Halp me record audio from the mixing board.

June 6, 2010 7:04 PM

Recording from a Mackie mixer?

So I posted this on Ask but got no help, so I guess I need to go straight to the source .. we've got an event coming up next week where all of the audio is being handled by a pro A/V company, and mixed through a high-end Mackie mixer. I need to record all of the audio to hard drive.

Here's the Mackie mixer in question. I need to go from this board to the USB port on my laptop, so I can record audio in Audacity. Is this possible? Do I need a specific hardware device? Some odd cavalcade of cables? How can I capture audio from this board? Halp me pleeze.
posted by jbickers (6 comments total)

Your original question also includes video, which may compound the situation. But if you're just dealing with connecting a laptop to an audio source via USB, then a USB audio interface would do the trick. I use an M-Audio Fast Track Pro.
posted by NemesisVex at 8:27 PM on June 6, 2010


You could also use a RCA to mini plug adapter and run from the tape out on the mixer to the audio in jack on your computer if you don't want to buy a USB interface.
posted by InfidelZombie at 9:25 AM on June 7, 2010


1. Both of the above work work fine. One thing to be careful about if you're not using an interface and just going right into the audio-in jack: be very, very careful about your levels.

2. Do you need to record multitrack audio or is stereo good enough?

2b. If you're recording stereo from the mixer, remember that the levels on a mixer take into account stage volume as well, so something that might sound good to an audience might have vocals too hot, or very little of one or more instruments (guitar/bass/drums, depending on if the stage volume of that instrument means very little has to go to the PA). An off-the-board mix may bear little resemblance to what you hear in the venue.
posted by chimaera at 10:10 AM on June 7, 2010


If it matters: It's just people talking, no music.
posted by jbickers at 10:37 AM on June 7, 2010


Ah in that case, your board mix should sound as good as it does live, unless there's a lot of screaming invovled. :)
posted by chimaera at 10:42 AM on June 7, 2010


If its just talking I'd just run a cable from the Tape Out (probably RCA) into your computers Line Input.

Probably can be that if teh Computer input is Mic Input level then the Mixer output will be too hot/loud and distort badly..
posted by mary8nne at 5:13 AM on June 14, 2010


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