The ones I mentioned above are pretty solid. Also the se electronics v7 is nice as well. I would encourage you to look up mic tests online, as this is one of the examples where you can actually hear what you are getting to some extent
I see, and it shouldn’t add any coloration to the sound im guessing?
Will definitely take my time deciding on the mic, esp once I see how much I’m able to help my room once I try doing some treatment diy.
So you are always going to affect the quality of the signal as the chain gets larger, it shouldn’t affect quality too much IF you set the gain right and don’t introduce clipping or other noise
Ok, so would I look up how to set the gain correctly when I get it or is there a method to doing that?
Mainly you would set it by ear, you want to make sure you have no audible distortion nor do you hear hiss or issues with noise floor. This is something you can mess with and really will be a set and forget thing for the topping at least. For setting the gain and volume of your mic, that will depend on other things.
The only potential issue with this setup is the potential for a ground loop. Both the mixer and the e30 will be connected via usb, and there is a chance you can get a ground loop from that, which can kinda be a pain. It isn’t easily fixed but there is just a chance it might happen. You might be able to fix it by using separate power supplies for both the dac and the mixer, or if worst comes to worst some usb isolators. Not saying it will happen but it can
Got you, I might eventually be able to move the e30 to optical, cause I’m gonna use DC power anyway like I do with my amp, and maybe DC for the mixer, but I’ll keep that in mind.
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Ah yes that would also most likely do the trick, you should be fine on that front
If the yamaha ag06 isn’t an option, an alternative would be to go for a focusrite scarlett 2i2 and a art splitmix4.
The scarlett and the e30 would feed into the splitmix, and then the output of the splitmix would go to the headphone amp.
Similar premises to the yamaha but it’s separating the audio interface from the mixer and also using a bit slimmed down mixer
Looking into it, this is probably what I will end up doing, or something similar using the splitmix4 or something similar, as converting rca to 1/4th shouldn’t cause a loss in audio quality (hopefully).
No difference if you use ts connectors. The focusrite also output in 1/4 inch so no issues there. This being said with the splitmix you would want dual ts 1/4 inch to trs 1/4 inch for the focusrite, and left and right rca to 1/4 inch trs for the e30. The amp would need 1/4 inch trs to rca
Cable for the focusrite:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000068O1N/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_2Y10Eb9VFFJE1
Cable for the topping:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000068O1J/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_CZ10Eb3R34NMP
And then to go back out to the headphone amp you would use the same cable as the topping would use
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000068O1J/ref=cm_sw_r_apa_i_CZ10Eb3R34NMP
I see, thank you very much! If I upped my budget as well and jumped for this first and a better mic later, would something like the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 also work?
I mean yes but do you need all those inputs at once? If not, I would instead grab a higher quality lower channel interface like the audient id14 or solid state logic ssl2+
definitely not, especially not immediately, thank you for the recs btw.
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I’m looking at both of them, and neither has what looks like rca or analog inputs sadly for the e30, so monitoring wouldn’t be possible, unless i used the mixer which I see now. I had mentioned the 8i6 because it looks like it would act as the mixer for me. yeah i just noticed that lol
You would still be using the splitmix here, these are just alternatives to the focusrite, all you need are line outs from the interface which both the ssl and audient have, you still need the splitmix to combine the e30 + interface into one signal for the headphone amp
If you wanted an all in one solution you would go with the ag06
I see now, I had mentioned the 8i6 cause it would be the mixer, but having a passive mixer would also probably stop the mic interface from coloring the audio as well so I see.
So it wouldn’t be a mixer, it wouldn’t route signals the way you need it to and also you would end up passing the signal through mic preamps or going from analog to digital and back, would be a very clunky solution. It also might end up recording the signal from the e30 in the recording if misconfigured as well lol
Oh, I see, the splitmix4 solution would be more effective and cleaner then I presume.
Yes, that or another line level mixer but the splitmix is most likely the most cost effective and straightforward solution that would maintain a quality signal imo
Simple as this:
Your simplest/best option would be the Yamaha AG06 (like @M0N suggested).
A Mackie Big Knob Studio could also work.
Behringer HD400 between DAC and AG06, solved.
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