what is a mixer?
- Thread starter LUTH
- Start date
No, that's not what you do with a mixer. Most 4-track recorders (or 8 or 16 track) have in built mixer sections. You use these to mix your tracks on the 4-track machine. Separate mixers are just used for routing multiple instruments (or one instrument at a time if you're a lone recordist) either in a live or recording situation. i.e. you plug mics., guitars etc. into the mixer and route them through it to a PA or recorder. Hope that makes sense
Roel
That SMART guy.
*PEEP* Wrong!
Seperate mixers are also used in MIXING situations! Not all recording units have a builtin mixer. In fact, the better recorders don't have one. These are standalone expensive units. And you combine them with an even more expensive mixer...
The 4 tracks with built in (analog) mixers that I know, don't really have good mixer sections. But most of them do have an output for each track, so you can hook up a better mixer, with better EQ, insert compressors etc, more aux...
A mixer is just a thing with alot of inputs and alot of outputs, mainly used to get all the inputs on just 2 outputs, in a musical asjustable way. Now that was nicely explained, right?
Seperate mixers are also used in MIXING situations! Not all recording units have a builtin mixer. In fact, the better recorders don't have one. These are standalone expensive units. And you combine them with an even more expensive mixer...
The 4 tracks with built in (analog) mixers that I know, don't really have good mixer sections. But most of them do have an output for each track, so you can hook up a better mixer, with better EQ, insert compressors etc, more aux...
A mixer is just a thing with alot of inputs and alot of outputs, mainly used to get all the inputs on just 2 outputs, in a musical asjustable way. Now that was nicely explained, right?
dobro
Well-known member
Roel is *so* cool.
A mixer is a boxfull of electronics that you plug your mics into and then run cables from the mixer to your recorder. That's if you're recording.
A mixer is a boxfull of electronics that you use after you've recorded your tracks in a couple of possible ways:
1) Well, you can use it to mix down. You run the track you've recorded through the mixer, and adjust the level or EQ. Or, you stick an effects unit (like reverb) in there and use that to refine the sound of your song.
2) You use the mixer only to listen to what you've recorded. You do all your mixing down using software, and don't even *look* at the mixer. You snigger at the mixer. You chuckle in the general direction of the mixer in an independent, possibly superior, possibly even derogatory way. "Ha, ha! You mixer!" you say.
A mixer is a boxfull of electronics that you plug your mics into and then run cables from the mixer to your recorder. That's if you're recording.
A mixer is a boxfull of electronics that you use after you've recorded your tracks in a couple of possible ways:
1) Well, you can use it to mix down. You run the track you've recorded through the mixer, and adjust the level or EQ. Or, you stick an effects unit (like reverb) in there and use that to refine the sound of your song.
2) You use the mixer only to listen to what you've recorded. You do all your mixing down using software, and don't even *look* at the mixer. You snigger at the mixer. You chuckle in the general direction of the mixer in an independent, possibly superior, possibly even derogatory way. "Ha, ha! You mixer!" you say.
drstawl
Banned
One use of a mixer not mentioned is to get a bunch of microphone preamps cheaper than you could buy them separately in mono or stereo configurations.
Cables are cables. It's the ends and the holes they fit into that matter. Take a look at your mixer and your recorder and see what kind of holes (jacks) they have. The only time (pretty much) you'll actually need to use TRS 1/4" plugs would be to use the channel inserts.
But, like they say in old war movies, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
Cables are cables. It's the ends and the holes they fit into that matter. Take a look at your mixer and your recorder and see what kind of holes (jacks) they have. The only time (pretty much) you'll actually need to use TRS 1/4" plugs would be to use the channel inserts.
But, like they say in old war movies, "Smoke 'em if you got 'em."
harley96
New member
Depends on your multitrack recorder.Both my reel to reel and adat xt20 have rca ins and outs, and the adat also has a elco connection which I use.So,for the reel to reel I bought rca to 1/4" snakes and for the adat I have a elco snake.If your using a little portastudio and it has direct outs there probably 1/4" otherwise your L/R outs are probably rca.Just look at the back of it and be prepared to spend some cash on good quality cables!!!
dobro
Well-known member
"and what do i use to connest everything together, like the mixer to the track recorder, is it 1/4 jacks?"
Probably. Everybody here's right, but here's a summary of possible plug types:
1/4" plug
1/4" stereo/TRS plug
RCA plug
XLR plug
Check your mixer and recorder jacks to see what you need.
Probably. Everybody here's right, but here's a summary of possible plug types:
1/4" plug
1/4" stereo/TRS plug
RCA plug
XLR plug
Check your mixer and recorder jacks to see what you need.
just 2 confuse the russians...
+ the 1/4" plugs can be
.) unsymmetrical (tip, ring - a simple mono chord)
.) symmetrical (tip, ring, ring - looks like a stereo cable)
=> for everything with rca you take the unsymmetrical ones
=> for connecting 1/4" with XLR or 1/4" with 1/4" you better go for the symmetrical ones.
right dobro?
+ the 1/4" plugs can be
.) unsymmetrical (tip, ring - a simple mono chord)
.) symmetrical (tip, ring, ring - looks like a stereo cable)
=> for everything with rca you take the unsymmetrical ones
=> for connecting 1/4" with XLR or 1/4" with 1/4" you better go for the symmetrical ones.
right dobro?
One thing everyone has leftout so far is that the job of a basic mixer is combine sources into one output.
The simplest mixer will have two inputs and one output. But that isn't very usefull.
One of the more common uses for a mixer is in live sound. A mixer is used to combine the signels from the mics and feed them into an amp. Most PA amps have line level inputs and most mixers have line level outputs but mics have a very low output. So the first job of the mixer is to get the signel up to line level using the preamp. Next the mixer usually has some sort of eq so you can tweak the sound to make it sound better. Then you have a fader which lets you control the level of the signel that is mixed with the other signels coming into the mixer. Then the signels come together on a buss and from there it goes on to the output and into an amp.
The simplest mixer will have two inputs and one output. But that isn't very usefull.
One of the more common uses for a mixer is in live sound. A mixer is used to combine the signels from the mics and feed them into an amp. Most PA amps have line level inputs and most mixers have line level outputs but mics have a very low output. So the first job of the mixer is to get the signel up to line level using the preamp. Next the mixer usually has some sort of eq so you can tweak the sound to make it sound better. Then you have a fader which lets you control the level of the signel that is mixed with the other signels coming into the mixer. Then the signels come together on a buss and from there it goes on to the output and into an amp.