Karaoke Forums

Hello,

I ended up with a Mackie Pro FX 12. Wonderful machine. Easy to use, great on-board effects, etc. I’m a bit new at this so maybe you guys could explain this too me?

I have a 2 channel USB sound card; each channel uses a ¼ jack. I use a Stereo ¼ to 2 mono 1/4; one right and one left, patch cords. I’m connecting each channel to its own mixer channel, right gets a channel and the left gets a channel.

When I pan from left to right and right to left the channel that isn’t hot (lesser volume) has distinct (but not horrible loud), crackling coming out of that quiet speaker. The system exhibits this issue when playing off the lap top or the stand alone CD-DVD player. When not panning, the sound is good. Why does it do this? Some kind of balance problem?

Also, I don’t understand why, when panning back and forth, all sound isn’t cut off to the other side while going 100% to one side and I assume zero to the other?

I must not understand what panning mean? It doesn’t seem to mean left and right, like with a home stereo system?

BTW, I’m using a pretty much standard 300 watt amp, that soundcard and that stand alone CD – DVD player. Very simple set-up.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I have an 8 week engagement, my first as a “pro” in two weeks. I gotta get this system rocking.

Cheers,

Mark

I think your running each channel into the balanced inputs of 2 mono channels. You should run 2 x 1/4" jack to jack leads from your soundcard into the L & R inputs of a stereo channel, say 7/8.

My 2 cents

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Gadget's Karaoke : Boldly singing what no one has dared sing before.

I'm not sure why you are using a Stereo 1/4" cord... surely each channel output from your USB interface would be a mono channel? I would think you would need two mono 1/4" cables to enable connection from each channel of the interface to two mono channels of the mixer. Either that or connect your Stereo-Two Mono cable with the 2 mono 1/4" jacks connected to each channel of the USB interface output, and the stereo 1/4" jack connected to a stereo channel of your mixer.

What is the brand & model of the USB sound card?

Yes, please share the model of the USB sound card. From your description, the cabling you're using doesn't make sense and may be why you're having this issue. As far as panning, you do understand what it is supposed to be, in a perfect world. That said, those controls are potentiometers, they limit the voltage allowed to pass by changing the amount of resistance. This is one of the differences between a $500 Mackie console and a $10,000 Yamaha Concert Series desk. To get an actual ZERO is very difficult and requires high quality components. Most boards will get you "close enough" but never actually completely cut out one side while sending 100% to the other.

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

Hi,

This is what I'm doing. Exactly that. It wont work if you're running a stereo 1/4 to XLR jacks, only half the music comes out in that case.

I'm running ch 1 to ch 7 on the mixer, right and left, ch 2 to ch 8, right and left.

Mark

Hi,

Nope this card has to stereo channels:

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/pr ... sku=243026

The card "seems" to kick (@$%&#!). I didn't have this issue with my old Numark mixer from the '80's....?

BTW, this morning I had a chance to crack her up and when the pan of both channels is in the middle, there's still a little bit of crackle in each speaker. Not loud or real pronounced but it's there. And, on rare occasions, under a heavy beat (disco AC DC) the signal cuts out momentarily?

Changed out all cables.

Oh, it’s not a sound card issue I assume. I tested the system this morning without the laptop. I’m using a stand alone CD – DVD player and I get the same issue.

Makes me think it may be the amp? I’ll change it out this morning and get back to you guys. Or maybe, just maybe this new Mackie is bad or it wasn't new? Seemed new in the box but you never know with Guitar Center.

Mark

Thx L. Guess I'll spend another 9K for quiet!

Mark

Hi Guys,

It's an intermittent problem with the amp. I put in my other amp, same brand name and the problem went away. Put the original amp back in, problem gone. Isn’t a cable issue so I must assume that there's a little something loose or whatever in the amp. 3 months old, about 20 hours on the amp... Life happens.

Thx very much for the education.

Mark

That sound card has an A & B output. You will only use 1 - A OR B. The 1/4" plug (TRS - stereo end) plugs into the either A OR B, the other end will plug into a stereo channel (like 7/8 ). This is a stereo channel so one fader will control both channels. It almost sounds as if you are connecting both the A AND B outputs of the sound card to their own channel on the Mackie board - like A output goes to 7/8 & B output goes to 9/10? You only need to connect 1 of those outputs to the Mackie board.

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I hope you didn't misunderstand. Your board shouldn't make funny noises like you described, ever. However to get a true zero output on the right when you pan a channel hard left is only going to happen on pretty high end boards.

Also, looking at that card on the link provided, what you need to do is take only one ouput (as Lonman described) and connect it to the L and R inputs of a stereo channel on your console or to the inputs of two Mic (mono) channels and then pan the left one hard left and the right one hard right. Can you confirm that you're only using one of the outputs from the sound card to connect to the board and that you're connecting the left and right signals to either separate mono channels or the same stereo channel?

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DJ Tony
Let It Rip Karaoke

I'm curious why you are trying to do it this way. Normally you would use ONE of the two last stereo channels on that mixer (9/10 or 11/12).

I sounds to me like you are using TWO stereo channels, but only a single input of each and then attempting to pan them out, which is unconventional.

I own that mixer, and agree with Bazza, but then again I just run my laptop via usb cord directly into the mixer. My cdg player is connected via 1/4 cables into 9/10.

Rosario

Hi, you guys missed my last post(s) I think? I do have a card with 2 seperate stereo channels. Killer card. Link is above. I found a problem with one of my amps. All crackle is now gone.

Yes I can confirm and you are right. But, I can also assign a sound card channel to each "player" in Virtual DJ, etc., and get that clean stereo out of each channel by way of the seperate L and R cables(s). So, you can do it both ways it seems.

All is now well. Thx VERY much for all your help.

Mark

Just curious, what brand of amp was it?

I'm sort of embarrassed to say… It’s a Technical Pro 3000. At first I really liked it; quiet, never hot, loads of power for such a small footprint. As I’ve been upgrading my old equipment, the truth has come out.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Technical-Pro-Profe ... 588278ea37

Web site: http://tpro.com/cats.php?cat=26

I’m picking up a Crown XTi 1000 in the morning. Cool that it has a built in cross-over and other very interesting things and it's 18 pounds! I have a blown out right shopulder so my rig is very small and as light as I can get. This line gets very high reviews…?

I’ve learned a lot folks. Get read of your old stuff, it just doesn’t cut it anymore, for the most part. Hard for me to sell off my stuff….

Thx for all the help friends,

Mark