Decent 8-channel mixer for recording and mixdown/mastering?

i wouldn't recommend the MG series mixers if you wanna record drums and electric guitars. while the pres do sound fairly good they tend to distort very easily.

my vote goes to the Spirit M8
 
Thanks for the fast answers!

Does they have jack plug outputs for each channel??

I'm going to need one for live recording (drums, bass, guitar, vocal).

Reel to reels I use: Tascam 38, Revox B77

How about vintage mixers? Any good?

THANKS
 
every mixer with inserts allows you to use those as direct outs. however, those will be unbalanced only.

the soundcraft spirit m series has direct outs for each mono channel.
 
visa said:
every mixer with inserts allows you to use those as direct outs. however, those will be unbalanced only.

the soundcraft spirit m series has direct outs for each mono channel.
Click to expand...

how do you change those inserts to be direct outs?
 
Carter said:
Stick the cable in to the first click, Not all the way inserted.
Click to expand...

AHHHH, THANKS they will really help abunch. didn't know that.

Now i can buy a 16 channel mixer, and not have to worry about finding one that has direct outs. Cuz i want to be able to record each track individually through an AD device, like that firepod or w.e.

are the "insert" outs balanced or unbalaced?
 
I have a 24 channel for sale cheap that has direct outs and a meter bridge. What’s even better is that mine taps the direct out signal after the EQ and fader. That’s right, one for every channel. On almost all common mixers with inserts that signal is tapped at full volume before any channel processing. And if that "half inserted" plug gets bumped it will cut in and out terribly and ruin your recording.

I know this is not the for sale forum but since it is related to the thread topic, here is the link.

Mackie 24 channel 8bus mixer w meter bridge

(But hurry because it ends tonight.)
 
nah, you don't necessarily need balanced outs. unbalanced signals are perfectly compatible with balanced inputs. just make sure to buy very short patch cables and you won't experience much signal loss.
 
yoyo said:
i guess that doens't help me then does it? i need direct outs that are balanced... man
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Mixers "mix" channels together but you don't want it to do that. And most mixers only provide unbalanced direct outs but you don't want that either.


I'm not sure I understand why you are shopping for a mixer then. :confused:

Perhaps an 8 channel mic pre with xlr outs would serve better.
 
RawDepth said:
Mixers "mix" channels together but you don't want it to do that. And most mixers only provide unbalanced direct outs but you don't want that either.


I'm not sure I understand why you are shopping for a mixer then. :confused:

Perhaps an 8 channel mic pre with xlr outs would serve better.
Click to expand...

I want to get a firepod as well. What I want to do, visa and rawdepth, is have a "control" service, where I can control the beginning stages of volume, gain, EQ etc, with a mixer. Then, I want to record those tracks individually, so, i want a direct out from each channel going into something like the firepod. So I can record each track separately. The mixer provides something to "work" with, better preamps, control over vol. and gain easily, EQing easy, and a more recording studio type feel for it. Plus, I can record a 8 channel band at once, mixing on the mixer to get a good first sound, then doing everything on the pc. But to have a mixer would be more ideal than a control surface, cuz you're doing it in real time and analogly.
 
Yoyo, please be aware that on most mixers, the insert jack taps the signal off "before" it goes through the EQ section and fader. This jack is really intended to be an effects loop which should return the signal to the channel for further EQ and fader processing. You can make this jack behave like a direct out (by not returning it,) but all you get is signal as it comes from the XLR mic input, through the preamp, then to the insert jack. Only mixers with a jack labeled "Direct out" will give you insert, EQ, and fader control before the signal tap.

(Did that make sense?)
 
RawDepth said:
Yoyo, please be aware that on most mixers, the insert jack taps the signal off "before" it goes through the EQ section and fader. This jack is really intended to be an effects loop which should return the signal to the channel for further EQ and fader processing. You can make this jack behave like a direct out (by not returning it,) but all you get is signal as it comes from the XLR mic input, through the preamp, then to the insert jack. Only mixers with a jack labeled "Direct out" will give you insert, EQ, and fader control before the signal tap.

(Did that make sense?)
Click to expand...



Yes this does, thank you very much.

But do you get what I want to do?? Is this possible? Or do I need to get a big ole mixer with parallel outputs in it to attach to the pc?
 
yoyo said:
Yes this does, thank you very much.

But do you get what I want to do?? Is this possible? Or do I need to get a big ole mixer with parallel outputs in it to attach to the pc?
Click to expand...

Do you mean you want to tap off each channel for recording plus make a house/studio mix for the band using the mixer master output?

Yes that is a fine idea, however, by tapping signal off from the insert jack, it stops the signal flow to the rest of that channel unless you return signal back to the insert jack. The insert is a two way jack, in and out. In other words, that insert jack creates a detour route. It must be returned or the rest of the channel gets nothing and the master channel will get nothing. There are three conductors in the jack. One is output, one is input (return), and the third is common ground for both.
 
RawDepth said:
Do you mean you want to tap off each channel for recording plus make a house/studio mix for the band using the mixer master output?

Yes that is a fine idea, however, by tapping signal off from the insert jack, it stops the signal flow to the rest of that channel unless you return signal back to the insert jack. In other words, that insert jack creates a detour route. It must be returned or the rest of the channel gets nothing and the master channel will get nothing.
Click to expand...

no. All I want to do is be able to record individual tracks coming out of the mixer. I know that sounds ironic, but think about it. In the big shot studios, they don't record everything as a stereo track. They record a lot of channels at once, but all under separate tracks. I want to do this on a smaller scale, is it possible?

thanks man btw
 
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