Just got my mixer, very dissapointed.

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poo_noodles

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I bought an sm58 for recording and I bought a cheap behringer 602a. I only want to record guitar and it seems only low-end companies make mixers with the number of inputs I am needing. I really only need to run mic-something-soundcard. The problem with the mixer is that it adds a lot of hiss, and it becomes more prevelant the higher the "hi" knob goes. In order to get little hum I have to turn the "hi" down almost completely and my sound is dead and very low. Anyone have a reccomendation for a 1-2 input mixer? The more direct I can go to my soundcard, the better.
 
If you only want to record guitar, why do you need a lot of inputs?

If you are only recording a single guitar or a guitar and voice, try the Tascam us122. Two inputs with better pres than that Behringer has, and USB out direct to your PC.

G.
 
Hey poo...I have had the same experience...I bought a Beringer ($50-$60) MX802A mixer a couple of years ago in the grip of "gear fever" (I had an idea of that I could use its pre-amps to utilize my compressor before I went into my 4-track cassette)...I have experimented with it but mostly it has just set in the box...long story short, my mic has a 1/4 inch plug, like an electric guitar cable-plug (which is the only plug that my 4-track accepts) and when I plugged it into the Beringer I got unacceptable hiss like you described...I haven't gotten around to it but I therorize that I need to use the XLR connection for my microphone (my mic will accept an XLR cable) to get the correct signal (and no hiss)...Have you tried a mic through the XLR connection?...maybe someone can help us both.
 
un-Plugged

tangent,

While the XLR connectors are in a few ways "better" than the 1/4 inch, I would tend not to think that's the problem here. First, noodles is using an SM58 mic; I suspect he is probably going XLR all the way (though, noodles, you need to confirm that.)

The two things I would suspect first would be a) the "hiss" is just ambient room noise that your picking up because you don't have the trim, fader and EQ levels adjusted properly (e.g. input trim and/or hi-freq EQ set too high), or b) that the input preamps in those inexpensive mixers are just too noisy, or c) both of the above.

You don't get what you don't pay for.

G.
 
man, behringers really suck..i mean..sell that shit on Ebay tomorrow...dont let it phase you.
 
Yes, I do run an XLR cable to the mixer.

It's not that I bought the Behringer because it was the best deal for the money, it's because there are not many companies that sell a mixer with the number of inputs I want. I will only use one XLR and a 1/4" cable, never anything beyond that. I just want this for guitar, I want to keep it simple but effective. I figured a mic, mixer, and soundcard is what I need. I need an idea of what I can do though. Is there something more effective I can do to get a better sound? I saw that someone reccomended the idea of a mixer with a usb cable. Will this give me a better sound and value for what I am trying to do? I just need a couple of minutes worth of songs, nothing professional.
 
I've heard some positive comments about the Yamaha MG series mixers that start at around $100...that may be an option for you.
 
i've got an MG - no problems/hassles with it.

although i dont do it myself, why don't you get a preamp on its own? it doesn't sound like you actually need a mixer, if you're only recording a single input. i use my mixer with everything - monitors, inputs, outputs - everything, but if its just something simple you want, you might be better with just a preamp. you'll get a more guaranteed sound i think.

if you're doing everything 'in the box' that's what i'd suggest.

but yeah, the MG is pretty good.

Andy.
 
Stay away from active behringer stuff(any behringer unit that needs power) unless it doesn't pass audio
 
The advantage to USB is that it is an inexpensive yet quality way to get into your PC without using the stock PC soundcard or having to buy any extra interface cards.

Most stock (and many aftermarket) soundcards are not really meant for pro-quality use. The A/D converters on them are relatively poor and the analog sections tend to be noisy and have a lot of crosstalk between input channels.

Noodles, you may have to spend a little bit more, say in the $150-$200 price range for something like an m-audio or the (recommended) Tascam that has two channels of relatively clean input that simply plugs into a USB2.0 port and let's you fly. But the difference in quality between that and having to run through an entry-level-quality analog mixer and then through a stock sound card will be enormous.

G.
 
Southside makes a good point. Are you sure it's the mixer and not the soundcard? Try using the mic input of the soundcard to see if that produces an equal amount of noise. Also make certain that you are using the line input and not the mic input when connecting the board to the soundcard (sorry if I'm being elementary).

Also, XLR vs 1/4" doesn't matter, what matters is balanced vs unbalanced. You can have balanced 1/4" ins/outs but you will need a 1/4" tip/ring/sleeve cable. Check the manual to see if this is the case with your board.
 
my my....

I recorded for 3 years with a little behringer mixer when I was in college. There is absolutely nothing wrong with them that will cause the problem described. Not only are all of the negative comments above untrue, it is a very sturdy and dependable product, and I still have it feeding my practice PA.

Whether or not there is something wrong with this particular unit might be in question.

Please describe in detail what you are plugging in where and what all the knobs are set at. We need to know exactly what you are doing in order to determine where the problem is.

also, what kind of sound card are you using? is it a regular one on your pc? what cable are you using to get the signal from the mixer to the soundcard?
 
Negative comments completely untrue? It's common knowledge that Behringer makes some really poor product. Especially in that budget range.

That being said, what exactly are you going for with your mix? It may help to just mix ITB because it will take one more piece of low budget gear out of your sound chain.
 
Well, I figured out my first mistake was putting the line out of the mixer into the mic in on my soundcard. I had never thought that it would actually amplify the sound of my mixer, hence the increased hiss. I tried recording with the line in and it sounds a lot better. There is still a little bit of a hiss, but nothing a couldn't remove with some eq. If everything else fails, I will start looking into a mic preamp and the digital mixers, but I am only going to record about 4 minutes worth of riffs and I don't need anything professional since it's just for me.
 
what about the soundraft compact line of mixers. They are inexpensive and will do better than the behringer.

If you just bought the behringer try returning it and the getting, as someone else sugested, a Tascam US-122 or a soundcraft compact.

Just my thoughts


Dave
 
poo_noodles said:
If everything else fails, I will start looking into a mic preamp and the digital mixers, but I am only going to record about 4 minutes worth of riffs and I don't need anything professional since it's just for me.
Click to expand...

My first attempts were similar to yours in that I used a cheap console and a SM57 (The mic is fine for some things) to record acoustic guitar and vocals. If anything good came out of that was it sort of trained my ears at the time and after awhile I realized I was ready for improvement. That's where a stand alone pre and a good quality (not those Behringer) condenser will come into play.

As you get better you will want better gear and the spending $$ will never stop.
 
Fire Dome said:
what about the soundraft compact line of mixers. They are inexpensive and will do better than the behringer.

If you just bought the behringer try returning it and the getting, as someone else sugested, a Tascam US-122 or a soundcraft compact.

Just my thoughts


Dave
Click to expand...

At this point I'd just keep the Behringer and save my money for a stand alone pre and use that straight in to your soundcard. Use the mixer for routing/monitoring.
 
FALKEN said:
snobs!!!!!
Click to expand...

Falken, when are you gonna learn that we are not snobs, we just share our experiences. Now, if they are not what you want to hear, sorry about that, and by all means buy and use what you want. But almost all of us have gone through the cheap gear phase. I don't want to admit how much money I have wasted on inferior shit, but I finally learnt my lesson.
 
Don't worry about Falken, he's a bit odd.

Noodles - as I see it, you have a couple of options:

Little mixer - This would be either the Soundcraft C4 or the Yamaha MG10/2. The Yamaha is a more 'standard' mixer and has more inputs. The Compact 4 is a very strange mixer in layout and routing, but the result is that it would do exactly what you want it to in quite an efficient way. Not the world's hottest preamp, but you can do all your monitoring from the same little board. But only get it if you are sure you will not expand your requirements in the future, because the Compact 4 will not go with you.

Standalone preamp - For a start mic pre / instrument DI, the M-Audio Audio Buddy is a no-brainer. Cheap and cheerful, in the non-sarcastic use of the phrase. Next up from there with DI options is the M-Audio DMP-3, two channels of good, clean gain. The other option if you don't need DI is the JoeMeek ThreeQ, of which I've just bought a pair. The EQ and compressor will really help to spice up your POD line out or whatever you're connecting up, but you can't plug straight into this as far as I know (no high impedance instrument input).

So there's your two streams - you have to make an ideological choice and one based on your projected future usage. Then your options become quite clear. :)

My +/-2dB, hope it helps.
 
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