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  #1  
Old 10-14-2016, 02:48 PM
PJ10 PJ10 is offline
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Default Mixer to interface question

I have a Xenyx 1202 mixer and a Presonus Audiobox USB interface. I want to record through the mixer, but I'm not quite sure how to connect them. The mixer has a CD/tape option with an RCA output, while the interface has a 1/4 inch cable. Is it as easy as getting an RCA to 1/4 inch cable?

Thanks in advance for anyone who can shed a little light here.
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Old 10-14-2016, 09:16 PM
Joseph Hanna Joseph Hanna is offline
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This could get deep in a hurry and before we leap into a bottomless rabbit hole I'd first wanna know "why" you wanna record through the mixer?
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Old 10-14-2016, 10:47 PM
PJ10 PJ10 is offline
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Yeah, I'm a beginners beginner when it comes to recording. I have been playing through the mixer with headphones on and just LOVE the sound I'm getting. I've tried to record through the interface, then using Studio One, but I've never been crazy about the sound. Or maybe I haven't worked with it enough to create a sound I like. I don't know.
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Old 10-15-2016, 08:40 AM
Joseph Hanna Joseph Hanna is offline
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Well....again this may well be a fairly deep discussion, particularly when just getting started, but we'll start with the general broad brush stroke notion of the absolute enormity of importance the idea of unity gain and proper gain staging. That is to say where to adjust gain as opposed to where to adjust volume and how it may cascade into various problems. Remember once we're talking about digital overs there's no fixing it in the mix. An over is an over for eternity.

I am also a firm believer in the cleanest audio comes from the simplest input structures. When you choose to run through a mixer (with its input gain structure, its channel gain output, its active eq and finally its master gain output) then further the path into yet another analog gain stage (in the Presonus) the idea of unity gain and controlling levels (and noise) becomes more complex and certainly opens avenue for problems. It can be done and it can be done properly but it requires a bit more setup and monitoring.

Finally (for now) I'd submit comparing a new audio system (your Presonus) to a tried and true listening environment (your board and headphones) can often at first listen seem massively different. Most likely because of different input and output structures. I'm bettin' my bottom dollar the Presonus is capBle of "as clean" or more so monitoring as your board.
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Old 10-15-2016, 09:08 AM
runamuck runamuck is offline
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Listen to Joseph. Recording through the mixer offers no advantage. I had the same questions and struggled with the same problem years ago.
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Old 10-15-2016, 10:35 AM
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rick-slo rick-slo is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PJ10 View Post
Yeah, I'm a beginners beginner when it comes to recording. I have been playing through the mixer with headphones on and just LOVE the sound I'm getting. I've tried to record through the interface, then using Studio One, but I've never been crazy about the sound. Or maybe I haven't worked with it enough to create a sound I like. I don't know.
Playing though the mixer while listening with headphones you are hearing both the sound of the instrument directly (voice?) and the sound coming through the headphones. It will not sound the same playing back the recording. Whatever latency of sound that may be coming from the headphones at recording time adds to the difference.
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Old 10-15-2016, 12:41 PM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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I used to record through a mixer. As a multi-instrumentalist I usually had an acoustic guitar (or two), an electric guitar, an acoustic bass, an electric bass, and vocal mics. Even recording one track at a time I had the convenience of not dealing with connections, levels, EQ, etc. I just used the stereo outs to my two channel interface (at the time I also had a Boss 600 recorder).

Now I record to a Tascam DP24, and have patch bay in the rack which gets me the same convenience. I do any post-tracking processing on the Mac using Reaper.
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Old 10-15-2016, 06:44 PM
Joseph Hanna Joseph Hanna is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RustyAxe View Post
I used to record through a mixer. As a multi-instrumentalist I usually had an acoustic guitar (or two), an electric guitar, an acoustic bass, an electric bass, and vocal mics. Even recording one track at a time I had the convenience of not dealing with connections, levels, EQ
Yes but there again despite the massive ease of having everything "pre-routed" and "pre-hooked up" you're still running a complete gain stage (input, output and virtually everything in between) into another set of gain staging. Do-able of course...ideal probably not. Of course a properly configured patch-bay, as you mentioned, would eliminate the ackward "pre-amp into pre-amp" situation and it would obviously cover the idea of "easy" connections" more appropriately.

Either or as long as the OP understands the general concepts here
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Old 10-16-2016, 08:48 AM
RustyAxe RustyAxe is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Joseph Hanna View Post
Yes but there again despite the massive ease of having everything "pre-routed" and "pre-hooked up" you're still running a complete gain stage (input, output and virtually everything in between) into another set of gain staging. Do-able of course...ideal probably not. Of course a properly configured patch-bay, as you mentioned, would eliminate the ackward "pre-amp into pre-amp" situation and it would obviously cover the idea of "easy" connections" more appropriately.

Either or as long as the OP understands the general concepts here
My interface had inputs that did not have a preamp (ie, required external preamps). I think I was using a PCI M-Audio Delta 44 at that time I wasn't producing for the masses, anyway, just getting down ideas to present to the other players in my band ... or just indulging myself ...
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Old 10-18-2016, 09:12 AM
MikeBmusic MikeBmusic is offline
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If you really want to use the mixer for its preamps, then use the MAIN output of the mixer into your interface.
But I agree with the others above, better to go straight into the Audiobox and figure out why you like the sound through the mixer better.
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Old 10-18-2016, 09:15 PM
PJ10 PJ10 is offline
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Thank you guys, for all of the responses. I'm going to try it both ways. See what I can come up with. I think the thing is that the Studio One I have is the bottom feeder in the series. It comes with something called Mixverb, which is, in my opinion, meh. But I'll keep working and see what I can come up with.
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Old 10-19-2016, 06:30 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PJ10 View Post
Thank you guys, for all of the responses. I'm going to try it both ways. See what I can come up with. I think the thing is that the Studio One I have is the bottom feeder in the series. It comes with something called Mixverb, which is, in my opinion, meh. But I'll keep working and see what I can come up with.
Well first off if your going to try to accurately compare "the sound" between the mixer and the interface you have to eliminate as variables as possible. So that the only variable will be the the mic pre's
Also your going to have to try to make sure the levels are as close as possible.

In other words the first thing to do is set all the mixer controls to flat. EQ to -0- And turn off all FX in both the mixer and the interface. So that only the dry sound is coming through.
Also for comparison just monitor the sound coming through interface do not record it

The only difference between the versions of Studio One is that the Pro version is 64 bit and the other two are 32 bit..It is highly unlikely that you are going to be able to detect any actual sound difference in the DAW Audio engine itself .
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  #13  
Old 10-19-2016, 07:55 AM
Joseph Hanna Joseph Hanna is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PJ10 View Post
Thank you guys, for all of the responses. I'm going to try it both ways. See what I can come up with. I think the thing is that the Studio One I have is the bottom feeder in the series. It comes with something called Mixverb, which is, in my opinion, meh. But I'll keep working and see what I can come up with.
Yep we've opened a Titanic can of worms here. As Kev has already mentioned this post is slightly counterintuitive to how I interpreted the first post. Are we comparing reverbs or mixer paths? Or perhaps better asked; what are we trying to do here? 😎
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