Buying 1st Mixer - 16 or 18 channel?

[Jedman]

My first post here, and I'm just starting to get into the recording/music fray.
I think I'm finaly ready to buy my first Mixer ever!
I've been looking at some various ones, and decided I'd probably better get a 16 channels w/ 4 Mic XLR inputs. But mostly my question is should I spend the extra on an 18 channel mixer? It would have 6 Mic XLRs, but I'm not sure I'd ever use that many!
Anyone want to talk me into/out of it? or have other advice? Also, are there any advantages to buying FX on the mixer, or is it better to use my dually computer (I can run many, many proggies at once) for the FX? And then someday when I have the money, outboard gear for the FX?
Thanks,
Jed

 

[volltreffer]

Just imagine recording drums:

1 bassdrum
1 snare
2 overheads

none of your four mics left for toms or hihat

Think about it...

aXel

 

[Hard2Hear]

what mixer has 18 channels? thats wierd.

What mixers are you looking at? For the most part, you shuold get as many pre amps on a mixer as you will opssibly use at one time. 8 is good if you are doing drums live. Personally, I hate mixers with channels that don't have pres, seem like a ripoff to me.

H2H

 

[Jedman]

Ok - that convinces me.
Don't know if I'll ever be recording live drums, but you never know. The one I was looking at was this one: http://www.behringer.com/02_products/prodindex_ub.cfm?id=UB1832FX&lang=eng
I'll admit I'm a total newb. at recording, so maybe I said wrong - it has 18 inputs, so I assumed that meant it was an 18 ch. mixer. Is that the wrong way of looking at it?
For the price, ($220) this mixer looks like more than enough to keep me happy for a while...nothing pro for sure, but I'm not in that ball game. Just want to have a little fun in my "computer lab" with some guitars, keyboards, singing, etc.
Thanks for your thoughts on this,
Jed