USB mixers

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Highsteel

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I'm looking at two usb mixers as the basis of the studio I'm putting together. I have a newish laptop with a gig of ram.

The boards I'm looking at are the Yamaha mg206 and the Allen and Heath ZED 14.

The Allen and Heath has only 6 xlr inputs while the Yamaha has 16 and the prices are not too far apart.

I've been looking through the threads and it seems with either I can at best record 2 channels at once ie stereo.

The question I have is whether the Allen and Heath will produce a better sound.

Thanx
Highsteel
 
The actual Yamaha model number would help us give you help :)

I've never liked the preamps in any cheap Yamaha mixers though, so you may be better off with the A&H. Also, as far as I know, all USB mixers on transfer the stereo output from the board, not the individual tracks. So in either case, the number of inputs you have will all be mashed down to stereo before they are sent into the computer. Again, gimme the Yamaha model number, I'll look deeper.
 
I checked out the musician's friend description of the Allen and Heath, and it is extremely vague, but leads me to think that you can send the stereo output of the mixer into the computer over USB, and possibly some aux sends, but not individual tracks.
 
The new Alesis Multimix usb 2.0 mixers allows multiple inputs into the computer, at least thats what the specs look like.
 
cusebassman said:
The actual Yamaha model number would help us give you help :)

I've never liked the preamps in any cheap Yamaha mixers though, so you may be better off with the A&H. Also, as far as I know, all USB mixers on transfer the stereo output from the board, not the individual tracks. So in either case, the number of inputs you have will all be mashed down to stereo before they are sent into the computer. Again, gimme the Yamaha model number, I'll look deeper.
Click to expand...

Google Yamaha Mg 206 and it'll come up.
 
According to Yamaha's site:

http://www.yamaha.com/yamahavgn/CDA...6ATRID%253D10%2526DETYP%253DATTRIBUTE,00.html

A review states that the USB functionality only sends a stereo mix. So, if you are looking for something with 8-16 simultaneous, separate channels of input to the computer, you will have to look elsewhere, as neither of these mixers has it (according to my research anyway). And the Multimix do in fact have more than 2 channels over USB, which I feel you should probably go with firewire in the event of, but that's just one man's opinion.
 
Mackie Onyx 1640. 16 Great mic pres and firewire ( I like better than USB) buy the card there cheap.
 
jmorris said:
Mackie Onyx 1640. 16 Great mic pres and firewire ( I like better than USB) buy the card there cheap.
Click to expand...

Great suggestion, but slightly out of his price range... I think its 1280 + 400 for the A/D card... 1680.
 
jmorris said:
Mackie Onyx 1640. 16 Great mic pres and firewire ( I like better than USB) buy the card there cheap.
Click to expand...

Pretty impressive - I'm really a newb to all this but it just seems like once you hook a puter up to a mixer you should be able to record as many channels at once as you like. It is now apparent to me that I'll have to either find a larger budget (don't tell my wife, she says I already spend way to much on gear) or record a single track or two at the most at a time.

The Onyx 1640 is more than twice the price of the ones I'm looking at.

Highsteel
 
cusebassman said:
And the Multimix do in fact have more than 2 channels over USB, which I feel you should probably go with firewire in the event of, but that's just one man's opinion.
Click to expand...


I concur. except for that one dude who says firewire is getting phased out;)
 
liv_rong said:
I concur. except for that one dude who says firewire is getting phased out;)
Click to expand...

I just got back from the music store and I was looking at the fireware there. It would seem that as many direct outs as the mixer has is, so long as the puter is fast enuf, the number of channels that can be recorded at the same time.

So it would seem the Yamaha with more channels may be better with the right firewire gear for a greater number of live channels.

So back to my original question - can anyone tell me whether the Allen and Heath mixer will produce better sound?

Highsteel
 
Highsteel said:
So back to my original question - can anyone tell me whether the Allen and Heath mixer will produce better sound?

Highsteel
Click to expand...

According to the SOS review on the Zed the USB is only 16bit.
 
Highsteel said:
I just got back from the music store and I was looking at the fireware there. It would seem that as many direct outs as the mixer has is, so long as the puter is fast enuf, the number of channels that can be recorded at the same time.

So it would seem the Yamaha with more channels may be better with the right firewire gear for a greater number of live channels.

So back to my original question - can anyone tell me whether the Allen and Heath mixer will produce better sound?

Highsteel
Click to expand...

The thing to know is this. The USB will record all tracks at once, yes. BUT, it will condense them into two tracks in your software. Since it can't handle the speed. As someone mentioned earlier there are new USB 2.0 mixers out, might find out if they can record all at once, as individual tracks.

But if I were you I would just buy a firewire card for your laptop! Yours will most likely have either a pcmi slot or an express slot. Spend $20 (or whatever it costs) for a firewire card and hook it up there. Boom, now you get firewire options. Btw, go with texas instruments if you can.

Check out the Alesis mixers though. I have a 12 channel firewire one, and it's perfect for me.

Edit:

Here's a worthwhile read if you'd like more details on the laptop firewire thing, and why the brand matters:

http://www.cockos.com/forum/showthread.php?t=16194
 
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