2-TRACK RECORDING WITH PEAVEY MIXERS
By Aubrey Fulton
Copyright 2000
Sometimes hooking up cassette recorders to our mixers can seem
confusing, especially if we are familiar with home stereo equipment
but are just getting into the sound reinforcement or home studio
business.
A home stereo receiver has a monitor switch, which allows you
to switch between tape recording and tape playback. When
this control switches one function ON, it switches the other
function OFF. This process disconnects the cassette deck inputs
from the outputs and will prevent a feedback loop or "howl" from
occurring. (The input signal of a cassette deck also appears
at its outputs simultaneously.) When we connect the same cassette
deck to a mixer, this scenario can change, depending on the
design of the mixer. Some mixers have a tape play/record switch
and others don't [see Chart 1].
| CHART 1: TAPE INPUT
ORIENTATION |
| TAPE INPUTS ARE ROUTED TO THE TAPE
OUTPUTS |
TAPE INPUTS ARE NOT ROUTED TO TAPE
OUTPUTS |
TAPE INPUTS ARE SWITCHABLE TO TAPE
OUTPUTS |
MP5, MP 5+
MP 600
XM 4, XM 6
XR 600F
XR 684, XR 684+
XR 800F
XR 1204
XR 560
XR 600C, XR 680C
RQ 2310, RQ 2314, RQ 2318
SRC 4026, SRC 4034
UNITY MIXERS (ALL)
XR 800D, XR 1200D, XR 1600D |
XR 600E
XRD 680
XRD 680S |
RQ 3014
RSM 4062
SRC 6024, SRC 6032
VERSAMIX
XR 886, XR 2012 |
When an engineer designs a product there are many considerations,
such as what type and number of functions the product should
have, what markets are applicable, and how much the product
should cost. Obviously there are different markets, which
use the same product, and varying opinions as to which features
are the most desirable and how they should operate.
If the mixer doesn't have a record/play switch, then the tape
inputs and outputs may work two different ways. Either
the tape input is routed to the tape output or it isn't.
For example, on the XR® 684 (or the XR® 600F), when
the single cassette deck output is connected to the XR 684
tape inputs, these inputs also go back out the XR 684 tape
outputs, which are connected to the input of the cassette recorder. If
the cassette recorder's input/record level is too high, a feedback
howl may occur. To
prevent the loop, just disconnect the cassette outputs that
are connected to the "tape inputs" on the XR 684 while recording. When
used with two separate tape decks, this allows your singer
to sing along with a separate tape being played through the
tape inputs. Both the vocals and the music may be recorded
from the XR 684 "tape outputs" onto a separate cassette recorder
without the possibility of a feedback howl.
APPLICATION: Vocalist wants to accompany a pre-recorded tape
plus other inputs while recording at the same time [see
Example 1]. If the tape input didn't go
to the tape output, the tape playback music connected to the
tape inputs would be heard only through the speaker system,
such as on the XR® 600E. On the XR 600E, you may
leave the single cassette deck outputs connected to the XR
600E "tape inputs," and a feedback howl won't occur when
recording the inputs of channels 1-6 onto the cassette recorder. Again,
this occurrence is when one cassette deck is being used and
both the inputs and outputs are connected to the XR 600E tape
in/out jacks. Therefore, the operator will either be
recording or playing a tape, but not both at the same time.
APPLICATION: A live band wants to record their performance
during a set and play background music during their break [see
Example 2]. However, some people use two
separate cassette decks and use one for playback and the other
for recording. With the XR 600E, the tape input doesn't
route to the tape output. So when there are two separate
cassette units being used, the playback unit must be connected
to a normal channel input(s) in order for its output to be
recorded on the other cassette deck [see
Example 3]. But since the XR 600E is designed
to be used with one cassette recorder, it isn't necessary for
the tape inputs to go back out to the tape outputs, since you
can't record and playback on the same cassette player simultaneously.
Some cassette recorders don't have a record level control. In
order to get a good "hot" level signal on the tape, it may
be necessary to set the input channel gain controls higher.
This step can help if the mixer tape outputs are pre-master
level control. You can turn the master level down in order
to keep the same listening level, while driving the tape outputs
harder, since the input gain controls are driving both the
master level and tape output level [see Chart 2, pre-master
level control]. Of course, you don't want the
mixer-input gains set so high that the input signals become
distorted. Also, the mixer tape output level may need
to be set high.
| CHART 2: TAPE OUTPUT
ORIENTATION |
| PRE-MASTER LEVEL CONTROL |
POST-MASTER LEVEL |
MP5, MP 5+
UNITY 1000, UNITY 1002, UNITY 2002
XR 560
XR 600C
XR 600E, XR 680E
XR 600F
XR 684, XR 684+
XR 800D, XR 1200D, XR 1600D
XR 800F
XRD 680+ |
MP 600
RQ 2310, RQ 2314, RQ 2318
RQ 3014
RQ 880FX
RSM 4062
SRC 6024, SRC 6032
UNITY 300RQ, UNITY 500
XM 4, XM 6
XR 1204
XR 886, XR 2012 |
Please keep in mind that people hook up the same types of equipment
differently because they have different objectives. Additionally,
two similar products may actually operate differently. For
instance, the following differences can apply to both mixers
and tape decks:
- The equipment uses one or two cassette decks or dual
cassette [see
Example 4].
- The cassette recorder may or may not have a level control.
- The mixer "tape in" may or may not feed mixer "tape output."
- The mixer tape output may or may not be post-master level
control.
I hope this article helps you better understand the "ins and
outs" of making a two-track recording with Peavey mixers. Let's
make some tracks!
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