Help with Alesis Multi-Mix 8 USB and cassette tapes

Hailwood1965

New member
Hi everyone

I'm at best a shade tree audio guy. I think I remember downloading the first version of what became cooledit on Compuserve a long LONG time ago. I still use it on a windows box. I def remember upgrading to CoolEdit 2000 when it came out.

Anyway, currently on a Mac. I have 10 years of audio interview cassettes I'd like to digitizie

So I am using my old handheld cassette recorder to play the cassettes.

Then via line in to the Alesis Multi-Mix 8 USB. I'm only using one input. Then the USB output into the iMac.

Okay, so I get sound into the computer but the speed of the voices is like an LSD trip. Very very slooooooooow on playback.

The mixer perplexes me. I still don't understand and don't know if I ever will.

Does anyone know which setting on the mixer would cause the output audio to be so slow?

I tested the same tape and tape player without the mixer into the computer and it recorded in normal time, voices recorded normally (but with a ton of hiss).

Any suggestions? I'm going to try and upload some pictures of the mixing board itself.

Thanks. Glad I found this resource.

Dean
 

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Hi,
Can you tell us the model of the cassette recorder/player that was used to make the recordings, and of the one you're currently using for playback?
Also, what's the name of the software you're using to record?

Are you able to confirm, with a pair of headphones directly into the cassette player, that playback is happening at the correct speed?

Is is possible to have playback speed issues in the digital realm, but it's more likely the tapes were made on a recorder that runs faster than your current cassette player.

Nothing in the mixer will have an affect on recording/playback speed.

Also, and this isn't really relevant to the issue, if your tapes were recorded in stereo you should try to find a way to get left and right into the mixer separately, using two channels.
If they're just straight-up mono voice recordings, that doesn't really matter.
 
Hi

Thanks for the message.

GE cassette player model 3-5366a



Software: Audacity.

Headphones confirm that playback is at normal speed from the player. I believe that the cassettes were recorded on this device as well. Pretty sure it recorded in mono.



Hi,
Can you tell us the model of the cassette recorder/player that was used to make the recordings, and of the one you're currently using for playback?
Also, what's the name of the software you're using to record?

Are you able to confirm, with a pair of headphones directly into the cassette player, that playback is happening at the correct speed?

Is is possible to have playback speed issues in the digital realm, but it's more likely the tapes were made on a recorder that runs faster than your current cassette player.

Nothing in the mixer will have an affect on recording/playback speed.

Also, and this isn't really relevant to the issue, if your tapes were recorded in stereo you should try to find a way to get left and right into the mixer separately, using two channels.
If they're just straight-up mono voice recordings, that doesn't really matter.
 
Headphones confirm that playback is at normal speed from the player. I believe that the cassettes were recorded on this device as well. Pretty sure it recorded in mono.

Thanks.
That being the case, I'd say there's something funny going on with sample rates.

Looks like you're recording through the mixer but listening back afterwards via built in audio?

If that's right, make sure the sample rates are the same for both devices.

Go into Audio/Midi setup (found in Utilities folder, or via spotlight), and choose your USB mixer in the left side pane.
Make sure that sample rate, and any other options offered, are set the same under input and output tab.
Now go to "Built-in Output" in the left pane and make sure it's set the same too.

Finally, if Audacity is open quit it and reopen. In Audacity's device settings, make sure the USB mixer is selected for recording and for playback.

Let me know if that doesn't change anything and, if I was wrong, how you're monitoring.
 
Hi

I have adjusted everything to 48 and the problem persists. Here are some screen grabs of my set up, from Audacity to MIDI set up. Anyone see anything wrong?

Thanks

Dean


IMG_1530.JPGIMG_1531.JPGIMG_1532.JPGIMG_1528.JPG


Thanks.
That being the case, I'd say there's something funny going on with sample rates.

Looks like you're recording through the mixer but listening back afterwards via built in audio?

If that's right, make sure the sample rates are the same for both devices.

Go into Audio/Midi setup (found in Utilities folder, or via spotlight), and choose your USB mixer in the left side pane.
Make sure that sample rate, and any other options offered, are set the same under input and output tab.
Now go to "Built-in Output" in the left pane and make sure it's set the same too.

Finally, if Audacity is open quit it and reopen. In Audacity's device settings, make sure the USB mixer is selected for recording and for playback.

Let me know if that doesn't change anything and, if I was wrong, how you're monitoring.
 
Also, swapped to a different tape ... same slow talking when recorded into audacity and played through the headphones on the iMac. Dang!
 
Shouldn't make a difference, I don't think, but set the Built-in Output to 2ch 16 bit @ 48, just to match the USB device.

Your images don't show Settings for 'USB Audio CODEC' : The one with '2 outs'.
I know you're not presently using the mixer as an output device, but set it the same as everything else anyway.

If the problem persists I'd tell Audacity to use the USB mixer for input and output, and plug your headphones into the mixer, for testing if nothing else.

Edit : It looks like Audacity lets you set sample rate per-track, regardless of the device settings.
Seems unusual, but make sure that's 48k too.

You can also set the defaults in Audacity Preferences->Quality
 
Yes, has to be a sample rate mismatch.

Now, Audacity is a very handy free untility but one drawback is that it only saves to its own format unless you tell it otherwise, if you want to archive as .wav for example you must "export as".
BTW even if the tapes are mono it is still worth while in my view to record them in double mono then you get the phantom image in the centre of speakers or cans.

Dave.
 
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