Go Back   Cockos Incorporated Forums > REAPER Forums > newbieland

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-10-2008, 11:12 AM   #1
sparklism
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 8
Default Setting up guitar/mixer input

Hi, still a bit of a noob, so here goes....

I have just purchased a shiny new mixer - Soundcraft Compact 4, should be perfect for my needs.
So, I now realise that I don't actually know how to get the sound of my guitar out of the speakers.

I have plugged my guitar into the line in of the mixer, and plugged the mixer into my soundcard (M-Audio 2496), but can't seem to get any signal from the guitar and into Reaper.

I have armed the track to record in Reaper, and tried selecting all of the various mono/stereo inputs.
What am I doing wrong?

Thanks in advance.....
sparklism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 12:32 PM   #2
martygras
Human being with feelings
 
martygras's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: In a cave
Posts: 672
Default

Welcome to the forums sparklism.

My approach would be to check my signal path. Make sure there is a signal present at the mixer outputs > you already have the record button and inputs selected, check the track meters.

There is a small button on the track that looks like a speaker. This is the monitoring button and has 3 modes that you can cycle through with each press.
Try that.

Hope that works for ya.
__________________
Sometimes it's intermittent, sometimes it's not.
"Don't quantize me bro".
martygras is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 12:39 PM   #3
Tedwood
Human being with feelings
 
Tedwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South Coast UK
Posts: 14,303
Default

Hi Sparklism and welcome.

My set up is almost the same as yours.

First check your signal is arriving at the 2496 control panel. You should see it in the H/W in channel. If not make sure all the faders are up and no mute buttons are enabled, that's caught me out before now.

If you are not getting signal there the problem outside the computer, check your connections and mixer function buttons.

If you do see a signal in the control panel you may have chosen the wrong driver in Reaper preferences page. Choose M-audio DELTA ASIO driver.

Then you should be able to select one of the analog inputs by clicking on the vu meter of the track.

the Delta drivers are rock solid and there's not much that can go wrong with a set up like that apart from pilot error.

__________________
The grass is greener where it rains
Tedwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 01:13 PM   #4
sparklism
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 8
Default

Oh, it's almost certainly pilot error.....

I can't see any signal arriving in the track in Reaper. The control panel of the 2496 is very simple - all the faders are up, but there are none of the signal thingies there to see the input (is this because I am using the cursed Vista? the control panel on the back of the 2496 box looks very different)

Can somebody please explain in very simple terms where the cables should go etc., and what the best way is of knowing that the signal is being sent by the guitar/mixer and receieved by the 2496 (either with or without Reaper)?

Thanks for the help so far!!

(it might be worth noting that when I unplug/plug in the cable marked "Record out" from the mixer I DO see some signal in the Reaper master track....)
sparklism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 01:51 PM   #5
Tedwood
Human being with feelings
 
Tedwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South Coast UK
Posts: 14,303
Default

This is where you want to see the action.



If your control panel does not look like this you are probably not looking at the right thing.

The best way to tell if the signal is getting as far as the 2496 is to look at the control panel fader furthest right.

Test your mixer by plugging a guitar or mic in and listening through the headphones output if you can. You should see the meters on your mixer light up. Nothing is going to happen at the sound card if you can't see this on your mixer. When you see the signal connect the record outs of the mixer to the analog inputs of the 2496, press the record switch on the channel, and turn up the gain and volume controls, this should result in a level on the 2496 panel - if it doesn't you need to press some other button or other on the mixer probably. I don't know that mixer so you may have to Read The Manual.
__________________
The grass is greener where it rains

Last edited by Tedwood; 09-10-2008 at 02:02 PM.
Tedwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 02:25 PM   #6
sparklism
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 8
Default

My control panel does not look like that.
I right click on the M-Audio icon in the system tray (it's a red circle with a white arrow), select "Open M_Audio Delta Control Panel" but the window that appears does not look like that.

Edit: mine looks like this one here:
http://www.m-audio.com/index.php?do=...842fe26a5b6f81

Remember mine is a 2496, so there is no "input" tab

What else can I do to view the control panel you have shown above?

Last edited by sparklism; 09-10-2008 at 02:37 PM.
sparklism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 02:35 PM   #7
Tedwood
Human being with feelings
 
Tedwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South Coast UK
Posts: 14,303
Default

That's most unusual, the m-audio control panel has always looked like that.

Does it appear to have the same features and does it say M-audio Delta Control panel on the title bar?

Apart from that have you manage to get a level showing on your mixer yet?
__________________
The grass is greener where it rains
Tedwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 02:38 PM   #8
sparklism
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 8
Default

I just edited my post above so you can see the screens of my control panel.

No joy as yet....
sparklism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 02:49 PM   #9
Tedwood
Human being with feelings
 
Tedwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South Coast UK
Posts: 14,303
Default

Ah looks like they changed it then. It must be Vista drivers. That's ok it's the same thing.

If you have not yet got a signal on you mixer there's not much point playing with the computer, although it is encouraging that you say your saw some action at the Reaper vu meter when you unplugged the mixer cable, that would indicate the cables are in the right place and the soundcard is all working properly.

You seem to not have the right buttons pressed on your mixer to get a signal to the soundcard, try reading the manual.
__________________
The grass is greener where it rains

Last edited by Tedwood; 09-10-2008 at 02:57 PM.
Tedwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 02:57 PM   #10
sparklism
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 8
Default

Thanks for your help.
The manual doesn't seem to be much help, to be honest.

Here's what I have done with the mixer so far:
Plugged the guitar into the Line 2 insert
turned gain pot and level pot right up for line 2
tried putting the HI-Z (DI) button in and out
the line 2 "rec" and "monitor" buttons at the bottom both in and out

The only light on the mixer is the blue power light
I can't see anything else to press.

I don't hear any sound through the headphones when they are plugged into the mixer, again I have tried the various settings.
This is the first time I have ever used a mixer - can you tell????

EDIT: CRACKED IT - plugging into the wrong input - DOH! Told you it was pilot error.
Thanks for the help in identifying that it was a problem with the input signal to the mixer - now I'm off to shoot myself......

Last edited by sparklism; 09-10-2008 at 03:04 PM.
sparklism is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 03:08 PM   #11
Tedwood
Human being with feelings
 
Tedwood's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: South Coast UK
Posts: 14,303
Default



I would be interested to know how that mixer works out actually - looks like a neat little jobby
__________________
The grass is greener where it rains

Last edited by Tedwood; 09-10-2008 at 03:12 PM.
Tedwood is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-10-2008, 05:44 PM   #12
nerdfactormax
Human being with feelings
 
nerdfactormax's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: A-town, Australia
Posts: 633
Default

OT: I can't believe that even the newest delta software doesn't let you resize the window to see all inputs/ouputs at the same time even though every man and his dog has a screen big enough for it.
nerdfactormax is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 09:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.