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Thread Alesis MultiMix 8 USB + Mic Headsets + iPod = Hair Pulling Frustration

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1 Alesis MultiMix 8 USB + Mic Headsets + iPod = Hair Pulling Frustration
Hello all. This is my first post on this forum, and a cry for help at that. My wife and I are trying to start some audio blogging with some iPod connectivity interspersed. Here's my equipment:

-A custom PC (built by a man more knowledgeable on these things than I)
-Two headsets with built in microphones
-Alesis MiltiMix 8 USB Mixer
-1/8" to 1/4" adapters and cables

Here are the problems. And I appreciate any help with any of them.

-When I plug my USB cable from my new, and oddly enough non-returnable and non-refundable, mixer to my computer the drivers load just fine. After that, I can't get any sound into or out of the computer from my mixer. The Audio is set for the USB codecs. The cables are fine. And I've confirmed the problem on a laptop. It's just like the USB isn't transmitting.

-In order to hear my iPod sound correctly through the Control Room output (aka headphones) I have to keep the 1/4" plug connecting the iPod to the mixer just a liiiiiiittle bit pulled out of the channel jack. Otherwise it sounds wrong... sort of muffled with none of the vocals. Just some beats and background music. You ever listen to ACDC with just bass and background vocals? Not pretty.

-The microphones, attached to the headphones and connected to the mixer via a dedicated cable with a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter, are completely nonfunctional regardless of gain or volume. Mind you I am not using the XLR inputs, but the 1/4 input jacks.

Please help me. I just want to record some silly talking and iPod music. This is proving more frustrating than I ever imagined. If my computer guy (or any of you) can't help, I'm just going to hire someone to come out and make it work. Thanks in advance.
2
Hi Mike,

Quote: -When I plug my USB cable from my new, and oddly enough non-returnable and non-refundable, mixer to my computer the drivers load just fine. After that, I can't get any sound into or out of the computer from my mixer. The Audio is set for the USB codecs. The cables are fine. And I've confirmed the problem on a laptop. It's just like the USB isn't transmitting.


Your computer may not be properly set up to recognize your mixer/soundcard as its primary sound device. Or something of that kind... Do you get sound out of the computer's internal sound card? If so then there's a great chance the problem comes from here. If you have your system sounds (Windows sounds, video sounds and so on) coming out of your Multimix8, then it's definitely something else... Also, what sequencer ae you using for recording? Have you set it up properly?

Quote: -In order to hear my iPod sound correctly through the Control Room output (aka headphones) I have to keep the 1/4" plug connecting the iPod to the mixer just a liiiiiiittle bit pulled out of the channel jack. Otherwise it sounds wrong... sort of muffled with none of the vocals. Just some beats and background music. You ever listen to ACDC with just bass and background vocals? Not pretty.


Are you by any chance connecting the stereo out of the iPod to a single mono jack input on your mixer? I ask that because as far as I know there ain't many USB mixers featuring a 1/4" stereo in, so I assume that must be what you are doing. If so, then it's no surprise you will get something weird as only one of your two stereo channels (left and right) is actually connected to the mixer -- so you can only get half the signal in the end... If that is the case, then get a Y-shaped cable with whatever stereo connector for your iPod on one side (must be a 1/8" jack, I guess?) and two mono jacks or RCA on the other side -- that should do the trick.

Quote: -The microphones, attached to the headphones and connected to the mixer via a dedicated cable with a 1/8" to 1/4" adapter, are completely nonfunctional regardless of gain or volume. Mind you I am not using the XLR inputs, but the 1/4 input jacks.


That's a mic designed to be used with a basic computer sound card, right? If so I guess it should have a balanced jack output (the jack will look the same as a stereo headphone plug, although it's not technically the same process as stereo). Not sure on this one, but if you got a balanced 1/8" to XLR converter it might work...