newbie at unsing analog mixers needs help fast!!!!signal flow problem

[Beck]

Where do you have the master output from your DJ rig hooked into the mixer? Into two of the channel inputs? Are these channels muted out? Are their faders up?

ok i have the master output from the dj mixer hooked up to channel 1 & 2 of the mixer and my asr 10 hooked up to 3 & 4..
faders are up.. master faders are up...
gain is at unity level, so are all the faders...
there are these little buttons that say 1-2 and 3-4 which are i assume for the busses.. those are pushed in also...
still nothing...
grrrrrrrrr.
i wonder if this dude sold me a broken mixer...
but his feedback doenst seem like the type

What inputs are you using on the M-216, XLR, RCA, or 1/4"?

Be aware that the 1/4" jacks across the top that say "Insert" are not inputs. The 1/4" inputs are the second row down right above the RCA jacks. Also, the RCA jacks are tape-in, so the tape button must be pressed down for signal to flow if you are using them.

Have you tried monitoring with headphones from the M-216 itself? That will tell you if the signal is even getting that far.

The M-216 also has L/R 1/4" phone main outs. They are above the XLR outs, right next to FLB and EFF. You might try using 1/4" to RCA for the connection to your amp to eliminate any possible miswiring of the XLR-to-RCA cables.

-Tim

 

[robin watson]

Cool

Would love to know what happened in the end of this fascinating thread; it read like the Apollo 13 screenplay.

So what did happen? Did captain Tascam come to the rescue in the end or what?

 

[beat_banger]

i'm still having problems

 

[beat_banger]

hi folks...
ok this is what i have done... i took the cables to a tech guy i know and he unscrewed and told me that they were unbalanced, hence my low signal..
now i know that you lose db thru an unbalanced signal so i had him mod the cables to make them balanced..
i am still only getting a low signal... i am getting signal thru, i can hear it, the vu meters are moving except its a low and distorted signal...
the master fader is up to the max, so are the channel faders,
i am lost....
anyone got any suggestions?

 

[bigwillz24]

Try a balanced cable the "tech guy" didn't screw around with and see if it makes a differance. If it does go kick that "tech guy" square in the nads.

 

[Farview]

You can't make rca cables balanced. If you know a tech guy, have him come over and hook up your mixer.

 

[beat_banger]

thing is they dont sell balanced xlr to rca cable...
i havent seen any for sale..
rca is unbalanced so they dont sell them balanced..

 

[bigwillz24]

RCA is UNBALANCED Period. 1 conducter 1 shield you can't make it balanced.

 

[beat_banger]

i'm wondering if my problem is that i am using unbalanced cables..
i know that i am losing 5db going out my mpc or dj mixer/turntable..
should i try balanced cables?? 1/4 inch??? could that be why my signal is low?

 

[beat_banger]

ok tried that .. it didnt work...
ok now is the a way to amplify the signal going thru an xlr to rca cable??
i know its something to do with pins 1,2,3 and ground but how exactly do i do it?
gonna go get some solder at radio shack.. be back in a bit...

 

[Farview]

At this point, I would find someone who knows how to work a mixer and have him come over. There is nothing wrong with the cables. If anything, there is something wrong with the mixer. Most likely, you have something hooked up wrong. It really will take someone who knows what they are doing about 3 minutes to make this work.

BTW, I just re-read this thread. Do you still have the DBX in the chain? If you have that hooked up backwards, this could be causing all the problems.

Can you hear anything in the headphones?

 

[beat_banger]

[/QUOTE]At this point, I would find someone who knows how to work a mixer and have him come over.

look man i know signal flow..
i know how to get sound into a mixer..
problem is that signal is coming too low..
i know its something to do with me losing db on the way out...funny thing is though even though i am losing db on the way out into the speakers...
the same thing is happening with the headphone output also.low signal..
damn!!!!!
thank god i havent paid this dude yet for his mixer..
i think i am just going to give it back to him

damn i really wanted this mixer..
i wish someone here could hlp

 

[beat_banger]

ok i tried using an rca cable coming out of my dj mixer into the tape in and hit the tape button..
same problem.. i get signal.. its low even when i crank my amp up, my dj mixer up, the trim on the 216, buss fader, channel fader, and master fader..
the problem lies in the signal path between the insert and the output...
arrrrgh!!!!!!!!

 

[Massive Master]

First off, get everything out of the inserts - Then, make sure that you can close the connection (a TRS plug with the tip and sleeve connected).

If you're having problems with a piece of gear, work with the piece you're having problems with. Connecting gear to the inserts isn't going to help - Especially if the problem is in the inserts.

 

[robin watson]

I agree with the above - clear the inserts.

If the Peak LED on the channel strip isn't coming on even with the trim fully cranked, it sounds like the input signal is way too low, which is hardly the mixer's fault.

Another avenue to persue: perhaps the insert jack has gone permanently open or making poor contact when nothing is plugged into it? My old Soundcraft's patchbay has tricked me on several occasions this way! That's a long shot though - presumably you've tried other channels and it's extremely unlikely this would happen on all channels. Just a thought.

 

[beat_banger]

i am not using the inserts.. i only tried the tape in just to see if i would get signal there...
my mpc, dj mixer, triton, etc is connected thru the line ins,not inserts..

OK!!!!!!
I FINALLY GOT A LOUD SIGNAL!!!
what i did was come out the "pgm out 1 & 2 " via the rca outputs not the xlr,in other words," i used an rca cable coming out of pgm 1 & 2 and sent it into my amp which is an rca input amp.. lo and behold, i got a really good signal...
problem is that when i do that as you know the signal is not controlled by the master fader, its controlled by the group outs fader/PGM faders(dont know if i correctly named these) (the orange faders b4 the master fader)

good thing right????

well somewhat...

i want to be able to have signal coming out of the main stereo outs for obvious reasons.. i want to be able to control my main signal going into my monitors via the master fader...
but since the xlr->rca cable i have doesnt seem to do the trick, i tried an unbalanced 1/4" to rca cable and came out of my 1/4" stereo output into the rca input on my amp.

guess what??
i get the same low signal as i did when i was using the xlr stereo ouput..
i said to myself "well since there is good signal coming out of the rca pgm outputs, let me try the xlr pgm outputs"

nothing

so in a nutshell folks, i now have:

1. good strong signal that shakes my monitors coming out of my rca pgm 1,2,3,4 outputs on my mixer into my --> rca input on my amp

2. but still a faint , low signal coming out of my these 3 outputs
-the xlr stereo output
-the 1/4" stereo output
-pgm 1,2,3,4 xlr outputs

wow......
my fingers need a break , and i need a cigarette after all this frustrated writing

as always help is appreciated folks

 

[Farview]

That could mean 2 things.
1. your signal is not routed to the main outs
2. The mixer is broken.

 

[Beck]

Could be you fried the mains with shorted XLR-to-RCA cables. It’s odd that those cables also won’t work on the XLR program outs, because they come off the same circuit as the RCA program outs. Makes me wonder about those cables.

By the way the XLR outputs on the M-200 series are unbalanced. The mic inputs are balanced but the outputs are not, even though they have XLRs.

Time to turn that puppy upside down (on a pillow so you won’t hurt the knobs and sliders). Take the screws off of the bottom panel and look for an open fuse.

Have you tried headphones yet? If the mains are fried it probably won’t be so far back as to interfere with the headphone amp. If nothing through headphones though the problem is more complex.

-Tim

 

[beat_banger]

i havent had a chance to open it up to see if its a fuse blown...
but i do know that all 8 rca outs (pgm) are working...
its funny how they work and the
-xlr pgm outs arent working
-the xlr stereo out aint working
-or the 1/4" stereo outs

anyone else have some input on this????

 

[Beck]

On the M-216 each XLR Program out (1-4) is connected directly to its respective buss circuit (1-4). However, the RCA program outs have resistors in line with the buss circuits. So if anything it would make more sense if the XLRs worked and the RCAs didn’t, for failure of one or more of these resistors.

The bottom line – it is impossible for the program RCAs to work if the XLRs don’t… EXCEPT in the following cases:

1.The XLR pins are corroded (they will turn black), which prevents proper contact with the XLR plugs. They should be shiny.

2. Someone has been in the mixer and accidentally or on purpose disconnected the wires to the XLR jacks, or wires are corroded, or through a factory error were never connected.

3. Your XLR-to-RCA cables are shorted or wired wrong.

4. Satan

Again, the XLR outs on the M-216 are unbalanced. The top two pins are tied together as ground and the bottom pin is hot.

There is nothing you can do as far as switching on the panel. Everything is hard wired together inside, and the buss outs automatically go to the stereo mains – you can’t switch that in or out. On a functioning M-216, if the buss faders (orange) are up and the main faders (Red) are up, you will have signal at both the buss outs and main outs (given you have channels assigned to the busses and their faders are up, of course).

There are four fuses inside on the power supply board -- might want to check those too.

-Tim