rookie problem

[jmfortino]

Hi,
I am doing a recording project with my guitar class and I am having a problem in trying to use one piece of hardware to do two things. I have my sound sources (mics and amps) patched into a Mackie 1202 VLZ pro mixer and then the XLR outs from that go to a M-Audio Mobile Pre USB Academic Audio interface. From there the music is piped into Pro Tools Academic. My problem becomes when trying to monitor the audio, I have to use the same Mobile pre to do my output. When I do this I get some kind of electronic feedback loop. I have been able to get it to work if I put the monitor headphones that the student wears to play along on the headphone jack of the the interface box, but then when I am am trying to monitor the levels and such I can only listen to the student and not the previously recorded tracks being piped into the headphones. If I do put the previously recorded tracks (output from the computer) onto my monitor speakers I get the loop.

I am assuming that the Mobile Pre's inputs and outputs are not independent of each other and so I can't use them simultaneously.

I am getting something wrong conceptually here, any ideas?

I have a second interface box I can use for output, but ProTools academic will only allow me to plug in one of them.

This is my first time diving into multitrack stuff so forgive me if it is a basic problem.

[JKD99]

Hi there,
It's definitely a routing problem and possibly a Mackie capability problem. You'd need 3 output paths on the Mackie: One to route your input sources to the Mobile, one for your monitor speakers, and one headphone jack for your student.

Not completely familiar w/ the 1202 (or the M-Audio Mobile for that matter) but would it be possible to plug your sources into the Mackie, out of the Mackie into the M-Audio Mobile and into Pro Tools, but then use the PRO TOOLS mixer as your console, and route it's output (and the Mobile ) into the Tape Return or something on the Mackie? So, the only way to hear anything would be through the entire chain. I would think you'd have to switch the monitor source on the Mackie to be monitoring the Tape Return instead of the Main Mix, as the Main Mix would be routed to the Mobile (and there's where the feedback may be occurring).

Sound confusing? It is at first, but it may be your hardware, not you that's tripping you up

Hope this helps, good luck!