deciding on a mixer.

C

casey3115

New member
i dont know what im reading when i read the specs on different mixers so i thought id turn to you guys. im thinking a delta 1010 will be the best product for the buck for me. and now i need a mixer to go with it. basically i will be micing somewhere around 8 different instruments, (never 8 at a time, but normally 3 or 4 at a time at least.) and im very good with computers and i have a couple excellent computer rigs. so if from that info anyone has any ideas for me, maybe if the delta 1010 is a good idea for me, and after we determine a good sound card to get i need to know what kind of mixer i need and what the different needs that i have that the mixer must meet...
thanks casey
 
So if you dont need a large mixer, take a look at the Tascams. I had a M-08 with 8 analog in and 4 mic pres for less than $300 new. They probably have em even cheaper now.
 
mixers...check out Behringer...

It sounds like your looking to go from the mixer into the 10/10 and into a PC. For what your looking for...yea the Tascam above would be very nice, but also quite pricey. If you check out the Behringer Model 2004A, I think you will find it has what your looking for. It has 8 mic channels with pre-amps...very quiet pre-amps I might add...great for recording, with the "Alt 3/4 switching", you can -easily- send 4 channels to the recorder and it also has channel inserts on all 8 mic channels...can be used for effect -or- for running 8 channels staight to the recorder, 2 auxilery busses (great for running outboard effects), phantom power (for running condensor mics), flexible eq section, headphone monitoring, etc., etc., etc., and the best part is, they are well under $300 now (I think I just saw them thru Musician's Friend for around $229).....wow...I really am starting to sound like a commercial for them :-)

Seriously...I have one of these mixers as well as one of their 802A's. My 2004A does double duty in my studio and on stage and has come through for me/us -every- time. In my studio, I don' t even have the Delta or anything...I just go straight from the Behringer(s) into my PC and it still works great (just have to be careful with the drum tracks...a little extra care in the setup). I priced the equivalant board in a Mackie...the Mackie was over $800. I've had mine side by side with one of the big Mackie 32 channels...the sound quality was vitutually identical. I am a very big fan of Behringer equipment, as I've stated in other parts of these forums...the price vs. performance aspect just can't be beat at all. In addition to the two mixers, I also have one of the Feedback Destroyers and one of their dual 31 band eq's...both are absolutely excellent pieces of equipment, regardless of the price...which was again, the best price that I found anywhere (I only payed $150 for the 31 band eq and that thing is just incredible). Oh...also have one of their cable testers...an absolute must for trouble shooting (on stage at least). The -ONLY- complaint that I have about any piece of Behringer equipment that I own is, their owners manuals are a bit lacking. In otherwords, if you do go with Behringer, allow yourself some time to learn the piece of equipment...which would honestly be true of whatever brand you get anyways. The 2004A is very flexible, had very good/quiet sound and I honestly think that if your looking to buy new, you just can't find a better bargain.

There are of course allot of other brands out there that are of excellent quality for the home/project studio...Mackie, Tascam, Fostex, Alesis and I even saw that Nady is making boards now (can't comment on the quality though) just to name a few. Most of them are truly excellent...but again -very- pricey compaired to Behringer.

Of course, if you have the $ to blow...I saw a nice used Allen & Heath 54 channel automated consol with built in Pro Tools for around $100,000 used...grab me one too! :-)

Hope this helps and sorry to sound like a commercial! Honest...I really don't work for them...hell right now I don't even have a day job!
 
I just bought the Behringer 2004a and I have to say it is a fantastic piece of kit.
I've got the gadget Labs Wave 8/24 interface - also an 8-in, 8-out like the 1010. I've only got good results using this with my desk.
 
i dont know what im reading when i read the specs on different mixers so i thought id turn to you guys.
Click to expand...

A mixer is not just a guitar plectrum or small item like that...I would suggest you first gain a good basic understanding of mixers, and their specs, before you commit to buying one....You might think that I'm bullshitting here or something, but trust me, I've bought a few pieces of equipment that I didn;'t know about, and after I felt very bad that i didn't actually know what I was buying....but wha ever you wanty....go out, get one and see how you go, but still I recommend understanding basics of a machine before purchasing it ;) ;)
http://www.artistpro.com/CourseList.cfm
check this out...it's got a topic: "UNDERSTANDING THE MIXER"
heaps of other useful stuff there too...all you have to do is register....
good luck...all the best
 
nice thread roker, thx

those courses like good solid everybody-ought-to-know-it-to-do-anything-really type stuff:)

they shouldn't insist on you declaring your gender as part of the reg page though- that's an intrusion. age is fine, but nobody except maybe your doctor _needs to know your gender to let you sign up- especially not some nerd audio course.

good resource though- thx again.
 
boze said:
they shouldn't insist on you declaring your gender as part of the reg page though- that's an intrusion. age is fine, but nobody except maybe your doctor _needs to know your gender to let you sign up- especially not some nerd audio course.
Click to expand...

:confused: Is that a complicated question to answer?
 
Behringer gets a bad rap for their mixers. Part of it is deserved in that they don't have a real service network in the U.S., so if it breaks under warrenty you may not see it for a long time. Despite that I have a Model 802A and it has worked fine for me. I wish the gain control was more precise, but hey what do you want for $99?

My main mixer is a Alesis Studio 32, which I have been very happy with. But that is probably out of your price range (about $800) And yes, do your homework before buying, there are a lot of choices out there.
 
TexRoadkill said:
Behringer is for unemployed college students.
Click to expand...

Me! :D
Or rather, School student.......
But my Behringer stands by me, for what I need to do. I could have got a second hand Alen and Heath or Soundcraft, but I went the new Behringer route. For good or bad, I'm alright.
 
Even if money is your major deciding factor, don't sacrifice your sound quality by going Tascam or Behringer (speaking from experience here).
You would be better off with a reputable used mixer.
 
tex, you probably meant that as a retorical question, but just in case you were genuinely curious here's my reasoning:

it's not a question of whether it's complicated so much as whether it's relevant or appropriate. the site offers audio production tutes and gender is a _required field for signup- does that not seem at all odd to you?

the website is saying, 'you can't sign up to look at this series of free web pages about production until you tell me whether you're male or female'. i think my gender has no more relevance to the subject matter or the nature of the site than my social security number would or my height and weight. the age thing has some relevence because there are regs about showing certain types of content to minors so if there's even an unmoderated board where i could say 'fucked up' or whatever there might be some trouble down the road.

you make it sound like if they ask a question that's not complicated to signup for that site then it's okay. so how about how much money you make? would that be okay to ask? how about your race? is it complicated?? religious affiliation?

i'm not trying to be mean or anything, i'm just trying to point out that a lot of things that aren't complicated are also nobody's business when you're just trying to learn about how to use your mixer better.

they can _ask for information if they want. but to require it is just kinda dumb i think.
 
They are probably trying to compile demographics.

I really don't think they care about any your gender, they want to know how many of each are showing up on their site.

If they have more men than women, maybe they need to change something to attract more women. The opposite is also true.

It is sometimes annoying to have demographical questions asked, but it is generally used for improvement, right or wrong.
 
Even if money is your major deciding factor, don't sacrifice your sound quality by going Tascam or Behringer (speaking from experience here).
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HEY CAT! I still want to know what (bad) experience you've had with TASCAM products.

I've never heard a bad word about about TASCAM products anywhere on this board past or present, unless tying to compare a four-track cassette based machine to anything else.

So what's your beef? Huh? Got a crappy Porta One from '85 that doesn't sound like your CD player?
 
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Casey,
You can see that we are very opinionated here at HR.com. We all like our certain brands and that's okay. If I were in your shoes (and I was when I bought my first mixer) I would be even more confused by the answers on this thread! :D

The Behringer is most likely NOT going to blow up OR kill your sound! The Mackies are a higher quality for sure and the Tascams are "time proven" so to speak. I have a Mackie, a Behringer and a Tascam mixer and I've actually had a problem with the Mackie and NOT the Behringer or Tascam. I'm not saying that B is better than M by any means! I probably got the one bad M in the bunch! They're not all the same in terms of quality but they are all just different! Personally, I think each brand (not necessarily each model) has a purpose and is adequate for home recording.
You can kind of narrow it down this way:

1. Behringer - If price is the concern or "Bang for you buck" and you want brand new , Behringer is probably the way to go.

2. If price is not an issue and you want new with the most "transparent" electronics, Mackie is probably the way to go.

3. If you want used with great sound and awesome bang for your buck, Tascam is probably the way to go. They are excellent workhorses and very reliable.

As far as the number of channels go, you'll have to figure out how many you'll potentially need. This is just of course my opinion but it's the best opinion!! :D :p

RF
 
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To clarify my statement, I have been using Tascam products for the last couple of years. They do make some descent products, but their mixers (excluding the DM24) are shitty. If you don't believe me visit their site.
 
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