Should I keep my mixer after all?

L

Lars-Erik Dahle

New member
I'm currently using a Fostex VM 200 digital mixer for monitoring. Since I'm looking into buying a Houston controller, I'm contemplating selling the mixer and going completely soft.

One question for you guys: Is there any clever way of controlling the volume of my main outputs (channels 1+2 of my Nuendo 8 I/O connected to a pair of BM6As) without a line mixer?

Is there a gadget for this? I'm thinking along the lines of a small box with two balanced inputs, one master knob/fader, maybe a mute (or on/off) button and two balanced outs? Any good ideas?


Lars-Erik Dahle
Dahle Multimedia
Oslo, Norway
 
I've been asking about just such a device for a long time now! Just a box with a fader is all we'd need right!?

Of course it would have to be of good quality, but it would be such a small device that it could be built well and not cost a fortune. This might be one of those fun DIY projects. I would also envision a mono switch and independent L/R faders.

Slackmaster 2000
 
Right!

There must be a lot of us out there, tearing their hair out over ultra-loud Windows system "sounds" and lack of control in non-ASIO applications (T-Racks, for example). The real question is: There must be a great demand, so why can't Mackie or RME or somebody build the box for us?

Independent L/R would be nice. And should the device be rack-mounted (optional?) or just a little box to keep next to the mouse?


Lars-Erik
 
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I would envision both...a unit that a person could throw a rack face plate onto if they desired, or just set it on their desk.

Now those little ultra tiny behringer mixers for $60 might work, I mean ultimately what we're describing here is a mixer... but.....*shiver*...

Then I think that some soundcard manufacturers do have solutions for this. I think the m-Audio Omni Studio might have this feature.

Right now I'm still using an integrated amplifier to drive my monitors, but when I upgrade to that halfer power amp, I'll need SOMETHING to control my volume...

Slackmaster 2000
 
API makes Line level amps for a few hundred per channel. You need to mount them in an API rack or sometimes they are available already racked in a stereo config.

I seem them on Ebay pretty regularly.
 
Is the amp stage actually necessary though? If the soundcard puts out a line level signal and the power amp takes a line level signal, then can't simple attenuation work? Talk to me!

Slackmaster 2000
 
First of all: Icky system sounds already switched well and truly off... Just making an example.

Now down to business: An amp stage would color the sound in one way or another, and I wouldn't be comfortable running my 8 I/O through a $50 Behringer thing to my $2k BM6As. That's beside the point anyway, the reason I bought Houston in the first place (I actually did buy it this afternoon) was to get rid of my mixer.

Like Slack pointed out, all i need is a (fairly high quality) fader or potmeter box or rack mounted device that can attenuate the sound coming from my PC. Guess it's bound to become a DIY project anyway.

I went down to the top studio gear retailer in Oslo to check with them if they knew about a gadget like that, and they said they had had requests for such a device, but they had not been able to find one.
 
What we're basically talking about is an attenuator.

It might be possible that adding resistance to the signal would have more of a negative impact on the sound than a well designed line amplifier, over the entire db range. I don't know for sure, but I do know I've always wondered what the hell line amplifiers were for.

Now this doesn't mean I'd want to put a noisy little behringer mixer in my monitor chain....but if a line amp is what we need, a line amp is what we need.

So that's the question, then. Line amp or resistor?

Slackmaster 2000
 
Lars, I'd be inclined to keep the mixer. I have a Tascam digital mixer and Cool Edit Pro, along with Syntillium's Red Rover controller. I could get along without the mixer, since I have a mic preamp with digital outs that'll plug into my soundcard, but the mixer is very useful when I want to dub a CD or cassette (or even reel-to-reel) recording into CEP. I recently read a review of the Houston and that should be a really good way to go if you want all "soft" with a mouse.
J
 
Thanks for the tip, J, although I have decided by now to sell the Fostex. Since I've got 16 channels of A/D and D/A courtesy of my 2 RME/Nuendo 8 I/O-boxes, + a Presonus DigiMax with 8 preamps and lightpipe, I have no use for any other functions on the mixer. I recorded through it for a while, but it only supports 20 bit, and the preamps sounded just too thin for my taste.

A couple of solutions have been brought to my attention, the Furman Sound SRM-80 (http://www.proaudioreview.com/par/july00/Furman-Web.shtml) and the Coleman Audio M3 (http://www.colemanaudio.com/m3.html). They both look like they could do the job, but they're both somewhat expensive.

My gut feeling tells me to go with the DIY approach, to make sure it turns out as transparent as possible.
 
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