Studio signal path???

[Drooski]

Currently my home studio consists of the following signal path

mic>firewire interface>DAW

The interface is saffire pro 40, so the mic pres being used to amplify the mic signal are the ones on the interface. Lets say I wanted to break away from the mixer-less studio.

I'm interested in the Behringer Eurodesk SX2442FX. How would my signal flow work in this setup? I assume I'd plug the mics into the mixer, but how do I get the signal from the mixer into my DAW? Would I plug the mics into the mixer and then run the mixer outs into my interface? How would this work considering that the mixer and my interface both have preamps? Would I use the preamps on the interface or the board? Also, would I plug my monitors into the main outs on the interface or onto the board? Furthermore, do I really need a mixer at all? How will it add to my abilities to manipulate the signal?

I've been mixing inside the box for years, but every professional studio I've ever been to has a massive mixing board, and I assume it's there for more than just aesthetics. I really don't feel that I need a mixing board because I've been getting along fine without one, but it sure does make a home studio look "legit", and it would allow me to mix my tracks with a physical board, rather than clicking around with the mouse, which is imo a better input, but are those the only advantages?

Thanks in advance to anyone who can clarify this for me

 

[Steenamaroo]

Hey there.

The simple answer is that you can use an interface with microphone level inputs (as you are)
or
Use an interface with line level inputs only and feed those line inputs from direct outputs on a mixer.

The latter way means each channel on the mixer has a preamp, and a line output fed straight into your DAW.
I only glanced but it doesn't look like the Behry has direct outs. You can jig around it using the insert points, but at this stage it's easier to find a mixer with direct outs instead.

As an example of a line-input-only interface, look at the echo audiofire range.



Just a note, many people will say there's little or no point using a mixer for the sake of it, or because you think you should.
A low quality mixer is likely to do more harm to the signal path and defeat the purpose.

I'd advocate the use of a mixer if.....
The mixer preamps are fantastic quality,
patching outboard hardware is desirable/essential,
You're tracking to an analog medium,
or you're familiar with, or prefer, the 'live mixing' workflow.

I don't mean it in the rude way, but if you're asking "Do I really need a mixer at all", then I reckon the answer is no.


Just a comment on the second half of your post.
A lot of studios will have analog mixers, but many will just have control surfaces which look like mixers.
Maybe you know already, but a straight-up control surface is just a big mouse/keyboard. It doesn't do any audio processing at all.
While something like Digi C24 does have preamps, it's not an interface or an audio mixer. It's a control surface.

The places that have these massive analog mixers probably have consoles of outstanding audio quality with automation built in and all the rest of it. They may even have DAW control features built in; There are all sorts of combos available.