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Yes... I am very much a noob at studio setups/equipment routing. I'd like to know what cables I need to start recording on my PC.

[="http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-Xenyx-502-Mixer?sku=631262"]Mixer[/]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Mixer[/]

[[url=http://="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Microphone[/]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Microphone[/]

I know I need other cables, but I have no idea which ones, or if I need any adapters of some sort. Do I need a USB interface? If there's any more info you need, then let me know! Thanks...

Comments

hueseph Fri, 07/23/2010 - 21:45

Ditch the Blaringer mixer. You don't need that. You want a simple two input audio interface. It doesn't matter which one. There are many to be had for around $99. Save up your pennies. It's not that much money and, you will likely get some sort of lite software with it. Cubase AI is particularly robust. All you would need other than that is a USB cable an XLR cable and good headphones or a reasonable set of monitors.

Try these out:
[="http://pro-audio.mu…"]
Tascam US 100[/]
[="http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Line-6-POD-Studio-GX-with-POD-Farm?sku=250006"]Line 6 Pod GX[/]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Line 6 Pod GX[/]
[[url=http://="http://pro-audio.mu…"]M-Audio Mobile Pre USB[/]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]M-Audio Mobile Pre USB[/]

hueseph Fri, 07/23/2010 - 23:14

BCMusic, post: 351799 wrote: "Blaringer"... Funny. Do you have any suggestions for an alternative mixer?

Did you read my post or click on the links? You don't need a mixer of any type. Forget that idea. It does not apply. Now please go back and re-read my post. Click on the links and you should have a good idea of what you're looking for.

hueseph Sat, 07/24/2010 - 01:12

Looking over the interfaces already linked to. I noticed that I neglected to factor in phantom power. Unfortunately, that costs a very little extra. Something like the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Fasttrack [/]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Fasttrack [/]would be sufficient.

Now, if you actually need more than two simultaneous inputs, it's going to cost a lot more money. Still not a huge amount but you'll need to spend at the least $400.00 for an eight input interface.

anonymous Sun, 07/25/2010 - 03:49

hueseph, post: 351803 wrote: Looking over the interfaces already linked to. I noticed that I neglected to factor in phantom power. Unfortunately, that costs a very little extra. Something like the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Fasttrack [/]="http://pro-audio.mu…"]Fasttrack [/]would be sufficient.

Now, if you actually need more than two simultaneous inputs, it's going to cost a lot more money. Still not a huge amount but you'll need to spend at the least $400.00 for an eight input interface.

You can make it,people start with the simple then go up slow by slow all the best buddy

dave_p Thu, 08/05/2010 - 08:33

while not that great, the stuff you already have is serviceable until you can get something better. instead of being pretentious i will answer your question.

you will need a rca cable and an rca to stereo 1/8 adapter. the rca end goes to the rca outs on the mixer and the 1/8 stereo end goes to line in on your soundcard. while not the best this will work. you will need software to record to as well. reaper has a 30 day eval period and is uncrippled.

its true you would be better served with an interface and should try to get one as soon as possible, but you can work with what you have, and save to get a better interface.

note the blurb at the bottom of the page:

To provide the best content management system for pro audio manufacturers, professional recording musicians engineers and newbies eager to learn the secrets of the pros. To exchange information and ideas for the promotion of mutual advancement, education, and success...

the reality: noobs will be chastised by the pretentious and the "pros" will have high fives all around.
you'd be better served at studio central.

MEGADRIVE Jeroi Sun, 09/16/2012 - 14:02

While I looked the aduo interfaces againt 502 mixer I clearly saw that audio interfaces are like waste of money, because you get total control of EQ, monitor volume, pc volume via stereo audio inputs and such killed most all audio interfaces. Also audio interfaces were more expensive than Behringer mixer that cleary controls whole homestudio needs but no direct electric quitar input. Pretty much everything else is supported via 502.

How ever more sirious issue is lack of main mix total headphones volume control. You will need to mod headphones pot with main mix input pin to headphones input pin to gain total headphones control of main mix. This way you can control both monitors and headphones separately if you want to sing and record without monitors and same time adjust input volume with mic input volume and adjust main mix output volume to headphones wihtout opeinging main mix volume control at all. If you don't do the mod you will not hear anything thrue the headphones if main mix is silenced, that means you silent the monitor outs and in same time headphones out too. How ever you will not gain led indicators wiht the mod but you can hear is cut off is happen when you sing too loud and so on.

hueseph Sun, 09/16/2012 - 15:17

MEGADRIVE Jeroi, post: 393727 wrote: While I looked the aduo interfaces againt 502 mixer I clearly saw that audio interfaces are like waste of money, because you get total control of EQ, monitor volume, pc volume via stereo audio inputs and such killed most all audio interfaces. Also audio interfaces were more expensive than Behringer mixer that cleary controls whole homestudio needs but no direct electric quitar input. Pretty much everything else is supported via 502.

How ever more sirious issue is lack of main mix total headphones volume control. You will need to mod headphones pot with main mix input pin to headphones input pin to gain total headphones control of main mix. This way you can control both monitors and headphones separately if you want to sing and record without monitors and same time adjust input volume with mic input volume and adjust main mix output volume to headphones wihtout opeinging main mix volume control at all. If you don't do the mod you will not hear anything thrue the headphones if main mix is silenced, that means you silent the monitor outs and in same time headphones out too. How ever you will not gain led indicators wiht the mod but you can hear is cut off is happen when you sing too loud and so on.

Are you sure about that? Sure you get eq to disc from the mixer but once you've done that, that's it. You're stuck with it. I'd much rather be able to adjust the eq after the fact. It's less permanent. Most of what you posted here is wrong. Main mix and monitors are separate. They are. You just need to learn how to use the mixer properly. Read the manual. I've used one of these. They are not the holy grail you think they are. You get what you pay for.

hueseph Sun, 09/16/2012 - 15:33

dave_p, post: 352168 wrote: while not that great, the stuff you already have is serviceable until you can get something better. instead of being pretentious i will answer your question.

you will need a rca cable and an rca to stereo 1/8 adapter. the rca end goes to the rca outs on the mixer and the 1/8 stereo end goes to line in on your soundcard. while not the best this will work. you will need software to record to as well. reaper has a 30 day eval period and is uncrippled.

its true you would be better served with an interface and should try to get one as soon as possible, but you can work with what you have, and save to get a better interface.

note the blurb at the bottom of the page:

To provide the best content management system for pro audio manufacturers, professional recording musicians engineers and newbies eager to learn the secrets of the pros. To exchange information and ideas for the promotion of mutual advancement, education, and success...

the reality: noobs will be chastised by the pretentious and the "pros" will have high fives all around.
you'd be better served at studio central.

I think it's a good idea to debunk the concept of using a mixer in home recording. It's unnecessary. The Fasttrack is $20 more than the Behringer mixer and it is by far more functional. I'm not pitching any high end gear and I have no personal gain from being on this site. I don't get paid. None of the Mods get paid. So pointing people to a site where you likely get some sort of perk is spamming and we don't like spamming around here. There was nothing "pretentious" about the advice I gave. It is honest and that is what people need. Honest opinions. Not some dude blowing smoke up their caboose.

kmetal Sun, 09/16/2012 - 20:26

if it's all ya got,and you have no money, then sure a the behrigner mixer will get audio to a stock soundcard. I would NOT BUY one instead of a basic interface. I have no problem eq'ing on the way in, it's less that i have to do later, but you won't find me touching the eq on a budget board like that. Geez for like 2 years i used a tascam portastudio and a sounblaster card, to get to my 366mhz cpu lol. i rigged the routing to get 4ch of audio into my cpu! big deal at the time for me.

As far as a mic goes, ditch the usb cheapo condenser and get a used sm57, and sm58. for the price of an entry level usb condenser ($100), you can get 2 professional mics.

If noobs were 'chastised' around here, there wouldn't be a whole forum dedicated to beginners.

MEGADRIVE Jeroi Sun, 09/16/2012 - 22:25

At least my phantomless 502 does not output nothing through headphones, if main mix is silent. I need to put volume up on main mix until I can adjust volume of Headphones. And trust me I was like what the **** because I wanted to control my singing thrue headphones while pc is line input and mic is phantom power modded xlr connector. Only way I got past it was inputting PC to tape in and push tape to main mix off and tape to headphones on. This way it works but I don't have volume input control in mixer only in pc what I would like to have total volume control on the mixer.

dave_p Mon, 09/17/2012 - 06:11

hueseph, post: 393730 wrote: I think it's a good idea to debunk the concept of using a mixer in home recording. It's unnecessary. The Fasttrack is $20 more than the Behringer mixer and it is by far more functional. I'm not pitching any high end gear and I have no personal gain from being on this site. I don't get paid. None of the Mods get paid. So pointing people to a site where you likely get some sort of perk is spamming and we don't like spamming around here. There was nothing "pretentious" about the advice I gave. It is honest and that is what people need. Honest opinions. Not some dude blowing smoke up their caboose.

wow, way to give me an infraction 2 years after i posted this. i actually havent been here in a long time, and had no desire until i got an email from you clowns this morning telling me i was "a bad boy". they recently make you a mod or something john wayne?
day late and a dollar short, i don't come here anymore. and when i did i wasnt a shill for some other site, just giving the dude what i thought was solid advice given the climate here.

its really quite laughable actually. spamming.?! what proof do you have to back up your assertion that i was spamming or recieved perks from another site? i dont go to that site either, but it has to be better than here. you feel cool now? and 2 years after the fact??

amateur status guy.

hueseph Mon, 09/17/2012 - 16:03

I only just caught this yesterday. Yeah. It's kind of pathetic. Still your accusations are pretty petty as well. I didn't belittle anyone. I just have little patience for people who don't read. For the most part things slide by here. I'm pretty good at getting peoples hackles up. What I don't like is misinformation.

A mixer in a home studio is pure eye candy. It's useless unless you are doing a live recording and then, you'll need more than 5 inputs. Even then, I'd much rather have each channel on it's own track. A mixer and sound card is good enough? Why did he even bother coming here then? If you want advice to get "better" sound expect an answer but don't expect the answer you want. If all you want is justification for your purchase go to some other site. If you want bang for your buck, if you want logical answers, if you want answers that will help you go forward, this is a good place. There are some very knowledgeable people here. Far more so than myself. I'm just here to try to keep the peace and to prevent misinformation from spreading.

You would assume that a person asks a question at a site like this because they want to get better. Because, you can't be a newb forever. Or you can continue to trip over your feet. Take some advice or move on.