I have a Mackie 1202 mixer and I want to use my Sp 303 as an effects unit, meaning I want to run my MPC, synth, and sound module into my Mackie, through my Sp 303 (to pick up the Vinyl Sim and other effects), then I want to record the wet signal into a Multitrack Tascam.

The Mackie 1202 mixer has got 2 Aux Sends and L/R Stereo Return for each Aux.

My question is, what cable or connections would I have to make to have my Sp 303 act as an Effects unit for my equipment?

Thanks!!

now, some Aux sends are mono - you'll need to check this out on your mixer.

So you grab a Y cable (1/4 to RCA) run that from Aux send 1 to SP303 input.
Then of course, you have External In on (whatever its called on 303), and usually for effects you want the wet mix to 100% (for example on reverb, on vinyl sim you'd just set to preference)

Then you are a Stereo RCA to Stereo 1/4" out of the Sp303 , back to Aux 1 stereo return. Crank the Aux 1 return level up past mid way, then on the tracks you want affected, you will turn their Aux 1 send level up to mid or beyond , but keep an eye on peaking the SP303. Work to get a balance between Aux 1 send and Aux 1 return that sounds good.

On my mixer its a little weird - the aux effects channel ONLY goes to the main mix, so the regular tracks are all dry but then you have a master stereo track that has those summed w/ the effects on there. YMMV

I don't think it will work so great with the vinyl sim, because you can't make compression 100% wet without a signal to compress. the pitch wobbly sound will add some cool phase effect though. Like Blavatsky said the sends are mono, but that's ok because you probably have a stereo return?

well on my Mackie 1202, it has "Alt 3-4 Outputs", so can I use this to run whatever sound I have playing through the mixer INTO my Sp 303?

and then run the OUTS from the Sp 303 (which would have the wet signal) back onto a Mixer channel?

the 'correct'/'standard' way to setup an effect send on a mixer is to attach one of the sends to the input on the 303, then have the output on the 303 either go to one of the returns, or you can run it back into a full track if you have one spare (so that you can do things like play with feedback loops/etc)

so then you will see each send has a knob on the channel strips, that controls how much of the sound gets sent to the send destination.

also there should be a pre/post switch on your mixer (iirc) that means if you set it to pre you can turn the volume of a track down to 0, but still send it to the effects for 100% wet processing