Can't hear mic through Behringer 1204...

Special Interest Groups Recording Equipment
1

Ok, I’m new to recording through a mixer and am having nothing but problems. I have a Behringer 1204 Mixer and a Audio Technica AT2020 XLR microphone. My main concern right now is that I can’t even hear the mic through the mixer when I have headphones plugged into it. I have no clue why either. When I blow into the mic the clip indication light flashes on so I know the XLR cable isn’t bad but other than that I don’t know what to do. Any advice would be great.

On a side note, I also cannot hear the mic in any recording programs. I am using the UCA200 to “try” to bring the sound into my computer. I have it set up correctly as well with the outputs on the mixer going into the inputs on the UCA200. The drivers also installed correctly. Usually I can troubleshoot and finally figure things out but this mixer is beginning to get me very frustrated. Someone please help! Thanks.

2

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Let’s take the mixer first…

<<<I can’t even hear the mic through the mixer when I have headphones plugged into it.>>>

You need four adjustments to make a microphone go through that mixer.

– The trimmer knob just below the XLR connector must be about 3/4 of the way up.

– The channel fader on the bottom of the desk needs to be up to “zero” if there is one marked, most of the way up if there isn’t.

– The two master faders on the lower right need to be most of the way up.

– The headphone volume needs to be advanced.

I remember this. Abysmally complicated monitoring. Do you ever get any of the green lights on the mix desk whether or not you can hear the show?

Koz

3

i get shudders every time someone says that. Please don’t blow into your mic to test it. Talk into it, shout into it, whisper into it, but don’t blow into it. That’s a very nice mic you’ve got there. Don’t ruin it by blowing into it.

– Bill

4

And especially not if you’re miked up for a conference/presentation where there are simultaneous translators with sensitive headphones on. They HATE it - I got told off good and proper for doing that once (but only once) :slight_smile:

WC

5

Thanks so much. I got it to work perfectly after following your steps. I also have it recording into the computer as well now.

6

I just bought a Behringer Xenyx 1204 (w/UCA200) yesterday with the UCA200, and before I hook anything up, I want to know the best way to connect everything.

I monitor very simple computer speakers (Logitech X-140s). They have a stereo 1/8" jack.

I assume I plug my mic, synth sound source, bass, guitar, etc., into an INPUT Channel.

The UCA200 is connected to my laptop via the USB (obviously)

Now, … here’s the $64,000 question - How do I go OUT to the UCA200 and how does the UCA200 connect to the monitors?

Can I just be connected to it via the RCA cables and the CD/Tape Inputs/Outputs? Then to my monitors via the PHONES output on the 1204. That seems to be the most simple connection, but what will that do to the signal input to the computer and the output to the monitor speakers.

The tiny instruction manual seems to suggest routing from the 1204 to the UCA200, and then STRAIGHT FROM THE UCA200 to my monitors. Does that make sense? Will that cause latency issues?

Do I route anything back into the 1204 then go from the 1204 to my monitors?

What is the simplest solution?

7

There’s various configurations that you could use - it depends on exactly what you want and what facilities are available on the mixer.
For live recording you would typically connect the “tape” outputs from the mixer to the USB device and either the “monitor” or “main” outs to your monitoring system (or use headphones connected to the mixer).
For multi-track recording you would typically connect the “tape” out from the mixer to the USB device and the outputs of the SB device to the monitor system.