Sound Interface or Mixer? - the more i learn, the less i know

S

sendittokeith

New member
Boy, i thought i knew what to do next but truth is, i dont. I just read a post http://www.tweakheadz.com/choosing_a_mixer_for_your_studio.html that said you could basically use either, hmmm.

OK, please someone tell me why i would buy an audio interface vs. a mixer with usb/firewire support? The mixers have typically have more inputs.

What is the advantage of an audio interface? It looks like the right mixer could do the same thing for much less money.

Could someone explain this to me?

thanks :-)
 
sendittokeith said:
Boy, i thought i knew what to do next but truth is, i dont. I just read a post http://www.tweakheadz.com/choosing_a_mixer_for_your_studio.html that said you could basically use either, hmmm.

OK, please someone tell me why i would buy an audio interface vs. a mixer with usb/firewire support? The mixers have typically have more inputs.

What is the advantage of an audio interface? It looks like the right mixer could do the same thing for much less money.

Could someone explain this to me?

thanks :-)
Click to expand...

Most mixers with USB functionality will only send 2 channels of info to a DAW. They might have a bazillion inputs, but you're bottlenecked by a 2 channel USB output. This might not be a problem if you only want to record a couple of tracks at a time. But if you want to do more, then you are moving into interface land.

The less expensive an interface, the less capable it will be. The bottom end may only have a couple of inputs and outputs. Or you can buy interfaces with as many inputs and outputs as you want to spend money on.

The main difference between the two is their signal routing abilities. With a mixer, you get the addtional flexibility with input sources (XLR/ 1/4" / RCA),multiple sends....subgroups, aux sends, etc. You can take a input from channel 1 and send it to virtually any output. Interfaces, generally speaking, do not have this flexibility. If you plug a mic into channel 1, it's going to export that track on channel 1.

There are many hybrid approaches that combine the input flexability of a mixer with the multiple output capabilites of an interface. The ZOOM R16 is one. 8 channel inputs that can send 8 channels of data to a DAW. Tascam makes a 16 input unit that can send 12 channels of data.
 
TeyshaBlue said:
Most mixers with USB functionality will only send 2 channels of info to a DAW. They might have a bazillion inputs, but you're bottlenecked by a 2 channel USB output. This might not be a problem if you only want to record a couple of tracks at a time. But if you want to do more, then you are moving into interface land.

The less expensive an interface, the less capable it will be. The bottom end may only have a couple of inputs and outputs. Or you can buy interfaces with as many inputs and outputs as you want to spend money on.

The main difference between the two is their signal routing abilities. With a mixer, you get the addtional flexibility with input sources (XLR/ 1/4" / RCA),multiple sends....subgroups, aux sends, etc. You can take a input from channel 1 and send it to virtually any output. Interfaces, generally speaking, do not have this flexibility. If you plug a mic into channel 1, it's going to export that track on channel 1.

There are many hybrid approaches that combine the input flexability of a mixer with the multiple output capabilites of an interface. The ZOOM R16 is one. 8 channel inputs that can send 8 channels of data to a DAW. Tascam makes a 16 input unit that can send 12 channels of data.
Click to expand...
Wow, that zoom sounds EXACTLY like what i need. My comment has to be - why in the heck is it so cheap? I mean, it has mixing, control board, built-in recorder, etc. - does quality suffer as a result? ... im wondering what the pre-amp quality is.
 
sendittokeith said:
Wow, that zoom sounds EXACTLY like what i need. My comment has to be - why in the heck is it so cheap? I mean, it has mixing, control board, built-in recorder, etc. - does quality suffer as a result? ... im wondering what the pre-amp quality is.
Click to expand...

I've owned one for about 4 months now. I seriously can't fault it. The pre's are not stellar, but they aren't a penalty box, either.

It's not a knock out in any one area. As an interface, it's very capable but you are limited to 24/44.1 for anything more than 2 tracks of simultaneous tracking. I routinely record 6 to 8 tracks at a time @ that rate and it performs flawlessly. It will also support 24/96 @ 2 tracks simultaneous.
As a mixer, it has some routing issues....you don't have any subgroups and the insertable FX are limited to channels 1 and 2 only. So if you record guitar and want to use the onboard FX, you have to plan you inputs accordingly. By the same token, phantom power is available on only 2 channels.
As a control surface, it works really well, but lacks some of the features of a dedicated control surface (motorized faders, assignable knobs).
For the money tho, it's a knock out.

The Tascam M-164uf, deserves a look as well. Johnnymegabyte, a HR member here, has one and swears by it.
http://www.tascam.com/products/m-164uf.html
 
TeyshaBlue said:
I've owned one for about 4 months now. I seriously can't fault it. The pre's are not stellar, but they aren't a penalty box, either.

It's not a knock out in any one area. As an interface, it's very capable but you are limited to 24/44.1 for anything more than 2 tracks of simultaneous tracking. I routinely record 6 to 8 tracks at a time @ that rate and it performs flawlessly. It will also support 24/96 @ 2 tracks simultaneous.
As a mixer, it has some routing issues....you don't have any subgroups and the insertable FX are limited to channels 1 and 2 only. So if you record guitar and want to use the onboard FX, you have to plan you inputs accordingly. By the same token, phantom power is available on only 2 channels.
As a control surface, it works really well, but lacks some of the features of a dedicated control surface (motorized faders, assignable knobs).
For the money tho, it's a knock out.

The Tascam M-164uf, deserves a look as well. Johnnymegabyte, a HR member here, has one and swears by it.
http://www.tascam.com/products/m-164uf.html
Click to expand...
You have been very helpful - thank you so much. Due to the limitations of the Zoom that wont work for me - i'll look further at the Tascam M-164uf although its really ugly (who cares). Im also looking further into Presonus Firestudio.
 
What i ended up getting...

Well after research, talking with everyone under the sun, etc. i decided and purchased:
FireStudio and a FaderPort

I'll hook em up tonight and let you know how it goes.
 
sendittokeith said:
Well after research, talking with everyone under the sun, etc. i decided and purchased:
FireStudio and a FaderPort

I'll hook em up tonight and let you know how it goes.
Click to expand...
Still integrating this new hardware and setting everything up - results are good so far but i'll post a review on the 2 products after i use them more - so far the quality is what i was hoping for.
 
Broken :-(

My FireStudio had a bad left output :mad: My replacement will be here Thursday, so hopefully i'll have a full writeup after i get at least a weeks worth of using it w/o the bad output.
 
uh, the one im responding to

sendittokeith said:
My FireStudio had a bad left output :mad: My replacement will be here Thursday, so hopefully i'll have a full writeup after i get at least a weeks worth of using it w/o the bad output.
Click to expand...

4 weeks later - finally resolved. The unit was never bad, it was presonus software drivers - had REALLY old ones that dont work with new UniversalInstaller which caused it to freeze up - old drivers caused major noise to emit from the left channel.

Very rigorous and painful process to get it to work. So now, hopefully can do a writeup after a weeks use.
 
I always check vendor web site for latest drivers and disregard what came with it. Some drivers can be out of date already even on new items.

Drivers can get corupted too and if you have issues, search for the driver name and delete and reinstall if you have issues later.
 
Uhdinator said:
I always check vendor web site for latest drivers and disregard what came with it. Some drivers can be out of date already even on new items.

Drivers can get corupted too and if you have issues, search for the driver name and delete and reinstall if you have issues later.
Click to expand...

Yea, that was actually the very first think i tried, however the new drivers just locked up - i'll be posting shortly ,but 4 weeks later i FINALLY got it working thanks to community support.
 
you get what you buy

sendittokeith said:
Wow, that zoom sounds EXACTLY like what i need. My comment has to be - why in the heck is it so cheap? I mean, it has mixing, control board, built-in recorder, etc. - does quality suffer as a result? ... im wondering what the pre-amp quality is.
Click to expand...

why is it so expensive?

molded plastic case
some connectors
integrated circuits for preamps
couple cheap electret capsules
spaced apart so you may have comb filtering on "stereo"

they are making a bundle on this thing
probably only 10-30$$ of parts in it in the quantities they buy

keep in mind that it only RECORDS EIGHT tracks
and those are not all mike inputs
the 16 track is playback only

it appears to be competitively priced

but i fear that like the H2 it may not be as good as the hyped specs if you attach directly to the usb to record in the pc they limit the bit depth and sample rate
dl the manual and read the fine print

great device if you dont have a pc
if you do have a pc i would get a real audio interface
and upgrade the software later on

if you need field recording capability
then this is a good way to go
 
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