1 Topic by cloud9 (edited by cloud9 2008-10-27 23:03:06)

  • cloud9
  • midnight robot
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  • From: westcoast usa
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
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Topic: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

short explanation: i've got a bunch of gear and don't know the best way of hooking it up for what i want to do.

what i want to do: i want to be able to use - my ms-20, mpc2500, guitar w/ mini kp, and microphone. i want to be able to

have some jamming with these, so use them simultaneously coming out of speakers and also be able to record these

sessions into my laptop and if possible a da-88 tascam recorder (the da-88 would just be a plus not necessary).

all the gear i have: ms-20, mpc2500, guitar w/ mini kp, microphone, macbook, mbox 2, mackie cr-1604 mixer, alesis

mk II monitor speakers (not active) and da-88 tascam recorder.

my first guess was to have everything (ms-20, mpc, guitar...) run in through the mackie then from the mackie to the

mbox2 then into the macbook. i've already run into a few problems though (not knowing how to connect mpc to the

mixer, i might just need some diff plugs?) i'm pretty confused and obviously a noob with recording as i've just been

playing with all the gear and listening through with headphones. any help is as always greatly appreciated and much

needed. i've gotten way more help on these forums than i've given back i hope to change that in the future after i've

learned a bit.  thanks in advance for your helpful words!

  • rude66
  • robot des duivels
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

that would basically be the correct setup.. connecting the mpc to the mixer is simply with the jack plugs, you cant go wrong with that..

3 Reply by cloud9 (edited by cloud9 2008-10-28 00:50:26)

  • cloud9
  • midnight robot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

thanks rude.

does the mixer pick up both the L and R from the stereo out (of the mpc) ? i thought to plug in teh jacks to the assignable mix out from

the mpc but in the manual it says those are assigned to only the specific pads and i want all the sound from the mpc

going through.  the ms-20 is a simple hook up to the mixer. the one other problem i seem to have so far is that i've got

to plug in my mini kaoss pad to the guitar then from kaoss pad to the mixer but i've got these 1/4 jack cables 2 on each

side of the connector . i only need 1 connector to go from guitar to kaoss pad. is it alright that the other 1/4 is just

dangling off to the side? and then from going back into the mixer from kaoss pad do i need both those 1/4 going in to

the mixer? is it going to be L and R like on the MPC or do i dangle one off like i did from the guitar? this seems to be

getting a little confusing for me so i hope you can follow. i guess that is all the problems i am having at the moment.

thanks again for your help!

  • ronin
  • cervine lugbot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

because the kaos is generating stereo effects, it needs to have the left and right output connected to the mixer.
mono input is fine.

  • ronin
  • cervine lugbot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

i'd suggest hooking it up to an aux send if you have them. then bring it back on two mixer channels. that way you can send anything you like to the kaos via the aux send.

  • cloud9
  • midnight robot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

thanks ronin! and yea i've got aux outputs and aux return to master on my mixer i would love to be able to send anything

and everything to the kaos i'm kind of lost on how the aux works i think i need to download the manual for this mixer lol

instead of using you guys for every refernce

  • From: Austin, TX
  • Registered: 2008-07-07
  • Posts: 184

Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

An aux send is typically used for reverb and other FX.  Each channel for instance would have an AUX 1 knob.  By turning this knob on a particular channel you get some of that channel's signal at the AUX 1 output.  The AUX 1 output on the mixer would go to your reverb's input.  The reverb's output goes back into either an FX return on your mixer or its own dedicated channel (so you can EQ the reverb).

The reason this is a good setup is because you can take a little bit of each seperat channel's signal and send it into the reverb.  If you have a snare drum on channel 1 and keyboard on channel 2 they can both go into the reverb by differing amounts without having to repatch any cables.  If your FX unit was doing delay you could even feed the delay back into itself for more repeats (too much and it will oscillate).

Just like the faders create a mix at the master outputs, the aux 1 knobs will create a mix at the aux 1 output.. its sort of like having another mixer in the mixer just going to a different place if that makes sense.

  • cloud9
  • midnight robot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

that does make a lot of sense ! (even for me) very interesting and i will definitely be taking advantage of that. thanks a lot forax!

  • cloud9
  • midnight robot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

sweet! thanks to everyone's help i've got everything runnin smoothly. the aux with the kaoss pad is fucking awesome! for some reason though the volume on my ms-20 comes in really really low (is this normal and is there a fix?) besides that everything is great. thanks once again guys.

  • Cosmo
  • TanzverBot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

i have luxury problem as it seems :-)
I have a soundcradft spirit mixer with 12 channels and 4 aux sends. I ran out of channels the day I got my r8m.
I friend of mne suggested to get a small mixer for the drum parts and then get it all together with the synths on the other mixer.
I had the chance to get an soundtracs topaz 24 channel mixer, 24 channels, but only 1 aux send.
I do not have lots of fx units, actually 2. but I would love to use both of them.

I have now plenty of channels for all my gear, but I can not use all the fx's. (and I would love to have more of those).

Does it make sense to mix the drum parts in the soundcraft, use one FX there and than mix everything together on the topaz (or vice versa)?

  • Registered: 2008-07-07
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

Yes that makes sense, you just use the Soundcraft as a sub-mixer.
1 aux send seems a bit sparse. are you sure there aren't two aux sends? Perhaps one of them is labeled as a monitor out... What Topaz do you exactly have? Anyway, if it has subgroups you could use the Topaz as a group mixer, and send individual groups to the Soundcraft and give them their effects there.

Brian Chinetti's Website

  • Cosmo
  • TanzverBot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

Thank you Brian

I have to check on that tonight. I am using now my work time to figure out more about this mixer. don't tell my boss

Its a Soundtrac Topaz Macro Plus
http://images.quebarato.com.br/photos/big/3/6/31C36_2.jpg

I have no idea yet wether it has groups and if, how to use them. It would be great if it works out like that.

  • cloud9
  • midnight robot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

sweet! i'm glad other people are getting help in this thread! good luck to you cosmo and don't get caught at work.

  • Registered: 2008-07-07
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

Cosmo wrote:

Its a Soundtrac Topaz Macro Plus

I have no idea yet wether it has groups and if, how to use them. It would be great if it works out like that.

I'm afraid there's no subs on this one, so you better stick to your first plan.

Brian Chinetti's Website

  • Cosmo
  • TanzverBot
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Re: help with my new setup / for recordin jammin

Yes. it looks like it.  I saw noticed there is a 2nd aux (mono out, stereo return(?) ) and therefor this will work out fine for me. I am glad I can finally hook up everything together. I ran out of cables this weekend and have to get some more :-)

Thanks robots and dont worry Cloud ;-)