Do I need a mixer?

F

Flowerpot

New member
Right, sorry if this is a stupid question but I really don't have much of a clue about home recording.
I own a computer soon to have Adobe Audition on it, and I'm about to buy a condenser mic to record various instruments with. Do I need a mixer (I was thinking about buying the Behringer UB802 Eruorack)? Or can I just use the digital mixer and EQ in Adobe? Or, should I invest in a mixer so I can put the mic through it and not directly into my computer's relatively shoddy soundcard?
Any advice greatly appreciated!
 
yes, you can use batteries if it's a condenser mic and if it can take batteries.

what sound card do you have? you may want to look at getting an audio interface to go between your mic and your computer if you have a normal (SoundBlast, etc) sound card, as these cards are designed for playback and not for recording. their analogue to digital converters aren't always tops, so generally you'll get a pretty bad recording out of them.

i would only get a mixer if you really want a "hands-on" mixing experience, as you'll be able to mix & add effects in your software. if you do get a mixer, you'll probably want one that can interface digitally with your audio software, rather than an analogue one.

i would suggest getting a decent audio interface (make sure it has xlr inputs & phantom power) rather than getting a mixer..
 
Thanks, all that's really helpful, however - audio interface? What's one of those? Is it part of the computer, or is it separate? And if I did buy an analogue mixer, is there any way I could hook that up to my computer or would I need a digital one for that? Is there any point in doing that anyway?

Sorry for all the stupid questions.
 
some computers come with an audio interface ffor computer mics and such, but they have a really crappy pre-amp and soundcard. you'll need to buy a seperate one. The mixer would hook up to the interface's line in.



Or, if you wanna go this route, don't get an audio interface, just install a good soundcard, and then get a mixer that connects to a computer via USB or Firewire. [ preferably firewire.]
 
Hi,

A mixer, in its basic form (quality excluded) is a smaller version of the big recording consoles you see in the big studios. Mixers are generally used for tracking and mixing. Great consoles are used in studios because of the sound of their preamp, eq, compression etc.

So when selecting a mixer (for tracking or recording) you should get one with a good preamp. Not all preamps are created equal and you may end up buying a mixer with worse a preamp than the one on your audio interface!

However, nowadays, since computer recording is so popular among both novices and professionals, the need for a mixer has faded. The big companies that made the expensive console now have a seperate box that houses a high end preamp, eq and maybe a compressor. It's like taking 1 channel out of the console and giving it to you to take home.

So, to sum it up, No. You do not NEED a mixer to record. You can plug directly into an audio interface or you can buy a separate preamp (that sound good) and plug your mic into that. Then plug the preamp into the audio interface, and the interface into your computer.

Good Luck.

Jake
 
Thanks for all the really helpful replies, especially the link killthepixel.

I am thinking about buying these two:

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/8321

as they come in a pack for a hundred quid. People have said I don't particuarly need a mixer, so perhaps I shouldn't waste my money? However, the soundcard is meant to be used with a small mixer so I think I shall go down this route. The soundcard looks good (it's Firewire like someone recommended), so...do people think this is a good buy? Thanks again.
 
Flowerpot said:
People have said I don't particuarly need a mixer, so perhaps I shouldn't waste my money?
Click to expand...
Just to put your mind at rest a small mixer is fine. What you need are mic preamps and that's what the mixer will give you, it's not really a waste of money because you couldn't get 2 channels of mic preamps any cheaper than that mixer anyway. Also with a small mixer you get headphone monitoring too.

Enjoy your new gear.
 
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