Soundcraft EPM6 Mixer Tutorial/Review
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2024
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A reasonably comprehensive overview of the functionality and capabilities of the excellent and budget-friendly Soundcraft EPM6 six-channel mixer - which technically could be called a 10-channel mixer.
With two auxilliary sends, extra stereo return channels and channel inserts on both the main input channels and the mix out, Soundcraft is head and shoulders above the competition for features in this all-analogue workhorse of a mixer.
#Soundcraft #AudioMixer #Tutorial
Thank you for this! A very thorough explanation of how to use this nice thing. I've already had EPM6 for a few months for my home studio and was happy to see this video in case I missed something.
Thanks for watching and commenting. It's interesting how something as seemingly simple as a mixer can be a little bit confusing when you've never used one, as the abstraction of a DAW's mixer doesn't translate directly into the desktop version, so I was making this video in large part for myself, to make sure I hadn't missed something. And my philosophy is that the best way to learn something is to teach it. I may think I know something, but until I can put it into words that others can understand, I cannot be entirely sure, and also to what extent I might know, it may also be easily forgotten.
I had no idea the video would become my most popular one, for it seems I wasn't alone in trying to structure my thoughts on how a mixer works. I think it's something those who have been using one for a while end up taking for granted, even forgetting that they themselves didn't know at some point, and so many videos on mixers don't actually tell you how to use one.
Great run-through. Thanks alot!
Thanks. NIce to hear you found it useful.
Thank you ! A very useful abd precise video about that mixer
Thanks. I am glad to hear you found it helpful.
Hi, Mr. Soreide. I watched your video with a lot of satisfaction, learning some stuff I can do for my EPM 6.
Unfortunately, I’m still quite the newbie!
If you could see and hear that, you would be entertained.
So I plugged a Scarlett Studio microphone and a cheap microphone in Line 1 and 2 on the console.
To make sure I can decide of the sound effects for each recording on my Boss 8 loop pedal, I’ve sent auxiliary 1 and 2 each into a different amplifier which are wired to the Boss pedal then back into the left-right inputs under auxiliary 1 and 2.
So I use the headphone output with my Scarlett to listen to my epitaph and whatever I record with the loop pedal has a very low sound signal.
I thought putting more volume (reasonably) would help but now my Loop pedal stops recording from the sheer volume he receives (that I don’t, of course).
Could you help a hopeless man like me? Thanks! 😊
Very helpful video thank you 🎉
You're welcome, and thanks. I am glad to hear you found it useful.
Thanks for the demo!
You're welcome. And thanks for letting me know you found it useful, interesting or enjoyable.
It has many useful features :-)
Thanks for your comment. Indeed it does. Rather basic, yet with a lot of flexibility and routing options available if you now about them.
Hello. Thank you for great tutorial! It helps a lot. I'm thinking of buying this mixer. Is it possible to connect this mixer to the Roland Jazz Chorus-40 guitar amplifier if the amp has 1/4" input jack? What cable should I use? Or it's better for me to find a mixer with 1/4" jack outs?
Thanks. I am glad to hear you found it useful. It's a nice mixer that is very budget friendly. I still haven't felt the urge to upgrade.
Most "serious" mixers have balanced XLR outputs, which seems to be the pro standard, and you can get XLR to 1/4" jack cables and adapters to patch it onwards into equipment that requires that.
Since I don't technically need to run a separate monitor mix, I usually just use the monitor outputs myself if I want to use a normal jack cable to my recorder, or into my effects if I don't need to loop them back into the mixer. In fact, I've yet to use the XLR outputs. If I used an XLR cable, I think my recorder would expect a microphone input which has a different impedance to the line input, so I think it's actually best to use a normal jack cable in my case.
I have the EMP8, but the 6 is reasonably similar and your video is packed with info. What I am using the EMP8 for is for my drum kit. My whole purpose for buying it was so I can actually play my kit instead of writing midi drum parts to use with my DAW. I have a Scarlett 2i2 interface along with this set up. I have 7 mics and am hoping to use the mixer so I can play the drum parts into the 2i2 and DAW with drums already EQed, panned, etc. before sending the stereo L/R mix into the DAW via the 2i2. Am I on the right track (no pun intended)?
Thanks for watching and for your long comment/question. I basically just went through the manual when preparing for this video, and I made it because I wanted to figure out for myself how it worked. I find the best way to understand something is to try to explain it to someone else.
The EPM8 is exactly the same as the EMP6, just with two more primary input channls, so all the same things apply. You should be able to do what you say, mic'ing up your drums, each mic on its own channel, EQ, pan, set gain and have a ready-baked satisfyingly self-recorded stereo drum track to record into your DAW.
If that is all you're using it for, after setting it up, you can also just keep the mics and mixer ready to record with the same settings, which will make it so efficient too.
The alternative would be to get an audio interface to record all the channels and mix them in post-processing, but it is so timesaving doing as much mixing as possible before the recording stage, and there is less risk of making it too polished or overworked.
After getting the mixer, and working more with hardware synths, I hardly do any post-processing in my DAW anymore (except occasionally increasing levels a little if I've aimed a bit too low while recording), making it such an efficient workflow. And any mix adjustments done on the fly simply become part of the performance and finished recording.
So, yes, you're on the right track (pun intended). It should be pretty straightforward.
@@hakonsoreide Thanks for your reply. It truly helps. I guess my biggest question may have been answered in a reply you gave to another poster. It seems that I should be able to use the "monitor" outputs on the right upper corner to send the mixed signal to the 2i2 then to the DAW. I just purchased a pair of TRS cables to do that. After reading my manual over and over, it seemed that the only true "export" routes mentioned there was the RCA jacks.
No problem. Although it limits other functionality, such as monitoring only specific channels, or pre-fader, if you decide not to use those - which normally there's not all that much need for on a small mixer, to be honest, and certainly not to mix a drum kit - you can technically use any of the several outputs: headphone jack, monitor output, master output, recording output.
Heck, you could even use master insert and aux out if you need a few more and you're not using those for anything else.
@@hakonsoreide Im curious (yet to watch the video), but to feed the output signal into an audio interface, WHICH outputs offer the best S2N ratio/low noise etc? I am assuming the main XLR outputs will do that, but watching some reviews of audio interfaces I have learnt that sometimes this is not the case....I guess there are some technical specs in the manual....but I ask in case you know. I have the similar EFX8
Great video
Thanks. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it or found it useful.
Thank You for your video. May i ask you a question ? Which input do i have to use for my in-ear monitor system? I Hope You can help me with this..
I don't actually know anything about how in-ear monitor mixes are usually done, but the EPM6 might be fine if you only need one pair of in-ear monitors connected.
Now, it technically doesn't have a submix feature that is often what is used for in-ears, meaning that if you connect your monitors to the headphone output (or the monitor output which it doubles), you get the main mix; or the tracks that are selected with the PFL button; and the 2-track input on RC sockets if that is sent to monitor (which can be used for a click track, for example).
If there is a free Aux channel, it is possible to create a kind of submix that you connect to via one of the Aux outs. That mix will ignore the faders and panning and in a way behave as if the level control is moved to the Aux knobs. That is the closest you can get to a dedicated monitor mix on such a basic mixer as this one - if that is what you need.
It really depends what you need the mixer to do for you how it will work for you. If you want to use anything but the headphone outputs, you'd also probably need an in-ear amp to convert the signal from line level to what best drives your in-ears. I believe good in-ear monitors often come with matched amplifiers.
First of all, thank you very much for doing this walkthrough of the mixer! This video helped me in deciding to pick one up and I'm VERY happy with it!
One thing I noticed though...I don't believe the 'Monitor Out' output works the way you described in this video (unless I misunderstood something). You do not have to select PFL to get the channel to send to 'Monitor Out'.
Thanks for your comment. I am happy to hear you found it useful enough that it helped you decide on getting one. I'm still loving mine and haven't felt the need to upgrade to something more fancy.
You are indeed right. You don't have to select PFL to get something to monitor out, but once you do press PFL, what you get on monitor out, headphones, and VU meter will be what is selected with PFL.
can i use this for a podcast with 6 mics?
It has 6 mic amps, so, yes, that would be a viable option for a six-mic podcast. And you'd still have the additional stereo channels for effect returns and soundboards - if needed.
Great video thank you! I've just had a quick test run plugging various drum machine, synths and micing up a guitar amp. I found that there was a slight input lag when pressing the drum pad/playing a note on a guitar. I have been using the headphone jack for an output signal. The drum machine is connected to the emp6 directly via guitar lead (no daisy chaining -same with the mic from the guitar amp). Have you come across this issue before? Many thanks!
Thanks for watching and commenting. Nice to hear you liked the video.
This is an analogue mixer, which means it in itself should have no noticeable lag or latency as the signal doesn't go through AD or DA conversion. Everything from input to output will move at the speed of light, and the only significantly latency-inducing components would be opamps, whose latencies are measured in nanoseconds, not the milliseconds used for AD/DA circuitry.
I usually don't use the mixer's headphone output, but I do use the monitor output which is a duplicate of the headphone output, and I have my audio chain daisy chained from that into effects processor into recorder, into audio interface (since I have set up for live streaming right now), and my headphones are right not connected to my interface after having gone through the AD/DA of my Zoia, and sometimes my computer, and I find latency to be negligible.
So, I don't know what could cause your problem. Have you checked to see if you have different latencies for the different outputs?
@@hakonsoreide cheers for the reply! Will try and change a few things and have a play around. Ive plugged directly into a Bose speaker until I can afford to upgrade to monitors. There could be an issue there...any way thanks again, the message definitely will help to trouble shoot
Hi Håken. Thanks for the tutorial on the Soundcraft EPM 6 mixer - I learnt a lot. I have the EPM 8 that I'm trying to learn more about. Could you please make a video showing how to connect an external FX processor, such that the effect is sent to each of the main channels and the amount of effect (on a given channel) can be adjusted by the aux controls. John - Oslo, Norway (snakker norsk).
Takk for det, nice to hear you liked it. That's a very good idea: I could show a few different things, actually. How to do a channel insert, how to do a stereo in effect on a stereo signal, how to do a dual mono effect, in and out, and how to do a dual mono input and stereo output effect. There are a few different configurations that would all be useful to cover.
@@hakonsoreide Takk. Det hadde vært kjempe bra :-) Jeg er nokså ny til miksere. Denne EPM 8 har jeg lånt for å prøve å lære litt. Jeg står fast på tilkobling av eksternt FX og hvordan sette opp et in-ear monitorsystem.
@@jorigo165 Jeg laget en liten video om forskjellige måter å koble til effekter på. ruclips.net/video/Ttx_oMAoSwc/видео.html
Jeg demonstrerer ikke bruk av monitor i denne videon, men kan sikkert lage en liten snutt om det en dag snart også, selv om jeg ikke har prøvd det ut selv ennå. I teorien, velger du hvilke kanaler som skal sendes til monitor ved å trykke inn PFL knappene på de kanalene du ønsker å lytte på. Så lenge ingenting er valgt, sendes hele miksen til alle utganger. Signal inn på 2-track erstatter monitor-miks dersom "2 Track Monitor"-knappen er trykket inn.
Siden det, så vidt jeg vet, ikke er mulig å ødelegge noe ved å prøve ut forskjellige tilkoblinger og innstillinger, er det gjerne verdt å bare prøve seg litt frem og se hva som skjer. Det er den beste måten å lære det på siden det begynner bli en del av muskelhukommelsen med en gang.
Hoping you will see this and you may have some suggestion. I have an EPM8 which is to all intents and purposes identical to your EPM6. Inputs to various channels which output from the mixer to a main amp plus take the signal from one of the Monitor jacks to a secondary amp . However input to 2 Track phonos only outputs to main amp not to secondary amp . What am I doing wrong?
I don't have my mixer set up right now since I've tried simplifying my setup by not using it when I don't have to, but there are two switches associated with the 2-track input. One says "monitor" and one says "mix". If I remember correctly, if mix is on and monitor is off, the 2-track would become part of the main mix and as long as no PFL buttons are pushed, the monitor output should be identical to the mix output. If you have any PFL buttons pressed and/or the 2-track monitor button, only those sources are sent to the monitor which would then be different to the main mix unless ALL of them are pushed.
fin video. jeg tenker kjøpe denne for å sende til en stereo kompressor fra kanal 1 og 2
Tusen takk for det. Det er en god og lommebokvennlig mikser. Det er også en god begynnermikser som er grei for å lre seg å bruke en mikser. Har man først en slik, trenger man ikke oppgradere, eller supplere med flere miksere, før man trenger flere kanaler, intern effektprosessor, innebygget opptaker, eller rett og slett noe med enda bedre kvalitet - til en betydelig høyere pris.
How to you add echo to the microphone
The mixer itself doesn't have a built-in echo effect, so the usual way of creating echo on the mic would be to connect an external effect processor with echo to the aux output, adjust the aux knob on the mic's channel to set the signal level sent to the effects, set the echo effect to 100% on the effects processor itself, and route the output from the effect back into the mixer, adjusting the mix between dry and processed sound on the mixer itself.
For other mixers that have built-in effects, the process is pretty much the same, except instead of just aux knobs, one would be called fx, and there would be a dedicated effect knob or slider to adjust the mix between dry and processed signal.
Hi! Very detailed video. I was wondering if it is possible to send lets say half of the channels to one destination and the other to another destination (recorder, different channel in an audio card etc) post eq and gain? Maybe through monitor and main mix?
Thanks. Nice to hear you enjoyed the video.
Since this mixer doesn't have a dedicated submix feature, your options for creating two mixes come with some limitations. The best way is to use the aux sends as a secondary mix, the different levels of send to aux 1 or 2 also your way of panning the secondary mix.
The only way to get a different sound on the monitor out is to engage the PFL switches on individual channels, which routes that channel, pre-pan and pre-fader to the monitor mix, the normal level control still allowing it to be sent to the main mix. PFL sends are mono, however since they're intended for checking input levels.
When no PFL is engaged, the monitor just doubles the main mix.
Since aux sends is the best way to get a submix, you can't expect to use those for effect loops, which mainly means you can't use the headphone output of the mixer to monitor post effect mix, of course (if you need to), and you can't add effects at different levels to different channels, but it works fine with those limitations; I monitor from the recorder I use to record my post-effect sound myself.
I usually record with and without effects, using record out for without and sending main mix to a second recorder via my external effects. I also use the PFL and monitor out to select the carrier for a vocoder and the aux outs for controlling an oscilloscope if I am using that, so you can do a lot with such a simple mixer as this thanks to its many outputs.
@@hakonsoreideWow!!! Didn't expected such a detailed answer. Thanks a lot. I was considering the mackie vlz series for its secondary mix possibility but I like this small mixer because of its eq section and its more mono inputs. With your answer now i lean towards the EPM mixer.
@@Slowlyburnedelectronics No problem. I've been considering other mixers too as an upgrade, now that I understand mixers better than when I bought it, but while a mixer with more input channels, sub mixes and more aux outs would occasionally be useful, I am able to work around whatever limitations this one has, and I do like its small size, too.
Overall, it seems a bit too good for its price. Should I go for it?
If you don't need something ultra-compact or something with onboard effects, I think it's the best value for money mixer available.
Soundcraft are so confident in the quality they are even underselling it by calling it a 6-channel mixer when everyone else would have called it 10-channel, but I guess it's because historically their main products are big consoles for professional studios where you'd not get away with counting channels unless they had an XLR input.
@@hakonsoreide wow that's all the confirmation I need to go for it. Thanks man. Big help
No problem. I hope you'll be as happy with yours as I am with mine.
I picked up a EFX8 recently (100ukp so mucho bargain), now using it with a USB-interface...which is better output to take and feed into the audio interface? The XLR main outs would be my guess since they are balanced, right? Want the best S>ratio/dymanic range...
@squishmusic Apart from the headphone output, the other outputs are identical, with the same 75 ohm impedance, and it shouldn't matter, really, which one you use.
If your audio interface has balanced inputs, then the XLR outs are the ones you want to use for as small an SNR as possible, but they should also ideally be plugged into your interface's line inputs, and not the XLR inputs which would expect a mic level signal.
This is an analogue mixer, though, so it will never be 100% quiet, but 99.9% of the time, it won't matter. SNR is only really an interesting metric if you need to record very quiet sound sources that need a lot of amplification. If you record line level signals, noise will be negligible unless it is caused by other things like ground loops, faulty pots, dodgy jacks, or poorly made power supplies.
@@hakonsoreide oh interesting. I was about to buy some XLR-XLR cables, so I should instead get XLR > TRS to connect the main outs to the interface TRS inputs? But these interfaces with Combi-XLR-TRS inputs....does it matter then what cable?
@@squishmusic most likely it won't make a huge difference, but a combi jack would usually have a different input impedance depending on whether you plug in an XLR or a jack plug since the XLR is expecting a significantly weaker mic level input and the other a hotter line level. I don't know enough about impedance matching myself to tell you exactly how the difference would affect the signal as I have yet to find any explanation of it that is satisfactorily unambiguous.
@@hakonsoreide that makes sense with a combi jack or there is sometimes a switch to select line/inst level. Maybe that is crucial to choose if plugging in an XLR. But it seems the safest bet is using a TRS on the interface combi inputs then for the stereo mix from mixer XLR main outs. Thanks :)
No problem. I am sure that you'll be quite happy with how it works once you get things plugged in, at which time you can also stop worrying about signal to noise ratios and focus on making music.
It's so easy to get distracted by spec sheets when shopping for something or not being sure how to use something optimally, and it's very nice getting to the stage where you have found your workflow with it and you've completely forgotten what those specs were.
Hello. question: I have behringer line 2 usb cable + otg cable for android phone live facebook transmissions. where do I insert the two behringer line2 usb jacks into the soundcraft efx 8 mixer?
Hello. The Behringer Line 2 USB cable could be connected to the monitor output. I don't use XLR's, so I would use the monitor or phono plug recording output to get the sound from the mixer into the next part of the audio chain.
Am I to understand you also wanted to use a second one as an audio input for the mixer from your phone? According to the description, it is audio in, USB out, but not vice versa, so I didn't think you could use it in the opposite direction, but if you can, then you would connect phone to OTG to the Behringer cable, and then to any free channels or one of the stereo channel strips.
I would have thought that for your phone you'd need a headphone adapter rather than an OTG, though, and then get a Y splitter for a minijack to 2x1/4" jack that you could plug into the mixer.
@@hakonsoreide stereo return ok?
@@supermaestro67 yes, as mentioned in my reply, but only if it works as a two-way interface and not only audio to USB, which I think is what it is.
Hi, I got one used last month and I'm very satisfied. Your video helped me a lot.
Only one thing I can't figure out. All the inputs (including both stereo) when sent to monitor (PFL) they are converted to mono. Same with headphones. I understand that PFL signal is taken before eq and pan (or balance) but after the gain knob. And the stereo signal input is before the gain knob. The only exception is the "two track" input that sent to monitor remains Stereo.
Could it be that way or I'm doing something wrong?
Thank you, greetings from Argentina.
Hello, thanks for your comment. I am learning new things about this mixer every time someone asks, because I hadn't noticed the stereo channel turning mono when using PFL before (I had simply never done it).
With PFL being before pan and balance, that means you will be listening to the signals as they are at the input, that is mono.
Basically, all the PFL switches feed the signal into a single audio channel that is then split again to two channels and merged with the 2-track input just before the monitor/phones outputs. That includes the stereo channels that are also merged to mono at the PFL connection point.
This is the intended behaviour, and what it has been wired up for. It's primarily for checking input levels, dry signals before effects, headphone monitoring for performers (indeed, one of the main purposes of the 2 track input is to allow you to provide a click track or other backing track to help in recording).
By making the stereo input mono, but retaining the 2-track as stereo, it is actually possible to use the left and right monitor outputs to provide 2 different click tracks (hard panned left and right), and otherwise the same monitor mix, to two performers at the same time, even from as basic a mixer as this, which I think is quite impressive.
Of course, if no PFL buttons are pushed, the monitor output gets the main stereo mix and can be used as an additional main output. That is what I usually do.
Anyway, I hope that answers your question and that it is a bit clearer now.
@@hakonsoreide I see now, thanks so much!
No problem. When you asked me, I did test it, and I also double-checked the signal flow diagram in the manual, just to verify. The manual is absolutely amazing, by the way. It's by far the best manual I've ever seen for an electronic product, and I can highly recommend reading it.
Usually, manuals are just a waste of time once you know how to get started, and they might just confuse you if you try looking something up, but this one actually has the answers easily available every time I wonder about something.
You stated that PFL stood for post fader level. I believe this to be incorrect, as once the signal is post faders you can hear what the levels are. What I believe it actually stands for is Pre Fader Listen. The point of this is to be able to solo a mic and hear exactly what is going on and if the eq/gain needs tweaking, as once its live it can be difficult to determine what is going on if you have multiple mics and instruments active. Hope this helps.
Hi. Very informative video! Please may I ask, is there a way for me to get a mono TRS or mono XLR cable out of the mixer please to record speech? (The XLR mix output is already being used. Right now, I'm using an RCA to TRS cable). Thanks.
Thanks. If you need a _balanced_ mono TRS output from the mixer, you would use either the XLR main outputs, or the monitor outputs that are also balanced.
Using a RCA to TRS cable gives you an unbalanced signal where the tip of the RCA is simply connected to both the tip and ring of the jack plug. Unless your cables are very long, however, there shouldn't be any noticeable difference between a balanced and an unbalanced connection.
Hi Hakon. Thanks very much for getting back to me, and on the same day too!!
Unfortunately I can't use the XLR mix outputs, as they're going to the speakers. But you're suggestion sounds gold!
By the monitor output, do you mean these please: 17:08:00? Am I therefore right to assume that I should get a 2x TRS to 1x TRS or XLR cable?
I looked at the EPM manual last weekend, when I was trying to work things out. On page 11, it says that there are MIX OUTPUTS (XLR) and a MONO OUT (¼” Jack). But the diagram on page 10 only points to two XLR outputs. Unfortunately, the manual doesn't specify whether the ¼” outputs are TS or TRS.
If you're recording mono, you usually only need a standard cable, not a Y splitter. Unless you're recording straight to tape or some other final stereo medium, there is absolutely no need to record a mono signal to both channels of a stereo track. On a digital recording you'd also save space by only using half as much storage.
What recorder are you using, and what kind of input does it have?
I don't know if your manual is different, buy every time they are mentioned in mine it says all ¼” sockets are 3-pole TRS sockets, and on p.21 it clearly states the monitor outputs are balanced.
Thank you Hakon. I am recording the sermon at church (not the music), from an EPM-12 to a zoom h5 recorder . Although I have been using the RCA output with a short cable into the zoom, I would appreciate a long cable. I am having to pre-set the zoom recorder & leave it unmanned near the PA system, while I operate my camera 10 metres away. So thanks again for your help.
I am reading the downloadable manual from the Soundcraft website here: www.soundcraft.com/en/product_documents/efxepm-ug-20101130-pdf-3034a911-6eae-4392-87d3-00c80a9b1319
Please may I ask where exactly the mono output is please on the EPM mixer? I can only see one on the EFX mixer, and not the manual. I am very inexperienced, so I am probably missing something obvious here. Thanks mate.
Hi.... It's me again! Sorry! Haha. 🙂
I've been doing some Googling, and I've just read that the left output on a music device becomes mono if used on its own. So I think I now understand what you're saying.
Should I just connect a TRS in the left monitor output alone? Is that the mono output please?
i'm looking to buy a mixer and trying to figure which is right for me, if you don't mind helping. i've been eyeing something from the soundcraft signature mtk line or the soundcraft epm line. i would be using the mixer for music and live streaming/gaming/video calls. the equipment i have right now are mpc2500, schiit modius and schiit magnius (balanced headphone dac and amp stack), and a windows pc. i plan to get studio monitors, a turntable for sampling, two microphones, and a daw in the future, and maybe an audio interface for recording if needed. i don't want to get rid of my dac and amp, but will do if they're not needed. what mixer would best suit my needs, and what would be the best way to connect the dac and amp to the mixer? i think all the other things are straight forward to connect
What mixer will best suit your needs depends a lot about exactly how you are intending to use it, and also, of course, how you might end up using it in the future, what other features you may want down the line, any other additions to your setup you may want to add, etc.
For instance, are you intending to just connect the stereo out of your MPC into a mixer, or will you be wanting to mix the individual channels from it too? Are you planning to do sampling into the MPC via the mixer so you can sample from any of the connected sources, or just from the turntable?
As for connecting the Schiit devices, how exactly do you intend to use the in your setup?
@@hakonsoreide as of right now, i don't intend to mix individual things coming from my mpc. i think i will do that mostly in a daw, but i am open to that idea. i would like to sample from all sources, whether it be from my pc or turntable or something else.
my schiit amp and dac are currently just in use for my headphones to get audio from my pc. they are connected together by xlr, dac is connected to computer by usb. dac has xlr and rca outputs; aes, optical, coaxial, and micro-usb inputs. amp has xlr and rca inputs; xlr and rca outputs; quarter-inch and xlr headphone outputs. i use the xlr output for my headphones, but my cable is interchangeable. i'm unsure if i can use studio monitors with the schiit devices. if the mixer can give do what the dac and amp do, then i can get rid of them.
the two microphones i plan on getting will mainly be used for live streaming at the moment. and if i need to get an audio interface for recording from my mpc or any other source, i can get one too unless the mixer has one that is good enough.
If you intend to sample from all sources, that means you would be using your Aux sends with the MPC. If you want to sample in stereo, you'd need two Aux sends dedicated to it, if mono, then just one.
If you want the sound from your computer going into the mixer, then you might still want to use the DAC for that. Of course you may still want to compare using the headphone amp to connecting your headphones directly to the mixer. Depending on your headphones, which I presume are quite good quality for you to merit having a headphone amp in the first place, it is quite likely your headphone amp will improve the sound quality significantly.
It would make sense to connect the studio monitors to the mixer monitor output.
So, I guess you'd be contemplating a mixer that can double as an audio interface? It makes a lot of sense if you want to integrate it as best possible with your computer, and it would mean you won't need to get a separate one.
At the moment, it sounds like you'd need two channels for the MPC, two for the computer, two for the turntable, two for the microphones, and considering how you may want to expand at some point, or at least have a bit of extra room just in case, it sounds like you should possibly be aiming for minimum a 12 channel mixer, possibly one one with a built-in audio interface.
Based on my admittedly limited knowledge of mixers, I would have probably have gone at least for something like the Soundcraft Signature 12 MTK if I had the same needs as you, and I would have considered the 22MTK if I thought I might want to use the individual channel outs of the MPC some day. It's going to be a lot cheaper to pay the difference between the 12 and the 22 than adding the functionality further down the line with an additional mixer or audio interface.
@@hakonsoreide would you know way to connect the dac to the mixer? i'm thinking i would connect the amp with xlr to the master left and right xlr. but with the studio monitors, would i connect that to groups 1/2 or 3/4 or would connect them to two aux ports (or the other way around with the amp) since the signature/signature mtk lines do not have a monitor out?
i think i may know how to connect everything else, but here is a diagram from the mpc2500 manual of an example set up if you would like to know the ports of the mpc and if you have a better way of connecting everything for my situation:
www.manualslib.com/manual/354030/Akai-Mpc-2500.html?page=16#manual
my apologies if this has been too much for you, but i am very thankful that you've been helping me the best that you can. you've given more information than from what i could search and ask elsewhere. so i am very appreciative for all your help.
You wouldn't connect the DAC to the mixer output. Surely that is for digital to analogue conversion, and the output of the mixer is analogue, potentially with some of the audio already having gone through digital to audio conversion if it comes in via the USB.
You'd only use a DAC for getting digital sources into the mixer, which I presume you can do with the MPC if you want to (is that what you usually use the DAC for?).
Without a dedicated monitor output, that means the headphone output is technically the monitor output of the mixer (on mine it's just the same signal sent to two separate outputs), meaning if you want to connect both monitors and headphones at the same time, you'd need a Y splitter.
You could of course also connect the monitors via the mixer's main output.
As for connecting the MPC, you'd plug the mixer's AUX outputs into the MPC input, and the MPC output (analogue, or digital via the DAC) into the mixer (making sure, of course, not to send the signal coming from the MPC to the AUX channels that are sent to it, to avoid feedback).
There's not a whole lot of right or wrong about what you connect where on a mixer, really, as a lot of different things might work equally well in the end, but it can seem rather confusing to start with if you're not used to using a mixer.
It might be helpful to give the user guide a quick look too, although it doesn't look as good as the one that came with my EPM, despite this one having more functionality.
www.soundcraft.com/en/product_documents/soundcraft_signature_16-22_user_guide-pdf-90501050-7f3c-46c3-8d93-50a286334ded
What watts speaker and power amps should be appropriate for this mixing board.
It outputs a max +20dBu with a 75Ω output impedance. That's all I can tell you, really. I don't use it to run an amp and speakers, but from what little I do know about that part of the audio chain, I think any power amp should be able to handle the next stage, and the main issue would be matching the speakers to the power amp.
@@hakonsoreide thank you
have it low cut?
The EPM line is fairly basic, doing the basic stuff really well, but that means there are features you can get on many other mixers it may not have, and one of those is a low cut pad (high pass filter).
Not all mixers have it. Since this one has EQ, you can turn the low lows down all the way which is -15dB below 60Hz which often does the trick, but if you need more low cut than that, you'd have to run the signal through a preamp with low-cut, use the frequently found low-cut feature on the mic itself, make your own low-cut pad inside a jack plug and use that on the track insert (it's just a resistor and a capacitor), or get a different mixer that has it.
I hadn't actually thought about it before as I've not needed it. The microphones I usually use have their own low-cut pads that are just on all the time.
How or can you connect it to a pc? Sorry new to the audio world
Unless you've got a dedicated audio interface, the most common way to connect the output of the Soundcraft to your PC is with a cable from one of the outputs to the PC's line input.
All PC's these days have a built-in audio interface on the motherboard with 3.5mm jack sockets for mic, line in, headphone out. Often the mic and line in is on a single socket. If the latter is the case, your PC should bring up a dialogue after you plug something in, asking you what is connected, line or mic. If you connect in something like the Soundcraft, select "line".
Now, in order to connect the mixer with the PC, you need the right cable, so that would be one with a stereo 3.5mm plug on one end for connecting to the PC. For the mixer end, there are several options for connection, depending on what else you may want to use those connectors for. It is possible to get the mix out from the monitor out, the main out, headphone out and the record out, giving you the options of having a cable with the other end being either 2 x 6.35mm jacks (monitor out), 2 x RCA (record out), 2 x XLR (main out) or 1 x stereo 6.35mm jack (headphone out).
If you don't have the mixer already, and you want more options than just getting the mix into your computer, it might be worth considering a mixer that can also work as an audio interface, like Soundcraft's MTK line, which connects over USB, and allows you to both record the master mix as well as each individual input track (pre-fader) for future processing too. It can also be set up to use VST's as fx sends and returns. Even without using any of the fancy functionality of it, the audio quality of it would most likely also be better than a motherboard audio interface.
It all depends what you are trying to achieve, of course, and how you want to work with the mixer and computer together.
Anyway, I hope that answered your question.
Can i connect my audio interface line outputs to the 2 track imput...??
Absolutely. You can connect anything to it. The only limitation is of course you cannot alter it in any way in the mixer itself, so whatever control you want of it, like levels and effects and panning would have to be done before you send it to the mixer. In the mixer, it gets routed either to nothing (with the selection buttons off), to the monitor output (replacing the mixer's own monitor selection), and/or to be added to the mixer's main output signal just before the output (so after the main faders).
@@hakonsoreide Thanks!! I don't need nothing more here(the sound comes from Logic), and i can send the sound to my monitor speakers or my 2.1 system!! 👍😊
Hi there, can you connect to a interface wiyh this mixer but where?
If by connect to an interface you mean take the audio out from the mixer into an audio interface's inputs, then any of the several outputs can be used: main outs, monitor outs, 2-track outs, headhone out, aux outs. Main and 2-track always carry the full mix, the headphone and monitor outs can be used to listen to solo tracks or carry the full mix if that feature is not used, and the aux outs can be used to create a secondary mix with the aux level controls on each track.
Thx for the info! I preparing to buy just that mixer
@@atianpadilla4856 No problem. I think it's a very good choice for a basic all-analogue mixer. I like that it's all analogue as it sounds so much better if your levels get too loud compared to digital, and it reduces the number of conversions between the analogue and digital domains in the signal chain.
While I sometimes would have preferred perhaps having an additional track or two, I've always been able to work around it and still haven't felt I needed to upgrade to anything else.
Also, which I didn't realise when I got it, it is actually a relatively compact mixer, being narrower than most similarly featured alternatives, which is something that makes it fit better into the limited space I have available.
How do you use aux1 or aux2 sends to a effects processor if there are no returns for aux1 or aux2??? At the beginning of your video you started to talk about it but then you went to the channel features and never finished explaining what needs to happen or exactly how to do it. You briefly said something about using a channel for an effects return but that makes no sense to me, sorry. Your help is appreciated.
Hello, and thanks for your question. I am sorry it wasn't clear enough in the video.
Okay, and hopefully this won't confuse you: technically, while the Aux sends are commonly used for effects, there is no specific reason why they _have_ to be. In essence, they each represent a mono sub mix as decided by the send levels you set on each input channel. Aux 1 is a mono submix that gets input from every channel with higher than 0 levels on the Aux1 knob, and the same for Aux2 from the level set on the Aux2 knobs.
They also technically have no dedicated returns. If you use them as a return loop - which is a very common thing to do, especially on a mixer like this without onboard effects - you can insert the return from them on absolutely any available input channel. The important thing to keep in mind is to make sure you have the Aux sends set to 0 on the return channel so you don't feed the signal back into itself.
The Aux sends are, of course, placed right next to the two stereo channel inputs, and that is because it is common pratice to use those for the returns from outboard effects processing, which often can take a mono input and provide a stereo output. You don't _have_ to insert them there, and you can use those stereo inputs for absolutely anything.
So, I hope that is a little clearer. If you use the Aux outputs for effects, you can plug the returned signals into any input, so long as you don't send the output of those channels back to the effects.
@@hakonsoreide Thanks, I think I understand. What your saying if I'm using Aux2 Send go to the FX Processor Input. Then use the FX Processor Output and go to maybe Channel 6 input (not insert). Then set the round blue knob for Aux2 on Channel 6 to zero. Then I should be able to adjust the amount of the wet signal by using the slide-fader on Channel 6 and any of the Aux2 round blue knobs except the one for Channel 6 to prevent a feedback loop. Am I close or am I totally screwed? :)
Please correct me if I'm wrong and thanks again.
Sounds like you've got it now. That will work fine. When I got the mixer, I found it a little confusing to start with as I had never used one before, and that is also why I ended up making this video. It forced me to read and understand the manual to the point that I felt comfortable explaining it to someone else.
@@anthonyulibarri3690 Someone else actually had questions about effect inserts, sends and returns, so I also did another video where I say a bit more about that ruclips.net/video/Ttx_oMAoSwc/видео.html
@@hakonsoreide Cool, I'm on my way now! Yeah, I was going to suggest you make a video about it. There is only one on YT and it's pretty bad, the video quality could be way better too. Anyway, You'll be helping a lot of people so it's good you did it. I'm going there now to have a look see.
Power off / on???
There is no power switch, unfortunately (a feature many mixers seem to lack). You could put an in-line power switch on the cable (which is just a standard kettle lead), or use a socket switch, but otherwise you’d have to unplug it at either end to switch it off. Mine is connected to an extension cube on the socket with individual switches, so I switch it off from there.
I can connect the xlr outputs to the input of an interface to record the mix with a DAW ??
You can, but bear in mind that the XLR outputs of the mixer are line level and the audio interface is expecting microphone level for its XLR inputs. Mic level needs a lot more amplification (about 30dB or so) so, in order to be careful with your interface and its amplifiers and ADC converters, make sure to reduce the levels on your audio interface and only increase them when your mixer outputs the signal strength you expect to be working with.
While it theoretically shouldn't be a problem because of the balanced connection, phantom power should also be switched off on your audio interface before connecting if you want to be on the safe side.
Greetings that console, it is better than a Mackie profx8 v2
I've not tried the Mackie, so I cannot comment on that. Many people seem to swear by Mackie, though, so I'm sure it's not all that different in their comparable aspects. The graphic EQ on the Mackie would be super cool to have, though.
Halo das ist activ oder pasiv
Es ist ein aktives Mischpult.