behringer eurorack help

  • Thread starter Thread starter Doug H
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Doug H

Doug H

I'll be there
I've got an 8202a and it's really pissing me off. Aside from adding more white noise that I thought was possible, it clips at the slightest provocation without any indication from the leds.

There are three places where it can clip. The gain, preamp and main output. I turn both the pre and gain to about 8 (so the tthe red lights don't flash) because it seems to me that most of the noise is coming from the master out. I'm using an sm57. I was getting better results recording with the built in pre on my old montego II sound card than I am getting now.

Does anyone know how to get the best out of this board?
 
first off, i assume yo umean the mx802a, not the 8202 - because i dont think there is one. ha

i have this mixer, and it is not nearly as bad as it is for you....so i assume you are going about it the wrong way.

the "level" and "main mix" knobs should always start at "0", pointing STRAIGHT UP - you'll feel a little grove when you hit the middle spot.

at the top of whichever you have your mic into, you'll see the pre-amp gain - set that until you see your LED's (far right) at a decent level...without clipping. Also, when you get to adding more mics - you can see individual mic clips by thier "level" knobs (although they shouldn't clip if you already set them correctly)....and then you can set the mix decently by changing each track's level knobs.


I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY suggest reading the manual. It tells a very simple and easy explanation for getting the right levels with multiple mics. READ THAT - and UNDERSTAND you're board. its only like 15 pages long if i remember correctly, and there are a lot of pictures, etc...ha.

if you want, you can even read it online.
http://www.behringer.com/02_products/prodindex.cfm?id=MX802A&lang=eng
 
This to me sounds like a problem with operating levels.

If your soundcard uses a -10 operating level, and your mixer is outputting a +4 signal, you will get distortion QUITE easily, even when NOTHING is showing clipping.

Check to see if the Behringer is outputting +4 on the outputs you are using, and of course check to see what operating level the soundcard works at. More than likely, you are going to find that this is your problem.

You could of course have a bad mixer too! That IS a cheapy mixer, and Behringer has had a history of defective products shipping out.

Good luck.

Ed
 
Also, if you are still using that Montego soundcard? If so, you don't have the line out of the mixer hooked up to the mic in on the soundcard do you? If so, well, there is your problem. The line level output from the console would be WAY too hot for the mic input on the soundcard. It would distort and create a LOT of "white noise" like you are saying it does.

Ed
 
I'm using an audiophile 2496. The -10 thing is not checked (ie it's set to consumer). I have no idea if the mixer is set to plus 4 or not. I skimmed thorugh the manual when I got it, i'm going to take a closer read again tonite.

Thanks for the replies
 
Yes, the 802A does begin to squash/splatter things before you get to 0 on the meter, especially things with high peaks like drums and bass. Keep your level/mainmix pots at 12:00 and adjust your level with the gain. If it's still too hot with the gain fully counter-clockwise then turn the level down. If it's still clipping then your overloading the preamp. You'll have to either turn your source down, back your mic off or run an in-line pad.

Yeah it's a cheap little mixer, but as long as you run your gain structure properly you should be able to get a decent recording.
 
I think tthe audiophile must expect -10 inputs, because most of the the recordngs I've been doing are way too hot even though the leds on the mixer are showing < 0db. I think Im going to put a piece of tape at -10db on the mixer.

shackrock
Thanks, i've reread the manual and am going to leave the volume faders flat and just use the channel gain to set the levels now.
 
no problem, and may i also just say that if you are using the LINE OUT (RCA plugs), i think it is a consumer level lline out, or maybe -10...check the manual though.

the "MAIN OUT"'s, which are 1/4" plugs....those ARE +4 pro.
 
i've never had a problem with the board........it's what i use, and my only clipping problems were with my old soundcard......maybe you should try a new card.........i have the delta 44 and haven't clipped once
 
I've noticed that the LED meters on my 802a bear little relation to reality. My friend's larger Behringer has the same problem. I wouldn't rely on them (the meters) too heavily.
 
agreed, just watch for actually clippping...and more importantly LISTEN for it.

and watch the software monitors too.
 
Solved the problem.

I was driving the output way to hard trying to avoid background hiss, which had the opposite effect since I was clipping the signal volume anyhow. The problem was that all 6 channels were sitting with their volumes at 12:00, and mono 1, which I wasn't currently using, had the gain maxed out. Once I set everything not used to -infinity the signal cleaned up %1000.

I was a liitle worried there for a while (phew).

I tried a few combinations to see if I could isolate the culprit without success. It seems to be when all channels are open.

I use the quarter inch outs, and ya, the leds on the main bus are more like vaugue suggestions. That I can live with. I'm sure, in my case, it's a mismatch between the delta and the behringer. Neither seems to have a +4/-10 switch for their respective input/output.


Thanks for all the help :).
 
If you go into the hardware settings of the control panel in your delta, you'll find the +4/-10db settings for each channel of the delta.

chris
 
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