GarretGraves

i have wifi capability but im not using it. i'm connected through cable. could it be a problem even so?

So far I'm lovin' it! That is when I got it to work finally. The Mackie 820i seems phenomenal so far. I managed to hear what I record through the headphone jack on the board. So I know for sure it's working properly. I just need speakers for it and to not let my manuals get so sticky. Damned soda. (I think it wise not to eat and drink next to a 500 dollar mixer.) It hooks up through firewire and there was someone who posted on musicansfriend.com about having latency issues with it. But I don't have those problems. It works great! It comes with phantom power built in so I can use condenser mics. I miked up my Line 6 Spider IV to it with an SM57 and wailed on my guitar and it sounds better than my Gearbox. Not to mention that having this setup seems to give you more control over EQ and such than with software. I can't speak for everyone else but I myself find my sound at a much better quality level with more hardware than soft. Before I was just using my Gearbox plugged into my SB Audigy 2 (piece of donky shit) sound card and used it for guitar and bass. With this my setup now it sounds more authentic. Well...that because it IS authentic. It also has M-Powered capability so if you have Pro Tools (and 50 bucks for a firmware update) you can add more to your punch. But I can't afford Pro Tools yet so I haven't tried it. For now I'm just using Cubase 5 and Adobe Audtion as a backup. I also set it as an out for FL Studio so I guess no matter what the DAW it's compatible. It even comes with Talkback! I have no use for it now but who knows. Can't wait to get things goin with this. EDIT: One thing though. I can hear little clips and pops even when not clipping. but they dont appear in the final mixdown. i think it might be my hard drive spinning. still a little annoying though.

ok so i need to hook my mackie's as output as well? I'll have to read its manual again. i'll do it when i get off of work. EDIT: Ok so apparently there were two pages stuck together in the manual and I missed this LOVELY diagram where it shows the speaker outputs. HA! So I need speakers. Got it! Thanks.

Under "Devices Setup", I set the VST Audio System to the Mackie ASIO Driver. But in the VST Connections menu the outputs are set to the Mackie AISO which obvioulsy won't work cause i need to outs to be my sound card! But it won't let me do so! The only chouces it gives me are "Mackie AISO" or "Not Connected". So that has to be the problem. but how do I fix this?

I bought my Mackie 820i mixer and set it up via firewire. I set it up in Cubase's Device Setup. I can record through my SM57 mic and I can see that i recorded sound but i can't hear it on playback. I read the manual but it's not helping much. I also previously tried to set up the mixer in Adobe audtion but i had this ANNOYING problem of having to switch hardware devices when i record/playback. Like, if i wanted to record i'd have to set it the device up then record. but i wouldnt be able to hear what i was recording from the speakers until after i was done recording and switched the hardware device back to my sound card (SB Audigy 2). I know I hooked my mixer up properly cause i can get sound through it. so now it's a matter of getting it to be heard once it's recorded. HELP! lol

The only reason why I aim to get my tracks louder is because other remixes I hear on this site are a few dB louder than everything I make. And since most (if not all) remixes are done in home studios, I should be able to get equally as loud as them. The goal for me was never to really be the LOUDEST artist but rather be up to speed with everyone else when it comes to recording quality. This is and has always been my life and I'm still not happy with my overall sound quality. That's very irritating.

It does actually. Thanks! But I like the idea of having a mixer since I'm going to school for sound engineering so it'd be nice to have something at home to play and practice with. Actually, when I got my new guitar amp yesterday from Guitar Center I went to their pro audio section and started to ask more questions. (I normally don't like guitar center so I didnt bother talking to them first.) A gentleman pointed this out to me: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Mackie-Onyx-820i-Firewire-Mixer?sku=501231 I took a look at it and it looks like a great mixer and one that would fit right on my desk with little to no problems. The one guy who reviewed it on a website only really complained about it not working well with his firewire card and having to buy a new one. But I shopped for a firewire card yesterday and they're not expensive at all. He shoulda just bought a new one if he could a afford a $500 mixer. I got a big tax credit coming in the nest week or so. (Like $863!) plus I get paid that week AND my birthday is this month so people are gonna be sending me money. (They always do. No one ever knows what to get me so they just play the Default Money card.) So over half my budget is gonna be through this month. The mixer is comin' next with an SM57 and possibly the Oxygen 49.

It sounds like you got everything covered. EWQLSO MIDI port to 0 (or 1 if that's what you use) then add MIDI Outs for each instrument and set the port on those and then set the channel for the instruments. It should be just that simple. But I'm on the Kompakt version so I dunno about the PLAY one.

I would think that mic type would matter here. I'd figure a condenser mic would have more a fatter sound than a dynamic mic. Or my a ribbon mic would be good? I'm not sure with a sax.

you sound like a regular, disgruntled guest at the hotel i work at. lol but i feel your pain.

Could it be that their tech support isn't trained to help with Windows 7 yet? You'd figure they'd be ready for something like that.

Thanks for the article! I'll read it up and down. Actually I should stress the importance of me buying a mixer. I'm majoring in sound design and engineering and I need something to practice with at home. This isn't just going to be a hobby for me. I plan on going full speed in this direction. So I'm building a home studio. Matter of fact, some friends of mine who have just left their jobs at a game company want to make a game and they want ME to work on music and sound effects. They are willing to wait for me but I sure as hell don't want them to wait for long. I need to get this up and running as soon as possible. I got money coming with no debts to pay off so I'm definately ready. I've already taken courses in sound engineering. I am decently educated in this field. I know about inserts and busses and faders and all that down to Nyquist Theory. I know what I'm looking for. I just need a good recommendation for a mixer and figure out how I can plug one into my PC. For some reason they did not teach us that yet in class. And in case anyone is wondering, I'm not in over my head. I know what I'm doing. I'm not some scrub who thinks he knows everything but is too gung ho to know it. Maybe i should have said that before. Sorry.

im too scared to switch over to a 64-bit OS for that reason. I'm not sure if anything is gonna work as planned or even at all.

Yeah I plan on getting a mixer too. (See other thread entitled "I require a mixer".) So maybe I could record through that? I'll take a look at all the recomendations. I don't wanna waste my money on shit products or something I can't use. EDIT: Okay! I think I'll go with that Oxygen 49. Price is good and, as you say, it offers more control. Thanks guys!

Yes please explain. I'm basically looking for a mixer to record through and onto my computer. I'm guessing audio interface? Man I thought I was smart on this subject. I mean I know how to use a mixer (mostly) but I've never had to plug one in. lol! EDIT: And OVercoat, I see what you mean with that E-Mu 1212M. I googled it and I think I'm starting to understand how the mixer plugs in. This I guess is absolutely required then. Am I correct to assume that it's not a sound card per se? Also, I hope they still make the PCI version of it cause i aint unpluggin my Geforce 8800 from the PCI-E slot. EDIT 2: And wouldnt you know it? The E-Mu 1212M PCI is also no longer made. The hell?! lol Also, The M-Audio Audiophile 192 is being sold on Amazon.com for $131! That's an awesome deal I think. And It looks like it has the I/O sockets required for pluggin in the mixer.

that's probably what happened when i was using Amplitube 2. I adjusted the buffer size so the sound wouldnt be so late and ended up getting snaps crackles and pops. I plan on getting the m-audio audiophile 192 with a breakout cable that has a midi connection on it. so if all goes well with that (and if ti works with my speakers) then im in business.

I'm not super educated on this one. Never ever used a controller before. (Other than the ones at school) Here's what I do know: I need one with a mod wheel and the keys DO NOT need to be weighted. A total of 49 keys would be nice. Must be PC compatible under WinXP. Something like this: http://keyboards-midi.musiciansfriend.com/product/MAudio-KeyRig-49-USB-Keyboard?sku=700932 The cool thing about this one is that it comes with Ableton Lite which would be nice to try. But the problem with it is that, according to the reviews, it requires an AISO card. Is that true for all controllers or is there one with a simple USB connection that I can use? Also note that I am also planning on buying a new sound card. So if that needs to happen I'm prepared for it. Thoughts appreciated. Thanks!

now we're talkin! This looks good. But how would I connect it to my PC? I don't see a USB connection and the PDF doesnt specify. EDIT: Wait! I see the In and outs there. So is it the S/PDIF sockets that I plug into? EDIT 2: Crap! It's discontinued! That sucks! Can't find it anywhere. Googled it and came up with a bunch of online stores who carried it but no longer in stock. Dangyit! I did however find this: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Alesis-MultiMix-8-USB-2.0-8Channel-Mixer?sku=801473 I looked it over and it seems like a good by for 299.00. Anyone got an opinion or see something I'm missing?

That looks like a good buy. But i might be looking for something with XLR connections rather than 1/4". Thanks though! EDIT: On second thought, that one might be a great deal after all. I was looking for XLR connection but to be honest i don't know what the pros and cons are for either. I this just might work. As long as I can get a couple SM57s and a condenser hooked into it with no problem then we're gold. EDIT 2: Damnit! Unfortunately it does not comply with my setup. Need 4 mic connections. I take that back. Again, thanks anyway tho!

I am now debt free and looking to revamping my studio (well... my room. But whatever.) Starting with a mixer. I need recommendations. I don't require much. All I really need is a 4 track compatible with a PC. I have plans to mic amps (at least 2 at a time. Guitar and bass.) with a couple SM57's and I'll also be using a condenser mic (which may come next). Something like this: http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Behringer-Eurorack-UB1202-Mixer?sku=631236 I'm not sure if that one works with a PC though. But that's how basic I mean. I only need the basic needs but if you recommend a particular feature (such as FX or phantom power) I'm willing to hear it. Open to costs between $100 and $400 american. Anything else I need to know before buying one let me know but I think I'm educated enough to know what I need. Go!

Metal music has a sort of both thumpin' and clickin' bass. You gotta find the balance. Some of today's metal you'll hear more clickin' than thumpin'. For that type of attack, add some EQ (parametric or graphic. I prefer parametric) and spike it at around 5K. Don't spike it too much though. Adjust the Q if you have to. And to add more thump to it i'd raise at about 100. Again, not too much. Just enough to get a little sub on it. It's gonna take some trial and error but you'll see what I mean. If anything, don't be afraid to tinker with things. We can point you in the right direction but from there try to find what seems fitting for your ear. Never be afraid to experiment.

I've tried both and between the two, I chose FL Studio. Reason being, with my instruments (mainly guitar and bass being plugged into my computer via the TonePort from the Line 6 Gearbox set I bought) Cubase seems to only want to pan them to one side and not the other. But that's a matter of my setup i think. I use Adobe Audition for those instruments until I find a superior setup. As for FL Studio, I like it cause it was really easy for me to learn. Not that Cubase is difficult, but I'd rather stick with what I already know. So if this is the case for you, just stick with what you know.

Nah forget it. too risky. dont wanna stumble on some trojans.

This sounds really damn cool! I want it! But I lack the $149. I don't even have a controller yet. LOL!

You should always try listening at multiple volume levels to see if all is well no matter where you put it at. And of course I mean once you've mastered it at it's loudest volume possible without clipping and you can still hear the kicks and snares and everything at whatever volume with nothing being drowned out. Like I had a problem where I could hear my kicks at a low volume but once i pumped up the volume on my speakers all the other instruments nearly masked them. But like Moseph said, there's nothing wrong with the un EQed version. So you're sounding good. Keep it up.