Not enough output....

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kingofpain678
  • Start date Start date
Kingofpain678

Kingofpain678

Returned from the dead
Ok, I have a tascam M208 mixing board which is fine and dandy and cool and I like it EXCEPT it doesn't have near enough output.

The VU meter on the board says I'm coming close to clipping yet the input of my daw is saying the signal is only at around -45 dBFS.

Now I really like this mixer and I'd really like to keep it but I'm gonna go ahead and need the output to come up to line level. I keep thinking that I could run the outputs through a preamp but that would suck.

SO, Anyone have any ideas as to what the problem may be? Has anyone had this problem before? Have any of you had much experience with this mixer by chance?
I'm really frustrated here.... :mad::(
 
Get the board checked out...?

Have you checked the other outputs? A different board (or any line-level device) using the same connections?
 
The mixer is probably a -10dB output (being old tascam) what connection are you coming out from the XLR's the jacks or the RCA's?

The XLR's may be at +4 dB the RCA and Jacks maybe -10 dB.

Also on the old tascam gear the XLR's had pin 3 as + (later stuff had pin 2), this is not a problem but you may be getting a signal loss with a balanced to un balanced input with the wrong pin and shield bridged.

What are you plugging the mixer into? sound card?

Cheers
Alan.
 
So I guess I should just switch the hot and cold wires on the male end of my xlr cable?

-10 consumer level or not, it shouldn't be that low... And if I do have the hot and ground pins bridged, wouldn't I be getting some bad noise/hum or a total loss of signal?

And yes I'm going into a sound card. Emu 1212m to be exact...
 
Also, is there any other place where the signal could be being attenuated?

For instance, I use a Mac and M-Audio's Delta Control Panel, and that control panel has +4, 0 and -10db settings on it.

As far as the cable wiring, I do my same ol' routine with all that stuff- grab the Radio Shack alligator jumper cables and mock up the connections right at the console. It doesn't matter what anybody says will work, what matters is what does, and mocking up the cables will tell you that.
 
Also, is there any other place where the signal could be being attenuated?

For instance, I use a Mac and M-Audio's Delta Control Panel, and that control panel has +4, 0 and -10db settings on it.

As far as the cable wiring, I do my same ol' routine with all that stuff- grab the Radio Shack alligator jumper cables and mock up the connections right at the console. It doesn't matter what anybody says will work, what matters is what does, and mocking up the cables will tell you that.

Ya, emu's dsp software has -10 and +4 settings and I've already checked those.

I guess I could get my aligator clips and try it, I just really hate to start cutting up cables and such...
 
EDITED - Whoops - Missed part of something...
 
Well I tried flipping the hot and cold pins and when I did that I lost signal all together...

I really wanna be able to use this mixer but I won't be able to unless I can get the volume up :(
 
Well I tried flipping the hot and cold pins and when I did that I lost signal all together...

I really wanna be able to use this mixer but I won't be able to unless I can get the volume up :(

Use pin numbers to describe what you did. Did you swap pins 2 and 3?
 
I swapped pins two and three. Except now I AM getting enough out put of the Main stereo outs.
EXCEPT thats with the PGM faders all panned right in the middle. What I had hoped to do was use some panning magic and the four PGM outs to get four of the mixers mic pres to their own separate outputs.

I can't do that unless I can keep the PGM outputs panned hard left and hard right except when I do that I lose alot of signal.


:mad::mad::( Oh bother...
 
I am incredibly fucking stupid.


I figured it out....
 
And.... So this doesn't happen again (and be sure to make it search-engine friendly...)?
 
Back
Top