Setup Guide - how to connect a Mixer to an Audio Interface for audio recording

Hey, Julian Kraus here and I'm going to show you how to connect any mixer to an audio interface and set up everything correctly. Most interfaces these days have line level inputs and they are the preferred way of connecting a mixer to an audio interface. So make sure your interface has at least one TRS line level input and then we can get started. You will need a mixer, an audio interface, one or two quarter inch TRS to TRS cables depending on the number of line level inputs on your interface and a microphone and XLR cable. Take the microphone and connect it to the first XLR input on your mixer with the XLR cable. If you are using a condenser mic make sure you turn on the phantom power. If you're using a dynamic mic you can leave the phantom power turned off. Now first you have to set up all the knobs and dials on your mixer correctly. Start out by turning down all the gain knobs on your mixer. You should also make sure that all the EQ and pan knobs are set to their neutral position which is pretty much always in the middle. Next find the level knobs or faders. On this particular mixer there are level knobs but on many mixers you got faders instead. Regardless whether it's a knob or fader there is a position called unity. This is where the audio signal is neither amplified nor attenuated. This position is sometimes denoted with a U or the number zero. On the first channel where you got your mic plugged in you set the level knob or fader to the unity position. On all the other channels that are not in use you turn down the level all the way. Now locate the knob or fader often called main mix. This knob or fader controls the amplitude of the main mix and it too has a unity position marked with either a U or a zero. Set the main mix to unity. Lastly power up your mixer by connecting it to a wall outlet and switching on the power switch if it has one. Okay let's set up the audio interface. On some interfaces you can toggle the TRS input between an instrument and a line level input. Make sure the input is set to line level. Then turn the gain on your interface all the way down. And of course you have to connect your interface to your pc. Now it's time to connect the mixer to the interface. Take the TRS to TRS cable and plug one end into the left main out on the mixer. Connect the other end to the first TRS line level input on your audio interface. If your interface only has one TRS input you are done here. If your audio interface has a second TRS line level input and you want to record in stereo you need to take the second TRS to TRS cable and plug in one end into the right main out on your mixer and the other end into the second TRS input on your interface. The last thing you have to do is to place the mic in your recording position and slowly turn up the gain on your mixer until the LED level meter on the mixer reaches 0dB. In my case I want to record my voice so I'll have the mic right in front of my mouth and I talk into it with my normal speaking voice. I'll turn up the until on the mixer's level meter the green LEDs up to 0dB light up constantly when I'm speaking and the LEDs above 0dB light up occasionally. The red clipping LED should never light up. And that's the whole setup. There is a small check you can do to see whether everything is set up correctly. Hum into the mic so that your audio level constantly peaks at 0dB on the mixer's level meter. When you do that and in your audio recording software you peak around minus 20dBfs your setup is working correctly. Okay once you are ready to record you simply hit the record button in your software. Of course you can add additional mics to the mixer by plugging them into additional channels. Then set the level knob or fader on this channel to the unity position and set the gain to the position where you get healthy audio levels on your mixer's level meter like I demonstrated with the first mic. That's it. If this video was useful to you I would appreciate a thumbs up and subscribe for more tutorials around audio recording. I will see you all in the next one.