Audio interface vs. outboard mixer:

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gene12586

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Hey, so can someone please explain the difference between recording with a mixer vs. an audio interface.... from what I understand, the only significant difference is that with the mixer you have hands on control over the mixing with a piece of hardware, whereas with the interface you do all the mixing on your computer. What about the signal: are both recorded as digital or only the interface? Sorry, real noob here. Please help explain the difference.

I'm starting off recording @ home, just me, one track @ a time... lots of layering electric guitars, will use both hardware and soft synth, layered vocals, etc.....also want the option of being able to record a 4-5 piece band @ once if I need. Very ambient, psychadelic, spacey, radiohead, floyd, sigur ros kind of sound.

What do you think...interface, mixer, or both?
 
gene12586 said:
Hey, so can someone please explain the difference between recording with a mixer vs. an audio interface.... from what I understand, the only significant difference is that with the mixer you have hands on control over the mixing with a piece of hardware, whereas with the interface you do all the mixing on your computer. What about the signal: are both recorded as digital or only the interface? Sorry, real noob here. Please help explain the difference.

I'm starting off recording @ home, just me, one track @ a time... lots of layering electric guitars, will use both hardware and soft synth, layered vocals, etc.....also want the option of being able to record a 4-5 piece band @ once if I need. Very ambient, psychadelic, spacey, radiohead, floyd, sigur ros kind of sound.

What do you think...interface, mixer, or both?
Click to expand...

Hey gene, welcome. You have a pretty good understanding of the differences already.

Your recording path is:

Input ( guitar/mic) > ( pre-amp > audio interface ) > computer

The mixer will raise the levels of any input and most provide phantom power for condenser microphones. Additionally, they have EQ ( tone shaping ) options, effect sends and sometimes built in effects.

Most current audio interfaces also offer phantom power but no EQ and definitely no effects sends.

Unless you have a mixer with a built in audio interface you will still need to interface with the computer and you dont want to be running into the mic or line in - these components are not high end enough and more importantly do not handle discrete channels of audio to send to discrete tracks.

As you want to record multiple inputs ( and I am guessing send them to discrete tracks in your DAW )...then your best bet is to get a USB 2.0 or firewire interface and record your signals flat.. then do all the tone shaping on your DAW.

What is you budget ?
 
Hey there and welcome to the night crew.

I think you've pretty much nailed it with the 'hands on difference. 'Mixer as an interface/front end adds various hardware features, can add flexibilities and can fill as a recording/playback, even other tasks, but you may still want to mix in the software.
I'd be hard pressed to push for one way or the other as quite a bit of it comes down to working style, how you may want to build on. And that could be tough to know until you've got your feet wet as it were. :)
 
The main difference is that the Audio Interface becomes your soundcard and as such, converts your signal from audio to digital thereby freeing up your computer.
They come in USB, Firewire and PCI card form and are the most efficient way to record to computer.
Mixers are "Make do" although those who use them to record will most likely disagree.
 
Jim Lad said:
The main difference is that the Audio Interface becomes your soundcard and as such, converts your signal from audio to digital thereby freeing up your computer.
Click to expand...

Yeah, thats important part I should have stressed. This Audio Interface is your output route as well as input. You need to connect your speaker amp or powered speakers to it.
 
This is the kind of thing you might want to check out considering your input requirements.

main.jpg

Product: US-800 | TASCAM
 
Man, thanks for the quick replies! Ok, I think I get it now.... but still unclear, is there any difference between mixing (raise levels, EQ , etc.) with the mixer before it goes to the computer or if using an interface, after it goes into the computer?...differences in sound quality, etc?...I'm guessing this previous question depends on if it's an analog or digital mixer..... seems to me that if it's a digital mixer, there is no difference besides the fact that with the mixer you mix before going to the com. and the interface you mix in the com (this is pretty much what I already said in my initial post). Now what about analog? Is analog all done without a computer and then like recorded onto another hardware device like a tape machine or something? What route do you guys prefer and how much more expensive is the all analog route?
 
gene12586 said:
Man, thanks for the quick replies! Ok, I think I get it now.... but still unclear, is there any difference between mixing (raise levels, EQ , etc.) with the mixer before it goes to the computer or if using an interface, after it goes into the computer?...differences in sound quality, etc?...I'm guessing this previous question depends on if it's an analog or digital mixer..... seems to me that if it's a digital mixer, there is no difference besides the fact that with the mixer you mix before going to the com. and the interface you mix in the com (this is pretty much what I already said in my initial post). Now what about analog? Is analog all done without a computer and then like recorded onto another hardware device like a tape machine or something? What route do you guys prefer and how much more expensive is the all analog route?
Click to expand...


The difference in quality comes down to the quality of the mixer compared to the quality of the algorithms in your DAW of choice. These outboard mixer manufacturers all claim they add "musical warmth" etc, but really, you are just adding another link in the recording chain and that usually adds unwanted noise as well as signal degradation. DAW mixing is of an increasingly high standard and you can find some really nice analog style effect plugins to "phatten" your sounds should you feel the need. :)


Analog .... You have to be a different breed to want to record in analog. Lols. Post your questions in the analog section of this site to get a detailed rundown of requirements and costs.
 
Last edited:
We need to be clear what is meant by 'mixer' and 'interface' in the context of the OP's original question.

An 'interface' is a fancy word for a sound card that is designed specifically for recording (as opposed to one that is supplied to do general purpose audio, or audio for games). Interface is a relatively new term that most commonly (though not exclusively) describes sound cards that connect via firewire or USB, and have a range of functions designed to assist the recording process (such as monitoring, supplying phantom power for condenser mikes, providing some gain control and so on).

A 'mixer' is a device that combines a number of inputs, allowing level controls (and other functions such as EQ) on these inputs, and delivers usually (but again, not exclusively) a combined two channel output.

In this context, the OP is correct in saying that a "difference is that with the mixer you have hands on control over the mixing with a piece of hardware, whereas with the interface you do all the mixing on your computers". But this is not the full story, nor is it "the significant difference".

The mixer provides an analog signal to the computer, which you need to process through the computer's sound card. The interface does this processing for you.

The computer's sound card is a bottleneck that you need to deal with, as most usually provide only a single stereo (i.e. two-channel) input. This means that the "hands on control over the mixing" applies only to the sound before it gets into the computer. Once in there, you lose that type of control, and the mixer ceases to have a useful function.

A multi-input interface allows you to feed a number of unmixed but discrete tracks at once into the computer, that number being determined by the interface. Once in the computer, you have the capacity to deal with each in much the same way as you can with a physical mixer; applying effects, changing EQ, adjusting levels. Many people (including me) are quite happy to work with that arrangement, being content to get the material into the machine, then using the mouse to manipulate the music.

There are, however, a growing number of mixers that include an interface. For example, I have an Allen & Heath that has USB output, allowing me to mix many channels down to two track which then goes via USB to the computer. But there are others (such as the Presonus studio live) that give you the feel of a physical mixer, but whose inbuilt interface delivers 16 (or more) discrete tracks via firewire to the computer, Additionally, these types of mixers can also act as control surfaces, i.e. you can use the physical faders to manipulate the data inside the box.

From the OP's original post, I wasn't quite sure what sort of mixer was being referred to; whether a conventional mixer with analog output, or a mixer that includes its own interface.
 
I was referring to a conventional mixer. So even though the mixer starts out with an analog signal, it turns digital anyway right?...so there's no difference in the final signal when comparing the mixer and the interface right? (I'm assuming we're talking about digital mixers here right?)....right?, lol
 
gene12586 said:
I was referring to a conventional mixer. So even though the mixer starts out with an analog signal, it turns digital anyway right?...so there's no difference in the final signal when comparing the mixer and the interface right? (I'm assuming we're talking about digital mixers here right?)....right?, lol
Click to expand...

Only a mixer with digital converters will convert it to digital. :) Now that digital signal still has to get inside your puter >>>>interface time. So, the interface will usually be built in...

But do you want that ?

This mixer has Audio Interface ( therefore digital conversion ) built in.

BEHRINGER: 302USB

302USB_P0ADV_Top%20front_Web.png
 
I think I kinda like the analog sound better...can I still get an analog sound without spending a bajillion dollars on a analog mixer?

Also, how would you compare the two in one mixer/interface to just the interface?
 
gene12586 said:
I think I kinda like the analog sound better...can I still get an analog sound without spending a bajillion dollars on a analog mixer?
Click to expand...

That depends who are you ask. ;) Ask a purist, they will say an emphatic no. Ask a progressive and the answer is yes. There are plenty of analog FX that you can ran over your recorded tracks. Heck there is even a free Vinyl plugin that recreates the vinyl record sound.

gene12586 said:
Also, how would you compare the two in one mixer/interface to just the interface?
Click to expand...

Wuh ?
 
You may prefer analog, and a decent analog mixer needn't be expensive. For example, there are versions of the little mixer shown above that deliver a conventional analog audio out. But once you enter the computer, you enter the digital domain. If you want to stay fully analog, you have to use, say, tape-based recorders.

If you choose to enter the digital domain, you can do so at the mixing point, i.e. like the one shown which has an inbuilt interface. Or you can use your computer's general purpose soundcard (which isn't nearly as helpful). Or you can forgo the dedicated mixer and just go for the interface.
 
cfox, I think they are called control surfaces?

ok, I'll check out some analog plugins
 
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