Mixing Mix Question

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PaulWarp

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Hi everyone,

I have three 8 channel mixers. Can I combine them in series to make 24 channels? I have some master tapes for a 24 track machine and I would like to connect all the mixers (as I don't have just one mixer with 24 channels), so that I can hear each channel and make adjustments. I'm new at this. I think I can do this, but just not found a technical audio manual that tells me how to make the connections.

Hope someone here has experience in this. Thanks
 
Unless they are the same make and series of mixer and have been designed to have the capability of "daisy chaining" them together via a special cable, then there is no good way of connecting them together to act like a single mixer.

However, you don't necessarily *have* to do that, either. Even if they are three completely different mixers, you can still use them all simultaneously. The only limitation there is that you'll be mixing to three sets of submixes instead of one master mix. You'd still need to mix the submixes together, either via a fourth master mixer if you want to stay analog, or simply by running your submix channels into a digital interface where you can perform the final mix on the computer.

G.
 
Combining 3 mixers

Unless they are the same make and series of mixer and have been designed to have the capability of "daisy chaining" them together via a special cable, then there is no good way of connecting them together to act like a single mixer.

However, you don't necessarily *have* to do that, either. Even if they are three completely different mixers, you can still use them all simultaneously. The only limitation there is that you'll be mixing to three sets of submixes instead of one master mix. You'd still need to mix the submixes together, either via a fourth master mixer if you want to stay analog, or simply by running your submix channels into a digital interface where you can perform the final mix on the computer.

G.
Wow! Thanks for your insight. The mixers are all different. Yes, I think the route you suggested about submixes makes sense. But before I record with these mixers setup that way, what about just connecting them so that I can simple playback what is on the 24 track tape? You see, I have to find out what is on the tapes first, before deciding to erase them and record. Hence I thought, set up the 3 mixers so that I can tap into the respective tracks. I'm really new at this. I need some practical cable connnection guidance to kickstart me off. Any wisdom you have on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
Paul, I'm not familiar with that particular model of Fostex beyond seeing a couple of pictures of it, so I don't know what kind of capabilities are built into it. But *if* it has some kind of internal routing capability that allows you to send the 24 tracks out of only 8 of it's outputs, or even in a stereo out, then that would solve your problems.

Otherwise you have two choices as I see it: what I wrote in my original post, or , if you just what to see if what you have on tape is worth keeping, you could simply listen to only 8 tracks at a time just to see what you have.

G.
 
3 Mixer Mix

Paul, I'm not familiar with that particular model of Fostex beyond seeing a couple of pictures of it, so I don't know what kind of capabilities are built into it. But *if* it has some kind of internal routing capability that allows you to send the 24 tracks out of only 8 of it's outputs, or even in a stereo out, then that would solve your problems.

Otherwise you have two choices as I see it: what I wrote in my original post, or , if you just what to see if what you have on tape is worth keeping, you could simply listen to only 8 tracks at a time just to see what you have.

G.
Hi

Thanks for your feedback. I think the stereo out option may work. I'm going to try it over the next few days. Thanks for that idea.
Cheers
 
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