Worth Getting a Mixer?

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Spizza85

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Hey All. Glad to be apart of this forum and learn more from you all. :)

Currently I use a Presonus Firestudio (firewire interface). Mainly record Acoustic Guitar, Vocals, Backing Vocals, Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar.
I use a USB Controller to record Keys (VST Intruments), as well as drum pads to lay down VST Drum Tracks.

I'd like to expand my home studio set up....

I've been offered to buy a Analog mixing 16 channel desk from a friend of mine... is it worth it? It's not by all means expensive.. but just don't wanna buy it just for it to sit there and not be used.
Will I benefit by using a mixing desk?

Am I better off spending money on Compressors, Noise gates, effects racks?

Also, Should I be investing in some good Tube Mic Preamps? The onboard preamps on the firestudio have been serving me well enough for the demos I've been recording, but as I said, would like to expand the home studio set up. :) Just seeing what's worth buying that would get used.


:)
 
Spizza85 said:
Hey All. Glad to be apart of this forum and learn more from you all. :)
Click to expand...

Welcome to the site.

Spizza85 said:
I've been offered to buy a Analog mixing 16 channel desk from a friend of mine... is it worth it?
Click to expand...

No

Spizza85 said:
Will I benefit by using a mixing desk?
Click to expand...

No

Spizza85 said:
Am I better off spending money on Compressors, Noise gates, effects racks?
Click to expand...

No

Spizza85 said:
Also, Should I be investing in some good Tube Mic Preamps?
Click to expand...

No

Okay, so now for the rest of the answers. If you have an interface, the mixer really doesn't add anything to your recording setup. Some might say to do a little EQ or compression before going into the computer, but it's really not necessary and potentially creates a problem for your mix later on. Ideally, for computer-based recording, bring everything into your computer raw. No EQ, compression, reverb, delay at all. Just the straight signal. At the recording stage, you don't really know how all your different tracks are going to fit together, so you don't know ahead of time what adjustments to make. There are people out there with enough experience to know, but the average home recording types do not.

So, to bring a raw signal into your computer, you just need the interface.

You can certainly benefit from buying external processors like compressors, EQ's, and effects processors, but you would buy those because you want the signature sound of a particular unit. But that goes back to the concept of altering the signal of a track before you hear it in context with the rest of the tracks, which is something you would want to avoid unless you really know what you're doing. For computer-based recording, it's money well spent on compressor plugs and other processing plugs. You can use those once the recording phase is done and you are ready to mix down.

Having said all that, there a few places in your recording/monitoring chain where you can significantly increase the quality of your recordings; mics, mic pres, monitors, the room you record in, and the room you mix in.

Mics need to fit your voice or instrument. It's kind of a crap shoot to just buy one off the internet. I know I've bought one or two I didn't like and sold them off. Mic pres can definitely improve your signal quality over the mic pres on your interface. But again, you do so looking for a particular sound. The mic pres in your interface are going to be pretty transparent, so if your upgrading it's because you want to add a flavor to your recorded tracks. This is a good thing, but you gotta kind of know what you're getting. And don't get distracted by the "tube warmth" thing. You won't get that from a low priced tube pre. (And I've heard it said the "warmth" actually comes from a transformer and not a tube. But I'm not knowledgeable enough to tell the difference)

In my opinion, the best place you could spend money to improve your studio is with your mixing room and monitors, if you haven't already done so.
 
I must say ^^^That was a perfect response^^^.

Welcome to the site Spizza85! :)
 
I will also add that room treatment (done correctly) will be your best bang for the buck. Second would be monitors that are worthy of 'learning' in a room that is not giving you a false representation of what it is you are recording/mixing.

Your room acoustics and monitors you listen to are the most crucial to achieving a quality recording. Second only to performance and quality of tones/sounds going in.
 
Not to disagree with Chili in this case....but there's many uses for a mixer, even if you are recording ITB.
That said....if you have no idea what those uses are....then don't bother with a mixer! :D

I've always had and used a mixer in my recording setup...even now with a full DAW rig. I might add that in my case, I like to mix from the DAW through the mixer with my outboard gear....but that's just me.
My other use for it is during tracking, since it's the easiest way to set up cue mixes for headphones, and I can also quickly create rough mixes as I track, so I'm able to get a better sense of where the tracking is going.
Also, in my case, I track to tape, so the returns from the mutlitrack can easily be fed into the mixer for those cue mixes.

Anway....I'm NOT trying to talk you into the mixer....just wanted to give you a few reasons why they are used by some people. If you are primarily working in a DAW, you may not find much benefit from the mixer other than for cue mixes IF you do simultaneous multi-person, multi-track recording.
If it's mostly you, one track at a time....you don't need to worry about elaborate cue mixes.
 
To further corroborate (sp?) Miro's point, I was referencing a typical home recording setup. Miro's set up is far from typical and he gets good mileage out of his equipment. He is also one of those kind of guys who can run through outboard processors before tracking because he knows what he will be getting and how it will fit in the context of the song.

He is definitely not the typical home recording type!! :D
 
Chili said:
To further corroborate (sp?) Miro's point, I was referencing a typical home recording setup. Miro's set up is far from typical and he gets good mileage out of his equipment. He is also one of those kind of guys who can run through outboard processors before tracking because he knows what he will be getting and how it will fit in the context of the song.

He is definitely not the typical home recording type!! :D
Click to expand...

Miro's studio is what many of us aspire to have someday. If we are lucky. :)

That being said, Miro's comment almost complicated a simple question. Though, there are no easy answers.

When starting out, pay more attention to what is going in to any interface. The performance, the sound of the room any sound is recorded in, then the way you decide if that is good (monitors/speakers you listen to and learn what they tell you). Then make decisions as to how to move forward/spend your money. :)
 
Chili said:
He is definitely not the typical home recording type!! :D
Click to expand...

Wadda you trying to say there....?

;)


Yeah...I'm most certainly out on the fringes of home recording setups....which is why I usually validate some views by explaining how they apply to my non-typical rig.
It just grew out of old-school analog days....and then the damn thing just kept growing and growing. :D

Just to prove how nuts I am....I've been actually looking at a large format console to replace my current one. There's occasional opportunities to find them at just tiny fractions of their original cost now that there's so much ITB happening...as more studios move away from the OTB.
Not that the large format console is a real necessity for me, but I'm at a point where having the gear equally for the pleasure as it is for use.
I'm just enjoying myself continuously building a better studio....it's somewhat crazy, but also a lot of fun.
Why stop now.......... :p
 
miroslav said:
Wadda you trying to say there....?

;)


Yeah...I'm most certainly out on the fringes of home recording setups....which is why I usually validate some views by explaining how they apply to my non-typical rig.
It just grew out of old-school analog days....and then the damn thing just kept growing and growing. :D

Just to prove how nuts I am....I've been actually looking at a large format console to replace my current one. There's occasional opportunities to find them at just tiny fractions of their original cost now that there's so much ITB happening...as more studios move away from the OTB.
Not that the large format console is a real necessity for me, but I'm at a point where having the gear equally for the pleasure as it is for use.
I'm just enjoying myself continuously building a better studio....it's somewhat crazy, but also a lot of fun.
Why stop now.......... :p
Click to expand...

Gear whore! LOL! I'm jealous! :)
 
From one newb to another, Spizza...
Listen to everything already said here. Awesome advice!
Focus on learning to use the DAW, then start thinking about new gear.
 
Awesome.

Thanks for the replies. Has helped me out a lot.

One thing I do need to do is set up the current room for recording.

Currently occupying the Basement at home. (double brick, concrete flooring). Need to start reading on some room treatment.
 
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