Lexicon Answered Questions & Fixed Issues

I suspect the problem is with the software setup in your PC. Verify all the options and also verify that the AUDIO system is assigned as stereo and assigned to the Lexicon for both in and out... Also check any "PAN" control settings. There is a possibilty that the Alpha has a dead channel...

Try putting a stereo signal into the 1/4 inch jacks and see if both record... if NOT then take it for repair under warranty... I had a Lexicon Omega that had a problem myself... warranty repair...

You will use microphone with balanced XLR connector into the XLR mic input. Note, the ALpha does NOT have phantom power so you cannot use condenser mics.

A guitar can be plugged into the hi-z instrument 1/4 inch jack on the left front of the unit.

To use the line 1/4 inch inputs you will use BALANCED TRS 1/4 inch cables from your source.for these channels. The level on these needs to be line level.

The line outs are for sending audio out to an amp. There appears to be RCA outputs you can use as well.

I am not sure what you mean by making your "amp record"... An amp PLAYS the audio, usually into a speaker.

If you are trying to play a guitar through your amp AND record, then you will connect your guitar to the Alpha, the amp input will have a cable from say Line 1 OUTPUT and when recording wou will have the echo feature on so your guitar is passed through to the amp.

One can burn up equipment if you have powered parts of it from different sources...such as connecting things together that get their power from different receptacles. Ground bounce and fault currents of defective equipment can burn up things. You will probably have to send your unit back to the factory for repair.

Well, did you run the vocals through a mixer and send to BOTH channels of the Lexicon Alpha? If you connect the mic to only one channel you will only get one channel UNLESS you process the .wav file and PAN the vocal channel into both channels when outputing to your MP3.

The probable cause is a ground loop. You haven't said what you are plugging in. These inputs are BALANCED lines and you MUST use TRS cables driven by TRS outputs of the thing you are driving it with. ALL interconnected equipment MUST be powered by the same receptacle or power source.
IF the thing you are driving it with does not have balanced outputs, then procure a DI (Direct Input) box and use an XLR cablle between the DI and the Alpha and set the DI on ground lift.

You should be using XLR to XLR cable from the ART to the Alpha. You need to have recording software and the driver for the Alpha correctely loaded. Verify that in the PC when you go to the control panel in Windows and click on the "Sounds and Devices Icon that clicking on the VOICE tab that the Alpha is listed as the default audio for both in and out.

I assume you're wrestling with the choice of using its onboard amp fed by the MV-5 or driving it from the CX-7's unused channel.

Of course either way will work. I'd go with the preamp-to-REL method as the REL engineers undoubtedly gave some thought to the amp design for the price paid.

Attach it to the Sub1 Preamp out

http://www.retrevo.com/support/Lexicon-MV-5-Receivers-manual/id/22990ci271/t/2/

Make sure that when opening the control panel and "Sounds and Devices in Windows that both the inpout and output show the Lexicon and NOT the normal audio of the computer. ALso make sure the volume slider in that section is shown as being full up.

You should be at SP2, but that MAY NOT be the problem. One thing to check is if you are supposed to have the device connected when you install the software... in SOME cases doing it with or without connection will affect the outcome. Also make sure ALL virus/spyware/popup blockers are disabled during install.

Before using this device, make sure that going to the control panel and looking at the "Sounds and Devices" shows that the Lexicon is the inout and output device for all the tabs within that window.

An insidious problem is if the throughput of your computer is being used up by things like anti-virus, anti spyware. Turn OFF ALL of these throughput hogs when doing audio operations. Also turn off wireless communication and ANY other active USB throughput hogs.

These hogs will usually cause sharp noises thaat are essentially discontinuities of the audio waveform.

IF the noise you are getting is a "hiss" type noise, that is different. That is USUALLY caused by the user failing to set the gains and levels properly. Some electronic noise is from the statistical background noise likited by the laws of physics, It is important to record and set the level well above these noise floor points.

Balancing gain is important. Set the amplitude of the line out to be near line level and lower the gain of following amplifiers. This is just good practice.

Anyway, decide which of these two noise sources might be what you are seeing.

The third noise MIGHT be from ground loop noise... for that power ALL, and I do mean all interconnected equipment from teh same power receptacle/source AND used balanced lines such as XLR or TRS wherever possible.

That means that the card was installed on your computer. If so, then follow thw link below to uninstall and then reinstall the drivers.
http://www.fixya.com/support/r3559995-installing_devices_on_pcs_and_laptops

You can reset your Omega by powering on the unit while holding down the Mic USB button and the Line 3 USB button.

yes, it is possible. the first thing u shoul do is go to edit/preferences within audacity and make sure the alpha is selected as the recording source. if that isnt the problem, then contact lexicon directly. if they arent helping you very well, ask if "jamie cohen" is still supervising- he is the best with computer issues, if he still is a tech support supervisor there.

Don't know what OS you're running. Omega has published drivers for Vista and 7 64-bit versions. They say they don't support XP 64, but when I hooked my unit up to my computer and the hardware install wizard came up the OS found and installed Microsoft published general USB audio device drivers for all inputs, midi, and mac USB channels of the Omega, and automatically set it as my default device. I hooked headphones into the Omega unit and could hear system sounds. So far so good. Went to My Music and fired up an audio file. Windows Media Player started up and the song started playing but I couldn't hear anything. Opened the same file with Audacity, could see the VU meters bouncing, but still no sound in my headphones. Went in to the preferences of Audacity, and manually set the speaker default to the Omega mac USB device. Hit play again and voila! I had sound. Closed the file, started WMP manually, went in to options, and again set the speaker default to Omega mac USB. Opened the same audio file and this time it played just fine. The driver files Windows used for my card were
C:\\WINDOWS\SysWOW64\ksproxy.ax, C:\\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\ks.sys, C:\\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\ksthunk.sys,
C:\\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\portcls.sys,
C:\\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\stream.sys,
C:\\WINDOWS\System32\drivers\USBAUDIO.sys,
C:\\WINDOWS\System32\ksproxy.ax,
C:\\WINDOWS\System32\ksuser.dll,
C:\\WINDOWS\System32\wdmaud.drv,
all version 5.2.3790.1830
Hope this helps everybody else with this problem.

Make sure you have NO antivirus/antispyware/antiadware or other resource hogging background programs running while processing the audio. These programs hog resources to the point that the buffering within the audio devices is overrun causing gaps.

Sorry but... Very simply, you CANNOT use a condenser mic with the Alpha since it does not supply the required Phantom power for the mic. You must step up to another interface to use condenser mics. You can use dynamic mics with the Alpha or other audio sources. I use a Roland/Cakewalk UA25E interface with condenser mics and also the Lexicon Omega which does have Phantom power for the mics..

http://www.lexicon.com/support.aspx

try this cubase update:


http://www.steinberg.net/index.php?id=880&L=1

Try :
csupport (at) harman (dot) com
Theyre very helpful
I used to work there.

Make sure you have Phantom power turned on on the Lexicon... Oh,oh... it appears that the Alphs may NOT have phantom power which IS a REQUIREMENT for most condenser mics...

The Lexicon Omega does have this but apparently the Aplpha doesn't have it.

That leaves you with the choice of either getting a dynamic mic that doesn't need Phantom, or replacing the Alpha, OR using a preamp ahead of the mic before the Alpha...

Sorry, but those are the only solutions I see for you.

REMEMBER that condenser mics pick up everything and you cannot run them into a PA or they will feedback.