newbie Zed mixer question

[theDumbNuttParticipant]

I have a Zed60-10FX I am using for recording and streaming pc video gameplay, streaming music, and a microphone. I have a newbie question. Currently, I am using an XLR mic splitter with 2 USB interaces so I can record my voice via the mixer and send another copy to the gaming PC as “chat”. It works fine. However, I was wondering if there is a way to use Aux Out or Fx Out on the A&H mixer to send the second copy to the video game PC? I tried using a 1/4 TRS to 3.5mm stereo cable (A&H Aux/Fx out to PC headphone input jack and the PC line in jack) but it doesn’t work. If I run the same cable to a set of monitor speakers it works fine. The goal here is to get the Fx from the A&H mixer into my gaming PC that isn’t the recording PC (i.e. the PC not connected to the USB cable on the mixer). The XLR splitter solution works but I don’t get Fx to the gaming PC. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

I can draw a diagram if that helps but hopefully the above makes sense! BTW, love the A&H mixer … so much better than the other mixers I’ve tried!

Thanks!

[KeithJ A&HModerator]

@theDumbNutt ,

One reason why your 1/4″ TRS to 3.5mm cable could cause problems is that the Aux output of your ZED is a balanced mono output.
So you would be connecting (1/4″) T:hot/positive, R:cold/negative, S:ground from the mixer to (3.5mm) T:left, R:right, S:ground of the computer line in.
If the line input was set to mono on the computer, you might therefore be adding the ‘left’ and ‘right’ signals, which are actual positive and negative polarity, meaning they would cancel themselves out.

As the output is line level and the 3.5mm mic inputs in computer soundcards (commonly with pink ring) put out a small voltage (intended for electret mics and could cause issues when fired into a line out port), I would suggest you’d be best to continue to connect to the line input.
You’d be able to do this with a mono/TS 1/4″ jack where the tip is wired to both tip and ring (left and right) of the 3.5mm jack, but these are not really standard cables!
Another option then, would be to connect the left 1/4″ jack of a 2x 1/4″ mono to 1x 3.5mm stereo jack cable to the ZED Aux out (and the 3.5mm end to your line input), then set the line input of the computer to mono.

Others here will probably have better suggestions too 🙂

Cheers,
Keith.

[Mike CParticipant]

If I’m following what you are wanting to do you should be able to use the USB
output on the mixer to feed audio to your gaming PC.
The ZED mixer will show up as a USB audio source on the PC.

[theDumbNuttParticipant]

Thanks but actually… the USB is already going to another PC that captures and/or streams everything from the mixer.
The goal is to get mic output from the mixer to the other PC (which I’m playing video games on – so I have in game chat if needed). For some cases this is not needed as I can run discord on the PC that is capturing/streaming.

Appreciate the response, though 🙂

[theDumbNuttParticipant]

@KeithJ A&H thanks for the in depth explanation. I couldn’t find a way to configure my PC’s line-in as mono… maybe I just need to look at installing a PCI card that has such an option. Thanks for the response!

[Mike CParticipant]

If you have an open USB port on the PC I would go with another USB audio interface.

To use the mic input on the PC here are a couple ways to do it, both offer
transformer isolation.

If you don’t mind a little project and some wiring this line level to mic level
isolation transformer would work.
RDL line to mic transformer TX-LM2

Even if you don’t solder you could just cut a couple cables to with connectors already on them and make the connections on the terminal blocks.
I have a couple of those made up to do exactly what you need to do.
Using those you wire the mic out unbalanced with the tip and ring both wired to the + output, jumper the – to the ground, shield is connected to the ground.

For an off the shelf interface and a couple common cables.
This would work.
Whirlwind LM2C

Does your PC have a separate jack for the headphone and the mic in or is it a single combo mic/headphone jack, from your description it kinda sounded like it’s a combo jack.
Some newer PC’s and laptops are going with the single combo jack.
If your is the single combo jack you need to use a TRRS plug to actually send audio into the PC. The short sleeve section is the audio input, the next ring is the ground, next is headphone right and the tip is headphone left.

Here is quick TRRS audio interface.
iRig TRRS audio interface.

I have a couple of these to get audio into a phone they would work on a PC combo jack as well.

[theDumbNuttParticipant]

@mike C

Thanks for the options. I am currently using an additional USB audio interface with an XLR mic splitter and it does work. However, the reason I was looking for an alternative from the mixer was so that I can use the Fx on the mixer. I think my best option at this point is to just abandon the use of the Fx on the A&H mixer and just go with an external vocal processor. This way, I can just route via mic.XLR->mic.preamp-processor->mic.vocal-processor->mic.splitter and then AH.mixer->PC1 + audio-interface->PC2 (i.e. Fx applied prior to splitting).

I appreciate all the help from everyone.

[Mike CParticipant]

You could use the monitor output RCA jacks to feed the PC, there is level control
on those outputs and source routing selection.
You would an 1/8inch TRS plug cable to breaks out into two RCA male plugs.

Here is a link to an 1/8 TRS line to mic level attenuator cable that would work if
your PC has separate headphone and mic inputs.
line to mic cable

[theDumbNuttParticipant]

@mike C

Wouldn’t the monitor out be all channels where as I’m looking for just the mic in this case? Or, is there a way to select M1 as the only thing to the RCA monitor out? And if I do that would I lose all channels to the Phones out (headphones)? I need all channels to Phone out while still outputting just M1.

[Mike CParticipant]

Wouldn’t the monitor out be all channels where as I’m looking for just the mic in this case? Or, is there a way to select M1 as the only thing to the RCA monitor out? And if I do that would I lose all channels to the Phones out (headphones)? I need all channels to Phone out while still outputting just M1.

Don’t confuse the record out with the monitor out.
The record output jack follow what is selected for the USB output.

The monitor out has a source select that will follow what has been selected to go the headphones.

Since you need a full mix to the headphones the monitor out will not work and I believe
you are already using the USB out on the mixer.

To do what you want you will need to use the AUX OUT so you can bring up just the channels needed to send to the PC.

[JonnySundayParticipant]

This sounds like it may be my problem. I have a ZEDI10FX. I have a cable that is RCA L/R to USB C Type into my Samsung phone. I’m trying to get my phone video to record my mixer sound. My phone recognizes that I have inserted a USB Mic, but I don’t get any sound into my phone.

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