Delta 1010lt troubles

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RideTheCrash

RideTheCrash

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Okay this is driving me insane. I've avoided using the first two channels for recording since I've gotten it, but I can't do it forever. I'm running my mics through my mixer and then out an 8 channel snake into the soundcard. Works great.

Now my problem is these damn XLR inputs on the first two. I changed the jumper so they are 'line level', but I'm having problems. First off I have to do a huge connection thing just to get the RCA to connect to the XLR, which is a pain in the ass. Then channel one is considerably much quieter than all the other channels, and channel 2...I can't even get to work, but that's for later.

I have the setting for the card on -10 because if I switch it to +4 my signal becomes a lot lower. I read stuff in the manual like put the first two on +4 but it doesn't increase the signal at all. Can someone help me? I'm really frustrated. Basically all I want to achieve is to have the first two channels like the rest so they are all at a consistent level. Help!
 
Okay I did some more tests today. I'm not sure what to think. First of all, my board is older so I do run into problems where channels fluctuate in volume. Channel 6 still needs to be repaired, but channel one seems quieter as well, but not by much, I didn't even realize it until now.

But if I'm right it also seems my 2 first inputs on the Delta are giving me different volumes. My test was to take one cord from the snake and hook it up to the first XLR input. I turned on the organ and let some drum machine run on it so I could get a steady volume.

So I set the first 2 channels on my mixer to the same volume. I plugged the mic into channel 3...good volume. Channel 2 I got the same volume. Channel 1 I got half the volume.

Okay so then I moved the cord from the snake to the second XLR input on the Delta. First channel was nice and loud, even louder than channels 2 and 3 on the first XLR input. Then channel 2 and 3 I got the same volume, but it was even hotter than channel 1.

So basically: Channel one was half the volume on both Delta XLR inputs on the Delta, but the second input was louder than the first XLR Delta input.

Now I'm not sure if it's the channel on the board's fault or what. On the board it seems like there is only a slight volume difference, but when recording it's like half. I'll try running channel one into a Delta RCA input later for another test.
 

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RideTheCrash said:
Okay this is driving me insane. I've avoided using the first two channels for recording since I've gotten it, but I can't do it forever. I'm running my mics through my mixer and then out an 8 channel snake into the soundcard. Works great.
Click to expand...
Could you give a bit more detail here? You talking about using the direct outs on your mixer going into the snake? Is the snake 1/4"? If so, is it TS(unbalanced) or TRS (balanced)? I know this is working, but I'm trying to get a clear picture of how things are hooked up. It looks like you must be running either direct outs from your mixer or maybe tapping into the channel inserts? Of course, most mixers use 1/4", so you must be using a 1/4" TS to RCA snake? or maybe some 1/4" to RCA adapters?


RideTheCrash said:
Now my problem is these damn XLR inputs on the first two. I changed the jumper so they are 'line level', but I'm having problems. First off I have to do a huge connection thing just to get the RCA to connect to the XLR, which is a pain in the ass. Then channel one is considerably much quieter than all the other channels, and channel 2...I can't even get to work, but that's for later.
Click to expand...
What RCA is it you're trying to connect to the XLRs on the Delta?? I'm just not clear on what equipment you're trying to hook up here.
(BTW, I've always been leary of cards that have a bunch of connectors hanging out there like that....I much prefer a breakout box connected with one solid cable. It's entirely possible that one or more of those connectors could have a short or some other problem.)


RideTheCrash said:
I have the setting for the card on -10 because if I switch it to +4 my signal becomes a lot lower. I read stuff in the manual like put the first two on +4 but it doesn't increase the signal at all. Can someone help me? I'm really frustrated. Basically all I want to achieve is to have the first two channels like the rest so they are all at a consistent level. Help!
Click to expand...
This is correct. It is normal that setting your inputs to +4 seems to lower the signal. The idea is that if you're outboard equipment is unbalanced (-10), you set your card to -10 to match it. If you're outboard equipment is balanced (+4), you set your card to +4 to match that. If your equipment is unbalanced (-10) and you set your card to +4, it's expecting a hotter signal, and it's only getting the -10. Does that make sense? (Sorry, I'm not good at explaining this :( )


Basically, it seems that things are working fine , except I can't figure what it is you're trying to do with the XLR inputs. It sounds like you're trying to hook up RCA (unbalanced) equipment to your XLR inputs which would normally be expecting balanced equipment......you need to use the right connectors or cables for this. Also, it sounds like either a cable or a connector might be bad.
 
ahh. I was still typing when you last posted.

Why are you running you mixer into the XLR inputs of the Delta? Since those have preamps, you could run your microphones directly into the Delta. Or it sounds like you can switch your XLR inputs to line level and run your drum machine or organ directly to the Delta. I would want to bypass the mixer, at least for the XLR inputs on the Delta, since it sounds like you already know your mixer is messed up.
 
Okay sorry, let me try. The snake is 1/4" to RCA. The 1/4" taps into my channel inserts (I'm not sure what kind it is....probably unbalanced (the snake)).

Okay from there, the snake travels to the soundcard, and the RCAs on the end of the snake connect into the female RCAs on the soundcard. But the 1010lt has XLR inputs on the first 2 channels. The card gives you the option to change this to a line level instead of having it as a mic preamp, which I did a while ago.

You actually got me thinking, it probably has something to do with balanced/unbalanced. Because To hook up the RCAs on the end on the snake to the XLRs on the 1010lt, I'm using some ghetto RCA to 1/4" plug > 1/4" to XLR plug, which connects to the XLR input on the 1010lt. I'm not even sure if the plug is mono/stereo/balanced/unbalanced/whatever.

Right now I'm trying to get the gain knob off my board for channel 1, it might be causing some volume problems, because when it was put back on a few months ago it wasn't put on right, so it won't line up properly with the other gain knobs (since I'm tapping the inserts, the gain knob is my volume control to the soundcard, instead of the faders).

Hope this helps a bit.
 
Not totally sure if my mixer is messed up just yet. Well, except for channel 6.

I figured I could bypass the board, yeah, but I'd rather have all of them plugged into the board because that way I figure I have more control over the volume going in the card compared to the rest of the channels being inputted. Maybe I'm wrong.
 
Ok. That's what I thought, but I wanted to be sure. Do you have a regular microphone to try on those XLR inputs? (just to see if they are working right). Since the mixer has problems, there's no way to know if it's the mixer or the Delta, unless you bypass the mixer (I mean for the XLR inputs only).

It seems to me that there are different adapters for going from unbalanced to XLR balanced and some don't work as well as others.

Aside from that, just do the usual re-seatng all the connectors and jiggle the wires to see if there's some intermittent contact happening.

If none of this helps, I suspect a bad wire or connector.
 
Well I still have to try bypassing the board, yeah. I do have microphones, but unfortunately my bassist borrowed them weeks ago and I was told they would get returned yesterday, which they didn't. So I have no idea how long that is gonna take. Right now I'm simply using the drum machine (it's not really a drum machine, more of an accompaniment thing) on the organ as a test source. I have a guitar cable plugged into this jack on the underside of the keys and it runs into another XLR adaptor into a mic cable into my board.

I would use a mic, but I don't have any choice at the moment.
 
Well I just bypassed the board. Channel one is half the volume of channel two. I don't have mics at the moment to test, but running it directly into the organ shouldn't make much of a difference, the signals still differ. And both are set to the exact same things into the Delta control panel so...fuck.
 
Oh yeah, I also took a track and put it into channel one and two in Cool Edit Pro. I ran them both out to my board and the board didn't show any difference between the two tracks volume wise.
 
Damn that sucks.

It sounds like it might actually be the delta itself. I am stumped.

:confused:
 
Yeah I keep testing it and I get the same thing. Today is just not a good day. Not to mention I just got another busted knob on my mixer from trying to pry the damn thing off (there's another email to Yorkville).

Now I am throughly stumped myself. I have all the inputs and outputs -- everything -- set to the same level. All I'm doing is switching from channel one and two by moving the mic cable to each input, and I get different levels.

You can tell M Audio doesn't want to deal with it, I don't even think they cover they the cables, I read the warranty, and geez. I've had this since December and haven't really used thse inputs at all, so it's probably just screwed up on it's own.

But this is the last thing I need.
 
Are you sure that the jumpers on both channels are set exactly the same?

Are you sure that the 1/4" to XLR adapters are simple adapters and not line/mic transformers?

I hate that feature of the 1010lt (xlr's on 1/2).
 
I'm not sure about the adaptors, but it shouldn't matter anyways, because I used the same one or both channels.

But! You just made me think. Are the jumpers set for both channels? I don't fuckin' think so! See, I'm pretty inept when it comes to opening up computers, so I had my dad give me a hand months and months ago. And I remember him moving one thing over or something and he figured that was the jumper. But are there two or something? Shit, I gotta check this out. I so hope you're right.
 
Just making 100% sure: they are *two* jumpers you have to change correct? Just making sure for when I open this back up tomorrow.
 
a jumper for each channel, 1 and 2, as i remember.

also, make sure you are'nt using transformers instead of adapters. you don't want to be feeding mic level to line level or vise versa.

i'm thinking about cutting the xlr's off of my 1010lt and replacing with rca's. i don't use the delta pre's and i hate using a bunch of adapters.
 
Okay, thank you so much. I agree, it's fine for most people I guess, but not for me, since I run my board into all of them. Cutting off the XLR's ran through my mind, but I'm a little iffy on doing that.

I'm pretty sure I'm just using adaptors, but provided this works out I want to find an RCA > XLR cable/adaptor instead of what I have now. What do you use?
 
Changing connectors won't change anything unless the cable is bad.

If memory serves, there are TWO jumpers per channel, if memory serves. One is the mic/line, the other is a pad. I think they're near each other, but I don't think they're quite next to each other. Make sure that both jumpers are set the same. I seem to recall being surprised by the settings from the factory when I got mine back from repair. One pad was turned on or something idiotic.
 
There is a pad eh? Well today this thing is getting opened up so... the manual is kind of confusing about the jumpers.
 
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