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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Yes! That Mackie is a great audio interface. Look at page 10 and 11 of your owners manual. It tells you the Mackie receives the two channel main mix from your computer via the USB cable. That means you do NOT run audio from the back of your PC, the audio is going out from the Mackie. Here's where it's a little tricky for you if your not used to this. The Mackie uses XLR connectors for the main audio output. That means you have to get XLR cables to run to either your studio power amp or your powered monitor speakers. Note what it says on page 11 about adjusting the USB audio output coming from your computer. I'll bet that's where your problem lies with the weak sound you're describing since you're saying you have adjusted your wav outputs to the max already.
The one thing missing on the Mackie is midi but you may not need that. All newer keyboards/sound modules use USB for midi and the audio. My Roland Sonic cell for example. It's hooked up via USB so it plays any midi tracks and the audio outputs goes to my studio monitoring system which is controlled by my Behringer mixer, in your case any audio outputs from any other equipment goes into your Mackie. If you have some older equipment that does not have USB and you want to use it for midi sounds then you would need a separate USB midi adapter to go along with the Mackie but the audio outputs still goes to the Mackie.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
Again with USB connection i only get control over the Graphic EQ Becuase with USB the computer is not feeding through one of the single pre amps 7/8 input .
Regards,
Greg
Greg, you must have written this at the same time I was posting my last reply.
This is the way you want it to work, you want to use the USB, not the 1/8" audio mini plug. Everything concerning the sound quality is done inside whatever software you're using, in this case Biab. The whole point of using a DAW is for you to do your final mixing there before it's sent out to your studio monitoring system. That includes any EQ. You keep your mixer EQ set flat, otherwise you don't know what your actual mix sounds like because that's external to the mix. If you keep the Mackie flat and your mix sounds like crap, then you fix it inside the software. Mackie included that EQ section for live work where as they described, you may want to mix the output from a laptop with vocals or instruments on stage but for studio mixing that's the last thing you want to do is to color the USB output from your PC.
Are using good XLR cables for the main outs?
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Bob and thanks for that last reply. I am using good cables for my sound system .I bought them from sweetwater. I think the 1/8 connection sounded better then the USB becuase those on line BIAB demos are set at flat response and they are compressed files .So when i run it through the 1/8 plug to 1/4 im able to get more gain through the pre amp channel 7/8 becuase i have the low .mid ,and high adjustments And im able to doctor up those flat response demos . I understand now that i need to go all the fixing in BIAB first then out from USB connection It all makes sence now . Do i need to buy and audio interface or is my mixer with the USB connection the audio interface ? Thanks for your support
Mackie PRO FX8
Regards, Greg
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Bob Disregard my question about my mixer being an audio interface i just read your answer to that . lol
Regards,
Greg
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Bob again,
I went a head and hooked the USB up to my mixer .Boy what a sound ! I went into my computer and looked at my main volume level and it was only up 1/4 of the way .I got plenty of juice now. lol . I got so much power it's unreal. The sound is cleaner and smoother and that's is even with a demo .I can't imagine what these real styles will sound like once i take them into the mixing area of the program. I have my mic pluged into channel one on my mixer and for some reason i do not get the feed back coming through my mic anymore like i use to .Is there a reason for that ? Another thing that helped i took the longest wall in the room and stretched my speakers out more. Why does USB sound better then anolog ? Anyways i can breath a little easer now i think im heading in the right direction. The more im listening to these real styles now I'm starting to think BIAB sound's more life like compared to the arranger keyboards out there. Man when i hear that sax it's out of this world . lol Here i had an audio interface on my mixer and was not even using it. lol As faras my main out puts to my amp im using the main outs on the front panel of my mixer L/R they are 1/4 jacks going into 3 prong plug on the other end which goes into my power amp but it also gives me a choice i could also select the 1/4 inch jacks in .Does it matter if i have 1/4 jack coming out of my main mixer and then going in with the 3 prong plug on the other end ? I could have just used 1/4 to 1/4 from mixer to amp but as if now it's 1/4 to the 3 prong plug.
Regards,
Greg
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Hi Bob i was looking at my mixer again for hooking the mixer up to the power amp .I see there are XLR OUT PUTS on the back of my Mackie .I did not hook it up from the back but rather i hooked the main out from the top Bal/ unbal main out .So one end is 1/4 inch and the other end going to my power amp is XLR. Should i hook my mains from the back of the mixer and to my amp with XLR Only ? I wounder if that would make a difference in sound ? My power amp gives me an option either i can connect with 1/4 or XLR Inputs same does for the mixer. It apears the manule is saying the out mains are in the back of the mixer but do not talk about the main outs on top as far as a i can see .Which way would you hook it up ? Mackie pro FX8
Regards,
Greg
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Quote:
I went into my computer and looked at my main volume level and it was only up 1/4 of the way .I got plenty of juice now.
Quote:
As faras my main out puts to my amp im using the main outs on the front panel of my mixer L/R they are 1/4 Does it matter if i have 1/4 jack coming out of my main mixer and then going in with the 3 prong plug on the other end ? I could have just used 1/4 to 1/4 from mixer to amp but as if now it's 1/4 to the 3 prong plug.
A quick comment here, Greg. Mac told you several days ago to make sure the main volume level was up full in your computer. That alone would have made a big difference even with the 1/8" mini plug going to your PA. When you have questions you need to read the answers carefully. Still, you're much better off using your Mackie anyway and now you've got it set up properly so that's great.
As to your second question no, it doesn't matter as far as sound quality is concerned, the 1/4" jacks on the front panel say "Main Out" so it should be the same as using the XLR Main Out on the back. It's cleaner and less messy looking to have the mains coming out the back and if you want to get technical about it balanced XLR's are what the pro's use over 1/4" jacks because of less chance of interference and noise. Mackie makes pro level mixers, that's why the mains on the back are XLR's and it's the same on my Behringer mixer too. If you're not hearing any noise then you're fine with the 1/4".
You're on your way now Greg and as Peter says, have some fun!
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Thanks Bob for all your help .About the volume i will double check to make sure my volume is all the way up on my computer .Even when it was lower i still had plenty of volume so i guss that is showing me that the usb connection is pumping a better signal from my computer compared to the 1/8 jack hook up . So it's volume all the way up on the computer and lower the volume on the mixer i got it. I talked with Mackie tec support today .He said both out put connections are ok either 1/4 or XLR connection but he said like you said the XLR gives a less chance of interference with Noise .As of now i have a 1/4 inch jacks going from my mixer to the input of my power amp by way of XLR connection. I orderd a pair of Pro co XLR cables today from sweetwater .I like the idea of the jacks being the same set up on both sides male to female connection XLR and like you said it looks less messy becuase the jacks are on the back. Again thank you and the forum for leading me in the right direction .
Regards,
Greg
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Joined: May 2000
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Quote:
Why does USB sound better then anolog ?
For one thing the conversion from a digital signal to an audio signal is now being done by the Mackie, which was designed for the job. Which do you think was built with better digital-audio convertors; Mackie mixer or laptop? I betting the Mackie <grin>
Use the best convertors you have on hand for the best sound. That goes both ways. Your recorded tracks (like vocals) will probably sound better letting the Mackie do the conversion compared to the onboard laptop device.
I do not work here, but the benefits are still awesome
Make your sound your own!
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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http://www.box.net/shared/bhmsa71ae7d856slbrqx http://www.box.net/shared/9d3pho8foc Bob here is a song file that a fellow sent me On the interent a while back which is from BIAB and im singing with it. I added my voice in Audacity and then recorded. The second link was an arragment that i created when i use to own the Yamaha psrs 900 arranger keyboard .The guitar part i did with the Pitch bend wheel while playing the keys. Although it sounded half decent i gave up trying to learn how to play the keys ,it destracted me from my singing skills so that is why i will be going with BIAB in the future but any way i thought i would share these two arrangment with you .Again thanks for taken the time in helping me get started with recording . Take care my friend . Regards, Greg
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Band-in-a-Box for Windows
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Great vocal on San Francisco Greg.
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Thank you Bert glad you enjoyed it .
Regards,
Greg
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