Connecting mixer to soundcard

On that mixer you can use the main outs to connect to the sound card and push the tape (meaning computer playback) to control room so the tracks you have already recorded don't get mixed with the main out but you can hear them along with the mic on the headphones or via the control room out to an amp and speakers. Since the input and output on your sound card is stereo 1/8" you will need two cables each with 1/8" stereo on one end and two RCA on the other end. This way you can have record and playback hooked up to the mixer.

If you are only going to record one mic you don't need stereo so you can do another way that gives you more control. You can use the FX out jack to connect to one channel of the input on your sound card. That way you have control over the record output volume via the FX knob and you can use the fader to adjust how much you hear without messing up the record level. The FX out is like a split or copy of the singnal on that channel that is not affected by the fader level. But to do this you will also need a 1/4" to RCA adapter in addition to your two cables because the FX out is 1/4". You would just connect the right or left RCA to it after you get the adatper in and that goes to the input on the sound card. I like this method better because if you use the main outs every time you move the fader to adjust how much you hear it changes your record level. With the FX out you can set it and it stays set there no matter what happens at the fader. It's a seperate copy of the singal on that channel. Just make sure all the FX knobs on the other channels are all the way down. Only turn up the one you want to record when you set your record levels.

Any questions ?

ORIGINAL: rodman1971

OK, what you're describing makes sense conceptually, I'm only a little confused about the connections so let me see if I have it right:

This method allows me to monitor through my mixer, which I like

1. Y-splitter cable (2 RCA jack to 1 1/8" plug) from the TAPE OUT on mixer to my Line In on the soundcard
2. Y-splitter cable (2 RCA jack to 1 1/8" plug) from the soundcard Line Out to the TAPE IN on the mixer

This method allows me to record my vocals using the FX out, which means more control over signal

1. Mic plugs into XLR on mixer
2. 1/4" from the FX SEND to Line In on soundcard - here I am not sure how the cabling works. Is the FX SEND signal stereo? If so, do I just use a 1/4" to 1/8" stereo adapter?

Using the latter method do I lose the ability to monitor through my mixer? Ugh, this is so confusing... but thanks for injecting some sense into all this Frank.

Yes, you can still monitor through the mixer with both of these. The only difference is the source of your record signal. The 1/4" FX send jack is mono so you would just use one side of the Y on the cable going to the Line In on the sound card. The only extra adapter you need is one RCA to 1/4" to turn the FX send jack into an RCA. If you are only recording one mic it's mono anyway and you are going to be selecting Right or Left for the input in your software. So you only need one side of the Y cable to have signal. Just let the other one hang but not touching anything. Now, if you were recording in stereo with two mics and panning Left and Right then the Tape Out or main out would be the way to go. If you use the main out just make sure the Tape In is only routed to the control room and headphones and not the main out. On your mixer there is a set of buttons for that.

ORIGINAL: rodman1971

Thanks Frank, I think I got it now. Just to confirm, the signal that I bring back to the mixer through the TAPE IN is the one that I can monitor. Then by using the the TAPE TO CTRL ROOM option on my mixer I can exclude that signal from being sent back to my soundcard for recording - right? Slowly the fog lifts -

Exactly ! However the tape to control room thing is really only needed when you use the main outs to record. When you use the FX out there is no way the Tape In playback can mix with that no matter what to do.