Connecting Mixing Desk To Audio Interface
Hope this is the correct section to ask this, if not please advise.
I'm having real problems connecting my mixer to my audio interface and getting playback via my monitors/headphones.
Connecting via the following method all i get is muddy very quiet playback even on max volume. In fact, i hear nothing until its quite high. Plugging in headphones to the audio interface works fine with the same set up but not when the phones are plugged into the mixer.
My mixer 'main out' is unbalanced so i use 2 ts (mono) cables from my mixer into the 2 inputs on the audio interface which is set to 'line' input. (Also have tried trs stereo leads for this connection with the same results).
I then connect the 'out' on my mixer to two line outputs on the rear of the audio interface using a twin rca (from the mixer) to ts cables (into the audio interface outputs 1 & 2 on the audio interface.
Finally i plug a twin ts lead from the control room out into my monitors (rca inputs).
This was following advice from several youtube videos.
I dont have any problems recording into my DAW with this set up its just the playback which sounds like its playing under water. Ive tried using ts to ts cables into the speakers as well with the same results.I have also tried trs (stereo) leads into the monitors as well. Ive adjusted all volume controls on the mixer/audio interface/speakers etc with the same results.
With this set up if i plug headphones into the audio interface i get clear decent playback, however if i plug the phones into the 'phones' on the mixer i get the same muddy/underwater results. Also if i connect the monitors direct to the audio interface i get decent playback its only when i try to run the monitors/headphones via the mixer.
Clearly there is an issue with the way ive set the cables up. The mixer and audio interface are new by the way and function as you would expect apart from this issue with monitors and headphones.
Sorry for the lack of technical speak.
I hope i've described my problem clearly enough for someone to help.
Its driving me absolutely mad!
Cheers.
My Equipment:
Behringer Xenyx 1202 mixer
Focusrite 8I6 3rd Gen audio interface
Alesis Elevate 5 MK 2
Mixer Into Audio Interface
Before connecting your studio monitors to your audio interface or mixer, I recommend testing your monitors to see if everything is operational. Follow the setup guide that came with your specific studio monitors, and make sure the monitors actually work. Some have advised setting up the first mixer 'normally' with gain, EQ and level settings (as if it were the main mixer), then connecting the Main Out connectors on the first mixer to either a 2 X. Audio interfaces translate the analog sound from the mixer into digital computer signals. How do you connect a sound mixer to an audio interface? Plug the audio output from the sound mixer into the audio input on the audio interface. You can use a quarter-inch cable, RCA cable, or XLR cable to make the connection. Check the inputs and outputs of your equipment to see which connections you have. The best way to connect up your mixer and audio interface may depend on factors such as relative quality of mic preamps. If your interface is mid-priced and upwards, such as this Presonus Firestudio, you'll probably find its mic preamps are better than those on the average mixer, so you'll be better off plugging your mics directly into the interface preamps rather than the mixer preamps.
