4 Track and 14 Channel Mixer hook up.

[Scooter B]

Thanks to everyone who has helped with my questions on my 4 track (unbalanced) limitations and the mixer/patchbay wiring decisions.

After reading the 1402 manual completely it appears to me that there would be some flexiblity benifit in routing the mixer in my signal chain.

Two of wich are the ability to blend (premix) several mic or DI sources before going to one channel of tape (this is not ideal for mixing I know but I only have 4 tracks before bouncing) AND a bass roll off pad (wich none of my mic's have).

So the plan now is to use the mixer along with a Joe Meek VCQ6 and DMP3 pre and an unbalanced patch bay.

When routing through the mixer my plan was to:

Mic/DI > mixer input > mixer out > 4 track using channel inserts for compressors and Aux sends to patchbay for effects.

The Mackie hook up manuel shows a different 4-track scheme you can see here at http://www.mackie.com/record/pdf/vlzproseries_hu.pdf
(and SKIP TO PAGE 4) but basically they recomend this:
Mic/DI inputs > mixer channels 1-4 > channel inserts > 4-track > back to mixer channels 5,7,9,11 (6,8,10 &12 are Stereo Right inputs) and the Aux sends and returns would be used the same.

As the Mackie manual was well written and seems well thought out to use multiple options I am assuming there are some benefits to using their somewhat more complicated wiring scheme...

Q1 What advantages are there with this?

Q2 How do I fit the compressors into this set up? I am guessing;

Mic/DI > Preamp > Comp before the mixer input as the inserts are being sent to the 4-track.

Thanks

 

[jake-owa]

The main advantage is a cleaner recorded signal due to less cuircutry in the signal path. Also, I don't see any direct channel outputs on that model.

If I were you I would use that patchbay by routing the insert in/outs to it in a normalled configureation. Then have the compressors in/outs and recorders in/outs on the patchbay in a non-normalled configuration. Then when you want to record a track with no compression just plug from the inserts output into the 4 track input. If you need compression just go -insert out to compressor in then compressor out to recorder in.

Patchbays are a godsend...use yours right and it will save you a lot of time and frustration.

 

[Scooter B]

Thanks Jake!

I have been using a 40 pt patchbay for a while and outgrew it even with a 4-track.

I now have 2 48 pt patchbays (1 balanced and 1 unbalanced) and the new mixer.

Unfortunatley the 16 track DAW I had planned on buying did not work out due to a referral bonus not coming through as expected.

Then I got bogged down in how to hook up my set up without the planned DAW but with the mixer available.

What I am confused about is not the inserts going straight to the 4-track but the return path to the board again for channels 5, 7, 9, and 11.

How does this signal get back to the 4-track?

 

[jake-owa]

I might be confused here but I don't think the signal you are talking about needs to get back to the four track.

You track by plugging a mic into a channel on the mixer say 1. Then you monitor the track on the mixer on channel 5.

A mix coming off the 4 track would be on mixer channels 5-9 which could be mastered on a two track device such as a tape deck or computer out of the stereo outs or tape outs on the mixer.

If I misunderstood let me know.

 

[Scooter B]

Thanks Jake,

No you were not confused..I was confused on why the 4 track was sending anything back to the mixer.

Up till now I have monitored through the 4-track and the 4-track was a "dead end" in the signal path until mixed to a 2-track master. The 4-track has two aux sends with two stereo returns so I also mixed via the four track.

I was not thinking in terms of monitoring and mixing via the mixer (duh) with channel 5,7,9 & 11....now it all makes sense.

One other thought....I don't know if I would ever need both the two Aux sends from the mixer and the two Aux sends from the 4-track with only 4-tracks to work with but it might give me some added flexibility as well.