs on a non-stereo channel you should still be able to place that track in the "stereo spectrum" using the L/R pan control for the channel it is on (not on a stereo channel, unless using two stereo channels with the cables plugged into the (mono) in)
 
sirslurpee said:
Did you pan your tracks after you recorded them?
Click to expand...
I'm not sure I follow what you are asking.

Yes, my recorded songs are fully panned all over the place. But I also played back some Satriani songs through the mixer just in case, and everything is in mono. What I don't understand is that, when you plug only into the left/mono channel, you get mono, but I plugged the righ feed from the sound card to the right input, and the left feed from the soundcard to the left input. Why no stereo then?
 
I'm still not clear on how you are determining whether it is stereo or mono. If you are using a stereo channel, the left input will come through the left side and the right input will come through the right side. Is it only playing out of one speaker or headphone when you play back? Are you sure the L/R pan knob is centered?
 
Creamyapples1 said:
I'm still not clear on how you are determining whether it is stereo or mono. Are you sure the L/R pan knob is centered?
Click to expand...

Yes, panning is centered. I tried moving the pan to both left and right and all that changes is the speaker.

it's as if the stereo song is fed into the mixer and the mixer spits it out as a Mono track. I can "hear" both the left and right panned instruments, but all through the centre (in between the speakers), hence mono.

Creamyapples1 said:
If you are using a stereo channel, the left input will come through the left side and the right input will come through the right side.
Click to expand...

I understand that, which is why I mentioned that "it is in Mono despite having hooked up both Left and Right outs of the soundcard (M-Audio FireWire 410) to the Left and Right Line ins for channels 11/12." Theoretically because I hooked up the right out to the right in, I should get a right sound from the right. Same thing for the left.

Obviously I have something wrong (unless the mixer is busted, which I don't think it is). But the search goes on :)
 
Switch the plug in the right input over to the left input and vice versa with the left and see what happens, then try them one at a time in the mono input on that channel and see what happens.
 
Flet said:
I've attached a visual diagram of the hookup I used last night.
As I mentioned, I get a signal out of the the mixer, but it is in Mono despite having hooked up both Left and Right outs of the soundcard (M-Audio FireWire 410) to the Left and Right Line ins for channels 11/12. Why was it mono?
Click to expand...

The individual inputs (or returns or whatever) that you're using to bring audio into the mixer from the audio interface are probably panned center.

You'll get better quality recordings if you hook your interface up to the channel inserts, assuming it has inserts. That way you're just getting the pres from the board without all the EQ and other electronics. In general, the less hardware between the mic and the interface, the better. :D

To do that, you need a stereo 1/4" to dual 1/4" mono cable (or adapt other cables to serve that purpose).

Patch the stereo connector into the channel insert for channel 1. Patch the other end into channel 1 input and output. IIRC, left should go to the input and right should go to the output, but I may have it backwards. Hook up the input of the audio interface by itself first and see if you get audio when you tap on a mic. If not, you probably got the wrong one. Try the other side into the input. (It's better to hook an input to an input than to hook an output to an output.)

Repeat for channel 2, etc. up to the number of inputs on your interface.

If you don't have channel inserts, try skipping the mixer entirely for your output path. Patch the interface's outputs directly into the monitors. (I assume these are powered monitors.)

P.S. Next time, use a GIF file. You can get higher quality text in a smaller size that way. I can't read a single word of the text on the Mackie mixer to know how you have it hooked up.... :D
 
Thank you to those who posted and helped.

I've got it figured out. It was something stupid. I had all the cables connected properly. It had to do with a solo switch on the stereo channel being depressed as well as having all the MAIN, ALT3-4, and TAPE buttons depressed at the same time. Phew!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top