How Does All This Go Together?

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Harp Queen

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Ok, here's what I have: decent microphones (Shure Beta 57, AKG C1000), Mackie 1202 VLX pro mixer, Soundblaster Platinum 5.1with Live Drive, Soundforge XP. Here's what I want to do: play into the microphones via the mixer, into the soundcard, do stuff in Soundforge and if I like, record the sounds BACK to my minidisc, which ideally is also attached to the mixer via the tape in/out. I have already figured out how to make a cd off the hard drive so that's no problem. But I would like to make minidisc of stuff on the hard drive without having to make a CD first and using that as my medium for creating a minidisc.

How do I hook the Mackie up to the soundcard so I can record, and obviously what output on the soundcard do I use so I can get stuff off the hard drive onto the minidisc or a tape recorder or whatever? Or is there some other way to record from the computer onto the minidisc. I noticed that if I hooked the Mackie into line in on the back of the soundcard, nothing happened in Soundforge, but if I used microphone in, I got a signal. Is this normal? Or rationale?

I am talking to the Mackie people about why I can't hear anything from either a tape recorder or the minidisc when they run through the mixer. I may just go to Radio Shack and get new RCA plugs. The Mackie people are very nice, by the way.

By the way, I am getting nowhere with the Soundblaster people and they have been no help, ever. I still haven't figured out how to make anything on Live Drive work except the head phones, but that's another story.

I have the feeling the answers are simple, all the equipment will work and we have a case of some serious pilot error here.
 
To get sound to your sound card, you can use the main outs on your mixer, or one of the other available outputs. Depending on which output you use, you'll need to go from either two XLR or two 1/4" plugs to 1/8" stereo mini jack, which plugs into the line in on your sound card (you should have a mic input and a line in). Also, make sure you get a stereo jack or only one of your channels will be heard on the computer (any Radio Shack should have all the adapters you need). To get the sound back to your mixer, you need to basically repeat the process, but plug in a cord to your line out on your sound card.
 
FYI - Mini disc is a lower quality format than CD. You are better off mastering to CD then dubbing to mini disc as you have been doing.
 
hummm?

I also have the same soundcard and live drive . It came with a software bundle that has ,among other things a mini disk studio . You can use it record your songs to MD from the H/D via the optical out on the front panel(assuming your MD player is capable of optical in)or you could use an RCA cable out to MD.
I found it very easy to use and it even t-marks your songs for you.

riffra
 
Here's an idea

Did you use the level setting procedure provided in the Mackie manual ? When you plug your mic into the Mackie, you need to set the level trim so that you can get the mic level up to line level. Once you have done this, you should see the meters move in Soundforge. Setting the trip increases the gain on the mic, which is what the mic in on the SB does by default. On the first page of the manual where it says "Level setting procedure" your prayers could be answered.

Dick
 
Yeah. it's coming together. I went into soundblaster,specificed the input and now soundforge will "hear" what's coming from the mixer. Except the tape and the minidisc, which I'll run into the computer some other way (the signals are too low).
 
I see you have the Live! Drive. Make sure you use the Line In 2 on the front instead of the line in on the card because it has much better quality a/d converters. If you need multichannel recording try new drivers at www.kxproject.com

Good luck!
 
I did this, with no luck.

elevate said:
To get sound to your sound card, you can use the main outs on your mixer, or one of the other available outputs. Depending on which output you use, you'll need to go from either two XLR or two 1/4" plugs to 1/8" stereo mini jack, which plugs into the line in on your sound card (you should have a mic input and a line in). Also, make sure you get a stereo jack or only one of your channels will be heard on the computer (any Radio Shack should have all the adapters you need). To get the sound back to your mixer, you need to basically repeat the process, but plug in a cord to your line out on your sound card.
Click to expand...

Hi, I did this, but the line out on the sound card (Sound Blaster Live!) gives me nothing by a hight pich squeal when I bring the slider up. Any ideas?

THANKS!!!!
 
Music Life- You cant have the monitor send from the SB going back into the SB inputs. When you are recording you should use the inserts on the back or another buss if you have one. That will send the live signal out directly to your soundcard. That way the monitor signal ends at your mixer.
 
I think I get what you are saying - this is how things are wired.

Main Outs of Mixer are going to line-in on SB.
Line-out of SB is going to CH4 of mixer via a 1/8" stereo conector with a converter on one end. (I don't like this)

I lowered the "Windows" master vol level and got rid of the over driven signal, but this Ch. still has a weird sound to it. Not as clean as the others that have 57's plugged into them. My '65 Twin has less noise!

Should the output of the SB be going into some other input on the mixer?

Thank you for your time!
 
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