Will a mixer degrade sound quality?

  • Thread starter Thread starter LoganCoykendall
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LoganCoykendall

New member
Will

Mic -> Mixer -> Interface -> Computer

Have poorer audio quality than

Mic -> Interface -> Computer ?

I have:
M-Audio FireWire Solo audio interface
Behringer 1202fx mixer
Rode Nt2-A LDC
2x Rode NT5 SDCs
 
I know ;_; It got some good reviews though. And I could afford it and nothing better at the time.
 
Isn't there a micpre and headphone out on your interface?
 
Yes, but the interface has 1 XLR input and I need more than that. ;_; The mixer has 4.
 
Possibly. Depends on the mixer. Just test it out yourself!
 
LoganCoykendall said:
I need to record acoustic guitar with 2 mics.
Click to expand...

You'd be better off recording acoustic guitar with only one mic if you won't be able to pan the mics apart after you record. If you aren't recording something super intricate or anything, try recording the same part twice with only one mic and then pan the two resulting tracks apart. Depending on the arrangement, I sometimes prefer this one mic method over a two mic method because it adds a different type of depth to the recording.
 
Is it not ideal to pan the tracks left and right directly from the mixer? ;_; ;_;
If not, I'm open to suggestions for a good interface with 4 XLR inputs. Under $1000, I suppose.
 
LoganCoykendall said:
Is it not ideal to pan the tracks left and right directly from the mixer?.
Click to expand...
If you only have one input on your interface, then panning in the mixer won't accomplish anything. You're still going to end up with a mono signal.
 
Non on on on ono, the interface has one XLR input. It has various other inputs on the back. When I record guitar into the mixer and then into the interface, I get a stereo signal.
 
LoganCoykendall said:
Non on on on ono, the interface has one XLR input. It has various other inputs on the back. When I record guitar into the mixer and then into the interface, I get a stereo signal.
Click to expand...

Okay, never mind then. I guess the mixer would work fine if you used it as a preamp for the line inputs on the back like you said.

Go ahead and try your setup with the mixer. I'm sure the quality won't be too bad.
 
LoganCoykendall said:
Non on on on ono, the interface has one XLR input. It has various other inputs on the back. When I record guitar into the mixer and then into the interface, I get a stereo signal.
Click to expand...

No you don't....if the interface has a single input, it's a MONO signal.

The fact that the DAW software records a "stereo" track, is just a STUPID default standard that a lot of DAWs use. You can tell the DAW to record a mono or stereo track, but most default to stereo. They call everything a "stereo" signal...but in reality, it's a MONO signal panned dead-center in the stereo image if it comes in on a single inpout.

It confuses a lot of folks and they see the word "stereo", so they think they have a stereo pair. To record stereo, you need to start and *maintain* a stereo pair throughout. The fact that you bring your two mics to a single input at the interface breaks that, and you have only a mono signal in the DAW.
 
When I record, I get 2 separate recordings of the same thing, panned left and right, is that not what stereo is?
 
They are connected via two 1/4' cables from "Ctrl Room Out" on the mixer to "Unbalanced Line Inputs" on the interface.
 
Yes...I just looked at the manual.
If you are using the two unbalanced line inputs on the back...then you are correct.
I misunderstood and thought you were using the front panel inputs, which one is for mic and the other for line.

That said...my comments about the default stereo tracking in most DAWs still stands, and many folks do get confused by that thinking it's a stereo track.
 
mjbphotos said:
Tascam US 800 .... ;) Why don't people pay attention?!
Click to expand...

LOL! I know right? :D

That is why I made my testing thread a sticky. Get fellow members of our forum up and running, with little cost. Seems there isn't much time left to get the bargain tho....
 
Just use the mixer as a preamp for the Solo's Input 2 and use the Solo's XLR Input 1 in for the other mic. The at least one mic avoids the mixer.
 
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