Mixer to audio interface strange questions

[Bluejuly]

A good day to all from South Africa.

So hopefully this has not been posted somewhere and im just re asking the same question as i couldnt find something similar in the search.
The equipment we have availible to us is very limited as we have an almost zero budget so they were pieced together as best we could.

We have a Dixon CS-400M audio interface which looks very similar to most 4 channel chinese audio interfaces. It has 2 mic/line inputs on their own channel and 2 1/4inch inputs with an rca input and output (switchable) on a seperate channel.
As for the mixer it is a Rocksonic DM-8005D 6ch powered mixer.
I know these brands may not pop up on many searches and will probably not be known to almost anybody on here.
The sound quality on both are pretty good on dynamic mics and very good on the audio interface with a condencer mic but using the rca lines on both causes distortion while recording for some reason even at very low levels. My question would be should i use the 1/4 inch stereo output from the mixer to the 1/4inch input on the audio interface or the xlr stereo output from the mixer to the xlr inputs(mic/line inputs 1&2) on the audio interface for better sound quality between the two devices?

The mixer is used more for live performances and we want to use it to record a drumset with more than just the condenser mic. Any help or advice would be appreciated as we can not afford any other equipment for quite a while to come still.

 

[gecko zzed]

I would try going from RCA out on mixer to 1/4 inch inputs.

 

[Bluejuly]

Ill try those first then.
Would it be safe to run from the stereo xlr outputs to the mic/line input though?

 

[gecko zzed]

My initial thought is that it would not be safe. That's because the XLR output of a mixer is at line level, whereas the XLR input of the interface would be at mike level, and so the incoming line level signal is going to be too hot. However, it depends on the interface.

Also you could go XLR out of mixer to TRS jacks into mic/line input, because the TRS inputs would be expecting line level.

 

[keith.rogers]

Echoing [MENTION=45599]gecko zzed[/MENTION], I would try using XLR->TRS cables into the (1/4" part) combo XLR. Using an output that has a fader on it might help, in case the mixer line level is "pro" and the interface is only set up for a "consumer" level. (A friend encountered that using RCA outs of a Mackie mixer into a digital recorder - worked fine with his Yamaha mixer, but distorted with the Mackie.)