how do peoples record real quiet parts?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mixaholic
  • Start date Start date
Your mixer has insert patch points. Your manual will tell you where to find them. They are basically a line out and line in for you to insert signal processing gear. What they are suggesting is to run a cable from the insert patch point (output from your preamp) to the line in on your soundcard. This may require some plug convertors as your insert patch point is probably 1/4" TRS (tip-ring-sleeve, like a stereo headphone jack) You may need to rig up a cable specially to do this.

HTH

JEff
 
so basically what they are sayin is not to connect my mixer with rca cables to the line in and use the insert to connect to the soundcard line in right. i thought the insert was to plug in something like a compressor or mic preamp or something like that.
 
That is the usual use for the insert. However, it also gives you a place to tap the signal just after the preamp, before anything else in the signal chain. This allows you to bypass a lot of potential noise-generating circuitry. The channel controls may be noisy, so if you eliminate them from the signal path you also eliminate that noise. Generally, the shorter the signal path, with the fewest amplification stages, the quieter the signal will be.
 
You just need a 1/4" to RCA cable, and push it in the insert jack till the first click. Then you'll be taking the signal right after the channel preamp. That may or may not solve your problem, but it eliminates a bunch of potential causes, and is widely practiced on boards that don't have direct channel outs.
Really, what you need to do is troubleshoot the chain, starting from the mic and working through to the speakers or headphones. Find out at which stage the noise becomes noticable.
 
Robert D said:
You just need a 1/4" to RCA cable, and push it in the insert jack till the first click.
Click to expand...

What he is saying is if you get a 1/4 to rca cable, insert the 1/4 end halfway (1 click ) into the insert jack, then connect your rca as usual.
 
ok here is what is confusing me. what is a 1/4" to rca cable mean and how would i hook it up to the computer and how many of them do i need to connect the mixer to my soundcard. can someone give me a link to the cabels that you are talkin about. i have the rca cable that plugs into the "rec out" of my mixer directly into the "line in" on my soundblaster soundcard. i got the cord from radioshack. the "line in whole" in the back of my soundblaster soundcard is the same size whole as the whole on portable cd players where u stick you're headphones into. what size is that 1/4"?
 
i conncet my mixer with a 1/8" to rca cable. is that a right way to do it? i plug the rca cables in the rec out and then i plug the 1/8" into the line in on my sound card. if i plug a 1/4" to rca into the "insert" jack.........then where do i plug the rca cables into......the "rec out" of my mixer? if so than how will i connect the mixer to my computer if the insert jack and the rec out are plugged in to each other?
 
OK, now we're getting somewhere. I think everybody thought that the RCA was connected to your soundcard. Your soundcard jack is 1/8" (like headphone jacks on portable CD players), right? I will assume that is the case.

You will need a 1/4" to 1/8" cable. (Probably) If the insert jack is larger than the jack on your soundcard, it will almost certainly be 1/4". That's pretty much standard. Plug the 1/4" end (the larger end) of the cable into your insert jack until it clicks once, not all the way in. Plug the other end into your soundcard.

See if that eliminates the noise. If not, you may want to invest in an interface that connects through USB or Firewire. They are usually quieter.
 
are sound cards with rca slots better than the ones with 1/8" jack. like are they more higher quality?
 
mixaholic said:
are sound cards with rca slots better than the ones with 1/8" jack. like are they more higher quality?
Click to expand...

You can't judge a soundcard's quality by whether it has RCA or 1/8th inch jacks.

The reality is neither are considered to be "pro" quality connections - XLR connections are the standard, with 1/4" TRS a step below that. What makes one type of design superior to another is largely based on two factors: conductive contact surface area and how robustly the plug locks into the jack.

Both RCA and 1/8th inch are markedly inferior in both respects.
 
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