Going through mixer lessening sound quality?

[natedizzy]

I am using an Echo Mia, and one of those cheap Behringer 8-channel mixers. Would I be better off recording bass guitar just using a di box and going straight in to the Mia? I like the ease of using the mixer (not having to reach behind my PC to plug/unplug) but are the converters inside the Behringer of lesser quality than those of the Mia? If so, am I losing some sound quality? I believe Behringer claims they are the same quality as the converters in their high-end mixers... but is that so?

 

[AlChuck]

There are no converters in the Behringer unless you got that new $2000 digital mixer they're selling.

What you are using (and what Behringer claims are the same as on their higher-end mixers) are preamps, and the Mia doesn't have preamps. The Behringer allows you to get your bass signal up to line level for the Mia to work with. Oh, but you know that since you're talking about a direct box in place of the Behringer. I suspect that it's kind of six-of-one, half-dozen of another as far as losing some sound quality. Anything you put in the signal chain will degrade the signal somewhat. For example, if it was a choice between the bass plugged straight into the mixer, or into a DI box and then into the mixer, the former will give you a more direct signal path and be better. But I'll bet the difference is negligible and the convenience of running it through the mixer would outweigh any sound quality issues.

 

[Track Rat]

With out getting into how crappy the pre's in the Behringer are debate, I have to agree with AlChuck. For what you're doing the convenience outways the bennifit, unless of course you have a Countryman DI laying around the house somewhere.