Allen and Heath ZED6014 FX/usb /Skype integration

D

David English

New member
Hi,
I am 65 just retired and plan to do free online English conversation, just for occupation.
I have all new gear, the A&h desk, Yamaha hs5 monitor speakers, MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, Sennheiser 416 mic, AKG 3000b, dbx 286s, dbx231s, 2i2 Scarlett gen 3 interface, Beachtex micro pro plus camera preamp, Logitech stream cam. Panasonic FZ 300

I just bought a lefty Martin hd28 vintage re-issue which I will do home fun stuff recording, but for now I use this gear for Skype/Zoom/wechat video calls

Why is it when I plug the desk via its built in usb hub into the MacBook that the channel faders on the mic don't have any volume input effect, nor does channel gain button?.I can set this gain to fully left but the signal still goes through ok?
The st2/usb gain control and the main fader seem to control the output to the user at the other end of Skype, and when I monitor thought the headphones that volume in my ears doesn't match the gain levels that the receiver gets.
I have no idea if they can hear me until I ask them.

I have played around with the listen buttons and headphone button options but to no effect.
I sang quite successfully back in the day in pubs and bars and made a good living from it, enough o payoff an apartment in 5 years, so I know a little about live analogue sound.

I was contemplating just going from the desk into the Scarlett then into the MacBook so the volume knobs work, but the desk has no balanced line outs, only the rca monitor outputs.
the desk xlr main outputs maybe too much for the Scarlett unless I hit that -30 button at the back off the desk. I am not sure if I would have to zero all the gain controls on the desk, when I did it this way, the headphone outs from MacBook into the desk had too much gain for the desk. I do have a Hosa -10 to -30 attenuator which could run mono from left channel into the Scarlett but maybe this is arse about also.
I feel I am doing this slightly wrong, ANY HELP would be much appreciated and so gratefully received. I am doing the calls ok, but am wondering.
Basically how to monitor my own Skype levels that the students hear, all this gear is a bit overkill but it gives them better quality. Many thanks David
 
A couple of thoughts:

1 I understand that the USB output from the A&H is pre-fader and pre-EQ. I wouldn't have thought it would be pre-gain as well. That would explain why the faders have no effect on the level.

2 Going from mixer into Scarlett is a reasonable option that would give you control of the faders. However, you will be getting a line-level output from the mixer (whether you use RCA or XLR outs), so you would need to XLR to 6.5mm plug leads (or RCA to 6.5mm) to use the lineinput on the Scarlett.
 
Hi David, welcome to Bedlam.
Yeah, had bit of this in various forms. First USB mixers, they don't all work the same way in respect of the point they take the signal. I sent my son a Soundcraft 8FX, splendid wee mixer, 24 bits, quiet and handy(for him) 10 meg guitar friendly line inputs but, the USB signal is before just about everything so he could not EQ or even pan the signal being recorded.

The solution was similar to your suggestion, feed the AUDIO from the mixer to an AI. We used a Behringer UMC404HD. Lines out to lines in, all balanced.

The level problem we experienced years before. We were feeding the lines from a ZED 10 over 5mtrs of balanced XLR cable to an M-A 2496 card (two OEP 10k-10k bridging transformers at the M-A end).

The mixer delivers +4dBu for '0 vu' on its excellent LED meters but that level, ~1V is top end for the 2496 so I put some pots in the tin with the transformers to get +4dBu down to a signal that read about -18dBu.

How's your soldering capability?

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
Hi David, welcome to Bedlam.
Yeah, had bit of this in various forms. First USB mixers, they don't all work the same way in respect of the point they take the signal. I sent my son a Soundcraft 8FX, splendid wee mixer, 24 bits, quiet and handy(for him) 10 meg guitar friendly line inputs but, the USB signal is before just about everything so he could not EQ or even pan the signal being recorded.

The solution was similar to your suggestion, feed the AUDIO from the mixer to an AI. We used a Behringer UMC404HD. Lines out to lines in, all balanced.

The level problem we experienced years before. We were feeding the lines from a ZED 10 over 5mtrs of balanced XLR cable to an M-A 2496 card (two OEP 10k-10k bridging transformers at the M-A end).

The mixer delivers +4dBu for '0 vu' on its excellent LED meters but that level, ~1V is top end for the 2496 so I put some pots in the tin with the transformers to get +4dBu down to a signal that read about -18dBu.

How's your soldering capability?

Dave.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the replies, your statement is correct, a muso mate came over today and said thats strange but the usb does that, so if I use an xlr on the desk out to 1/4 balanced in to the Scarlett would I have to just set main fader to -20 or use a Hosa attenuator to reduce the input for line level, the Hosa has -10,-20 and -30 on the little device.
about my soldering, I was sitting in my bedroom back in the day, bought 100 metres of Belden cable, was soldering plugs one day, could find the soldering iron, moved backwards, sat on the hot iron, burned my arse and my mums carpet.
cheers guys and thanks for taking the time.
 
SO WE GOT IT THUS FAR TO FUNCTION.
With the desk usb connected to MacBook. the mic channel fader attenuation knob is set fully clockwise, moving it clockwise does nothing, BUT the mic channel fader indeed does work, it seems to control the volume level TO the person on the other end of the Skype call, THE ST 2 channel fader seems to control the feed from the call receiver to my headphones.

I can further increase the input sound to my headphones from the desk by turning up the desk headphone vol. knob.

the sound level does not register in the input meter in the MacBook system preferences sound panel, they only seems to register the audio input from the MacBook mic. both the desk usb and the Scarlett gave a ''no audio signal from ext. device'' message. also disconnecting the MacBook headphone output cables works for sound to go from the from caller to recipient.

I have two computers plugged into the desk, left and right from each computers headphone out as I like to listen to YouTube through the monitor speakers, but removing this signal loop her when the receiver could not hear my sound on Skype worked. we called my computer to my iPad and checked the connections and sound levels. strange. you have to move the faders up and down at the same time asking the recipient if the sound is lower or higher on all the faders. many thanks
 
David, I cannot help but think some of your problems are caused by the very basic nature of the F'rtite Solo?

The AI does not even have balanced line inputs. Had you almost any other AI you could run the A&H to it using XLR to TRS cables. Yes the signal might be too hot and yes, you could use the 30dB 'mic' level button but then that might be TOO low for the line inputs. You can however get XLR balanced line attenuators, 15 or 20dB should suit.

Dave.
 
David English said:
the sound level does not register in the input meter in the MacBook system preferences sound panel, they only seems to register the audio input from the MacBook mic.
Click to expand...

The sound pane in System Preferences has effects/input/output tabs.
You'd need to select your mixer in the input tab in order for MacOS to use it as system input and, therefore, show input levels on its meter.
You probably shouldn't have to do that, though, as Skype and any recording software should have its own separate I/O hardware selection options.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top