'micro mixers' and setup

Pocket · 'micro mixers' and setup

I'm not 'technically' minded when it comes to sound hardware etc....but I've gone and got a small, in fact, tiny mixer.

So this is my equipment so far...

Leem Micro Mixer
SM 58
iPod (with mp3 backing tracks)
Headphones.

Where exactly should everything go? Embarassed

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I just can't get my head around this at all.. It would also help if you could word your responses as if you're talking to a 5-year old who wants to do a live gig in SL..lol

Thanks in advance Smile

Zak Claxton

You need to find a way to get the audio into your computer before we can talk about anything else. First, are you on a Mac or PC?

Pocket

Hiya Zak,

I'm on a PC....

I'm presuming that the 'output' on the mixer needs to go into the 'line in' on my computer...what has me confused is how would I hear the track etc if it's all going into my computer?... forgive my ingnorance.. Embarassed

Zak Claxton

Pocket, stop apologizing. You have nothing to be sorry for, and you're in no worse shape than anyone in SL when we were starting out.

Does your micro mixer have a headphone or other line output?

I'd rather a PC person coach you more (hello, I'm a Mac). But here's the basic idea: you'll run your SM58 and your iPod into your little mixer, monitor both in your phones, and send the outputs of the mixer into your computer.

Is that a good first step? Let me know if you got it so far. Smile

Pocket

Well, the teeny tiny mixer has 4 channels and just one output, so I presume that this means that I can't connect headphones to it... but I'm with you so far Zak.... Smile

I thought I could plug the headphones into one of those channels...but I now get that it has to be an 'output' that the headphones go into. If I got a 'double adaptor' thingie...(for want of a better word..lol) plug both the headphones and the cable to connect it to my computer, do you think that would work? Or do I have to get a mixer with two outputs?

I really appreciate your help with this.....

Zak Claxton

BabbleGrabble

I believe that mixer uses standard 1/4" jacks on its inputs and outputs, so you will likely need a couple of cables with a standard jack on one end and a mini jack on the other (usually you need to get a converter attachment to make this happen so make sure it's a stereo converter). [Note: "mini jack" might be the wrong name - there is a really small one that isn't right; it's the type you use for headphones on the iPod (possibly 1/8").] So with two sets of cable/converter combos, use one for the iPod (mini output) connected to one of the inputs on the mixer. Use the other to connect the mixer output to the line in on your sound card (mini input). The microphone will need a cable that ends in a 1/4" jack, unless there's another option for it on the mixer - plug that into another mixer input. For the headphones, you need a mini jack for the sound card (might need another stereo converter for this); plug the headphones into the speaker output of your sound card.

There will likely be some software tweaking from this point forward, but let's get the connections working first.

With some other mixers, you have a lot more options and might not even need to mess with converters and the sound card at all, but this one should work just fine. It's a bit of a frustrating process for everyone getting the gear set up right, but it will work with a bit of persistence and patience. Smile

Pocket

Thanks Babble & Zak..

I'm going to try to set it all up a bit later....and just go from there. But I can tell you one thing I've learned .... the next time my RL sound engineer asks me to help carry the gear...I'll say yes.... Very Happy

Nad

Great tagline, Pocket Smile

casemunro

FWIW, here's the signal chain to my Windoze box-

Guitar and bass, 2 vocal mics, and playback device for my drum tracks all go to individual channels on my mixing board, which connects to the line in on my sound card via stereo 1/8" jack (Babble is right, you want the 1/8" jack to go into the computer). I use something similar to this-

http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2102974

but instead of RCA jacks it has 1/4" jacks on the cable (the same size used for say a guitar cord). Headphones plug into the headphone jack on my computer for monitoring. I could monitor off the mixer, but I want to hear the audio after it goes through the soundcard to more accurately gauge what's hitting the stream (it seems to be slightly hotter right off the mixer).

The biggest thing to watch for is to make sure in the sound properties you select "line in" for the recording source. In my old Win2k computer I could select "what you hear" as a source, and this would pick up anything from the line in as well as any sound generated by software. This doesn't work in my Vista machine, so I had to run all the audio externally through the mixer.

Pocket

Thanks so much all for your help on this... I connected everything as best I could earlier on and it seems to be okay, though I haven't tried it with a stream yet.....

I was messing around with Audacity, just recording to see what the mix was like, the track is great...but the vocals are quite low...I have the mixer volume on the track nearly at 0 and the vocals almost max... but maybe this is just my mixer..etc You can usually hear my vocals from the other end of the country so I find this puzzling...lol

Zak Claxton

Pocket, when you want to try something out but don't want a big audience for your guinea pigs to test your mix, levels, etc., several of us have streams and parcels where we can test your sound and give you some feedback. Let us know.

Doubledown Tandino

casemuro, i actually think she's needs something else....
Im guessing this is the product is a smaller form of something like this:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pr...ixing-Console-for-iPod?sku=808462

If they dont give you the wires that should come with it RCA outs to 1/8inch out cord, and a USB cord.

Can you like to the piece of equipment you've purcased.... no matter what you're only gonna get one of 3 wires at about $2-5

Pocket

I tried it out a little while ago....gave a friend the url and she couldn't hear a thing.... I connected both the ipod and the mic to the mixer which I then connected to the line-in on my computer... rented a stream for 5 listeners for the day... Shoutcast was telling me that I was connected and that 'bytes' were being sent, which I'm presuming is a good thing..lol Maybe I had the shoutcast set up wrong.... I'm just so frustrated at the moment...tearing my virtual hair out actually...

You'll all probably laugh when I tell you this, but the last time I did a gig, I had the ipod in a 'docking station'.., the mic plugged into the mic input on the front of my computer, and I just did the gig with the mic picking up everything..... and it worked. I just really love the idea of being able to mix things to a nice level....which is why I got the micro-mixer...

It's frustrating for me because singing is actually my RL job....and I would so love to do it in SL also..but the technical side of it has me stumped...

Zak...I'd appreciate any assistance you can throw my way....if you IM me in-world at any stage....I'd love to do a practice session etc.....

Doubledown....I had a look at that link....looks like a great piece of gear...

BabbleGrabble

Sounds like everything is connected ... moving on to the tweaking. Make sure that Playback options for the Volume Control (from Sound settngs in Windows Control Panel) has "Mute" unchecked for your Line-In and virtually everything else.

Then (also in Volume Control) under Options > Properties, select the "Recording" option under "Adjust volume for" and OK. Here, make sure the first option is checked instead of Microphone (it could be "Stereo Mix" or "Record Master" or something else, but I believe it is always the first choice, not selected by default - Microphone is the default, which does not incorporate other sources).

Pocket

Thanks Babble, I've made sure that nothing is muted etc.... I'm using Vista, and I find it slightly confusing....

BabbleGrabble

Just making sure, though ... beyond unchecking the mutes, the recording option is crucial - be sure this is not just picking up a mic signal. I am on XP, but if you need help, I can probably walk you through how to get there.

Pocket

Babble, I most definitely need help... Embarassed

I'm going to try it all again later on this evening....fingers crossed.

BabbleGrabble

How's it going, Pocket - sorry, I've been afk for the weekend. Looks like M$ really made things difficult in Vista .. I found a couple of interesting links with screenshots that show how to enable the recording portion:

http://www.applian.com/support-vista.php#sc

http://www.downloadsquad.com/2007...able-wave-out-recording-in-vista/

I don't know if that helps; mostly just checking in ... please let us know your status. Smile