New user questions

[flight101]

Hi Folks,


I've just got the Tempest.. I've been dreaming about the machine for many years. Finally.. Love the sound and endless possibilities..

I'm just beginning my journey.. so I struggle a bit with simple issues/questions.
I'm planning to get a 16 channel mixer. I'm thinking about a second hand Mackie 1604 vlz3 (or vlz4) and using aux sends for external reverb/delay/chorus pedals. I've just read (Tempest Operational Tips & Tricks) that to connect the Tempest and its main outputs I will need two 1/4 Inch TS Male to TS Male and for 6 stereo/12 Mono individual Outs - 1/4 Inch TRS Male to TS Male.

Can I use  1/4 Inch TRS Male to TS Male cable to connect main Tempests outputs to the mixer? If not, should I use two 1/4 Inch TS Male to TS Male cables and then connect them to 'INSERT and LINE' outputs on the back of the mixing desk?

What cables would you recommend me?  (I'm not so wealthy so I'd prefer to avoid paying hundreds for a single cable.)

What do you think about the Mackie 1604 vlz3/vlz4? I've seen some posts with vlz4's issues and I'm a bit confused.  Is there any good mixer in this price range with 16 channels + aux sends for external effects?


Thanks!   



 
 

[muleskinner]

I use standard TS (mono) cables for the main outs and standard TRS→TS 'splitter' cables for the voice outs, these are often called 'insert' cables.

Just get the best ones you can justify really. In my experience the cheap(ish) brands are generally fine for the most part, e.g. home studio use. Sometimes you get the odd dodgy cable.

I managed to get a used Soundcraft Spirit M12 mixer on ebay which works really well for me. At the time it was the only option I could find in the price range that offered inserts and direct outs (pre or post eq) on each channel. Those Mackies look pretty similar really but without the direct outs. A decent analog mixer should serve you well for years. I only really use my mixer for monitoring and routing, I record through the preamps on my audio interface.

[cryptictemple]

Hi

I've had the Tempest for a few months now, and feel like I've been able to iron out most of the quirks.

However, one I have not been able to solve is inconsistency in volume between voices.
I believe at one point in time Voice Out 1 was much louder than the rest, now it's the most quiet.
I have copied the same sound with the same settings across all 6 voices. I've checked the levels in the mixer section, amp envelope volume etc. etc. I feel like I've been through every page of settings and I still can't work it out. Indeed it does seem to be related to the voice as opposed to the sound itself.

Anyone got any troubleshooting suggestions?

Apologies if this should be in another thread.

Thanks for the help!

[muleskinner]

Anyone got any troubleshooting suggestions?

Have you run the voice calibration procedure (with all cables unplugged)?

[samelec]

Hello everyone,

Just got this amazing machine and have been busy with it since then. Wonderful sound and very capable synthesis functionality. My question is:

I formatted the instrument's flash drive, and loaded the factory content using OS 1.4 sound and projects files. But the beats are gone, meaning the Beats folder is empty. Is there a SysEx file that contains factory beat content that I can download and transmit to Tempest?

Thanks a lot!