New PC/Mixer connection question

[JPA]

Hi everyone. Pretty new to this forum. Just got a new PC (HP Media Center, 3.2 ghz, 1 gig sdramm, WIndows XP) and want to connect my Behringer external mixer to it. How would I go about it? The sound card that came with the pc has a basic line in (2) but also has an RCA plug left/right audio in. I'm new to PC recording just recently moving over from recording on a Korg D1600. It also has 4 USB ports, 2 firewire ports(1394). Would I be better off getting an external card (usb or firewire)?

Thanks,
John

 

[Ethan Winer]

John,

> want to connect my Behringer external mixer <

See "Using a mixer with a DAW," first in the list on my Articles page:

www.ethanwiner.com/articles.html

--Ethan

 

[JPA]

Thanks Ethan!

 

[Treeline]

I'd go to Radio Shack and get a couple of adapters and a cable. One will be (2) 1/4" mono plugs to stereo jack ("y-cord"); the other a 1/4" TRS ("tip, ring, sleeve") (or headphone stereo) jack to 1/8" (stereo) plug. Look for the jacks with three conducters on this adapter. Use a 1/4" stereo or TRS cable, affix the adapters and run from your main outputs on the mixer to the 1/8" LINE IN jack on the soundcard (or motherboard, wherever it is). Follow Ethan's (superb) article for setup and you'll be in business. Later you can upgrade to a pro soundcard, but this will work for starters. Avoid the soundcard's "MIC" input at all costs; it'll just be a mess.