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As described from Musician's Friend
Pro quality in an ultra-compact mixer!
The MX602A is only 6-1/4" wide and 8-1/4" deep yet it provides 6 channels and 2 buses, and performs with an audio quality equal to the MX9000, mainly because it has the same discrete mic pre-amps and extremely low-noise ULN circuitry. It offers 6 total channels, 2 mono inputs, 2 stereo inputs, 2 mic pre-amps, 3-band EQ on all channels, one aux send, one stereo aux return, phantom power, and stereo input/output.
Here's what it should really say....
Pro quality in an ultra-compact mixer... only if you don't know shit about gear!
The MX602A is only 6-1/4" wide and 8-1/4" deep yet it provides 6 channels (Two are mono; the other four are from two stereo inputs) and 2 buses, (A fancy word for a main line for all wires to connect to) and performs with an audio quality equal to the MX9000, mainly because it has the same discrete (discount) mic pre-amps and extremely low-noise ULN circuitry. (When I run a search on Yahoo! for ULN Circuitry excluding the words "Behringer" and "Eurorack" and it links me to a site that links to the MX9000! ULN really means Ultra-Low Noise... and it is something the Eurorack doesn't have. I don't see anything that offers ULN in the schematics ESPECIALLY since ALL of it's outputs are unbalanced!) It offers 6 total channels, (you already said this) 2 mono inputs, 2 stereo inputs, 2 mic pre-amps, 3-band EQ (The EQ affects signal coming from the mic/line in and since the majority of you use this piece of crap as a preamp, YOU DON'T EQ TO THE RECORDING ANYWAYS!!) on all channels, one (unbalanced mono) aux send, one stereo aux return, phantom power, and stereo input/(unbalanced) output.
So what's wrong this thing? Well, for starters, ALL of it's outputs are unbalanced!
This means that the ground drain from all of your electronic equipment on the same circuit, or your house, or apartment building, or even sometimes your entire housing community will now be running into your audio signal! This is BAD for sound cards that offer a single input such as the typical stock sound card that comes with computers because they input and output stereo signal through a single TRS cable. The sound card expects the left signal on the tip and the right signal on the ring, however, because Eurorack is unbalanced, your poor sound card will be receiving -3db of the original signal on the tip and the ground on the ring! And since most people use both outputs, you've now increased your ground signal by +3db! (doubling it!) Isn't the Eurorack great!
Now all of this negativity doesn't apply to a sound card that has unbalanced mono ins such as the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. In fact, it appears as if the Audiophile has been specifically built to complement this pile of garbage. The Audiophile's inputs are RCA (unbalanced mono) allowing the signal coming out of the Eurorack to go directly where it's supposed to go, and sending the ground hum to the ground of the card. If you wish to really use the Eurorack MX602A, I would heavily recommend using it with the Audiophile 2496 to maximize quality.
Many mixers do this (Even the big SSL 9000 consoles that cost a $1 million+) with their pan pots. They sum the signal from the mic into a single signal and then split the signal into a right and left signal. If the output was balanced, I wouldn't have any problem with this, however, since the Eurorack is completely unbalanced, this makes it very bad. For the reasons stated earlier about ground hum, dividing the signal to go on two busses that eventually run out of two unbalanced jacks is a very sloppy way to do anything.
And if you need a third reason, then it's the EQ section. The signal will always run through it even if you are not using it. This is known to harm the signal and many mixers above the pro-sumer level must have the EQ engaged manually to use it. The only reason this device is as popular as it is in the online community is the fact that it is the cheapest thing that will get your condenser mic working without having to wire your own phantom power supply or research what exactly phantom power means. So, I shall present to you first a device that does exactly what this does and does it correctly for around the same price range with all of the simplicity and directness of a mic preamp: I recommend to you the PreSonus TUBEPre Amp. It's retail price is available at $120.00, however, at Musician's Friend, it is often kept in the $100 range. It is XLR in and out with a single gain knob, a built in 80hz roll-off, variable drive (tube distortion), a pad, and a phase switch. This preamp is highly not recommended for other instruments or keyboards unless you like to experiment, however, for mics, it will surpass in quality, ease of setup, and overall result then the Eurocrap.. errr.. Rack.
Now for you poor souls that just spend a whole $60 or so bucks purchasing this, 1.) I'm sorry you didn't read this article sooner and 2.) Fear not, for I shall teach you how to cheat the Eurorack system to get the quality you need! This tutorial only applies to people using sound cards that have a single balanced input that accepts left signal on the tip and right signal on the ring. (This process will not work with the Delta 44 or the Digi 002.)
1.) Make sure the +48v is not engaged and plug your mic either Channel 1 or 2 into the Eurorack.
2.) Plug a 1/4th TRS to 1/4th TRS from the Main Out L into your sound card. (The Main Out R, Tape In, and Tape Out is totally not needed for this process)
3.) Set the Gain of the channel you are using to -10.
4.) Set all of the EQs of the channel you are using to 0... and never touch them again.
5.) If you are not using outboard gear, set the Aux of the channel you are using to -Infinity.
6.) Set the Pan of the channel you are using all the way to the left.
7.) Set the Level of the channel you are using to 0. (Unity)
8.) Press the +48v button.
9.) Set the Pan of the channel you are using all the way to the left.
10.) If you are not using outboard gear, set the Aux Return to -Infinity.
11.) Set the Main Max to 0.
or just read it from his site
http://63.99.109.114/news.php?id=64
Pro quality in an ultra-compact mixer!
The MX602A is only 6-1/4" wide and 8-1/4" deep yet it provides 6 channels and 2 buses, and performs with an audio quality equal to the MX9000, mainly because it has the same discrete mic pre-amps and extremely low-noise ULN circuitry. It offers 6 total channels, 2 mono inputs, 2 stereo inputs, 2 mic pre-amps, 3-band EQ on all channels, one aux send, one stereo aux return, phantom power, and stereo input/output.
Here's what it should really say....
Pro quality in an ultra-compact mixer... only if you don't know shit about gear!
The MX602A is only 6-1/4" wide and 8-1/4" deep yet it provides 6 channels (Two are mono; the other four are from two stereo inputs) and 2 buses, (A fancy word for a main line for all wires to connect to) and performs with an audio quality equal to the MX9000, mainly because it has the same discrete (discount) mic pre-amps and extremely low-noise ULN circuitry. (When I run a search on Yahoo! for ULN Circuitry excluding the words "Behringer" and "Eurorack" and it links me to a site that links to the MX9000! ULN really means Ultra-Low Noise... and it is something the Eurorack doesn't have. I don't see anything that offers ULN in the schematics ESPECIALLY since ALL of it's outputs are unbalanced!) It offers 6 total channels, (you already said this) 2 mono inputs, 2 stereo inputs, 2 mic pre-amps, 3-band EQ (The EQ affects signal coming from the mic/line in and since the majority of you use this piece of crap as a preamp, YOU DON'T EQ TO THE RECORDING ANYWAYS!!) on all channels, one (unbalanced mono) aux send, one stereo aux return, phantom power, and stereo input/(unbalanced) output.
So what's wrong this thing? Well, for starters, ALL of it's outputs are unbalanced!
This means that the ground drain from all of your electronic equipment on the same circuit, or your house, or apartment building, or even sometimes your entire housing community will now be running into your audio signal! This is BAD for sound cards that offer a single input such as the typical stock sound card that comes with computers because they input and output stereo signal through a single TRS cable. The sound card expects the left signal on the tip and the right signal on the ring, however, because Eurorack is unbalanced, your poor sound card will be receiving -3db of the original signal on the tip and the ground on the ring! And since most people use both outputs, you've now increased your ground signal by +3db! (doubling it!) Isn't the Eurorack great!
Now all of this negativity doesn't apply to a sound card that has unbalanced mono ins such as the M-Audio Audiophile 2496. In fact, it appears as if the Audiophile has been specifically built to complement this pile of garbage. The Audiophile's inputs are RCA (unbalanced mono) allowing the signal coming out of the Eurorack to go directly where it's supposed to go, and sending the ground hum to the ground of the card. If you wish to really use the Eurorack MX602A, I would heavily recommend using it with the Audiophile 2496 to maximize quality.
Many mixers do this (Even the big SSL 9000 consoles that cost a $1 million+) with their pan pots. They sum the signal from the mic into a single signal and then split the signal into a right and left signal. If the output was balanced, I wouldn't have any problem with this, however, since the Eurorack is completely unbalanced, this makes it very bad. For the reasons stated earlier about ground hum, dividing the signal to go on two busses that eventually run out of two unbalanced jacks is a very sloppy way to do anything.
And if you need a third reason, then it's the EQ section. The signal will always run through it even if you are not using it. This is known to harm the signal and many mixers above the pro-sumer level must have the EQ engaged manually to use it. The only reason this device is as popular as it is in the online community is the fact that it is the cheapest thing that will get your condenser mic working without having to wire your own phantom power supply or research what exactly phantom power means. So, I shall present to you first a device that does exactly what this does and does it correctly for around the same price range with all of the simplicity and directness of a mic preamp: I recommend to you the PreSonus TUBEPre Amp. It's retail price is available at $120.00, however, at Musician's Friend, it is often kept in the $100 range. It is XLR in and out with a single gain knob, a built in 80hz roll-off, variable drive (tube distortion), a pad, and a phase switch. This preamp is highly not recommended for other instruments or keyboards unless you like to experiment, however, for mics, it will surpass in quality, ease of setup, and overall result then the Eurocrap.. errr.. Rack.
Now for you poor souls that just spend a whole $60 or so bucks purchasing this, 1.) I'm sorry you didn't read this article sooner and 2.) Fear not, for I shall teach you how to cheat the Eurorack system to get the quality you need! This tutorial only applies to people using sound cards that have a single balanced input that accepts left signal on the tip and right signal on the ring. (This process will not work with the Delta 44 or the Digi 002.)
1.) Make sure the +48v is not engaged and plug your mic either Channel 1 or 2 into the Eurorack.
2.) Plug a 1/4th TRS to 1/4th TRS from the Main Out L into your sound card. (The Main Out R, Tape In, and Tape Out is totally not needed for this process)
3.) Set the Gain of the channel you are using to -10.
4.) Set all of the EQs of the channel you are using to 0... and never touch them again.
5.) If you are not using outboard gear, set the Aux of the channel you are using to -Infinity.
6.) Set the Pan of the channel you are using all the way to the left.
7.) Set the Level of the channel you are using to 0. (Unity)
8.) Press the +48v button.
9.) Set the Pan of the channel you are using all the way to the left.
10.) If you are not using outboard gear, set the Aux Return to -Infinity.
11.) Set the Main Max to 0.
or just read it from his site
http://63.99.109.114/news.php?id=64
