Mixer and Preamp

[Spillenger]

I'm a seat-of-the-pants learner, as I suspect many here are, and I just realized something that is going solve some problems for me. And maybe for other newbies as well.

I was using my Mackie 1202 mixer as both an input and output device, relying on its internal preamps to do the job of boosting signal to the sound card in my computer.

In other words, I used the 1202 to plug my mics into AND to monitor my recording with.

I was getting all sorts of feedback and possibly even latency problems with this arrangement. Even with the speakers off.

Then the other day I went over to a friend's studio and discovered that it's much more standard to go INTO your sound card with a good preamp (better than the 1202's anyway) and come OUT OF your sound card with the mixer.

Well, I haven't saved up enough for the preamp I want to get -- the FMR Really Nice Preamp -- but at least I'm using a different mixer for recording and for monitoring. And guess what -- the boxy, electronic, feedbacky sound is gone from my recordings.

So, the moral of the story is: go from a mic to a preamp to a sound card; go from a sound card to a mixer to your monitors. Well, I guess there are other ways to do it, but this is one good way. But beware of using one mixer to go both ways.

Paul S.

 

[mshilarious]

Well, I haven't saved up enough for the preamp I want to get -- the FMR Really Nice Preamp -- but at least I'm using a different mixer for recording and for monitoring. And guess what -- the boxy, electronic, feedbacky sound is gone from my recordings.

That should have nothing to do with latency. It's possible you had a problem with crosstalk, although I'd think your basic Mackie would perform well enough to avoid that. I suspect you may have had a problem with your mixer settings--even if you alleviated it my using two mixers, you should still strive to understand the cause of the problem. Perhaps you could describe your original patching setup.

 

[Farview]

You were sending the output of the computer back into the input. You have to set up a recording path that is separate from the monitoring path. You can do it with the 1202, you just have to set it up right.

 

[Rokket]

That should have nothing to do with latency. It's possible you had a problem with crosstalk, although I'd think your basic Mackie would perform well enough to avoid that. I suspect you may have had a problem with your mixer settings--even if you alleviated it my using two mixers, you should still strive to understand the cause of the problem. Perhaps you could describe your original patching setup.

Yeah, latency is an issue with the analog to digital signal, so using your mixer to monitor your signal chain you wouldn't notice it until you play back your tracks. I can understand that part. But I don't think your old set up was causing it. You do have other issues there.