Signal Flow Question

[Fezzler]

As a home recorder, like most I suspect, I have procured my gear over time. I have a question about signal flow relative to integrating a new piece of gear with old.

The new piece is an Audient Mico a compact, twin microphone preamplifier with built-in ultra-high quality analogue digital conversion, making it an ideal front-end for desk-top users. My best pre-amps to date.

I am running CH1&2 IN from a Hosa XLR patchbay. Should be transparent. I have the CH1&2 OUT going to an old in-line mixer called a FineLine 24 Channel Line Mixer by Midiman. It essentially gives me 10 L&R Inputs and has a pair of stereo outputs (as well as some outs for built in mic pres and a Send/effects loop).

So path is mic/instrument into Mico, out to Fineline IN L&R, out of the Fineline L&R outputs and they go to the L&R input of my A/D Converter.

In the Fineline Manual it states that outputs add 12dB gain when all the way up. And they can help drive a power amplifier or boost a signal from -10 to +4 dB signal level. For unity gain and the lowest mixer noise their pots should be set at about 9 o'clock.

I just wonder if by running my new mic pre through an older mixer that provides some signal impact/gain will actually color the audio signal in a bad way and defeat the nice Mico pres? I guess I should just test with/without mixer but using it make integrating my gear more flexible.

Does this make sense?

[madmaxmiller]

I am running CH1&2 IN from a Hosa XLR patchbay. Should be transparent. I have the CH1&2 OUT going to an old in-line mixer called a FineLine 24 Channel Line Mixer by Midiman. It essentially gives me 10 L&R Inputs and has a pair of stereo outputs (as well as some outs for built in mic pres and a Send/effects loop).

So path is mic/instrument into Mico, out to Fineline IN L&R, out of the Fineline L&R outputs and they go to the L&R input of my A/D Converter.

My question is: Why are you running your pristine pre signal through any other gear? You write it has an excellent AD converter built in, so it would be only logical to connect it directly digitally to your PC.
Generally every single analogue stage add noise and distortion. So if you *must* go through your mixer for which ever reason make sure you come in through an insert return, that saves you an amplification stage and a (gain-) pot in the signal path.
But again: if you can use the digital out of your Pre - that's the best option.

HTH
MMM

[Dingo]

So path is mic/instrument into Mico, out to Fineline IN L&R, out of the Fineline L&R outputs and they go to the L&R input of my A/D Converter.

I see what your trying to do with fx returns etc,
It depends on how many inputs your sound card has.
If you have more then one pair you could go digital from the Mico into sound card i/p 1+2, then use analogue output from Mico into Fineline thence return your additional fx into sound card i/p 3+4.
That would give you the cleanest input path.
Good luck

[Fezzler]

I am running CH1&2 IN from a Hosa XLR patchbay. Should be transparent. I have the CH1&2 OUT going to an old in-line mixer called a FineLine 24 Channel Line Mixer by Midiman. It essentially gives me 10 L&R Inputs and has a pair of stereo outputs (as well as some outs for built in mic pres and a Send/effects loop).

So path is mic/instrument into Mico, out to Fineline IN L&R, out of the Fineline L&R outputs and they go to the L&R input of my A/D Converter.

My question is: Why are you running your pristine pre signal through any other gear? You write it has an excellent AD converter built in, so it would be only logical to connect it directly digitally to your PC.
Generally every single analogue stage add noise and distortion. So if you *must* go through your mixer for which ever reason make sure you come in through an insert return, that saves you an amplification stage and a (gain-) pot in the signal path.
But again: if you can use the digital out of your Pre - that's the best option.

HTH
MMM

Well, learning so that is why I asked. Yes, I can let the Mico handle A/D conversion and feed digital to my main audio device. My mixer also has a set of "sends" too but they also have gain pots and, as you confirmed, would "color" the pre signals. I guess the best thing to do is test all three and see if I can tell a noticeable difference. The "why" is the mixer is allowing me to integrate all my gear and make it all easily accessible. Sit, turn on gear, start recording.

Thanks for your help. I do appreciate it.

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So path is mic/instrument into Mico, out to Fineline IN L&R, out of the Fineline L&R outputs and they go to the L&R input of my A/D Converter.

I see what your trying to do with fx returns etc,
It depends on how many inputs your sound card has.
If you have more then one pair you could go digital from the Mico into sound card i/p 1+2, then use analogue output from Mico into Fineline thence return your additional fx into sound card i/p 3+4.
That would give you the cleanest input path.
Good luck

Not following, but yes my sound card has Line Inputs, Digital Inputs (SPDIF and AES/EBU), one mic input and a Hi Z instrument input.

In fact, I just bought a digital (SPDIF/TOSLINK) hub that switched 4 sources to one output. I have a drum machine, guitar model, and some other stuff with SPDIF that I and now easily use as needed.

Again, my goal this year is to learning to use what I have and make it all easy to use when I needed it.

Is all SPDIF equal in quality? I have it on my two computers' built in sound card and never really did anything with it.

[Matt]

Out of curiosity, what interface/sound card are you using? I tend to keep things as simple as possible. But know this will help guide you as to how to best optimize what you have.

[Fezzler]

Out of curiosity, what interface/sound card are you using? I tend to keep things as simple as possible. But know this will help guide you as to how to best optimize what you have.

I have the Avid Eleven Rack now. Thinking about using my Roland Quad Capture. Second computer uses an M-Audio FireWire 410. By using the Fineline mixer in the middle I can use both my Win7 Core Duo and my new i7 to record music.

[Matt]

Your call but I would think going digitally from the mico to the interface would be your best bet. Looks like they both have aes and spdif connections. However you need to make sure and set the clocks up right. Whichever connection you use, it looks like the mico will have to be the master, and you'll slave the rleven rack to it.

[Fezzler]

Your call but I would think going digitally from the mico to the interface would be your best bet. Looks like they both have aes and spdif connections. However you need to make sure and set the clocks up right. Whichever connection you use, it looks like the mico will have to be the master, and you'll slave the rleven rack to it.

Yea, that seems to be the conclusion. So I will give that a go as my digital cable runs are short so that should not be an issue. Again, I bought a digital hub that has 4 switchable INPUTS and one out. So I can connect a bunch of my gear with SPDIF to that and have that go out to my main A/D box (11 Rack or Quad Capture.)