What mixing desk, and what features are important?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Liam_Monster
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How many tracks would I be able to record at once using N-Track with a Behringer XENYX 1204FX, obviously it might depend partly on soundcard inputs, but if I connect via usb is that just one track at once or more than one?
 
Can't get mixing desk to register sound

Firstly we've taken the advice of arranging for someone qualified to do all the mixing with us and we're going to use a local college in nottingham, england who have recording studios and who will mix/engineer our work for the day. So thanks for whoever sugested that, this will help us.

Secondly as i'm interested in getting in to home recording i've bought N-Track and a Behringer Xenyx 1204fx . . .

Now there's more to learn that I thought I really am stuck at the first hurdle so please help. I can't get the mixing desk to recognise any sound, i don't understand it.

DSC00219.jpg


Now I have my guitar in the line in of my marshal amp. Then i have the line out of my marshal amp go into the line in on the mixing desk. Granted I don't understand it all of the routing but i have had a good mess about with it for an hour and I can't seem to get any sound out of it. The lights on the main mix part on the right of the desk aren't lighting up to imply any sound level going through. Is there something obvious that I am doing wrong? The desk is turned on and clearly has power. I know all the cables work as we used them in practise this evening. I'm connecting the desk to my pc via the UCA200 usb kit that came with it, but i doubt this is the problem as i'm not convinced i'm getting the desk to register any sound.

DSC00220.jpg


I wondered if the lineout of my amp was playing up, so i plugged an acoustic with active pickup directly into input one of the mixing desk. Got the same issue no sound. I've tried all the line ins and i've got nothing.

What am I doing wrong?

Please help :) Is there an idiots guide anywhere? the manual doesnt help
 
any ideas? I want to know if it's something i'm doing wrong or it's the desk!
 
Well I'm no expert on electrical engineering-- not yet anyways :D-- but from the pics it does not look like its turned on. Lol it just looks like the usb thing is. If it is turned on then id suggest making sure the gain knob on the chanel youre using is about mid way (12 o clock) Then make sure the faders are up (which is what it looks like)

Mixers are different but you need to make sure that the tape/coax output is not muted. Make sure all of the little black buttons are not pressed down, (the mute ones)

If nothing works then you should try making sure that all knobs are turned half way up. My first guess is that the "CD/TAPE" button is muted. I'm not familiar with this mixer though.

If the meters are jumping up and down keep them at a decent volume and make sure that youre computer sound through the usb thing and also make sure that your speakers are plugged in correctly. It does not look like youre speakers are plugged in because the output on the USB thing is plugged into the mixer but the output on the mixer is going straight back to the USB interface

That usb interface appears to run as your sound card meaning the output on that usb needs to get to your speakers. This is unless youre only using this thing as a recorder and not to replay sound. if it is used as this make sure that its not set as youre default sound device. On windows you just go to control panel then sounds and devices and make sure its not the default. When you do this you will have to make sure that the audio software you are using uses the usb interface as your recording device rather than the windows default.

If nothin works.


Welcome to the world of recording you have learned your first lesson.

The harsh lesson of Behringer.
 
Hey i'm worked it all out now, Thanks for your reply. It was late at night in England when I tried to I had to be careful with volume. I think the software I was recording to wasn't set up right but it's working now and i'm just learning how to get the right sounds. Easy with the electric but i'm struggling a bit with my acoustic. I want to avoid putting it through my marshall amp as I don't want to degrade the acoustic sound in anyway, i've tried it through the amp and it doesn't sound as good because it's hard to get rid of the gain. PLugging my acoustic straight into the desk, the signal doesn't seem that strong, i have to crank it all up on the desk but unfortunately volume often also seems to mean gain. I guess what I really need is an amp between my acoustic and mixing desk which amplifies the signal without distorting it? Making the weak signal loud through my mixing desk and recording it .. . .It's hard to explain it's like it looses a lot of depth. Certainly not as good as just plugging the acoustic straight into the linein of my old sound blaster. I just want to be able to do it through the mixer! Any ideas? Electric sounds phenomemal though !
 
Well if you aren't using any sort of DI type preamp you're going to want to use a mic like a LD condenser for the acoustic and a SD dynamic mic for the guitar.

Good luck
 
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