Gerry Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I've come across some sound recording equipment that I think I might be able to use, but I don't know enough about it to tell. Item 1 is a Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro 12 channel mixer. Item 2 is a Samson DA80 Desktop mixer. Anyone know what these are? I've downloaded the manual for the Mackie item but have not read it yet. On the company website it's listed as discontinued, but the manual is copyright 2003, so it's not completely obsolete I would think. I'm still reading, but if anyone knows of these items' usefulness that would be great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted February 21, 2013 Hash Fellow Share Posted February 21, 2013 My thinking is that you don't need a hardware mixer unless you are recording multiple sources (instruments) simultaneously. Most engineered music is created one track at at time now (in a program like Audacity) and mixed there after all the tracks are recorded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I've come across some sound recording equipment that I think I might be able to use, but I don't know enough about it to tell. Item 1 is a Mackie 1202-VLZ Pro 12 channel mixer. Item 2 is a Samson DA80 Desktop mixer. Anyone know what these are? I've downloaded the manual for the Mackie item but have not read it yet. On the company website it's listed as discontinued, but the manual is copyright 2003, so it's not completely obsolete I would think. I'm still reading, but if anyone knows of these items' usefulness that would be great! Gerry I only know Mackie by repute rather than personal experience. However, they seem to be revered as THE mixer of choice, in the sound department of the local university animation course, and in wider sound circles. My mixer is not a Mackie ( I couldn't have afforded it at the time ) but, if the one you are looking at is used, the thing to check are the obvious bits such as the smooth running of the controls, no catches or rough patches on the rotary controls or sticking on the sliders. If you can run a signal through it into some speakers or headphones, try the controls against that, to find out if there is any noise in them when operated. Unless you are going in for sound design and production in a big way ( ?) a 12 channel mixer may be overkill ? A friend who is a sound engineer, does all of his work using Logic on the Mac, mixing the sound post production from location recordings. Are you intending to use it solely for your animation work, or other purposes as well? I best shut up here and defer to someone with more experience and knowledge than me ( not difficullt ! ). regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 The Mackie is like new, been sealed in a plastic bin for years and is even completely free of dust or any signs of use. And these items are free, in fact if I don't claim them they're going in the trash. What I'll use it for, who knows? I've been wanting some control over audio input on the computer. If I plug a mic or guitar directly into the Mac I have little to no control over levels, unless, that is, I have no idea what I'm doing, always a possibility. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted February 21, 2013 Hash Fellow Share Posted February 21, 2013 These mixers typically require fairly exotic stuff to go with them like "balanced signal" XLR mics. Unless you know you need this, I don't think you need it. Someone doing live events where they have to manage several mics in real time might have a use for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NancyGormezano Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 The Mackie is like new, been sealed in a plastic bin for years and is even completely free of dust or any signs of use. And these items are free, in fact if I don't claim them they're going in the trash. What I'll use it for, who knows? I've been wanting some control over audio input on the computer. If I plug a mic or guitar directly into the Mac I have little to no control over levels, unless, that is, I have no idea what I'm doing, always a possibility. Your trash is just as good as their trash, unless someone else really wants it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markw Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I think they would be more for someone mixing live music but still I say claim them for now and figer out if you can use them at your leisure! If not, then you could pass them on in turn to someone who dose need them. But letting them go to trash is a wast! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 I think they would be more for someone mixing live music but still I say claim them for now and figer out if you can use them at your leisure! that's what I thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 I think they would be more for someone mixing live music but still I say claim them for now and figer out if you can use them at your leisure! that's what I thought! My trash can is available if you decide against ! ( joke ) When you are recording into your Mac, do you use an external sound card or plug in directly ? I bought a Behringer USB guitar sometime back to record demo's with but, when trying to do it more seriously, use an Edirol UA25 for the input. It works well with Audacity, Logic express and Garageband but, for some strange reason, not with Cubase. regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*A:M User* Roger Posted February 21, 2013 *A:M User* Share Posted February 21, 2013 I don't have a need for anything this fancy, but if someone is just going to trash it, take it anyway. You can always sell it on E-bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted February 21, 2013 Author Share Posted February 21, 2013 Simon, I'm a rank beginner at audio stuff so I don't even know enough to answer your questions, sorry! I have an acoustic guitar and a removable pickup that goes in the sound hole, but the pickup recently crapped out on me (and it was only around 40 years old! Hmph!) so my latest effort was to play into a mic. However the sound was very low, almost inaudible, and I had no way of adjusting anything. So this mixing board may be something I can use in that regard. I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted February 21, 2013 Hash Fellow Share Posted February 21, 2013 my latest effort was to play into a mic. However the sound was very low, almost inaudible, and I had no way of adjusting anything. Do you have a USB mic yet? If you don't I'll recommend a Samson QU1 or something like it USB mics have very little noise, are high quality and you can adjust their recording volume from your computer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted February 21, 2013 Share Posted February 21, 2013 Simon, I'm a rank beginner at audio stuff so I don't even know enough to answer your questions, sorry! I have an acoustic guitar and a removable pickup that goes in the sound hole, but the pickup recently crapped out on me (and it was only around 40 years old! Hmph!) so my latest effort was to play into a mic. However the sound was very low, almost inaudible, and I had no way of adjusting anything. So this mixing board may be something I can use in that regard. I think. Gerry If I sound like I know what I'm talking about, thats probably overstating the case. I did a low level music course about three years ago, I was old enough to be the granddad of most of the students. I love sound but don't know much about it. I'm about to try recording some dialogue for "Why" using a recordable mini disc I got on Ebay about 5 years ago. Robert's suggestion of a USB mic sounds like a good idea ( pardon the pun ). I've not used one myself but I have used an Imic, which I got on Ebay, to record instruments and convert vinyl and tape to digital. It was about £20 or so, about $30. There are many other similar devices. What it does basically, is convert an analog signal into digital, before it gets to the computer, to minimise the lag when recording multiple tracks. You've mentioned using Garageband before (?) it is a relatively straight forward matter of getting sound into it and recording that way. ( Allegedly, Steely Dan used GB to demo a whole album ). If you were to record yourself playing the guitar, the Mackie would give you lots of options for shaping the sound, on top of the physical options of placing the mic(s). There are two sides to it really I suppose. Acquiring the sound in the first place, Manipulating it on the computer afterwards. Audacity is open source software and worth looking into ( it comes in three flavours, Mac, PC, Linux ), certainly as a place to start. There are lots of resources to help with using it and it is quite accessible when you start and can be developed extensively. Sorry to burbble on.. regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 I recently got a Shure mic that I plug into the sound input, not usb. But if I plug it into this sound mixer, then I guess I'll have at least some analog control. However I still need to determine if I can connect the mixer to the computer. There are several wiring setups in the manual, but nary a computer in any of them! I've got Audacity on both my machines and use it lots! I find it to be pretty intuitive and easy to learn. What I don't know much about is music electronics aside from the computer, though I've always found it fascinating. I also don't find GB very easy, but I guess it would get easier with practice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted February 22, 2013 Hash Fellow Share Posted February 22, 2013 I recently got a Shure mic that I plug into the sound input, not usb. I'll note that there is a line level input and a mic input and they are not the same. Also, your Sound control panel has adjustments for input levels. I'd look at that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Edmondson Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I recently got a Shure mic that I plug into the sound input, not usb. But if I plug it into this sound mixer, then I guess I'll have at least some analog control. However I still need to determine if I can connect the mixer to the computer. There are several wiring setups in the manual, but nary a computer in any of them! I've got Audacity on both my machines and use it lots! I find it to be pretty intuitive and easy to learn. What I don't know much about is music electronics aside from the computer, though I've always found it fascinating. I also don't find GB very easy, but I guess it would get easier with practice. Gerry Its a while since I tried to record onto a PC but, a couple of things. As Robert says, there is a line in and a Mic in usually, and they are very different. It used to be the case that the Mic line would have a little Mic drawn next to it but the refs for the sound card would tell you which was which. Plugging an electric guitar straight in is not a good idea as the signal can be a lot stronger than a mic and you don't want to blow out the input circuits. The inputs tended to be Mini jack plugs on the PC sound cards ( again this may be out of date ?) so what I used to do was to input the guitars into the mixer, then take a lead out from that into the Mic input on the PC. On the Mixer I have there are a couple of outputs to different things, one is for recording on tape or computer, being more professional the Mackie is likely to have the same or better. The manual should identify that and you could run a leads straight into the PC from there. Start with the levels set very low though and ease them up slowly until you get the signal you want. On the Mac I use the Edirol for input. If you are already using Audacity you must have the input under control so apologies if, like Sybill Fawlty, I'm stating the "blooming obvious". What the Mackie will allow you to do is to control and shape the sound coming off your Shure before it goes into the computer. Boost or reduce levels, vary tonal ranges... You will probably also be able to use it to output from the computer to an hifi system (I am dating myself now ! ), so you can hear it through big speakers rather than the usual computer type or headphones. On a related bit of trivia. A few weeks back Nancy and I swapped messages about the merits of "Sing,Sing, Sing," by the Benny Goodman band. we were talking about it as a possible piece of music to animate too. I don't know for sure but think it was possibly recorded with a single microphone carefully positioned at the sweet spot of that particular room and the musicians moved accordingly during the recording to shift the balance of sounds on the recording. In the days before digital recording were it tends to be assembled one bit at a time, careful positioning of Mic's and musicians could vary the sound as much as the instrument/players themselves. regards simon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fuchur Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 I am using a this for my recording needs. It is not too expensive, works great, can record two different XLR microphones and has several other input-connections. And one of the more important things: There are Windows 64bit drivers available! This is not given for old audio-hardware so if you are using a 64bit windows, make sure your hardware can be run with it! My old Behringer Audiointerface could not be run with 64bit and I had to get rid of it, although it was a nice device. See you *Fuchur* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Thanks everyone, this is all great info! I haven't had a chance to sit down and digest it at all, as I've been ka-slammed at work since I got back on the 11th. No time to even think really! But when I have a few spare minutes I'm sure this will all be helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 I let the Desktop Mixer go because it looked like something more meant for home theatre or home stereo, and the inputs and outputs required special cables. However the Mackie mixing board appears to have potential. I also found a fairly active forum on the Mackie website, which I'm going to start participating in as soon as I figure out what questions to ask. Half of getting the right answers is asking the right questions! At the moment I'm sitting at the office and both the mixer and my Mac are at home, so impossible to ask questions without sitting in front of the gear. as for the line level input vs. the mic input, I'm on an iMac and I'll have to look but I don't believe there's a line level input. There's firewire, ethernet, usb's, mic and headphone inputs but I think that's about it. But I'll have a good look and then try to ask some intelligent-sounding questions either here or there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hash Fellow robcat2075 Posted February 22, 2013 Hash Fellow Share Posted February 22, 2013 If you have a mic input that should be what the mic needs. I'd look for a control panel to adjust the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerry Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 there is an audio control panel in the System settings, but I've had trouble getting good sound even with input level all the way up. I think what I've needed is some external control (preamp?) before the signal gets to the computer. But I'm guessing, I need to play around a little, see what if any additional cables I need, plug stuff in, see what happens, etc. I just spent some time on this website http://www.kevinkemp.com/homerecordingtutorial/index.htm with advice for home recording. Very informative but written in 2003, just like my mixer's manual! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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