signal chain question- preamp>mixer>sound card or preamp>soundcard?

iamme

New member
hello. this is my first post here after lurking around for a few days. i'm currently upgrading my modest home studio, and have a question:

i'm wondering if there is an advantage from going from-

mic>preamp>mixer>soundcard

as opposed to

mic>preamp>soundcard?

if i am planning on doing the majority of my mixing through software programs, is it unnecessary to add a mixer to the signal chain?

i've heard that adding a mixer will increase sound quality and make it more "fuller". can someone offer their opinion?
 
Generally, the less uneccesary items in your chain, the better. You need to ask yourself why you would want to add anything to the chain - in your case, does the mixer have preamps that blow away your stand-alone unit? Do you need to combine multiple sources into a stereo output? Is there an EQ bus you need to use while tracking? The answer is probably 'no', so running things through a mixer for the sake of doing it will not only not help your sound, but will actually hurt it by forcing your signal through extra uneccesary circutry.
 
i've heard that adding a mixer will increase sound quality and make it more "fuller". can someone offer their opinion?
That hasn't been my experience. The sound I get is noticeabley better in richness and clarity if I go direct from the pre's to to the A/D converter. All of my mixers put a slight veil over the sound.

Tim
 
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