Totally confused about mixing boards!

4

4PO

New member
I have Pro Tools 8 M-Powered and am working on building up my home studio. I'm in the market for a mixing board but I'm...well... that's it. I have no idea what I'm doing with this. Are there only certain boards that will work with my Pro Tools 8 M-Powered? I don't want to get something that I can't use.

Also, once I get a compatible mixing board, how do you I connect that with my Fast Track Pro? Do I even need the Fast Track Pro? ARGH! I'm getting frustrated just asking lol.

I guess basically I'm looking for a little more control (pre amp compression, for example) with my recording. Plus, I think it's time for me to learn how to use a board.
 
4PO said:
I have Pro Tools 8 M-Powered and am working on building up my home studio. I'm in the market for a mixing board but I'm...well... that's it. I have no idea what I'm doing with this. Are there only certain boards that will work with my Pro Tools 8 M-Powered? I don't want to get something that I can't use.

Also, once I get a compatible mixing board, how do you I connect that with my Fast Track Pro? Do I even need the Fast Track Pro? ARGH! I'm getting frustrated just asking lol.

I guess basically I'm looking for a little more control (pre amp compression, for example) with my recording. Plus, I think it's time for me to learn how to use a board.
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It sounds to me like you need to do a bit of reading first...it'd help you out a lot!

http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm is a good place to start!:)
 
guitaristic said:
It sounds to me like you need to do a bit of reading first...it'd help you out a lot!

http://www.tweakheadz.com/guide.htm is a good place to start!:)
Click to expand...

Wow. That actually helped a lot. Thanks man.

So... let me see how well I got this then. From what I understand I can go from my mic through the mixer THEN to my m-audio fast track- THEN to the computer. So, then the mixer I get doesn't matter. But if I get a control surface, then that DOES raise compatibility issues with my DAW?

I think the lightbulb is starting to flicker. Guess my comfusion was between mixers and control surfaces.
 
Pro Tools only works with M-Audio or Digidesign interfaces, so if you stick with Pro Tools, yes you will run into problems if you try to use a different audio interface.

Why do you think you need a mixer? You do realize you can plug directly into your Fast Track right? Cut out the middle man :)
 
Yeah, skip the mixer unless you need it for some reason, like separate monitor mixes. You don't need a control surface either.
 
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What they said. Sure, you can plug the main outs of a mixer into your interface, and make a bunch of tracks into 2 tracks. After that, those 2 tracks are what they are, and you can't separate them. First, you need to tell us what you are trying to do, and then we'll tell you if a mixer will do it. Usually a mixer is something you add to a system that is already pretty advanced. It sounds to me like you need an interface with more channels, not a mixer.-Richie
 
X2 on everything mentioned above, It's much easier to track everything by plugging directly in/micing an amp/what have you, and using your software mixer (mixer in protools) and mix your song there.

Tyler
 
I'm doing vocals for hip hop and r&b primarily. I was thinking that I could get a little more control over my vocals with a mixer. And I was thinking that having a mixer or a control surface would give me more help with mixing all my instruments and all my vocals tracks together. I thought I was limiting myself without a mixer/control surface.

So you guys are suggesting that my m-audio fast track pro, condenser mic (with reflexion filter :D), and Pro Tools mixer/plugins is all I need to get the semi-professional sound I desire?
 
Adding a mixer doesn't improve your sound, it degrades it, by running it through a bunch of cheap preamps before it gets into the digital domain. A controller doesn't generally do that, it's just a different way of telling the computer what to do, and if you like manually manipulating faders (I do), it's basically OK. The need for a mixer arises when you have more channels than you have inputs, like when you want to send 8 drum mics to your 2 channel interface. Then you have to "pre-mix" the drums. If you decide later the snare is too loud, or you want to EQ the overhads, you can't, so either you get it right going in, or you are screwed.

Some digital mixers can actually send multiple individual tracks to the computer by USB, but consider this- Take the price of the mixer, subtract the approximate cost of the chassis, faders, pots, switches, and the A-D convertor, etc. Divide the remaining figure by the number of channels. Then ask yourself, "How much did each preamp in this sucker cost, and what kind of preamp would I expect to buy for that price per channel? If you start with a Mackie or a Yamaha, the price will be about $3.00 per channel. With a Behringer, half of that, give or take.

If what you want is good sound, the key is- less is more. The smaller number of signals you can record simultaneously, the better tha components in the signal chain can be, at any given price point. Of course, there are big honkin' mixers with many channels of *real* preamps in them, and these badass mixing consoles are the heart and soul of a professional analog studio, and they cost *thousands* of dollars. $1200 per channel would not be unusual. I don't thing that's what you meant when you were talking about a mixer. A big mucking mixer will not make your sound better, although it does impress teenage girls and clueless customers, so it's good for something, at least.-Richie
 
4PO said:
So you guys are suggesting that my m-audio fast track pro, condenser mic (with reflexion filter :D), and Pro Tools mixer/plugins is all I need to get the semi-professional sound I desire?
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No.

You also a need a semi-professional sound to put into that microphone, interface and DAW :)
 
Some amount of experience and knowledge of tracking and mixing probably wouldn't go amiss either. :)

It's not all about the gear.
 
Word. You guys definitely saved me a bunch of money and heartache. I guess what I really should make sure I have is the right microphone and a good enough location to record. But, if I run out of things to spend my money on then I might buy a control interface to impress the groupies :P

Thanks everyone!
 
4PO said:
Word. You guys definitely saved me a bunch of money and heartache. I guess what I really should make sure I have is the right microphone and a good enough location to record. But, if I run out of things to spend my money on then I might buy a control interface to impress the groupies :P

Thanks everyone!
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Sweeeeet. I think this thread is a perfect example as to why the newbie forum exist and what it should be like.

Well done, everyone. :D
(insert big gay group hug)
 
4PO said:
Word. You guys definitely saved me a bunch of money and heartache. I guess what I really should make sure I have is the right microphone and a good enough location to record. But, if I run out of things to spend my money on then I might buy a control interface to impress the groupies :P

Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...

Well...
you've GOT to have monitors
you've GOT to have a treated room for mixing
you've got to have closed back headphones
you've GOT to have great plug-ins.
you've GOT to have an outstanding mic pre-amp.

So, there is plenty to spend your money on.

Ha, just kidding (except for the room and the monitors, you really do need those).

I truly think a control surface is a waste of money also. People are so brainwashed to believe they have to have faders in their hands to mix. It's liimiting, today's DAW's are very powerful, so do it all inside the box. Learn about your automation features. One of the best attributes of any DAW.

And if you need something to spend your money, I've got some ideas where you can send it. :D
 
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