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Joined: May 2012
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Dear Musicians -- Please help. I have this mixer... Behringer XENYX 1202FX Premium 12-Input 2-Bus Mixer http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-XENYX-12...NYX1202FX+Mixer...which has 2 outputs, both 1/4", for L and R. I want to know what hardware I need to get from that mixer to my computer and put the digital recording into Audacity or Reaper or something similar. I looking online and found this nice article... http://m.wikihow.com/Record-Live-Music...and it suggests that I need an "audio interface" like this. I found this audio-interface online at Amazon... Behringer UCA222 U-Control Ultra-Low Latency 2 In/2 Out USB Audio Interface with Digital Output And Massive Software Bundle http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UCA222-U...o+interface+usb...and I am wondering if that is good enough. Of course, I need to stay within a tight budget here. I definitely need at least live-recording capability such that all the instruments playing into the mixer get put on 1 track and pushed into Audacity. Ideally, it would be nice to have a live-recording capability such that each instrument is saved on a separate track. This is just for rough-cut, live-to-tape, basic recording to capture jam-sessions and rehearsals for our own personal review-- this is not for recording-studio-quality track-recording-- this is just for live-recording and the only re-touching that I would want to do (if any) is to set volume levels so the parts are balanced in volume. My computer is Windows 7 with USB connectors. So, I think the questions are... (1). What hardware do I need to connect my mixer to my computer to record live-recordings as single-track? (2). What hardware do I need to connect my mixer to my computer to record live-recordings as multi-track? Please advise. Thanks. -- Mark Kamoski
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Hi Mark.
1) This is easy - the mixer you have plus the interface you mention will work to record in stereo into Audacity.
2) This is more complicated. Firstly you need a much more expensive interface which has multiple inputs - as many as the number of tracks you want to record simultaneously. Then you need a new mixer with direct outputs on each channel, so that these can be connected to the interface. Finally, you need software which will record several tracks at the same time. Something like Power Tracks is as good and cheap as anything. If you decide on this route, there are lots of people on the forum who will recommend interfaces.
ROG.
EDIT - Some interfaces will allow you to connect mics and instruments straight in without the mixer, but you lose the facilities which the mixer has, such as EQ and effects.
Last edited by ROG; 11/02/12 11:51 AM.
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Multi meaning left and right or multi meaning more than 2?
If you want to record multi tracks where you mean laying track upon track upon track, we'd need to know more.
Is what you are doing recording a band in the room with everything running through your mixer and you want it to record on individual tracks?
Do you have a credit card with a lot of room on it, because you are now talking about multi track capable hardware. Somewhere in the bowels of these forums you will find a thread about my experiene with Mark of the Unicorn hardware. That would required a fairly expensive interface card for your computer (I think it cost me like $175 used) amd a couple of hardware interfaces (MOTUs were fine for me, but the will do only 8 tracks of analog audio each, so you'll need at least 2. $85-ish used on Craigslist or eBay.) And a bunch of patch cables, one per channel. Then some kind of DAW software that will record multitrack input, unless you play in perfect tune, time and balance on the first take. If you just record those many tracks mixed down to one left and one right into Audacity, you are cool with just Audacity running and you can mix the levels at the mixer. If you want to do any dubbing, redos of a section, etc... remember that with just a L and a R you have no control over just the bass, just the piano, just the guitar.... everything is ganged together.
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Joined: Apr 2010
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Save yourself a lot of time, money and aggravation and do a lot of reading before you buy anything. Here is a good place to start: http://www.audiominds.com/index.htmlRegards, Bob
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As others have said, it's not a necessity to use a mixer in between your signal sources and a multi-channel audio interface.
I've been doing home recording that way for nearly 20 years - never had a mixer in the system.
Mixers can be useful, but not necessary. And since they are powered and so forth, they do add a source of noise into your recorded signal chain - if that matters to you.
Depending on how many channels you want to record, you need to consider how many condenser microphones you will simultaneously record for separate processing in your software, as these need phantom power - The number of phantom powered channels in an audio interface is probably the main source of expense, as a general rule of thumb.
If you want to bus down drum tracks into two-channel pairs - then you can use your existing mixer to provide power to those condensers and record drums by themselves as a two track then overdub other stuff - that's a way of working that is also well-worn and proven out - and the interface will be less expensive.
Best wishes and welcome to the home recording world.
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Mark, if you just bought that Behringer you could return it and get this one: http://www.zzounds.com/item--BEH1204USBSame mixer but with USB so it is it's own interface plus they give you some good looking software to go with it. If you need more inputs then go for the next one up. Scott is also correct, any good interface that is not a physical mixer comes with a software mixer so everything is handled inside your computer but if you need 4 or 6 or more mic/line inputs for live recording then those are expensive and this Behringer is a better buy money wise. I also agree don't be in a hurry to buy anything just yet, do some reading first. Whether or not you'll be using condenser mic's is merely one thing for you to think about. Condenser's require phantom power and if you don't know what that is and you're new interface you just bought doesn't have that then that's a big oops. There's lots of those floating around. You have to really think about exactly what you're planning to do and how you're doing it then understand what equipment is required for that. 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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