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Choosing a Mixer

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So, Which Mixer is right for you?  

That's the tough question.  So lets get to it. 

Who needs a Digital Mixer? People with standalone digital multi-track recorders People that want to keep their signal totally in the digital domain, avoiding as many passes through converters as possible People that want to use the digital mixer instead of a software mixer or in conjunction with a software mixer People that want to use a digital mixer to control a DAW like a control surface as well as mixing analog and digital inputs

Digital Mixers

Going to digital mixing is not a decision you want to make lightly.  The question: is the perceived audio result worth the trouble of learning yet another gear language, dealing with menus and submenus?  It's not for everyone.  Many of the functions of a digital mixer can be had without one. MIDI sequencers can do volume fades, effects fades, and can automate virtual effects sends and returns, pans, even eq sweeps. If you are planning to do automation at the sequencer level, do you really need another layer of automation after that?  I say no.  However, if you are interfacing a stand alone multi track recorder that does not have an onboard mixer (or only has a simple one) such as an ADAT, Roland, Mackie, Korg or Tascam 8, 16 or 24 track recorder, then you bet, a digital mixer will let you automate your rough tracks and polish them down to sweetness. And for the true die-hard tweaks who want every nuance of their mix recallable, including bus destinations, internal effects settings, onboard eq and compression settings, a digital mixer will reward them with consistent, repeatable performance.

Perhaps the main advantage of going digital is that you can keep your signal path totally in the digital domain all the way to the computer.  Is this True?  Well yes.  If.  That is, if most of your studio is digital.  If you like to use global inserts on the mix bus, that is, route the master out through a compressor, finalizer, eq, you better make sure it's digital too, or you will be doing extra da/ad conversions.  Read up on the quality of analog to digital converters, this is a picky point with the pros. Also double check on the number of analog inputs you get.  Its very common for a piece to tout 24 channels but only have 8 analog inputs.  When you add in the price of 2 extra analog expander modules to take you to 24 you find yourself at a premium price point over and above a classy 48 input analog dream board.

 

So, are you using a modular multi-track like an Alesis ADAT, or a hard disk recorder like a Mackie HR 24, Alesis HD24 or Tascam X48?  These "modular" type multi-track recorders have no mixer of their own, so you will need either a large analog mixer or a digital mixer with the right number of channels.  Count up the number of tracks. 24? You will need that many channels to play them all at once.  Now add more channels for inputs to the multi track recorder.  This is where boards with "in line monitoring" come in useful. You actually use the same channel strip for input and output of the recorder. 

Or do you want a full fledged digital mixer to control the digital i/o of your DAW's audio interface?  Note that some digital mixers can be used as both an audio interface, DAW controller surface and digital mixer.   

The difference between a true Digital Mixer and an Onyx and a Project Mix There are very few devices that are full digital mixers and control surfaces. But that could change soon. There is the Tascam DM 3200 and 4800, the Yamaha digital mixers, like the 01V and 03r. These can control your software mixer and actually have their own internal mixer. The faders not only control the faders in your sequencer, but also can receive individual channels form the sequencer and mix them on the faders. Devices like the Project Mix and the Tascsam FW1884 are really audio interfaces with control surfaces, not mixers.  All the mixing actually happens inside the computer.  They typically return a 2 channel mix back for monitoring. Devices like the Onyx mixers are analog mixers with optional audio interface cards, but no control surface. This class of device can't control your software mix.  They can route audio to the computer sequencer for recording.  However, unlike a true digital mixer, they cannot take separate feeds out of the computer and mix them on the faders.  These devices usually only send a 2 channel mix back to the mixer, not individual channels

Mixing is like sculpting.  Something the hands do on a board.  This is why analog boards remain popular.  While these craftsmen may be the last to think they need a digital mixer, they are probably the most suited to realize their benefits, the biggest of which is to be able save and collect these beautiful, hand carved mixdown configurations, with all the send and returns set just right, recallable when the need arises.  Professionals doing film scores already know this.  They don't want to waste time remaking the scenes that come up again and again in their work.  It allows them to have templates for the may types of music they are called upon to make.  

If you are using a digital multi track that already has a built in mixer, you might only need a rackmount mixer for your arsenal of synths.  You can route different sources to different tracks easily.  Just make sure you have enough preamps to cover your mics.

Large Digital mixers make a lot of sense with 24 track machines because you can use the digital piping schemes like ADAT lightpipe and TDIF to send 8 channels down a single digital cable. 

 

Edirol M16DX 16-Channel Digital Mixer

The new MD-16DX is a treat for your eyes and ears. Hear your mixes in a pristine 24-bit/96kHz digital environment, and see your audio displayed on a high-contrast, backlit LCD that displays a spectrum analysis of your mix. Together with powerful effects onboard, an intelligent Room Acoustic Control function, and loads of digital and analog connectivity, the M-16DX signals a new era in digital mixing.

 

 

 Analog Mixer/Audio Interface devices

These are getting increasingly popular, so we will spend some time on them.  The idea was simple enough.  Lets add a firewire port to an analog mixer design so it can be used to connect to a computer.  With one of these, you don't need an audio interface or a soundcard.  Instead of going "mixerless", you are essentially going "soundcard-less".  Right now there are a few variations of these products.  1. Those with Firewire options, like the Mackie Onyx series, the Alesis MultiMix Firewire,  Phonic Helix and 2.  those with USB options, like the Behringer XENYX series, Alesis MultiMix USB and Yamaha MW12.  The Onyx has been out for a while and is getting great reviews on studio-central.  Many of the others were introduced recently.

 

Technology Update Namm 2007-8 M-Audio NRV10 8x2 Mixer with Built-In Digital Interface The NRV10 combines an 8 x 2 analog mixer, 10 x 10 24-bit/96kHz digital audio interface and a VST-compatible live mixing application in one convenient package for computer-based recording and performance. Route mixer channels discretely to and from tracks in Ableton Live, Pro Tools M-Powered and other software.  Tweak:  Hold the presses!  The NRV10 is a  groundbreaking product. Why?  It returns 10 channels of audio from the sequencer to the mixer over Firewire!  The Onyx can't do that, nor can the Alesis multi mix.  This lets you mix 10 channels of analog audio on the mixer itself.  Yamaha N8 8-Channel Digital Mixer with Firewire Interface The Yamaha n8 Digital Mixing Studio is a mixing console with an analog-like mixing interface which boasts ease of operation for professional quality recording and mixdown. Connecting a computer to the mixer’s IEEE 1394 port enables you to configure an ideal recording environment with seamless integration into Cubase 4. Tweak:  Much like the NRV is some ways, Yamaha is getting into these hybrid mixers with the N8 and N12, which have firewire interfaces that are designed to work with Cubase.  Finally we are able to not only input sources to the DAW but mix outputs from the DAW as well, without an extra audio interface.  This trend is likely to continue. Yamaha N12 12-Channel Digital Mixer with Firewire Interface The Yamaha N12 Digital Mixing Studio is a mixing console with an analog-like mixing interface which boasts ease of operation for professional quality recording and mixdown. Connecting a computer to the mixer’s IEEE 1394 port enables you to configure an ideal recording environment with seamless integration into Cubase 4.

Does it make sense to go one of the analog mixer/audio interface combos?  As always, it depends. But I think it certainly will make a lot of sense to many people building a home studio. The critical question is as always, does the unit have the inputs and outputs you need?  Because it is replacing the soundcard or audio interface you have to ask the same soundcard-type questions.  How good are the converters onboard? How well do the drivers (if any) operate with my sequencer?  Are these mixers USB 1.1 or 2.0 and will USB 1.1 be fast enough to do multiple tracks with little latency?  Be careful as you might not be able to top the performance of your current audio interface. 

 

Examples of Analog Mixer/Audio Interfaces

Allen and Heath ZED14 Mixer with USB Interface Tweak: I find the Zed to be worth looking at carefully

Alesis MultiMix 16FIREWIRE 16-Channel Mixer with Firewire

Behringer XENYX 2442FX Mixer with Effects

 

A good thing about this type of mixer is that is it a full fledged analog mixer without the firewire/USB, so you can use them just like an analog mixer if you like.  There is also the possibility of adding one of these as a second audio interface to your system, giving you more i/o.  Here you have to be careful about word sync issues as some computers might not like having 2 firewire audio interfaces from different manufacturers unless the word clocks on each are synchronized.  The jury is still out on this possibility, so if you have something to say here, please do post at studio-central about your experiences on compatibility. 

 

Mixers with built-in firewire interfaces usually can send several channels to the computer but only return a stereo feed for monitoring.  You do the actual mixing in the computer in your sequencer.  USB mixers usually only send 2 channels to the computer.  Recording a jam session?  Go Firewire!

 

Advantages

• You don't need a soundcard or an audio interface
• You can connect your monitors to the mixer's control room outs which have a volume control
• You should be able to easily use headphones
• You have more routing options than a soundcard provides and can use outboard processors
• You can use it as a standard analog mixer if your computer can't deal with Firewire or USB audio

 

Disadvantages

• These are pretty new on the scene; firewire and USB may have issues with your motherboard (same as Firewire and USB soundcards may).
• USB mixers are typically limited to recording 2 tracks at a time.

 

 

 

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