is a hardware mixer necessary for computer recording

[lothar]

If you have a good sequencer, soundcard, preamp, mic, and computer, do you really need an external mixer? Can you just use a sequencer like DP3 or cubase to mix your music? The only positives I see of having one is for multiple inputs. Would it just be more useful to have a control surface for your computer like the event ezbus??

--lothar

 

[James Argo]

If you have a good sequencer, soundcard, preamp, mic, and computer, do you really need an external mixer?

It realy depends on your working style, how do you record stuff, how do you mix 'em, etc. etc. I got external mixer, since I need multi input for drums recording, and I like sometimes doing mixing with external gear (compressor, Eq, Dfx, etc...). In most case, using external mixer also make everything simpler to control than running collection of several gears.

Can you just use a sequencer like DP3 or cubase to mix your music?

...Once everything's on track, sure you can do that. With an advantage of plugins, you can do that "inside" your PC.

Would it just be more useful to have a control surface for your computer like the event ezbus??

Once again it realy depends on your working style. I don't take surface controller, I'd preffer do with just my mouse and qwerty keyboard. But taking surface controller is okay if you think they're cool.


Jaymz

 

[crosstudio]

i use an external mixer so that i can hear all my midi stuff before i record it as audio. i figure, its easier to do an interpolate in Sonar to "compress" the synth sound, than to do real compression after the midi is recorded to audio. i have a mackie 1604 vlz pro.

i use a control surface for mixing after all my tracks are in the computer. i just started using the control surface (Tascam US-428) extensively about 2 months ago. i'm finding that its much easier to do mutes and volume changes with physical faders and button instead of a mouse.

 

[Teacher]

and external mixer sounds better to me. it sounds more "round". vs. bouncing to disk

 

[camn]

a mixer with MIDI is the best deal, really.. cuz it can double as a control surface.

You need a mixer if you do a lot of more-than-one player at a time recording. For Headphone mixes and monitoring, mostly.

xoxo

 

[Hugh Jazz]

Lothar of the hill people!!!

Sorry, just had to get that out of my system.