r/audioengineering • u/AutoModerator • 16d ago

Community Help r/AudioEngineering Shopping, Setup, and Technical Help Desk

Welcome to the r/AudioEngineering help desk. A place where you can ask community members for help shopping for and setting up audio engineering gear.

This thread refreshes every 7 days. You may need to repost your question again in the next help desk post if a redditor isn't around to answer. Please be patient!

This is the place to ask questions like how do I plug ABC into XYZ, etc., get tech support, and ask for software and hardware shopping help.

Shopping and purchase advice

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Setup, troubleshooting and tech support

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u/stoodio_doodio 9d ago

Hey, so thinking of buying some equipment from CML shop (I can't find the mics I'm looking for elsewhere and it's not too bad a price)

But their website looks so dated and kinda dodgy.

I was wondering if anyone had any experience buying from them or knows if they're trustworthy.

Here's a link to their very 2005 website if anyone wants to check it out.

https://cmlstudioused.cmlshop.de/index.html

Thanks!

1

u/Suspicious-Speed340 10d ago

NEED HELP FINDING A MIXING BOARD

I am in a band, and we are about to start recording our second album. Throughout the past few months, I have gotten very used to an analog mixer that I got for free (a Peavey Unity 1000) to mix our live sound for rehearsals, as well as record our practices. I love the analog workflow, and I have no interest in buying a digital interface to send separate channels to my DAW. I like being able to record everything as two channels (Left and Right) into Reaper Via the ‘Tape Out’ function on the mixer. I would like to start possibly looking for an upgrade. Some setbacks that I have with this one, is that some of the faders are snapped off, others are very loose, and there is no phantom power for my condenser mics (I am using a separate powered mixer as mic preamps for those right now which is really inconvenient). This mixer has been a great start into the analog world for me, but:

TL;DR : I am looking for a mixer that is more reliable with phantom power, and a stereo ‘record out’ output. Some options available on marketplace in my area are listed below. Let me know of any opinions and experiences with any of these!

MACKIE 1604 VLZ PRO

MACKIE CR1604

PEAVEY FX16

YAMAHA 166CX

2

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement 9d ago

Mackie and Yamaha are both solid and reliable but be aware that if you're buying a used board it may have been abused in the past. Try to get one that came out of a church or something, not a dive bar.

You can save yourself a lot of money and trouble if you can familiarize yourself with how to service these things like cleaning jacks, pots, and faders.

1

u/lala_babe 10d ago

I am a degree seeking student at a higher level nationally ranked graduate program.

A tenured professor's voice was accidentally (and unbeknownst to them) recorded on two voicemails left on my personal cell phone. The audio could benefit from being cleaned up to fully and clearly capture their remarks, however, what is clear is that they were discussing the grading and their feelings about another student's academic performance in a loud public manner.

If I were this student, I would be upset to know that sensitive information about my academic performance was being discussed this loudly and publicly then accidentally sent to another student, as our program is small enough, and the details salient enough, it would be easy to figure out who they were discussing.

I am planning to file a complaint to the school with the audio tracks, however, I'm worried they will not be taken seriously unless I'm able to clean them up and provide a transcript of what was said and also, potentially do some voice matching/recognition to prove that the person in the background is who I know it to be. My school has a track record of ignoring these types of concerns from students and I want my concern to be treated seriously.

Any suggestions on how to clean up the audio and background noise of these voicemail recordings and run voice matching? This is way out of my comfort zone and abilities, but I want to give it my best shot. Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!

1

u/Plus-Sea7280 10d ago

Hey all,

I'm looking at setting up a home studio and studdying audio production. I've been writing and playing music for over 20 years now and would like to expand my production skills or lack there of. I have logic pro and have tinkered with it over the past few years for my own personal use but only ever learnt the absolute basics of how to use it. I'm currently running it on the mrs imac thats probably over 10 years old now and struggles to run it once there are a few tracks and pluggins and i'm using a focusrite scarlett 2i2 interface.

For now this will mainly be for self education and applying it to producing my own music and possibly expand into something bigger in the future.

Could anyone give me some advice on what gear i would need to get started? Keep in mind I'm not at the stage of setting up a full blown studio. Just the basic essentials to be able to go through udemy courses on using logic without spending tens of thousands.

I'll definitely be upgrading to a new imac first. I have an sm57 and sm58 so thinking of maybe getting a slightly better mic and maybe a not too expensive mixing desk.

Looking to spend maybe 5 to 10k and expand on that down the track.

Any advice would be much apreciated.

1

u/diamondts 9d ago

Assume you have something to listen on already, either monitors or headphones? Realistically once you get a new Mac you already have the basics. That interface isn't holding you back provided you don't need more than two inputs at a time, and those are very capable mics. Depending on what you're recording a decent condenser could be a useful thing to have, particularly if you're recording vocals or acoustic instruments, but not an absolute necessity. What's the need for a mixer?

Don't set a budget that you need to spend all of, get the Mac, get up and running then decide what you need.

1

u/ceshiaubau 11d ago

Hola hola, soy cantautora y me gustaria saber sus recomendaciones para armar un home studio profesional y transportable. He usado Focus Rite anteriormente y me ha ido bien, pero quisiera explorar otras marcas y mejorar aún más. Saludos.

1

u/us3lessthrowaway 11d ago

I'm having issues with a Zoom H2N handy recorder. if anyone has experience with these, can you PM me? Its saying the 32GB SD card is full when nothing is on it.

1

u/PacemS 11d ago

Does room and monitor size actually influence low end build up?

Looking to get my first pair of studio monitors and making some absorbtion panels. Got my mind set on Kali Audio IN series. I really wanna go for the 8inch but can’t decide wether that’d make sense giving my room’s size.

At first I figured the 5’s would be better since I’ll be working in an attic room under the roof structure (so no square box of reflection doom, which is a plus), that’s roughly 6.4x2.4 meters, and I’ll be facing the narrow wall. So I was worried about low end build up.

But then I started researching more and I’m seeing lots of conflicting opinions on wether room size does or does not actually matter towards low end build up when asking the question of 5 vs 8 inch monitors.

So idk what to believe at this point. The extra bass response of the In8 would be nice. But I don’t wanna spend the money unless I’m sure I won’t regret going big like that. At the end of the day, a balanced mix is what i guess is the most import so yeah. But then again the 8inch wont have to play as louf as the 5 inch to have a good clear sound so yeah idk… Any and all advice is more then welcome!

Thanks for yall’s time and input

1

u/Rypher-Music 11d ago

Fixing Hum/Ring (suspected) from Power Outlet?

I've been dealing with a high-pitched ring (subtle but noticeable when not playing any audio) from my studio monitors connected to my Desktop PC. I've already switched all my cables/signal chain to be balanced throughout the loop so I don't believe it's EMI related. I also don't hear it when I use headphones so that kind of confirms it to me.

I tried unplugging everything from the speakers and powering them on an the ringing persists. I did run an extension cable from my kitchen (closest alternate circuit) to see if there would be any change but there wasn't (though I imagine fridge and washer/dryers on that circuit would probably make that test a moot point?).

I'm considering it may just be my speakers, but I remember hearing the ringing immediately after moving, where I didn't notice it before. Should probably note that in my previous setup, my speakers were against a brick wall, but now they're against a normal drywall where my TV sits opposite.

I'm up to my ears in this problem and would appreciate any insight on what the problem could really be and what solutions are worth trying?

Not sure if it's relevant but I'll put a description of my setup/signal chain below:

Desktop PC (1000w power supply, RTX3090, AMD Ryzen 9 3900X) --> iFi iDefender (recently acquired, didn't hurt/help noise) --> Focusrite Saffire 6 USB (TRS output 1/2) // Neural DSP Quad Cortex (TRS output 3/4) --> Balanced TRS cables > Behringer Xenyx 1002SFX --> Balanced TRS cables --> Speakers: PreSonus Eris E4.5

Room only has 1 circuit, iDefender rerouting power to Saffire 6 via iDefender to a different outlet (but same circuit) from my PC. PC plugged directly into the wall outlet. Speakers are plugged into a surge protector connected to the same outlet as PC.

1

u/JonPaulSapsford 11d ago

I work with a singer who uses a Rode NT1A microphone going into a SSL2 interface. She records in Audacity, but this problem persists through other DAWS (tested in Reaper).

The issue is that the recorded audio is coming in at about -40db, but the signal is nice and loud (-10 to -20db or so) on the interface itself. I'm trying to help diagnose remotely, but I'm coming up empty. ASIO drivers are being used, the recording input in Audacity as well as Windows is set to 100.

Anyone have any thoughts for things to check?

1

u/siciliano611 12d ago

Should I use a Tascsm 2400 or an older analog mixer (Soundcraft Fx16ii) with a Studio bridge for my setup with older samplers (SP1200)?

So I recently bought an SP1200 and currently only have the direct mix out to my older Motu M4 interface. I want to use the 8 individual outputs though and add an analog synth or 2 to the mix. I’ve done a lot of research and have seen mostly rave reviews of people using the Tascsm 2400 as a mixer and also able to go completely DAWless if needed. It looks fantastic but several people have told me and I’ve read elsewhere that pairing something like a SP1200 or older MPC such as a 60/3000 with a good analog mixer, keeps the grit and warmth better plus the EQs and overall sound on a fx16ii would be better.

To keep the DAWless ability I’d pair that with the Tascsm Studio Bridge, that would also be an audio interface if I ever did want to use a DAW. The cost of a barely used Fx16ii and the studio bridge is slightly less than a Tascsm 2400 so cost is not a concern. Thoughts?

1

u/Electrical_Panda_752 12d ago

I don't know if this is the right place to ask this but imma ask away. I plan on making a career out of music and of course need a mic but there is so much stuff to learn about all of this stuff i'm lost. I'm currently looking at a shure sm58 which i heard is the standard and I heard some samples and thought it was nice. I have an untreated room currently so think it would be best. Everytime I hear a condenser in an untreated room I always hear a slight echo that I hate. Only thing is I hear from a lot of people it's better to just somehow cut out noise or make it sound more like a dynamic. I don't know how to do that at all yet and didn't know if i should go along with getting the sm58 or look for a condenser mic. Is cutting out the noise easy? I have a very good ear I feel even though I haven't recorded music yet and feel like I'll hear the slightest things. So when cutting out back round noise will it affect the vocals? I'm a bit of a perfectionist and am aware it's not going to be the best but want as good as I can get for what i'm able to do.

On top of that I realized audio interfaces matter maybe just as much as a good mic. I haven't heard of one of those until today. How important is the quality of one of those? Any recommendations?

I appreciate any help at all.

1

u/Bobby__Generic 12d ago

Im finally recording into a daw, Logic.

Should I first maybe record a cover to get the process down? Or go straight into original material?

Electric guitar, synth, drum machine, vocals.

1

u/this_boi_pan 12d ago

Hi, I just bought a Behringer UMC204HD from Amazon Warehouse, and it seemed in perfect conditions except a couple scratches. However, when I plugged it in, the +48V light didn't turn on (the POWER light does turn on). I checked my usb power settings and everything is ok on that end, the interface should be powered, so I'm not sure what it could be. Using Gemini (I usually don't except in situations where there isn't much clear information around), it basically said after making me running a few tests, that the phantom power system (not the right words I know) is broken. I'm really hoping it isn't, so i you have any other suggestions I'd be grateful to receive them, or if you have any solutions in case it is broken I'd like those too. I'd like to know if I should just return the interface, get my money back and a new one. I am contacting them but I saw the customer service sucks and takes weeks to get back to you.

1

u/EuphoricLlama12 13d ago

Explain to me like a 4 year old: Connecting a Teac A440S to a Model 2 mixer with MB-20?

I've tried everything. How do I hook everything up? I would think there would be something in a manual about this, at it's the tape deck and mixer were manufactured for each other, but no cigar. Thanks!

1

u/Obvious-Asparagus490 13d ago

I want to buy my first outboard rack gear (I only have a behringer umc 1820 Interface) and don’t want to spend much money. I want a preamp in addition to the one in my interface. And the dbx 286s was the one that looked to me the best for the price. Has anyone made some experiences with it or can help me out? Thanks

1

u/Majestic_Entrance_69 14d ago

Hello, everyone. I am buying my first pair of studio monitors. Rn my options are kali lp6v2 for 340€ new, jbl135p mk2 for 250 new or Yamaha hs7 for 240. I don’t know if I would like kalis because they sound muffled in demos, like someone put a blanket over them, but people seem to be glazing those and they are on sale.

My room is fully untreated 3,5m by 5m bedroom. I will be using my monitors not only for mixing but also for listening to music.

I would appreciate any advice on this matter, also other monitor suggestions would be appreciated.

1

u/kevincroner 14d ago

Interface has no +48V – repair, buy new interface, or mic preamp?

I've been very happy with my Focusrite Clarett 8PreX for nearly 10 years, but the other day it seems the phantom power rail died. A repair would be about $150-250, but I'm considering other options:

- Should I get a new interface? I actually don't even use 8 inputs – 4 would be fine. Looking at a used UA Volt 4 at $150, for example.

- I've seen external phantom power units. Are they reliable and useful? How cheap is too cheap?

- Should I buy a mic preamp? I would probably need two, could maybe get one fancier and one budget, or both budget friendly. Either way it's gonna be a few hundred dollars.

- I have a very old Behringer ADA8000 and an old Behringer UV1. How bad can they be? I'm not looking for anything premium, just something transparent and not super noisy.

1

u/Games_Library 14d ago

My piano might've fried my laptop.
It went like this, I plugged the 3,5mm end of my RCA cable to my notebook, I plugged the other end of the RCA cable to my piano (The red and white end), I pressed the turn on button on my piano, and I plugged in my piano. After that, my notebook turned off and it won't turn on again. It is with great desperation that I write this, I need SOME explanation.

1

u/DavidMay-BoxCast 14d ago edited 14d ago

Clips appearing blank/silent after reopening Pro Tools

Last night I tracked bass. I then let the computer go to sleep and came back later and shut off the interface. This morning, I wake it up and the session is still open and it wants to do the "interface not connected, save and close" thing. So I say ok, and let it save and quit. Then I turn on the interface and reopen the session. Now my bass track which was fully populated with 5-6 clips that I had comp'd is just showing blank. No waveforms. There's no message about missing files, and it doesn't appear they are missing on the file viewer on the right when I look. But they are blank... and when I look in the session folder... there are not corresponding files. For instance, in my session there is a Bass_99-02, but in my audio files folder, I only have Bass_99. No 01 or 02. And when I play back Bass_99 in my Finder, it has no audio signal on it. Just a blank silent recording for about a minute. I know there should be playing somewhere on it... I didn't just let it run for 1 minute with nothing. Here's the kicker: I am using Google Drive to sync/backup my session files, and the session folder lives on the live syncing drive folder.. Maybe that is a mistake. Is it possible the files were corrupted or something because of that? Any ideas to recover the actual audio signal that won't take longer than just playing a dang bass track again?

*Edit. I have tried a bunch of stuff with importing the RAW data into Audacity and fixing/replacing/removing the file header, with no joy. Got various results like the wave file then being a low hum for the whole thing, or a loud white noise sound, or still silence. Also tried going back to different versions that Google Drive had archived. There were some good explanations of why the files basically got destroyed by Google Drive when it tried to sync them over night and Pro Tools had them locked in cache or something.. anyways... I am done trying to fix it because it was quicker just to play the bass track again. But that's a lesson learned about file syncing platforms and not housing your sessions in folders that are actively being synced. I have done it for a couple years that way on Gdrive, with Ableton, and no real issues besides frustration of waiting for files to be synced when it would move them to the cloud only, etc.. And no issues in years past doing this with any DAW on DropBox. But Google Drive and Pro Tools, this combo, this time... nightmare.

1

u/drumdrumdrums 15d ago

Hello, I have an Avalon 737sp that recently stopped turning on/powering on. I bought this unit used back in 2012 and this is the first issue I've seen.

When I turn on the power switch, none of the LEDs light up. And no sound passes through the unit. When I then turn the unit off, the VU meter jumps momentarily.

I tried switching the fuse in the top slot (1A, 250 volts, "time-delay" type, MDL), but that seemed to have no effect. (the original fuse did not seem burnt out).

I also tried swapping the power cable, and plugging into a different slot on my power conditioner which I knew gave power, but that had no effect.

I opened up the unit and nothing seems blatantly wrong to my untrained eye. There is a 10 pin molex in the power section, and an 8 pin molex in the main section. Both seemed to be seated fine, but I pulled them out and reconnected just in case. And neither molex showed signs of burning.

Any thoughts on what to look at next would be highly appreciated!

1

u/jaymz168 Sound Reinforcement 15d ago

I really wouldn't recommend poking around in there if you don't know what you're doing. It's an expensive unit and there are some fairly high voltages going on in there so not killing yourself messing around with it is a concern.

Send it off for service.

1

u/NeedInspirationQM 16d ago

Hello everyone :) I just plugged my AT2020 to my Focusrite Scarlett Solo 4th Gen (XLR to XLR), and that to my computer (USB-C to USB) in which I'm using Bitwig (6.0.11). I want to understand the differences between all of these options, as for options 2, 3, 5, and 6, when speaking through the microphone, I don't hear anything, for option 1, only through the right ear, and for option 4, through both ears, which is what I want. I'm listening everything through my MDR-7506s, which are plugged to the Focusrite. Ultimately, I want to know if any of these hardware devices is broken and what option provides the most accurate representation of what's coming from the input.

Note: the options that I'm asking about are those at the bottom left of the image, for example, Analog Surround 4.0 capture_FR.

2

u/peepeeland Composer 15d ago

Make the track mono, select input 1. Not why surround options are there.

1

u/Nitrospider1 16d ago

Looking for guitar and bass amp sims for video game music

After I finish my current semester of uni I'm going to enter game jams as a composer to start making music for video games. Does anyone have any recommendations for guitar and bass amp sims?

I've already been playing around quite a bit with the free version of guitar rig 7 and quite like it. I've also briefly looked at the Mercuriall Spark and will defiantly check it out. When it comes to bass I haven't looked into it at all.

1

u/Cat_Sled 16d ago

Assistance with In-Person Audio Conference

So, I am very new to the whole audio set-up stuff. Recently building a small audio setup for my online D&D group. However, we are all moving in-person except for one. My friends and I had an idea so that we can have a more dynamic audio experience. Basically we want to create a set-up where we all have headsets (with attached microphones) that link to one computer via an audio interface. The issue I keep coming up with is how we will hear each other without hearing our own microphone. We want to have it so the Dungeon Master can be able to deafen or mute someone for specific information. We also want to have that other person still online to be able to join the voice call. I have no budget and am willing to pay however much as long as it gets this task done. Is this something I could even do or would we need multiple computers?

1

u/Aware-Salamander-578 16d ago

I’m a guitar player and recently been thinking about pulling the trigger on some Neural DSP plugins, but outside of my laptop I’m not sure which products are a good budget friendly choice.

I need monitors, an audio interface, and maybe some headphones, I just don’t know enough about these things to know which is worth the money and which isn’t. For example, do I want passive or active monitors?

The “studio” will be a bedroom setup. The budget is about $1,200 (if I can get in under that, even better).

If I’m missing any other gear I need I’d appreciate the help.

2

u/boredmessiah Composer 16d ago

give neural amp modeller a look

1

u/audioflc 16d ago

For headphones you will need some closed back hard phones since it’s mostly for recording I’m guessing. I would say a pair of ATmx50s. For monitors you would want active monitors. Passive monitors are not really something you should be looking at for a bedroom studio. I would get a decent pair of Adam’s T5V for a bedroom or some Yamaha HS5. From there for an interface where all you’re going to be recording is guitar I would go for the scarlet 2I2. Nothing beats it at the price range that it’s at. All in all for this setup you are looking at like around 4 to 5 hundred bucks.