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Best option for hooking up mixer to computer, and back

post #1 of 11
11/21/09 at 1:27pm
Thread Starter 
Hi guys. Long time reader, first time poster.

I’m a novice video editor, with very basic audio skills. I just purchased a new Quad Core iMac, which has one audio in, and one audio out. I also just purchased 2 Mackie MR5 monitors, a Behringer MINIFBQ 800 EQ, and a Mackie 402-VLZ3 mixer. I am looking to connect the mixer to my Mac, and have a few mics connected to the mixer for when I use Final Cut, make Podcasts, etc.

I am getting a TON of different responses elsewhere as to how to hook it up, and I’d like to ask experts.

- What I assume, would be to run my 1/8” line out of my Mac, and put it into RCA tape input on the mixer.
- To connect the mixer to my Mackie’s, I’d run the Main out ¼” L & R into my Behringer, then out to my MR5’s via ¼”.
- To run my mixer back into my computer, tape out RCA into 1/8” line in on the Mac.

Several people have told me I can’t do this with this mixer, but I don’t understand how else I would do this. Seems pretty logical to me
Am I missing something here? Are there better ways to do this? Some people said to not go from the computer to the RCA tape input, and go to the ¼” L & R line in instead.

Can I have some advice please?

Thank you in advance!
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post #2 of 11
11/21/09 at 2:22pm
It depends on how demanding you are. The method above will get the sound out of your Mac and to your mixer, but the environment inside a computer can be very noisy and most computer audio users think it is better to get all analog operations out of the computer. This requires digital output from your Mac (optical, USB or Firewire) to an outboard DAC that then converts the digital to analog and connects to your mixer.

P
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post #3 of 11
11/21/09 at 3:58pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the response P.

I'm not very demanding. I'm just a novice really. Nothing that is super professional. I'll be making videos for my job, etc. Nothing that would be broadcasted.

Down the road, perhaps I will use a DAC via firewire. I've heard your recommendations, and I've heard that using the line out jack vs a DAC is barely noticeable (if any) - is that true?
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post #4 of 11
11/21/09 at 4:22pm
You need to consider your signal flow and what you want to accomplish.

You can conenct the audio out of the IMac to the mixer and then connect the Mackies to the mixer. If that is what you mean. You also need to set up the recording loop, from the mixer into the system. Does this mixer have a firewire connection? _there are mnay ways to conenct the mixer back especially if you have channel inserts etc..
Ther are 100's of ways to connect an external mixer to a computer.

What are you trying to do exactly?
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post #5 of 11
11/21/09 at 5:47pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the response.

The mixer does not have a firewire option. It basically has RCA tape outs, and 1/4" out.. that's my only two options currently.

The primary reason to go back into my computer, is simply for voice overs for videos produced in Final Cut and Premiere Pro. Nothing too major.
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post #6 of 11
11/21/09 at 5:53pm
Connect the mixer to the PC through Tape out on the mixer.

Whay are you conencting the line out of the iMac to the Mixer?
I am just trying to get a better idea of what you woudl like to accomplish then I can help recommend connections ideas.
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post #7 of 11
11/21/09 at 7:07pm
Thread Starter 
Ok, so tape out of the mixer to the computer.. got it

Why am I connecting the line out of the iMac to the mixer? How else would I get the signal to the mixer to run my studio monitors?
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post #8 of 11
11/21/09 at 9:15pm
There are many different ways to connect a mixer to a computer.
You can use the Tape out, Sub Mix out or others pn the mixer to the line input on the system.

You can connect your monitors to your mixer but personally I would connect them to the IMac audio output and this way you can monitor the mix that is coming into the IMac.
There are so many ways to route the signals using a mixer and a computer...
One of the easiest ways to connect the mixer, is just to use that as a pre-amp for mics and signal router for the soundcards inputs.

You can route the output from the IMAC back into the mixer but that can get complicated if your new to this area.
I suggest you find a recording forum as this is not the place to find what you need. There are many here that deal with recording but this forum is dedicated to others aspects of audio.

Hope this Helps.
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post #9 of 11
11/21/09 at 10:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by nyguy4u View Post
Hi guys. Long time reader, first time poster.

I’m a novice video editor, with very basic audio skills. I just purchased a new Quad Core iMac, which has one audio in, and one audio out. I also just purchased 2 Mackie MR5 monitors, a Behringer MINIFBQ 800 EQ, and a Mackie 402-VLZ3 mixer. I am looking to connect the mixer to my Mac, and have a few mics connected to the mixer for when I use Final Cut, make Podcasts, etc.

I am getting a TON of different responses elsewhere as to how to hook it up, and I’d like to ask experts.

- What I assume, would be to run my 1/8” line out of my Mac, and put it into RCA tape input on the mixer.
- To connect the mixer to my Mackie’s, I’d run the Main out ¼” L & R into my Behringer, then out to my MR5’s via ¼”.
- To run my mixer back into my computer, tape out RCA into 1/8” line in on the Mac.

Several people have told me I can’t do this with this mixer, but I don’t understand how else I would do this. Seems pretty logical to me
Am I missing something here? Are there better ways to do this? Some people said to not go from the computer to the RCA tape input, and go to the ¼” L & R line in instead.

Can I have some advice please?

Thank you in advance!
Yes - that's the way it should be hooked up. You may have underbought though mixer-wise. Mackie is a 'guaranteed name' in terms of rep, but if you're going to buy a mixer you would usually want slightly more flexibility in how the signal can be routed.


It's a bit late now, but something like an Alesis Multimix 8 for ~$50 more would have been a smarter choice in terms of uses like this IMO.
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post #10 of 11
11/22/09 at 12:57am
Quote:
Originally Posted by bangraman View Post
Yes - that's the way it should be hooked up. You may have underbought though mixer-wise. Mackie is a 'guaranteed name' in terms of rep, but if you're going to buy a mixer you would usually want slightly more flexibility in how the signal can be routed.


It's a bit late now, but something like an Alesis Multimix 8 for ~$50 more would have been a smarter choice in terms of uses like this IMO.
The way it should be hooked up? There are many ways to connect mixers to computers.
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post #11 of 11
11/22/09 at 2:55pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ROBSCIX View Post
The way it should be hooked up? There are many ways to connect mixers to computers.
Duh. That is the way it should be hooked up based on what he's got.
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