Need Basic Info

[Ed Smith]

I just bought a small mixer (Soundcraft). I don't have a user's manual because I bought it in a pawn shop. It seems to do what I need, but can anyone tell me where I can get basic information. Like what all them damn buttons and switches do!

One specific question. How can I mix in tracks without hearing them in the headphones? Each channel has a "record" button and a "monitor" button but that doesn't seem to do it. As a matter of fact, at this point I'm not sure what they do.

Oh yes, one more question for future reference. Is it possible with basic digital equipment and a computer to edit out specific tracks from a commercial CD? If not the track how about frequencies that would remove predominately one instrument (ie: drums/percussion)? I have two mics that I am mixing in with the original CD track (onto cassette) and I would like to burn a CD of the orignal w/o the percussion.

Any advice or information is appreciated.

Ed Smith
Chattanooga, TN

 

[danny.guitar]

I don't know much about the SoundCraft, sorry.

Oh yes, one more question for future reference. Is it possible with basic digital equipment and a computer to edit out specific tracks from a commercial CD? If not the track how about frequencies that would remove predominately one instrument (ie: drums/percussion)? I have two mics that I am mixing in with the original CD track (onto cassette) and I would like to burn a CD of the orignal w/o the percussion.

Any advice or information is appreciated.

Ed Smith
Chattanooga, TN

No, because the files on a CD are just stereo files. The individual tracks are not there.

You can try and remove the dominant frequencies to get rid of the instrument, but chances are they will still be audible and the rest of the song will just sound bad. You can mess around with an EQ, maybe you'll have some luck.

Another option is by removing information from just one channel (left/right) or center. Most popular "vocal removers" remove stuff from the center, because that's where the vocals usually are. But sometimes the song will have the vocals panned a little off center, or will have them doubled-up and have one in the center, and another off to the side a little.

The result is (in most cases) a bad/weird sounding song with some vocals still audible.

 

[boingoman]

Soundcraft is pretty good about support. They have lots of manuals on their site, even for discontinued stuff.

 

[dirtyp]

The pawn shops around here charge more then most places that sell new. I hope you got a good deal, Check there homepage and google, you should be able to find it somewhere. Worst case sceniro is ebay, people sometimes sell manuels for a few bucks.

I would try hooking speakers into it.
And most soundcraft stuff is good, Even when you figure out what the buttons do you still have to figure out how to use it..

 

[Ed Smith]

Soundcraft Website

Thanks for all the good information. The mixer is a 6-channel and I paid $119. I haven't been able to find the Soundcraft website (Soundcraft.com or just Googlin 'soundcraft').

ES

 

[Ed Smith]

Eureka!

A second try to the Soundcraft website was successful. They had the manual for the mixer (Compact 4) downloadable, which I am doing as we speak.

COOL!

ES

 

[zacanger]

Ouch, you got overcharged.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Soundcraft-COMPACT-4-Mixer?sku=630925

 

[dirtyp]

That what I was saying about the pawn shops. I bought a amp for $110 used , went home and looked it up it was $69 new. Samething with a drum machine but that time I went home and checked.