Moved to college, need setup advice! Please? :)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Sharkey
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Sharkey

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Okay hey everyone, I need some advice on my home recording setup.

I had a fully functional studio, but I moved to a college dorm and changed some things. My new setup has me a little puzzled on how to operate correctly.

I'll explain my previous setup:
Audio Technica AT2035 connected to M-Audio Fast Track Pro, USB connected to laptop. Laptop program - Mixcraft 5*

M-Audio Fast Track Pro output to Peavey PV 10 mixer, laptop output to PV 10 mixer. Separate channels, into the two RCA channels.*

Line out from mixer to a surround sound amp, amp to set of speakers.*

When I would play music or play back what was recorded, it worked perfectly fine. When recording vocals for rapping or singing, I would mute the amp so that sound still comes from the mixer, but I direct the sound to headphones only so the speakers aren't picked up on the condenser mic.

That way perfectly worked, but when moving I didn't want to take the amp or the big house speakers.

So I went out and purchased KRK RP5 G2 Rokit monitors.

The monitors are connected via a 1/4inch cable, obviously one coming from the left and one from the right output on the PV10 mixer.*

I'm impressed by the sound quality, but that's besides the fact.*

The PV 10 has a monitor send nob and I originally thought that would allow me to turn the nob to zero and it would have the same effect as muting the amp. I realized that nob is actually for a separate 1/4inch port, not the left and right output I'm using.

So how do I record without the mic picking up the sound of speakers? I can't just turn down the mixer because the vocalist must hear theirselves and hear the music via headphones, directed from the Fast Track Pro into the mixer.

Also, I know Mixcraft isn't the best program but it's easy to use and I've fully learnt the program. I want a more professional program to work with, what do you recommend I start using??*


Thanks in advance!*
 
Do you need the mixer for some reason. I'm pretty sure the FTP should do the trick on it's own.
 
Well I just thought the mixer was necessary for the output to speakers, but the FTP does have 1/4inch outputs on the back. I can see how that works, but what about when wanting to play music simply from my laptop? The speakers would only be connected via FTP?

The PV10 has xlr output ports also and the KRKs have xlr inputs too. Could I do the 1/4inch from FTP to KRK and then xlr from PV10 to KRK for laptop sound?
 
You should be able to get laptop sounds though the FTP. Look for an option to enable WDM sound or something like that.
 
Yeah, It seems you will need to turn off the monitors (or run them from a power strip with switch) while tracking. The level control on the FTP only controls the headphone output, not the 1/2 outs. If using windows, just make the FTP your default sound device (Control Panel>Sound) and all sound from the laptop will use the FTP outs. If you want to hear the laptop speakers, then just change the default back to the internal card.
 
Thanks guys!!

I plugged the monitors into FTP and had windows use FTP as the default sound device. I can perfectly turn down the monitors and run just the headphones!

I don't really have any use for the mixer anymore, unless I record something like a guitar I guess.

One more quick question. Say I wanted to plug my TV to the monitors for Xbox and other purposes, I have the standard white and red RCA audio outputs on my TV. On the back of FTP, there are two 1/4inch inputs and one S/PDIF input.

I know such cables exist to turn RCA to 1/4inch or to a single S/PDIF, but which would work better?
 
i can't post a link yet, i need 5 posts.

if you google m-audio fast track pro and click the actual m-audio website, you can view a jpeg of the back panel of FTP
 
You just need these little guys and a typical RCA to RCA patch cable. :)

You will put the 1/4" adapters into your mic/line in's on the front of the FTP.
 
You could use the PV 10 to mix between the TV and whatever else, so that you don't have to plug/unplug cables. Just be aware that using another device previous to the interface, is going to add noise to the signal path.
 
jimmys69 said:
You could use the PV 10 to mix between the TV and whatever else, so that you don't have to plug/unplug cables. Just be aware that using another device previous to the interface, is going to add noise to the signal path.
Click to expand...

Ha, Awsome college pad, running all your gear through a mixer. :guitar:
 
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