Greetings, All! Returning to composition and recording (3rd....er, 4th...) trip on this journey. Every time the technology shifts, but the music in my head just keeps compelling me to do something about it. Some decent experience with sequencing, lot of composing (old-school....pencil & score paper, and sequencing), and lots of performing (previous life as a pro....left the road about 20 years ago, so studio only since then..). Will be looking for experiences with getting up to speed on DAWs, tips and tricks, incorporating older tech (MIDI, sequencers, etc.) into a modern home studio, and lots of feedback on good and bad ideas I have ;-) !! Really gratified to find this forum! Cheers!
New Members: Introduce Yourself Here!
- Thread starter arcadeko
- Start date
sanjeev verma
New member
hi Guys,
i am sanjeev. I am new to this forum.
Needing your help a bit. I am using Xenyx 1622usb mixer as interface for recording with Cubase. While recording i can hear from the monitors and Headphnes but when i try to listen to my recorded stuff i cannot hear on my headphone despite switching the Cntrl room button. Please advise what have i missed!!
i am sanjeev. I am new to this forum.
Needing your help a bit. I am using Xenyx 1622usb mixer as interface for recording with Cubase. While recording i can hear from the monitors and Headphnes but when i try to listen to my recorded stuff i cannot hear on my headphone despite switching the Cntrl room button. Please advise what have i missed!!
jimmys69
MOODerator
Welcome.
Not familiar with the mixer but there is usually a button to hear back input from an outside source or at least the computer input if you have the drivers setup. Wait, I think the Zed may only be ASIOFor All. IDK. It should work for you if using the correct driver. Though you are dealing with really cheap gear.
Not to offend, but you are likely leaving yourself with little options with a mixer at that price range.
Get an decent interface would be my opinion. Though I do not have time to investigate right now, I wish you the best.
Hi Sanjeev and welcome.
I am pretty sure you have not set Windows Sound Devices such that the mixer is the default playback device?
Start btm right, the chevons by the clock. Left clk then R clk on the speaker icon gets you to something like the attached.
The picture shows a UCA202 as default device but you will look for your mixer. Set play Level to MAX but REC level needs some discussion... The mixer is a 16 bit converter, the "16 bits" would not be SO bad but all these Generation One mixers suffered noise and the way to greatly reduce it is to set REC level very low. It is normally set to 100% but knock it back to 5% (yes FIVE, not a typo!) and give that a go. The mixer also only records a stereo signal. Many people think these devices are multi-track? Sorry, not so.
As Jimmys said, for best results an Audio Interface is the way to go. The mixer CAN give very acceptable results for loudish sources, live music for instance where there is always a background "buzz". For really clean speech recording however it will prove disappointing.
Note..IF an AI is a possible future purchase and you are keeping the mixer (and you should IMHO) look for one with two mic inputs AND two further "line" inputs (NI KA6, Focusrite 6i6, many others). Such an AI will allow use of the mixer to give a total of 4 recorded tracks.
Dave.
I am pretty sure you have not set Windows Sound Devices such that the mixer is the default playback device?
Start btm right, the chevons by the clock. Left clk then R clk on the speaker icon gets you to something like the attached.
The picture shows a UCA202 as default device but you will look for your mixer. Set play Level to MAX but REC level needs some discussion... The mixer is a 16 bit converter, the "16 bits" would not be SO bad but all these Generation One mixers suffered noise and the way to greatly reduce it is to set REC level very low. It is normally set to 100% but knock it back to 5% (yes FIVE, not a typo!) and give that a go. The mixer also only records a stereo signal. Many people think these devices are multi-track? Sorry, not so.
As Jimmys said, for best results an Audio Interface is the way to go. The mixer CAN give very acceptable results for loudish sources, live music for instance where there is always a background "buzz". For really clean speech recording however it will prove disappointing.
Note..IF an AI is a possible future purchase and you are keeping the mixer (and you should IMHO) look for one with two mic inputs AND two further "line" inputs (NI KA6, Focusrite 6i6, many others). Such an AI will allow use of the mixer to give a total of 4 recorded tracks.
Dave.
Attachments
nethanpaul
New member
Hello everyone. I am new here and love music. I am a guitarist also. We will have great discussion about music.
Test Point
New member
Well, I guess after 14 years of being a member here and never posting anything, it’s about time. I have been a musician for over 58 years (I started playing music when I was 4) and been an electronics tech for 40ish years, owning my own pro sound repair business for about 20 years. I got out of the full time aspect of it but do still service friends amps and a couple of music stores stuff when they get in a jam.
I have done a little recording over the years but nothing serious...mostly off the board stuff when whatever band I was in at the time was gigging out. I always left the “real” recording to the pros.
That all changed a few weeks ago when a good friend of mine gave me a decked out Tascam DM-3200...only thing wrong with it is the display is wacked out, fairly typical problem on these...I just ordered a 2seemy board (allows what is on the display to be seen on an external VGA monitor) for it and anxiously waiting it’s arrival.
I hope to learn a lot here.
I have done a little recording over the years but nothing serious...mostly off the board stuff when whatever band I was in at the time was gigging out. I always left the “real” recording to the pros.
That all changed a few weeks ago when a good friend of mine gave me a decked out Tascam DM-3200...only thing wrong with it is the display is wacked out, fairly typical problem on these...I just ordered a 2seemy board (allows what is on the display to be seen on an external VGA monitor) for it and anxiously waiting it’s arrival.
I hope to learn a lot here.
Last edited:
Howdy - I'm an at-home intermediate guitar player, know VERY basic keys, heavily influenced by 70's prog and fusion, currently listen to alot of streaming ambient. I gave up guitar for 20+ years, but started back again a few years ago. I'm interested in doing some recording with guitar and keys (as pads), really just for fun and maybe to soundtrack some vacation photo-videos of my wife and my trips to the UK (we're part-time Anglophiles - castles and cathedrals and 'the old bits'...). I'm nearing retirement so I'm not interested in going really equipment frenzied (and I don't have room for it anyway...), but looking forward to joining this community and learning a tip or two or three.
Thanks and cheers from Colorado !
Thanks and cheers from Colorado !
Hi Test Point and welcome from another old tech (but one that no longer plays) Found this..Tascam DM3200 |
Quite a box of tricks that! Have you got the Fire Wire card option? If so good but then do you have a mac? If not FW is virtually gone from PCs these days. Gone from macs too but there is a kludge with a TB adaptor, pricey mind and TB is rare on PCs atmo.
If you don't have the FW card how will you interface it with a computer pray?
Where in the world are you TP?
Dave.
Quite a box of tricks that! Have you got the Fire Wire card option? If so good but then do you have a mac? If not FW is virtually gone from PCs these days. Gone from macs too but there is a kludge with a TB adaptor, pricey mind and TB is rare on PCs atmo.
If you don't have the FW card how will you interface it with a computer pray?
Where in the world are you TP?
Dave.
And good cheer from UK (Northampton England. Nothing to see here except perhaps the Lift Test Tower!)
If you were looking into suitable recording gear the Sound Devices Mix 3 and bigger get a very good rep'. Google for them reviewed in Sound on Sound. There are cheaper options from Zoom and now Marantz, very good it seems but not quite the fabo pre amps of the SDs.
These are basically portable recorders but can work as excellent home based AIs as well.
Dave.
Cheers, Dave (I'm also Dave...) I'll look at your recommendations indeed.
I have an old online friend who lives in Northampton - but alas, have never been that way. Lots of Northumberland, Cumbria, East Anglia, York (!), Herefordshire, Shropshire, and a bit of Wales. We're coming back in Aug for our sixth trip, southwest this time. (UK motorists, beware !!!!
)Hi Dave! Spotted you over in the other section.
Yes, the 2i2 is a nice little interface (never had one, do have a 8i6) but nothing remarkable. F'rite have a remarkable marketing dept!
I tend to recomment the Steinberg UR22,money much the same as 2i2 but MIDI ports and Cubase Lite. A more versatile interface that I own and (always!) recommend is the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6. But there is no doubt that the S D recorders are hard to beat for a portable machine.
And...DO NOT worry about posting questions!! There are no silly questions, just people who might say so.
Oh and BTW do remember, we drive on the LEFT?
Dave.
Yes, the 2i2 is a nice little interface (never had one, do have a 8i6) but nothing remarkable. F'rite have a remarkable marketing dept!
I tend to recomment the Steinberg UR22,money much the same as 2i2 but MIDI ports and Cubase Lite. A more versatile interface that I own and (always!) recommend is the Native Instruments Komplete Audio 6. But there is no doubt that the S D recorders are hard to beat for a portable machine.
And...DO NOT worry about posting questions!! There are no silly questions, just people who might say so.
Oh and BTW do remember, we drive on the LEFT?
Dave.
Test Point
New member
Hey ecc83 (12ax7
)...Nice to meet you. I hail from New Hampshire in the US. I’ve lived here all of my 62 years except 6 years I was in the navy...I do have the FireWire option and the PC I am using also has a FW card installed installed. So far as I can tell, everything is talking to each other. As soon as I get my video card for the 3200 and install it, I will start trying to figure out how record on this. As far as the computer goes, I’m not really a Mac guy except for the IPad Air II that I am using writing this. I’ve used PCs since the 80’s, even before windows so very comfortable with them.
Thanks Dave ! I'll look at the Steinberg. So much to learn about all this - I picked up a Bluetooth midi controller a couple of years ago, but now realize that my main desktop PC doesn't have Bluetooth...so either I find a USB cable that will work, or I do all this on my Surface Pro III. (grumble...)
And not to worry - we've rented cars on all our prior trips and I've logged well north of 6000 road miles so far in the UK. (Only been flipped off once - that was in Chepstow...)
As long as my SatNav keeps me out of the Magic Roundabouts (Swindon !!!), we'll all be safe !
Cheers !
And not to worry - we've rented cars on all our prior trips and I've logged well north of 6000 road miles so far in the UK. (Only been flipped off once - that was in Chepstow...)
As long as my SatNav keeps me out of the Magic Roundabouts (Swindon !!!), we'll all be safe !
Cheers !
TheMadHetter
New member
Hello, my names Chris. My friends and I have been talking about recording music for what seems like years. I recently decided that I'm going to make it in my house, so I've been saving money. I'm happy to be here!
--Chris
--Chris
jimmys69
MOODerator
Splodgeness
New member
Hi everybody........ I stumbled across this site from a guitar forum..........
I've been playing and recording in one way shape or form for the past 45 years........ I think I'm starting to improve now
I've been playing and recording in one way shape or form for the past 45 years........ I think I'm starting to improve now
Hi ya'll! I am an old newcomer 
I started as an electronic tech for an audiophile in 1963 and spent the next 50 years in various branches of electronics before retiring in 2012.
I have always had an interest in recording, primarily when working for a high-end audio shop and having access to excellent equipment, but now I squeak by on what is left over from my pension cheque LOL! Now I am just exploring dreams.
I started as an electronic tech for an audiophile in 1963 and spent the next 50 years in various branches of electronics before retiring in 2012.
I have always had an interest in recording, primarily when working for a high-end audio shop and having access to excellent equipment, but now I squeak by on what is left over from my pension cheque LOL! Now I am just exploring dreams.
Verteparis
New member
Hey there, I'm new here. So, I really like making electronic music (even though my experience level is only 4 years Im trying to improve my skills) and I play the piano aswell.. Hope to find friends here to share music 
D
D