Hi I have the following equip.
Mackie 1202 VLZ Pro
RNC Compressor
Shure SM58
Echo Gina 24/96
SB Live Plat 5.1
Pent 4 1.5 Ghz, 384 rdram, 80 gig (7200rpm).
I just recently bought my Gina card. Before I used the SB. Now with my normal preamp settings on my Mackie mixer, and my normal compressor settings don't work with the Echo. When I use these settings and record my vocals into cool edit nothing shows up (it's way to low)...
So common sense is because it's a line in, I need to bring the level up to Line level. So I crank my Mackie up more, now it shows up but it's still awfully low.
Now I have cranked my Mackie to the Top (to when it's clipping), and crank the gain on the compressor. The Waveswill come finally at the proper height but be madly distorted.
So then I took off the gain of my compressor, and increased threshold, now sound is great but it's so low in volume.
Basically I can't get a decent sized (amplitude) recorded without major clipping/distortion/hiss.
I am wondering if it's software or hardware related.
I was going through my Settings on my computer. I open up the Volume Control. I went to Properties, and Switched the SB mixer to the Gina24 mixer... BUT when you click on show the volume for "recording", nothing will appear. You can choose "other" though. In this you can see Input Monitor 1, etc...
Now all those settings are halfway, I'm wondering if that could be the cause. The problem is I can't change them they are all "grey" (locked), I'm thinking the Gina has no "software mixer" for adjusting volume control...
I looked throught the Gina Console and changed +4 to -10. That helped a bit but still it records really low.
I am a newbie so I am completely confused what to do. I really don't want to amp my mixer so high. My old SB recorded nicely level Wavesbut this 24 bit jump is making me pull out my hair.
Any suggestions on settings for my mackie, rnc or gina or anything I can do to get proper recordings...
Right now to get by I just set my recording to semi high, get a tiny little thing recorded, then normalize it in Cool Edit to bring up the level, but then their is major hiss/hum so I gotta run it through a "noise reduction"... I don't want to have to do this forever...
I'm buying a RODE NTK next week and I want to get this problem fixed.
Sorry if I sound stupid I am a semi-newbie,
My guess is the compressor is robbing the signal but I'm unsure. I think it's software settings but theirs no place to change that.
Help.
Oh yea I am only recording vocals.
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I was coming out of the mackie from the Main Outs... I'll try do
I was coming out of the mackie from the Main Outs... I'll try doing the Alt 3-4.
Can you explain why I would put the jack "half way" in... I don't understand that part.
Also when you say use the "gain"... you mean on my compressor or mixer? I'm assumming compressor since it's last in the chain.
I'll buy some Balanced cables on Jan 2-3rd
I tried putting the jack half way in the input and it boosted th
I tried putting the jack half way in the input and it boosted the signal a lot!!! wow it works perfectly now. I guess once I get a better cable it'll be even better...
But just a question why does that increase the signal? I just want to learn the reasoning behind it, because it's weird. I am assumming it adds some hiss/hum though doing that...
The main outs on the Mackie are meant to go to a power amp and n
The main outs on the Mackie are meant to go to a power amp and not an input to a soundcard. Thats why your level is so low. When you take the output from the first click of the insert jack you thus are taking a direct out signal from that channel. What you are doing is robbing the signal right after the gain of the pre amp and bypassing the EQ of the board. Mackie boards tend to add a 60-80hz sound even tho everything is flat..it's a circuitry thang!! So thus the gain controls the level going in!!! It's something I do all the time! Very useful especially for vocals.
Enjoy!!
Opus
I been using the ALT Output 3-4 and the halfway jack on my Echo
I been using the ALT Output 3-4 and the halfway jack on my Echo Gina, it comes at the proper level but the quality is not that great. I mean I been noticing quite a bit of hiss. When I plug the jack in fully the hiss is gone when I record but then the levels are super low...
It's frustrating because I want no hiss, but proper leveled vocal waves...
I haven't bought a balance cable yet because I want to know if that'll help or not. I'm getting the Rode NTK very soon so I want to get this all fixed up because I don't want to have to use "noise reduction" all the time...
Any other suggestions/tips that could help the situation. It's obvious that I should plug it in fully so the hiss is gone but how can I get the level correct...
Help again
Hmmm...well, how are you coming out of the Mackie? Are you using
Hmmm...well, how are you coming out of the Mackie? Are you using the Alt 3&4 out? Sometimes it's best to use the direct out of the mackie..you do this by putting a 1/4 jack half way into the Insert jack for the channel which you are plugging the mic into..also are you using a balanced or unbalanced input? Use balanced..stronger signal that way.
As for the compressor settings...dont put too high of a ratio...set the threshold so it just barely compresses the signal..you can raise the output level but it's not going to give you a good result..Dont normalize the track..raise the gain..normalizing just brings the whole track to the loudest point in the recording...changing the level in gain will boost the siganl without affecting the integrity of the file
Opus