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help me understand my mixer

Bjazzman

Bjazzman

Dec 7, 2004
2,732
1
46
Madison WI
www.myspace.com
#1
i played my first live show with my new mixer. i hadn't even tried it after opening it but i know some about how these things work but not enough that it worked last night

i plugged all my instruments into the channels i needed and then i plugged the pedalboard into the aux 1 send and back into the aux 1 return. Then i plugged my powered monitor into the monitor out.

i got sound to come out but i didn't hear my pedals. i tried turning up my aux 1 knobs on all the inputs i had plugged into.

what was i doing wrong?

here is the mixer:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MG166CXusb/
 
#3
i have a channel free but how would i route everything after i plug my instruments into their respective in's on the board? i know eventually i will have to go to my powered monitor

i know i could probably go out of the monitor out to the effects but i wouldn't get a chance to dial in as much as i want like an aux
 
#4
Do it the exact same as how you are now, except the output of the pedalboard goes into the input of the open channel. The fader will act like your return knob.

PS: Turning the aux send up on the channel you're returning to will cause nasty feedback. Don't do it.
 
#6
Hi.

Nick Kay said:
Do it the exact same as how you are now, except the output of the pedalboard goes into the input of the open channel. The fader will act like your return knob.
Click to expand...

This.

It's the approach that's used on the "real" mixing consoles. That allows You to shape (EQ) the wet signal for the best possible results. + it allows for more graphic control over the effects than with the aux return potentiometer.

Also I suggest You to RTFM.

I haven't got mine (MG124cx) at hand ATM, but I recall that this exact scenario is discussed there. And just like projectMalamute said, IIRC aux return signal is NOT routed to the monitor outs.

Regards
Sam
 
#8
Bjazzman said:
...i plugged the pedalboard into the aux 1 send...
Click to expand...
why on earth would you do that?

your pedalboard goes between the bass and whatever you're plugging the bass into (like a bass amp). the mixer gets one signal from the bass, usually from a line out on the bass amp.
 
#9
walterw said:
why on earth would you do that?

your pedalboard goes between the bass and whatever you're plugging the bass into (like a bass amp). the mixer gets one signal from the bass, usually from a line out on the bass amp.
Click to expand...

Why on earth do people use blend pedals? Why would anyone EVER want to bi-amp? Pedalboard can go before, in the middle, or after the amp. There is no SET way. Instrument level, effects loop, etc. different sounds for different reasons.

Personally, i think that even two clean signals, one DI and the other miced sounds phenomenal when "mixed" through the mixer.

I also like doing what the OP is suggesting, and running a bi-amp system (technically it's not two dedicated speakers for each sound unless you do some hard panning) and having some slight tube overdrive in one and some synthed-fuzz in the other.
 
#11
right now I'm just using the mixer for my instruments alone. for some reason my gut tells me I should use one of the outs from the mixer instead of one of my pedalboards to send to my monitor.

as far as my pedals are concerned I just want one board connected to the other and back to the mixer so I can blend as much or little of the overall effects.

so how should this all be routed?

thanks
 
#12
Bjazzman said:
right now I'm just using the mixer for my instruments alone. for some reason my gut tells me I should use one of the outs from the mixer instead of one of my pedalboards to send to my monitor.

as far as my pedals are concerned I just want one board connected to the other and back to the mixer so I can blend as much or little of the overall effects.

so how should this all be routed?

thanks
Click to expand...

Are we talking two pedal boards? Sounds like you're trying to use the Aux Send and Returns as an effects loop which may or may not be a good idea. Its interesting that you're using the mixing board as a dedicated processor for your instruments (how many? what kind?). Once mixed to your satisfaction, are you then sending a processed signal to a FOH PA? I've seen drummers use similar arrangements.

Riis
 
#14
If it's your personal mixer for your stuff, you can probably use the aux send and return for effects and control them that way if you feed your powered monitor off the MAIN output. It would be helpful if you told us the make and model # of your board as the architecture varies.
 
#18
The way I see it;

The OP wants to use an aux of his board so he can apply these FX to all the instruments that are played and that are passing through the board.
Like a normal multi FX unit.

So , use an aux output to the input of the FX , and use a free input (fader) for the return. Plug your monitor to the Main out of the board.

This way you can control the fX of each instruments and you can EQ the FX return.

A tip; Assign all inputs to Main and sub-groups 1-2 ,use your main out for your personal monitoring , this way if you need to send to a FOH , use group 1-2 out. This way your main fader won't affect the level you send to the FOH . Don't assign the 1-2 group to the main.
If there is something you want in your monitoring and you don't want FOH , just assign to main and not 1-2 (vice versa)
 

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