Basic mixer/cable question

[steb]

Thank you everyone. I will buy a mixer with more microphone preamps. just whilst we are on the subject of these preamps - are they only for microphones? would the likes of an output of a cd player or laptop need a preamp or could it go into a line level input?

 

thanks for your help guys, its been really helpful

[david.elsbury]

Nope, preamps are to pre-amplify a lower level signal to bring it up to line level. So since your CD and laptop are already operating at line level there's no problem with plugging them straight into a line input. :)

[steb]

Thank you all for the answers. much more confident now as to what we need to make it work.

 

thank you for all the advice.

[ramdram]

For the OP, and any other "learners", then this link might be of use:

 

http://www.google.co.uk/#q=Mixer+basics&hl=en&prmd=imvns&source=univ&tbm=vid&tbo=u&sa=X&ei=pehTT8qhMorH8gPDusHvBQ&sqi=2&ved=0CDwQqwQ&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&fp=c96afb3db221386d&biw=1360&bih=630

 

Plus you might even find a tutorial on the actual mixer?

[Bobbsy]

Well I do apologise.

My answer was based on the fact that I have the very mixer sitting next to me, and when I plugged in a microphone to the left channel of one of the grouped inputs, I got a perfectly usable sound. But hey, you're the expert.

 

Well, you either have a magic microphone that puts out a signal 40dB or so louder than it's supposed to or you're accepting a very low level and/or very noisy signal. Either way, it was extremely dodgy advice.

 

I try to give good advice in a pleasant way to newbies--but you've just been dropped from my Christmas card list.

 

Good luck with your future career but I suspect it will be a short one if you think plugging a mic level source into a line level input gives "perfectly usable sound".