Use the channel insert jacks as direct outs. To avoid breaking the flow of signal to the mixer section, you will need special wiring on the insert jack (tip and ring connected), or else use Hosa DOC106 adaptor cables.

Thanks, I'm really enjoying these forums.. People know what there talking about and it saves me time I can also help a few people here and there :). Cant thank you enough Boswell.

Ok one more question, I've gotten my 6 Insert I/O ports on my mixer going to my 6 inputs on the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra with the required cabled. (sorry had the wrong model number last time) now it says to route the M Audio 6 line outputs to channels 1-6 of the mixer. How do I do this just with 1/4 cables to the line in on channel 1-6 of the mixer?

You need six insert cables. These are TRS (mixer) split out to two TS 1/4" (send & receive). The send goes to the Fast Track input and the receive goes to the Fast Track output. This way you bypass the crappy Beh*** preamps.

Mike Miller, post: 365049 wrote: Ok one more question, I've gotten my 6 Insert I/O ports on my mixer going to my 6 inputs on the M-Audio Fast Track Ultra with the required cabled. (sorry had the wrong model number last time) now it says to route the M Audio 6 line outputs to channels 1-6 of the mixer. How do I do this just with 1/4 cables to the line in on channel 1-6 of the mixer?

I think we need to know a bit more about what you are trying to achieve. Are you using this for simple recording or is it for live sound with recording as well?

For the former, you can use standard insert cables as Jack mentioned and the FastTrack outs return on the same channels as you took the sends. If it's the latter, you need to have signal flow through the mixer. In this case, you not only need the DOC106 or similar cabling for the record take-off, but you should return the 6 FastTrack outputs using TRS jack cables to the line inputs of completely separate channels on the mixer.

I don't know the Fast Track Ultra, but it could be that it has only impedance-balanced line outputs, in which case, using standard insert cables will incur no signal amplitude loss. If it has true balanced outputs, the use of insert cables (TS jack plugs) will ground one side of the output and incur a 6dB amplitude loss as well as generate increased current demands in the interface. This signal loss would be avoided in the second suggested scheme of using TRS cables into the line inputs of separate mixer channels.

Thanks for the reply guys by the way this is for a studio not a live sound etc. Ok, I have DOC106 cables 6 of them in the Insert I/O ports of my mixer going to the M-Audio's 6 inputs. So I take my outputs to the line in of the mixer with standard trs cables?

I want to do the two way communication to be able to do the fallowing.

Monitor both the signal you are recording and the playback signal from the computer. You can use the headphone jack and this will keep the studio quiet and the recording clean.

Adjust the level of your monitors from the mixer.

Put processors like compressors in between the alt3-4 out and the soundcard input.

Monitor external MIDI synths and modules without recording them to audio and when you want to record them to audio it's just a button press away.

Boswell, post: 365067 wrote: ... you should return the 6 FastTrack outputs using TRS jack cables to the line inputs of completely separate channels on the mixer...

I don't often quote my own posts, but I think this answered your question before you asked it.

The rest of what you said looked very like a cut and paste from the Tweakheadz site.

Sorry I was using an iPhone and I dident see that part of the post. So, I ran my out put's of the fast track to the line inputs of 6 individual channels of my mixer. The only thing that is confusing me now is my board dosent have a control room left/right it has a control room/headphones and it only has one jack and I know that outputs 1 and 2 are the main monitor outputs on the fast track how would I go about hooking those up. Or would I just use my main outputs?. I believe once I get this done im finished thanks again everyone who helped.

There are three essentially different ways that TRS jacks are used in a mixer: balanced single-channel (e.g. channel inputs), simultaneous unbalanced in and out (insert points) and unbalanced stereo. The headphones jack comes into the last category.

I may have misunderstood what exactly it is you are asking, but input signals already mixed as L and R of a stereo pair that come into the mixer via mono channel inputs have to be panned hard left and hard right respectively on the mixer for the stereo image to emerge in its original spatial form via the main outputs or the headphone out. Stereo channel inputs on a mixer have this function already hardwired, but there is usually a balance control to vary the relative level of the L and R parts of the stereo channel.

Does your iPhone get down this far?

Yes, it's scrolling down now. Basically what im asking.. the tutorial that Tweakz posted showed the Monitor Speakers going into a Left/Right Control Room allowing the monitoring of a direct signal as well as a playback signal from the computer. All I would like to know is where my 1 & 2 Outputs of the Fast Track go do the go into the mixer line in? If so where would the monitors go since the control room out is only one jack. The fast track has 8x8, but im only using 6x6 because the other inputs are midi etc. So, would I have to go 4x4 since 1 & 2 on the fast track would be used as outputs if i had to go directly from there to the monitors? Im sorry but this is getting really confusing lol.

I've never had to use one of the mixers you have, but the Phones/Control Room out is a stereo jack of the third type I described above. It carries two channels.

I was assuming you wanted to bring your computer main outputs (FastTrack outs 1&2) through the mixer rather than take them directly to the loudspeakers in order to be able to monitor individual tracks. You would bring them in as either a pair of mono signals or (better) via a stereo input. However, this doesn't give you a one-button toggle between input monitoring and listening to the computer replay. The alternative would be to attenuate the two FastTrack outputs and connect them to the CD/tape input of the mixer, where you could use the Standby switch to mute all feeds to the main output except the CD/tape input.

I agree the handbook for that particular mixer is not an easy read. In fact, I'm beginning to feel slightly unwell....