help me out getting started

[drummingmonkey]

alright so i recently got a Yamaha MG16/4 16-Input 4-Bus Mixer and two MSH-1A mics for my drums, I will add more to them eventually but for now thats what I have. My question is when recording what jacks do you come out of from the mixer, and should I plug it into the mic or line in jack on the computer.
And when doing like a multitrack song with each track seperate, should i just have the headphones coming out of the computer to hear the previous tracks? or do you come out of the computer back to the mixer, then have the headphones out of the mixer?
One more question, to record the guitars, do you go guitar>effects pedal>mixer. or is there some other way to connect it, or would it be better to mic the amps?
I'm new at this so some of these questions may sound stupid but im learning.
thanks alot for any help
-Matt

 

[boogieman481]

Don't run the mixer to the mic port, run in to the "line in" port. There should be a "line out" port or something similar at the back of the mixer that you run to the line in in the computer. I dont have time to look up that mixer right now to tell you which one. As for you headphones, you only need to have them come from the computer.
When recording guitars, it is always better to mic the amp. You CAN plug from the effects pedal into your mixer but it wont sound as good generally. In fact it will sound like total poo if you are using any kind of drive effect. (Overdrive, Distortion, etc.)

 

[drummingmonkey]

theres the record out which is rca connecters, then st out which has both xlr and 1/4 connectors, and cr out which had just 1/4 connectors.
which mics would be the best at the cheapest price for micing amps?

 

[Elton Bear]

SM57 is the standard, get them for around £70.

 

[drummingmonkey]

hopefully soon ill get some sm57's, but what about what jacks to come out of the mixer to go to the computer?

 

[NYMorningstar]

What you need to do is learn about your mixer, what it is and what it can do. The only way to do that seriously, is reading the manual that comes with it, there are no easy shortcuts. Here is a link to it.
http://www2.yamaha.co.jp/manual/pdf/pa/english/mixers/MG16_4E.pdf
There are several different configurations they suggest but more importantly, if you learn what your mixer can do, then you can make the configuration that is right for you.

 

[drummingmonkey]

thanks and i already have read the manual, right now i have rca from the rec out going to a 1/4 into the line in on the computer, I wanted to see how people said to connect it to make sure im doing it right.

 

[NYMorningstar]

What you probably want to do is to hook your monitors to the cr out that being your control room. Go from the group out on the mixer to the line in on your computer and from your computer to the 2TR jacks on the mixer. With the group switch you can send a signal to the group channel. This way you can play a source from the computer, jam or sing to it while hearing the mix with headphones or your monitors and be recording only what you are playing on the group channel. Hope that makes sense