Input vocal track in Logic Pro X

[sean barry]

I am a newbie to DAWs, digital mixers and recording in general. I am a retired live analog sound tech so I know how to hook stuff up. I have read the beginner computer recording thread here and I have everything hooked up correctly. Set up as follows; Behringer XM8500 mic and XENYX 502 mixer.

Balanced XLR mic into balanced XLR input in mixer. USB from mixer to 2012 i7 mini. I don't know how to get a voice track going in Logic Pro X. Mini preferences, USB Audio CODEC in & out.

Logic preferences, devices, USB CODEC in & out.

I know nothing about Logic and am just trying to get a vocal track to be able to fool around with it. I bought a used mini and Logic came on it if I can figure it out I will buy a copy. Any help will be greatly appreciated, Thanks.

 

[Fishrrman]

"I know nothing about Logic and am just trying to get a vocal track to be able to fool around with it. I bought a used mini and Logic came on it if I can figure it out I will buy a copy. Any help will be greatly appreciated, Thanks."

Does the Mini have GarageBand?
You could record the track using GB and then just import it into Logic (I'm not a Logic user).

This won't help, but I'll mention it anyway:
Quit fooling with Logic.
Try Cubase instead -- better program, in my opinion.

(final thought... do you know anything about banjos?)

 

[sean barry]

Thanks for the input. And actually I do know quite a bit about mixing banjos as I did countless bluegrass bands back in the day I give Cubase a look see, thanks again.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Can you get your mic input to work with anything? Best to check that before looking for a setting in Logic.

I prefer Logic to Cubase but I made that decision about four years ago. I used Cubase on a Windows PC prior to that.

 

[BeechFlyer]

Sean,

This should be a very easy task in Logic Pro, so there's probably something not quite right either with your setup or with how you attempt to start the recording.

Logic Pro X is pretty complex, and it may feel overwhelming at first. Before you give up on it, may I suggest that you get a free trial subscription of lynda.com or a similar site with tutorial videos. Spend a few hours going over what they demonstrate and try to replicate that with your setup. Once you have somewhat of a base knowledge, the rest will feel much easier, but it can be hard to make the first successful steps without help.

Good luck!

 

[Boyd01]

Set up as follows; Behringer XM8500 mic and XENYX 502 mixer.

Balanced XLR mic into balanced XLR input in mixer. USB from mixer to 2012 i7 mini. I don't know how to get a voice track going in Logic Pro X. Mini preferences, USB Audio CODEC in & out.

Something seems to be missing here. A google search shows that the Xenyx 502 is just an analog mixer with no USB: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/502--behringer-xenyx-502-mixer

So how is it connected to the Mini? Through the 1/8" audio jack? I use Logic on the same kind of Mini, but with a USB interface. I think the quality won't be very good if you use the audio input jack, but it should work. Anyway, I don't understand what you mean by "USB Audio CODEC in & out" since you are (evidently) not using a USB device.

In Logic, go to Preferences > Audio. What does it show for Input Devices? If you're using the 1/8" audio input jack, you should choose Built-in Input (or something like that). You should not use a USB input option here unless you have a USB audio interface.

 

[BeechFlyer]

Something seems to be missing here. A google search shows that the Xenyx 502 is just an analog mixer with no USB

That's worth looking into.

But it's also possible that the OP really meant the Xenyx Q502USB, a USB-variant of the 502. After all, he specifically stated that he had USB going from the mixer to his Mac.

Sean, can you please clarify which it is? It's important to know before any other troubleshooting makes sense.

 

[Boyd01]

it's also possible that the OP really meant the Xenyx Q502USB, a USB-variant of the 502.

You may be right. But I just took the OP at his word and googled that mixer. @sean barry , when discussing technical subjects like this, it helps if you are very specific and provide as many details as possible. What version of MacOS are your running? What version of Logic?

If you are using a USB device, then again, the audio preferences in Logic should be the first thing to check. What does it show as an input source? If everything is working properly, there should be an item in that menu that corresponds to your mixer. Here's a screenshot in Logic 10.3.2 on my MacBook Air. I have an EIE Pro USB interface (not currently attached, which is why it's shown in parenthesis). You should see something similar for your Xenyx if it is working properly.

 

[sean barry]

Can you get your mic input to work with anything? Best to check that before looking for a setting in Logic. No. I am an NQP for this?

I prefer Logic to Cubase but I made that decision about four years ago. I used Cubase on a Windows PC prior to that.

 

[BrianBaughn]

Go to System Preferences>Sound>Input and select your XENYX. It may be listed as some sort of generic sounding name. With you microphone hooked up the way you think it should be can you see any "Input level:" when you speak into the mic?

 

[0009827]

Suggesting Cubase over logic helps nothing. If you cannot use one, you cannot use the other.
Most usb mixers usually only output the master channel to the usb rather than each channel, check you have routed correctly on the hardware, and have selected the correct sound card in macOS, then same for logic.