Firewire 1814 users: How are you recording drums?

  • Thread starter Thread starter fris9
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fris9

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Just wanted to see how others are doing it since I seem to be the only one having sound issues with the rear inputs when recording multiple channels at once.
 
could it be a balanced/unbalanced thing??

Are you using TRS cables or just TS (guitar) cables?
 
I guess I need to educate myself more on that....I've used both I think....is a standard mic cable balanced? I've used those with a xlr to 1/4 converter and I've used a standard 1/4 to 1/4 instrument cable
 
Okay, can you just walk through your whole setup for what you're trying to do? What hooks up to what etc?
 
Ok.....When I'm recording drums:

Since the front XLR's sound better, I'm recording snare and kick on the front, from the Mackie board. I'm using 1/4 cables from the insert jack on the Mackie to the inputs on the front. It sounds great. For the overheads, I'm doing the same setup except I'm going from the Mackie inserts to the 2 1/4 jacks on the back. FYI, I've tried different combos of all the mics and get the same results.

On the mackie I'm plugging it in halfway on the insert so it "sends". Does that make a difference? sorry, again, I"m a novice here....

Just another thought....I figured that maybe since I was doing it that way from the Mackie that maybe there wasn't any pre going to the 1/4 rear inputs. So I tried doing it through the UA610, going out of that with a XLR to 1/4. Same result.
 
How does the front sound compared to the back if you just plug a mic straight into the xlr input on the front?

Those front inputs are preamps. It doesn't look like there is a way to bypass these, so when you're going from the mackie to the front input, you're amping it twice. This will colour the sound more and make it sound different than the back inputs.

As far as I can tell, thats the issue, or your 1814 is messed up. Have you called m-audio to ask them whats up?
 
I wrote an email to them but then my Mac crashed. Hopefully I'll have it this weekend so keep trying things. I can understand the double amped thing, but if it's SUPPOSED to sound like the rear inputs, I can't see how that's right.
 
fris9 said:
Since the front XLR's sound better, I'm recording snare and kick on the front, from the Mackie board. I'm using 1/4 cables from the insert jack on the Mackie to the inputs on the front. It sounds great. For the overheads, I'm doing the same setup except I'm going from the Mackie inserts to the 2 1/4 jacks on the back. FYI, I've tried different combos of all the mics and get the same results.
Click to expand...

I can't find any place where you tell us what those "same results" are, though. "Sound issues" isn't very descriptive. :D
 
Sorry, I've had a few different threads where I've described it. The sound is thinner from the rear inputs, almost sounds like there's no pre kicking in.
 
There's one less pre kicking in than in your signal chain for the front inputs.
 
Same Problem

Hi, I'm sort of having the same issue.. I have a PreSonus FireMobile with 2 front XLR/1/4" unputs and 6 1/4" line inputs on the back. I bought a set of XLR to 1/4" cables so i could mic up my entire set. Whenever I record something, almost nothing can be seen on the audio wave on the back inputs and it doesn't sound right. (I have my 2 overhead condenser mics on the front 2 inputs because they need power, and the bass drum, toms, and snare all in the back). Any ideas?
 
I use channels 1-8 on my mackie 1604, then go from the direct outs of the mackie to the 8 1/4" inputs on the back of the 1814. Works pretty well, but i just got a Presonus Digimax FS connected to the 1814 vie ADAT which sounds a lot better. So i recommend something like that, but I've never had any issues with the Mackie/1814.
 
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