Do I need a mixer if I will use Sonar?

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imanogre

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I am in the process of planning a home project studio. I will be recording electric/acoustic guitars and many, many keyboards with limited vocals. This is a one man operation. I am leaning towards Sonar after reading many threads but I'm curious if I will still need an external mixer. If so, probably something along the lines of a Mackie 32-8 should do (?). Any help would be appreciated.
 
Do you need one? No. WIll it make life easier for you? Probably. I run Sonar just fine without an external mixer (the software has a mixer built in, after all), one-track-at-a-time style. If you don't have an audio interface with a lot of inputs, it may be wise to invest in an external mixer if you have a lot of instruments, just for simplicity's sake.
 
As part of this project I'm also building a PC. The plan at this point is to use a Delta 1010. With these inputs, does that change anything. I guess where I'm going is, will an external mixer be more useful than using the funds for something else in the studio with this proposed setup?
 
I also use a 1010lt and though I'm only recording 1 track at a time right now, I think having so many inputs will keep me from buying a mixer for awhile, and instead focusing on buying other equipment. As far as your situation goes, I'm just thinking it may be easier for you to set everything up using an external mixer, that way if you're micing a lot of different instruments you won't have to be messing around with settings so much or trying to keep everything within a certain distance of your computer.
 
A 32/8 might be a little overkill.

How about something like a 1604 or even a 1642? Sounds like you need more line inputs than mic inputs anyway.

Then, with the bread you save from downgrading the board you could get a couple of channels of REALLY nice mic/line preamps that will make your synths sound better than the 32/8 will. Plus, you'll have a couple flavors of pres: the VLZ stuff in the Mackie, and whatever you get outboard.

You might wanna think about a compressor, too. Like maybe an RNC.

Got any mics?
 
That's a good start. When you get rolling a bit you'll start getting a hardon for a large-diameter condensor........... then LDC's with tubes......... then............

You might wanna look into a couple Octava MC-012's for recording acoustic guitar. They're pretty cheap for what they can do.

Welcome to upgrade hell! :D
 
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