Pre Amp + Mixer = No Room

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treb311

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I have my mixer plugged directly into my CPU, but I also need to plug my pre amp back there ... but It seems like that is not going to work ...

I have a Black / Green / Pink / Blue / Orange 1/8" plug ins on my Sound Card

I had my mixer into the green one ... the mic one ... someone on here said not too, but never answered my PM about why not ... So can someone help me
 
and say i cannot remove my sound card , is it still possible to get a new, better one
 
Go orange. I like orange! :) Pink is whimpy. Blue is sort of sad. Green is sort of corny. Black is really evil.

Orange!!!

Now, it usually helps when you tell us WHAT soundcard you have.

I will assume that is some type of Sound Blaster type of thing. The colors are there to more easily tell what each jack does. I am assuming that one is for the Line Input, one for the Mic Input, one for the Speaker Output, and possibly one for Headphone Output or possibly some sort of digital output. Who knows? You didn't tell us anything except that the Green is the Mic Input.

So, you have a mic input and a line input. They are used for two different things. The mic input is used to plug a mic directly into the soundcard. It has a "microphone preamp" on that jack. Microphones need amplification.

You have a Line Input. This input is used to interface components that output a Line Level Signal, such as home stereo components, and..............MICROPHONE PREAMP'S!!! Cool!

Now, your mixer is a Line Level device, meaning it outputs a line level signal. It SHOULDN'T be plugged into a Mic Input, because a line level device is MUCH louder in output than a microphone is. Thus, the line level device, like a mixer doesn't need to be amplified. By plugging your mixer into the mic input, you probably can't turn the mixer up very loud before you get a very distorted sound. Now if you were to plug your mixer into the Line Level Input of the soundcard, things will start to sound much nicer.

If you have a mic preamp box, such as maybe a ART MP, or a Joe Meeks something of another (who can keep track of all the different models of low end preamps they put out? :)) that would also plug into the Line Input on the soundcard. Obviously if you want to switch between the mixer and the stand alone mic preamp, you will need to either change the connection at the soundcard for the device you want to use, or connect everything to a patch bay and make the connections there.

Hope this helps.

Ed
 
thanks ... so basically i would plug a patch bay into the line input on my computer, then i would have more inputs?
 
what do u think would be best ... a patch bay ... or a new sound card ... cause my sound card is pretty decent, but my levels cant be cranked up due to it being plugged through the mic input ... but my recordings are decent
 
treb311 said:
thanks ... so basically i would plug a patch bay into the line input on my computer, then i would have more inputs?

No, not more inputs. If you put the Line In of the soundcard, and the Line Out of your mixer, and the output of your external mic preamps, you could then choose which you want to use to input to your soundcard by using patch cables to make the connection.

DON'T use the mic input on your soundcard unless you feel it is a good sounding mic preamp, but then, ONLY plug a Mic into it. Use the Line Input to interface external mic preamps and the Mixer (which has mic preamps already on it!)

It usually helps when you list exactly what audio gear and what soundcard you have when asking questions. ;)

Ed
 
i have no clue what soundcard it is ... came with my pc ... i think i will just get a new one ...
 
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