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Hi all… After a feeble attempt to record an audio track the other day and being totally dis-satisfied with the results, I put up a quick post inquiring what anyone thought was wrong – was it RB? You have to remember that my “recording” setup goes like this. I plug in my 20 year old Peavey mic into the “Line – in 2/mic 2” plug on my Audigy 2 Platinum, put on a pair of headphones and wail away. The results came out very muffled and at a low volume through my Logitech Z-5500 5.1 Digital Speakers. (they really kick butt) Because of financial reasons I would like to continue using these speakers. Indeed, the situation is not very nice when you’re trying to mix it in with all the great sounds that I’m getting from my SD2. Gary wrote me back and suggested a new dynamic mic could be in order. I’ve made up my mind that I’m getting one next week. Mind you – I’m not out to spend a fortune – I’m only doing this music stuff for my own enjoyment – It has once again become my hobby. Gary also suggested that I might think about getting a mixer. At first I kind of scoffed at the idea, thinking that they were way out of my “hobby” budget. But… I started to look at prices and found that it’s not so bad. It’s not high end stuff but for what I’m doing it would probably be a VAST improvement over what I’m doing now. My question (s) goes as follows: Keeping in mind that I know absolutely squat about using a mixer, I’m wondering how exactly I hook it up to my computer. The one I’m thinking about getting has a USB connection. Does this mean that my sound will go from the mixer to the sound card through this connection? I realize that the mixer can be used for my vocals. My harmonies go into an other channel and my guitar into another channel. Here’s what I am really racking my brain over… do I put my RB song through the mixer as well? I’m thinking logically that I will not be able to mix each RB MIDI track through the mixer – I’ll still have to do that with the RB mixer. Am I right? These are just a few of the questions that I have right now before getting it. I’m sure there’s going to be a few more once I bring it home. The mixer I'm thinking of getting is a Behringer XENYX 2222FX Analog Mixer w/ USB . It can be found here Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated. Bobby
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Bobby, The mixer would be used for the external things (instruments, vocals, etc.) that you want to add to a mix. While you could use the mixer for Realband, Realband has its own mixer. You can access this through the Mixer icon - located beside Tracks Bars Chords. When you use Realband it's necessary to use the faders in the Mixer panel to balance the tracks as all tracks are set at the same volume when you generate a song. This is different from BIAB where balancing occurs when a style is generated. (You've probably already noticed that a style sounds much better when it's generated in BIAB than when it's generated in RB. This is why.) Regarding your vocal track, your microphone might be ok. It might be that you simply need to normalize the recording. To do this... - Left click on the vocal track to set the focus to that track
- Ctrl+A to select the whole track (it should now be grayed out)
- Hold the mouse cursor over the track and right click
- From the pop-up menu, choose Audio Effects
- From the submenu, choose Gain Change
- Click on Constant Gain
- Select Pre Normalize
- Apply Process
You will now need to use the fader for the vocal track in the Mixer panel to adjust the volume and balance it in the mix. Hope this gives you some ideas, Noel
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Quote:
I plug in my 20 year old Peavey mic into the “Line – in 2/mic 2” plug on my Audigy 2 Platinum, put on a pair of headphones and wail away. The results came out very muffled and at a low volume
You don't need a mic, you need a MIC PREAMP to bring the mic level signal up to the level that the soundcard's line input requires.
A mixer can do that and so can a dedicated microphone preamp.
--Mac
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Bobby,
In addition to my post above, and in light of Mac's comments, have you checked the the microphone recording level in Windows? You access this through the speaker icon on the Task Bar or Control Panel / Sounds. It might be that the Windows' recording volume needs increasing.
Noel
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Okay Bobby, Try this Behringer instead. It's 8 channels max (really six, with two channels of Aux return). This is all you need, going with the other one is a lot of money that you won't be using. If you attempt to use the mixer you're looking at, it will have NOTHING to do with the Audigy card in your system. Everything is via the USB connection, which means you'll have all sorts of weird routing issues, using the Behringer USB as your input, using the Creative S/PDIF as your output, unless you want to monitor the sounds as you record vocals or other instruments. Noooooooooooo, stay away from that.  Plug the outputs of the Ketron SD2 into the 3/4 Stereo inputs. Since the SD2 is a stereo device, you want to use the Stereo channel strip. Plug the mic, either the old Peavy, or whatever you're going to get new, into the Channel 1 input. Depending on whether it's a 1/4" jack, or an XLR jack, will depend on which input you use. While I recommended either a condenser or a dynamic mic, this little mixer will handle both. However, if you use a Dynamic mic, make sure the 'Phantom Power' button is off, since it applies voltage (48VDC) to the jack, and you don't really want to do that to a Dynamic mic.  Next, take the TAPE OUT jacks, the RCA ones, and run them to the RCA jacks inputs, of your Audigy Card. Since you're using something an Audigy Platinum , you'll have several inputs, and you'll need to select the one you're using in the Creative Mixer panel. Now, in RB, ANY MIDI track you have must be recorded into RB. You want to record EACH MIDI track separately, so that you have an individual audio track for each MIDI part. This will allow you greater options when you go to mix down. Also, if you're recording a guitar part or such, each of those tracks get recorded to a separate track. All the while, make sure that the mic input level is all the way down. Now, turn the mic input up to where it needs to be (you'll need to play around with it to see where that is) and turn the SD2 input all the way down. Depending on how you have your speakers set up, you may also want to run the Speaker Out from the Audigy card to the Tape IN of the mixer, and you can select to listen to the Tape IN instead of the powered speakers you have, and then send it to a nice set of headphones. Now you can do your vocals, and not hear all of the stuff you've already recorded in the background. If you are using the 5500 speakers, and have them connected to the optical or coaxial output of your Audigy card, you can mute them and still listen to the headphones as you record your vocals. I think that this setup, which is far less than just the other mixer, and gives you a relatively nice set of headphones (they're the same ones I use, so I'm biased) will bring you great satisfaction. If you're also playing guitar, you might consider spending this for two mics, which are condensors. One for the vocals, and one for picking up the guitar. I forget if you play guitar. However, the mixer will support both with two mic inputs. Since these are condensers, you will need the Phantom Power switched on for this. Anyway, I hope this gives you an idea of what can be had, and not for a whole lot of money, really. Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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Hi Gary et all... Thanks for pointing me to the Long and McQuade site!!! They seem to carry more lesser end stuff than my only music store here. I couldn't believe the prices for the mixer you suggested and the one I got for $130.00. I decided to spend a few more dollars and got the Xenyx 12 Inputs & 2 Bus Mixer with Effects. The main reason being for the effects... can never have too many effects...  I also have a digital effects unit that I used to use way back when I was recording on my trusty Yahama 4 channel, 4 track tape recorder which I'd like to hook up as well. It's just sitting in the basement doing nothing, so what the heck. Maybe I won't use most of this stuff very often, but if anything it will LOOK impressive. Oh... I wanted to mention... I payed for the mixer in CAD!!! There's not many sites who do that. I'm about 2 hours from Ottawa and my wife and I go there quite often. You can be sure that I'll be making a visit to the store the next time we're there. Thanks again!!! Bobby
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Bobby,
One of the things you'll notice is that Real Band has a full spectrum of DX plug ins that are very useful. The nice thing is that they can be applied on a track by track basis, and will not affect ALL of the tracks, whereas you may have that issue trying to record various inputs from the mixer. This is why I do not recommend mixers with effects in them.
Other than that, you should be rather happy with your purchases.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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The effects built into mixers are notoriously noisy, too.
Not a big problem in live sound reinforcement, but that same amount of noise can be the kiss of death for recording.
--Mac
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Hi again guys...
If I can't use the effects... oh well. I still didn't mind spending the extra few bucks... it wasn't enough to deter me from buying it. I use my accustic guitar for most of the stuff I do... plugged in. In the past I have found that I get a better sound from it this way because of the eq that the guitar has. I do my own harmonies. I also have a couple of friends who I worked with back when I was doing clubs... quite a few years ago... who come over once in a while to put in their lead guitars. Another friend who plays 5 string banjo, and someone else from my old band who puts in live bass now and again. And so I figured that the extra inputs would be used at times.
I forgot to mention that even though the mixer has the USB option, it doesn't HAVE to be used. I checked and rechecked before I ordered it to make sure I could connect it the same way Gary laid it out for me. In fact, the manual doesn't even MENTION anything about the USB connection. It has the same "tape in/tape out" as Gary's mixer. And so I'm not anticipating any connection problems. I realize that there will be a learning curve when I get it and start using it. Buy hey... everyone has started at the beginning. I don't mind putting in the time it takes to experiment and learn as I go along. Like Gary said... I'm sure I'll be happy with my purchase. I can't wait for it to get here!!!
Thanks to all.
Bobby
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Bobby
Hope I don't burst any bubbles here but the USB option that Behringer includes is a small unit called the Behringer UCA200. It is a USB powered audio interface with RCA stereo input and output pairs. It does come with a Behringer written ASIO driver and WMA drivers. The quality is not too bad but with monitors turned up full you can hear a slight and continuous whine which gets on my nerves.
I wouldn't use this interface for recording and so I don't know if the whine is recorded. I have used it with a laptop to play background music but I think nowadays the audio straight out of the audio ports is good enough and probably better. It's probably OK if you don't have any other way of getting audio into your computer. I think it is slightly misleading - the way Behringer market the Xenyx mixers with a USB interface - and then you get this unit which is probably worth about $15.
I have two of these UCA200's which came with Xenyx mixers and both are languishing in the back of a drawer somewhere. I have a M-Audio Audiophile USB interface which is much better for the laptop and even desktop use.
Kevin
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Hi Kevin I really have no intensions of using the USB option on the mixer. Gary has laid out the way for me to connect it using the tape in/tape out connectors. (see above) I have read the manual from front to back and nowhere in it does it even MENTION connecting via USB. Again, according to Gary, to hook it up with USB would be a nightmare when I would try to set the "in/out" in RB. The good thing about it is that the store I bought it from is 2 hours down the road - in Ottawa. We travel there quite often and so I'll visit the store. However, I'm going to give it a good try when it gets here. The mixer I'm getting is a Xenyx 12 Inputs & 2 Bus Mixer with Effects From what I have read, it is one of their newer models - but I could be wrong. Anyway... like I said... I'll give it a try and see what happens. Bobby
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Hi all...
I got my Behringer 1202FX mixer today. I haven't really had time to connect it yet but will be able to get into it later tonight. I have Gary's instructions on how to hook it up printed out. BUT... I feel so stupid having to post this question. Where in tarnation is the power on/off switch???? When I plugged it in it was already on. I've looked for it on the top, back, sides, underneith and even on the power box that is on the a/c cord. I've been looking for it for the last 1/2 hour... I sure didn't want to have to post such a stupid question. I guess you guys can all have a good laugh over this one.
As always, any help would be surely appereciated.
Bobby
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It ain't you, son. I scoured the manual and view sheets. Not a clue in either. On my Eurorack MX2004A it's on the right rear, but I don't see anything power related on yours but the pilot light and the phantom power switch. Srsly.
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Wow... I figured that there is going to be a learning curve once I got it... but THIS??? Oh well... I guess I'll just pull out the cord for now. Maybe someone else can help me later... I have to run.
Thanks
Bobby
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Unplugging isn't necessary; get a switched power strip. Just be sure to turn your speakers on LAST and off FIRST before switching power on and off to the mixer (and anything between it and the amp/speakers).
R.
"My primary musical instrument is the personal computer."
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Amazing. Let's save a couple of dollars by removing the power switch.
There isn't one, Bobby. Put it into a power strip and use the power strip to turn it on and off.
Gary
I'm blessed watching God do what He does best. I've had a few rough years, and I'm still not back to where I want to be, but I'm on the way and things are looking far better now than what they were!
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