PA System to PC: How to record a live music session?
I am trying to record our live devotional music sessions each week using Audacity on a PC laptop. Our setup is pretty simple: we use a Behringer Xenyx 2442FX, 4 vocal mics (2 are used for instruments like harmonium and tabla), and 2 speakers.
I’m not quite sure how to connect my laptop to the mixer, and then use Audacity to record the live session. Could you please help me with this?
It is easy…just get a standard 3.5mm (headphone) to RCA cable:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2
You can get these cables at Walmart or Radio Shack.
Connect the RCA ends to the mixer’s "tape output" and the 3.5mm end to the soundcard line input (blue connector).
The sound may not be the best because many sound cards are not that great. You may want to invest in a USB audio interface if you want great recordings. This is the one I have and it works great:
http://www.zzounds.com/item–LEXALPHA
It comes with software and has professional 1/4 inch inputs like your mixer.
I have that same mixer – great mixer!
If you need any more help, my e-mail is in my profile – just click on "Daniel K"
there will be a red and a white output channel. take a red and a white cord and plug it into the output channel. then with the free end you must buy an adaptor (some come with computer speakers) that has female input for the red and the white and a female for an auxilary cord (almost like a head phone cord exept both ends are plugs) take an auxilary audio cord and plug it into the mic jack on your laptop then plug the other end into the adaptor. in the end youll have 2 cords running sound out of your mixer into an adaptor then through a auxilary audio cord into the microphone jack on your computer.
hope that helps!
References :
It is easy…just get a standard 3.5mm (headphone) to RCA cable:
http://www.monoprice.com/products/product.asp?c_id=102&cp_id=10218&cs_id=1021804&p_id=665&seq=1&format=2
You can get these cables at Walmart or Radio Shack.
Connect the RCA ends to the mixer’s "tape output" and the 3.5mm end to the soundcard line input (blue connector).
The sound may not be the best because many sound cards are not that great. You may want to invest in a USB audio interface if you want great recordings. This is the one I have and it works great:
http://www.zzounds.com/item–LEXALPHA
It comes with software and has professional 1/4 inch inputs like your mixer.
I have that same mixer – great mixer!
If you need any more help, my e-mail is in my profile – just click on "Daniel K"
References :
Church sound guy for 20 years.