Dear Luke404, there are some lovely new mixers out there that have integrated FireWire connectivity, like the Onyx models also from Mackie, which supposedly also have better microphone preamplifier's than the model you were looking at. As far as I can tell, no sound card is actually needed since the mixer is the new sound card with its own internal converters and high-speed output port to your computer. If your computer doesn't already have a FireWire port than numerous aftermarket FireWire cards are available at your local discount computer mart for around $40 US. If your computer already has an inexpensive internal soundcard, you could use that for your monitoring when your mixer is not connected. Just another thought.

Thinking I'll have another beer?
Ms. Remy Ann David

luke404 wrote: Hi all,

I was going to go the route of just a soundcard and preamp, but confusion and frustration has lead me to believe that I'm better off with a mixer/soundcard set up. It says this mixer has the alt 3-4 bus, but I just wanted to run this mixer past you guys to see what you think about it. I just heard a few bad things about behringer,( I was going to get the ub1204) so I'd prefer to get some nice preamps if possible, and supposedly mackie's are quite good.

http://www.mackie.com/products/1202vlzpro/index.html

As far as a soundcard goes, I was thinking about an m-audio audiophille 2496. How do I hook this card up to the mackie? If i have unbalanced outs from the soundcard going into the mackie mixer, will i get balanced lines going out from the mixer to my active monitors?

Also As far as my set up goes, I'll be doing all my mixing in my software i think, just to simply things, probably going to use Audacity. If i have my soundcard hooked up to the alt 3-4 bus, i can control the volume of everything via the mixer right? For the controls on the mixer, should I just start with my eq set to flat, I just want to know the very basics without blowing anything up in the process haha. Only going to be using a studio porjects b1 condenser, and a crappy fender dynamic mic for emergencies/back up. Any replies will be greatly suggested.
Luke

Hi Luke......I've had a Mackie 1202 vlz for years and it's great....absolutely reliable....rock solid. I've also just ordered a new PC with an M-Audio 24/96 soundcard. Your question:
How do I hook this card up to the mackie? ANSWER: you don't. The M-Audio goes into your computer.....also: If i have unbalanced outs from the soundcard going into the mackie mixer, will i get balanced lines going out from the mixer to my active monitors?
Answer: Balanced outs means nothing....you need balanced Ins....this is how I propose to setup my system....use the MAckie as a Mixer into the M-audio. Because the Mackie is Balanced....the M-Audio doesn't have to be...the audio OUTS of the M-Audio can be sent to your Active monitors....in fact....good choise...in my setup...I'll be sending the M-Audio OUTS to a Behringer Headphone Amp/Distributor then tap into that for a signal out to a couple of mixer/speakers...[I programme via headphones] As far as Mackie goes...there's tons of stuff around but MAckie's a kind of industry standard I suppose...great performance at a realistic price.....I think you're on the right track.
MAWD

Go to the Lynx Studios web site(Lynx sound cards). In their support section they have a "method"(A suggested routing) for hooking up their cards to a Mackie Mixer, that is quite usable for us... I believe one of the Lynx designers "may" have put this on-site specifically for ME, some time ago, as I kept bugging them about how it should be done and they got tired of trying to explain it to me. And, in truth, some kind soul on the Lynx forum(Search the Lynx forum for "hooking up a Mackie", may still be there?), finally got me going, with very specific advice(Kind've like explaining to a child - me.). Of course, the Mackie mixer manuals, available on-line, have lots of info, too... All of which you can go over BEFORE you purchase anything! While you're on the Lynx site, do yourself a favor and wonder whether you'd do better with a Lynx card(Maybe an L-22), all the way around.....? More money? Probably... Better? You decide for yourself. I did, some years ago - I'm still happy... V-e-r-y- happy......

BTW: I don't actually use the Mackie pres often(Some! Certainly fine to "get going".), but the Lynx makes it easy for me to stick-in my seperate mic pre, in it's AES/EBU "side". I use the Mackie for everything else(Speaker/phone control, synth, whatever)...

Bottom line?

Try to buy as many "pro" things(Always more cash, never more "costly") as you can, hoping that pro-to-pro will be the easiest/best connections possible. Try to put a cheap, RCA or 1/8" connector, piece in-there and.....? Yeeeek! Truly "Pro" stuff, one hope's by default(?), also seem to have much better, more accessible, tech support(Like guys who put stuff on their web sites "just for you".). You can know alot about any products TS(The most important part of your purchases!), BEFORE you purchase by looking over their web sites and their own(?) on-line forums, to see who answers the questions and how well... With Lynx and Wavelab, for instance, the developers/builders answer many of the questions themselves and have constantly updated, relevant info on their web sites(I don't know about asking questions but the Mackie site is LOADED!)! This is the stuff to buy...... Me? I wouldn't put money into important parts of my system that I wasn't assured of good TS...

People grumble about the Mackie's, but, they are about as flexible as possible and as pro as possible and as cheap as possible - hard to beat them.

TG

...

Well..? First you say the "...this will be the easy way...", then you say you don't know how to do it or if it will work? Yeah.....?

I don't know? Try it?

You can buy an outboard box to "do" headphone and speaker control for 99 to 1599 dollars(Or more)? Or, you can try to do what you say, which I'd hate to do - plugging my headphones into the little jack on the back of the computer and the questionable routing, latency and all, or you could get a mixer and not use the inputs or the EQ or the "faders" at all(I don't), for 400 bucks or so(Mackie 1202 VLZ - or from 49.95 to a hundred or two for something like a Spirit Folio..?) if you like, then you'll have a headphone jack and a speaker volume control and you'll only need the one sound card which could be whatever you like(I just don't know anything about the Audiophile Whatever, or Audacity, for that matter..?) and then maybe it will be "easy", or easier.....? Or... maybe not?

Like RemyRad says(I think?) you could get one of the USB things, like the Lexicon(?) and, sort've, be done with it..? When you "add" an outboard pre to the system you sort've have to know where it's going to go and how everything is going to be handled. With the way you want to do it, I just don't know?

I don't know?

TG

Luke, I think you'll find that unless you buy a specific type of audio interface that features " low latency", we will be hearing from you again in another forum asking how to deal with the latency issue? So if you're going to do a fair amount of recording on your own and overdub a lot of stuff, you'll definitely want a system that features low latency. Before you buy anything check with the manufacturer and see what they say about latency issues while overdubing. We're not talking quality issues here but functionality. You can get a sound card that will work at 96kHz 48 bit but it might be loaded with horrible latency and the almost unusable for overdubs. Those are fine for straight in and straight out. So generally again you get what you pay for. You are already experiencing problems just trying to monitor. Think what will happen once you figure out how to monitor and everything has a one half second delay on it! You'll never be able to overdub anything that way.

Take two sound cards and call me in the morning.
Dr. Remy Ann David