Mixer Help! Does this exist?

Hey guys I need some help here. Here's whats going on. I have been getting this hum/hiss sound thru my speakers. It has completely made me unmotivated to work. I took some time to try to solve the problem.

At first I thought it was the way I had my speakers hooked up, but I unhooked everything and did some tests. Come to find out it's the mixer (how great...)I have a Mackie Mirco Series 1202.

I'm guessing that I can't fix that problem with it, which means I'm looking to replace it. I'm not 100% bummed because I wanted to get to get new equipment, and I already have 8 different pieces of equipment. Therefore I eventually was going to need a new one anyway.

I've been looking around on the forum and the web because I have some specific functions I would like, but in reality I don't know if what I'm looking for even exists.

I'm looking for a mixer, with at least 12 inputs, that I can USB (or use a USB-to-Firewire adapter) to my laptop, and that can be used to record multiple individual tracks (Right now I must track everything out 1 track at a time, I would like to work faster in this production stage)

Is there such thing? Or do you have any alternative equipment or methods you could recommend?

Lil Stunt wrote:Hey guys I need some help here. Here's whats going on. I have been getting this hum/hiss sound thru my speakers. It has completely made me unmotivated to work. I took some time to try to solve the problem.

At first I thought it was the way I had my speakers hooked up, but I unhooked everything and did some tests. Come to find out it's the mixer (how great...)I have a Mackie Mirco Series 1202.

I'm guessing that I can't fix that problem with it, which means I'm looking to replace it. I'm not 100% bummed because I wanted to get to get new equipment, and I already have 8 different pieces of equipment. Therefore I eventually was going to need a new one anyway.

I've been looking around on the forum and the web because I have some specific functions I would like, but in reality I don't know if what I'm looking for even exists.

I'm looking for a mixer, with at least 12 inputs, that I can USB (or use a USB-to-Firewire adapter) to my laptop, and that can be used to record multiple individual tracks (Right now I must track everything out 1 track at a time, I would like to work faster in this production stage)

Is there such thing? Or do you have any alternative equipment or methods you could recommend?

Well for the simultaneous multi tracking you would probably want a USB/Firewire as you mentioned. In the majority of cases these mixers have built in audio interfaces to make the bridging the sound into your DAW much easier. Mackie have a few out that do basically what you want. Alesis too, but I would trust the interface in the Mackie ones more. They are based on their Onyx interfaces which were pretty decent in all respects (overall sound quality, pre-amps and decent low latency operation)

In your current setup are your 1/4" cables all balanced? Unbalanced cables along with "dirty brown" AC power in a house are the main culprits usually when you get the issues you have. I've been through it many times and often balanced cables were very helpful as well as better shielded ones in the case of RF interference and HD hum bleeding in.

Metatron72 wrote:In your current setup are your 1/4" cables all balanced? Unbalanced cables along with "dirty brown" AC power in a house are the main culprits usually when you get the issues you have. I've been through it many times and often balanced cables were very helpful as well as better shielded ones in the case of RF interference and HD hum bleeding in.

I'm a firm believer in Mackie also. I did run across the Onyx while doing my research. I doubt that my cables are balanced, I just grabbed these from radio shack.

I don't think the cables are the problem. I think it's the mixer because I pulled my Mirco-X directly into my speaker system, and it was clean, no hum, no hiss.

Lampdog wrote:Plug up the mixer and other gear into different outlets in your crib and check the audio of each for dirty electricity.

Ok I tried that. I unhooked all the equipment and plugged it into 3 different outlets. Got the same thing with each. It's like a humming noise, it's constant, but sometimes it gets worst by itself, like louder. It quiets back down, but it's still too loud for me to work and enjoy myself.

I'm plugging different equipment directly into my speakers and I'm not getting any of this, no hum, no hiss at all.

Is there anything I can use to record multiple individual tracks? I know there's sound cards (I'm working on a laptop though), but could a mixer like a Mackie ProFX16 do it?

the mackie onyx "i" series. the 16040i does 16 channels in and out. hoping to buy one very soon.

btw: just because your mixer is producing hum doesn't mean you need to junk it. if it's ground loop hum, then you need to fix the grounding in your house or in the mixer.

Lil Stunt wrote:Is there anything I can use to record multiple individual tracks? I know there's sound cards (I'm working on a laptop though), but could a mixer like a Mackie ProFX16 do it?

Lil Stunt wrote:Is there anything I can use to record multiple individual tracks? I know there's sound cards (I'm working on a laptop though), but could a mixer like a Mackie ProFX16 do it?

Just a thought cause this is often the case:

This might be the humming. Or rather said the power adapter of the laptop. I guess the laptop is connected to the mixer right? Disconnect the laptops power adapter and listen if its still there.

But wait... don't you use any audio interface at the moment but the build in sound of the laptop? If so then its pretty normal that you hear that noise cause 99% of the buildin soundcards of laptops are nothing but a piece of ish.


peace

peterpiper wrote:
Just a thought cause this is often the case:

This might be the humming. Or rather said the power adapter of the laptop. I guess the laptop is connected to the mixer right? Disconnect the laptops power adapter and listen if its still there.

But wait... don't you use any audio interface at the moment but the build in sound of the laptop? If so then its pretty normal that you hear that noise cause 99% of the buildin soundcards of laptops are nothing but a piece of ish.


peace

Nope, not the laptop. Today when I was testing stuff I didn't have it connected. And also the laptop isn't connected to the mixer. I'm using my X-Station as my sound card, it wasn't on either because it's usb powered, and I didn't have the laptop connected at all.

terry towelling wrote:the mackie onyx "i" series. the 16040i does 16 channels in and out. hoping to buy one very soon.

btw: just because your mixer is producing hum doesn't mean you need to junk it. if it's ground loop hum, then you need to fix the grounding in your house or in the mixer.

Now I never heard anything like this before. But I moved into a trailer about 5 months ago. The mixer was already making this noise, when I was living in a apartment.

How would I test or fix something like that?

Lampdog wrote:You tell me.

http://www.mackie.com/products/profxser ... _22_OM.pdf

Already tried to read this. I really didn't find an answer

Lil Stunt wrote:

Lampdog wrote:You tell me.

http://www.mackie.com/products/profxser ... _22_OM.pdf

Already tried to read this. I really didn't find an answer

Thanks lampdog, you always come thru.

I'm guessing what I really want doesn't exist.