How do I connect a mic pre to the M-Audio Project Mix?? :(

[Chela]

Ok so I have the m-audio project mix I/O and I just got the Avalon vt 737 mic pre. Is there are way to bypass the mic pre's in the project mix? And if I go into the board from the Direct instrument input (1/4) is that going to be ok? Or is it going to create input distortion? PLEASE HELP ME!

[ninjasoards]

I have a similar setup. You'll need an XLR to 1/4" cable going from the Avalon (XLR) to the Project Mix (1/4") Line In.

[Chela]

i have that cable... and i did that but i think because of the mic pre in the board there is almost no room before it distorts... plus i want to by-pass the pre anyways... do you know if plugging it in the instrument input bypassing the pre?

[Jungle Jazz]

My experience with the ProjectMix is that when using an external pre, the best thing to do is also use an external AD converter and use the digital inputs instead of the analog inputs.

[psycho_monkey]

Originally Posted by Chela

Ok so I have the m-audio project mix I/O and I just got the Avalon vt 737 mic pre. Is there are way to bypass the mic pre's in the project mix? And if I go into the board from the Direct instrument input (1/4) is that going to be ok? Or is it going to create input distortion? PLEASE HELP ME!

direct instrument input is for instruments - it's a high impedance input, like a guitar amp.

Get a female XLR - balanced jack cable. Plug into line input on project mix I/O. Select line on the button on the channel you've plugged into.

That's it. No need at all to buy an external converter.

[Chela]

ok thats exactly what i did first... but for some reason i can barely turn up the output on the pre at all before i get input distortion in the board. I already know that the cable is balanced, so thats not the problem... The trim on the board is all the way down. i just dont feel like i have a lot to work with... and i can get it loud enough in the headphones with the headphones turned all the way up. and yet the signal is at 0db in Sonar... im soooo confused.

[Jungle Jazz]

Yeah, this is a problem with the PM. If I remember correctly, the line ins still go through the preamp; they're just padded down when the line switch is engaged. It makes it difficult to get any reasonable gain when using an external pre through the line ins. That's why I just gave up and resorted to using external preamps and converters.

[ninjasoards]

I keep the gain on the PM input all the way to the left. The output of my Avalon is almost alway in the negative too. I use the meter on the Avalon to monitor the compression not the output. The output barely registers on the meter. This confused the hell out of me at first as well.

[GoldenOne]

External converters are your only option unfortunately.