Quick Questions about Mixers and DAWs

D

dremits

New member
Hi,

Appolgies for the extremly noobish questions i'm about the ask but here goes.

If I wanted to build a DAW based studio with a mixer (a mixer without a built in interface) then are there outputs for each channel on the mixer to connect to each input of an audio interface connected to the PC (for multi tracking)? Is the conventional method for connecting to a DAW?

Also if building a DAW based studio then what are the advantages of having a mixer over just having a 'mixer style' control surface and mixing with the software? I understand that some home recorders opt for the mixerless approach but it seems that in any studio a mixer is involved. Is it because it's better to mix at the source? Or is mixing done both with hardware at source and software during post production?

Hope all this makes sense. Cheers,
 
Some mixers have direct line-level outputs on each channel strip. Others have buss outputs (generally in multiples of four) to which one or more channels can be routed. A really good mixer will have both.

Most big "pro" studios have mixers because the mixers that they have are expensive (close to, if not over 6 figures, sometimes 7), high-quality, and sound great. It's also a good way to get a lot of excellent mic preamps and EQs for a (comparatively) low price. They also will have fairly comprehensive routing capabilities. Many home studios don't have the need for tons of channel strips and preamps, they don't have the room, and they don't want to take on the costs necessary for maintaining the mixer.

I personally take a hybrid approach where I track through a mixer to a 24-channel hard disk recorder, and then dump the files from the recorder into my iMac for mixing in Logic. I use the mixer for monitoring the mix from Logic (and plan on getting an Apogee DAC soon). Once I have some money for some sort of interface with ADAT optical outs, I'll be able to send stems out from Logic to mix down through the board, using it as a summing buss, more or less.
 
Thanks for the replies. I thought I had read through Tweak's guide but I must have missed that page.

Adam, when routing to your harddisk recorder from your mixer what sort of connection are you using? ADAT?

EDIT: Also when bussing with a mixer, does this compromise the ability to have totally seperate tracks for each channel strip on the mixer? Are there disadvantages from just using direct outs? In fact is it just easier to use a mixer with a built in interface (Yamaha n8/n12 for example)?
 
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My recorder does have 24 channels of ADAT optical in (its an Alesis HD24), but since I'm using its built-in analog-to-digital convertors, I'm just using a 16-channel TRS-TRS snake to go from the direct outputs of my 16 channel strips that have mic preamps into the first 16 inputs on the recorder. I will probably eventually have the 16 direct outs and the 8 busses wired to a patchbay with the patchbay's outputs going to the 24 inputs of the Alesis.

The bussing thing depends on you. My old mixer had no direct outs on the channels, but did have 8 busses. In some instances I would route a single channel to a buss (like an overhead mic). Sometimes I would route a few mics to a single buss (top and bottom snare mics to a single track on the recorder). Other times it would be several mics to a stereo pair of busses (high and low rack toms and floor tom routed to a stereo pair of busses and panned L, C, and R, respectively). It depends on your preferences, what your sources are, and what other resources you have available (ie, if you have other external preamps, then you don't need to be quite as frugal if your only available outs from the board are busses).
 
dremits said:
Thanks. Sorry but by channel strips, do you mean on a mixer?
Click to expand...
Yes, on the mixer... that's where "channel strips" got thier name. The old analog consoles had individual channel strips that could be pulled out in one piece, for service, or too easily customize the layout or routing on the desk. These were regularly used as stand alones by people who wanted the big console sound, for a fraction of the price.
 
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