VCR audio recording

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knowslittle

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I've heard good things about recording audio onto VHS tape. I've been giving it a try with no results. I have a truly ghetto setup:

4 Radio Shack Optimus mics going into a Radio Shack 4 Channel mixer (the cheap $49.99 one) and that output going into a new model Panasonic 4 head stereo VCR.

At first I went from the mixer's out RCA jacks to the VCR's RCA jacks...resulting in nothing...then I went from the mixer's out 1/4" jacks to the VCRs RCA jacks...same result.

I've done everything I could think of...I've checked to make sure I was using the right input mode on the VCR, I've tried the mono & the stereo settings on the mixer...I even hooked up a bogus antena in connection to the VCR. I've read everything on the web page associated with this topic with still no results.

Any comments or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
Did you check to see the the mixer actually works?
Try connecting it to a cassete recorder, or your computer's line input, and see if you get any signal.


Oren
 
The mixer may not have a pre-amp on it. A mic needs a pre-amp to amplify the very weak mic signal to line level. All mics work this way. Is there anything on the mixer that says mic, trim, gain? Try plugging a CD player into the mixer (like Aren said) and record with that.

I may be wrong but that mixer might only be for cross fading 2 stereo lines for a DJ setup.

The VCR must be a Hi-Fi VCR. There should be a red, white, and yellow "in" jack.

Always record at SP not EP on the VCR.
 
On most vcr's I have worked with,you need to set the channel selector to "aux" for the auxilliary input to get the audio to go in.Also,if it has front and rear inputs like my jvc does,there may be a selection in the on screen setup menu to select whichever one you want to use.

Good Luck!
 
WOOO HOOO!!! If you were one the people who suggested it might be a signal strength thing...pat yourself on the back...you were right....I ran the mixer output into a guitar practice amp, then I plugged an - 1/8" to (2) RCA jacks cable - into the headphone jack of the amp, out to the inputs of the VCR, and presto! I love this solution, cuz I can put reverb, gain, and mess with the EQ of everybody being miked. The sound quality beats the living hell out of a 4 track (no more hiss!), although the set up is awfully complicated. I have yet to try converting the VHS tape to mp3...Im keeping my fingers crossed.

Big thanks to all that responded! you guys rule.
 
If this is a brand new mixer, I suggest trying to return it (Radio Shack has a great return Policy) , and get a model that has a line output. Such a long and complicated signal chain is bound to be a source of interference and generally bad quality sound. If you're happy with the results, though, than by all means, enjoy your newly found setup.

I just checked Radio Shack's web site, and they don't seem to have anything that would do beter then the one you have...
For 69$ you could get a Behringer Eurorack 602 though....

Oren
 
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