- ByMelvin Rijlaarsdam
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A lot of recording studios have a mixer set-up in their control room. You know, those things with tons of knobs and faders. Apart from looking pretty classy, what are the benefits of using a mixer in this day and age? ‘Why would I need a mixer in my studio?’
Back to the golden age
Let’s go back to the golden age of music. A time were recording studio’s recorded to tape as computers were nowhere to be found. Recording music was an expensive endeavor reserved for expensive recording facilities only.
Recording studio’s used big and clumsy analog mixing desks to mix down recording sessions to tape. The first 24 channel tape deck was released in 1968 so before that time all recordings needed to made on 8 channel tape recorders, which only the bigger recording studios could afford. Decisions had to be made on how to use this limited amount of available channels.
That is were mixers were used for. To reduce the amount of recorded channels into 8 tracks. Many analog mixers, therefore, have 8 bus channels. Stereo wasn’t a thing yet so 8 tracks provided enough flexibility at the time. Drums could be mixed down to one track, bass on another, just like keys, guitar, and vocals.
Back to today
Back to the present, we are gifted with analmost unlimited amount of tracks thanks to digital audio and modern computers.We’ve now got audio interfaces which allow us to convert a microphone signaldirectly to a file onto our hard drives. We can mix our recordings directly inour DAW’s. Because of virtual synthesizers and sample libraries we don’t evenneed to record anymore. So why would you ever need a mixer?
Well, if you are a music production nerd like me, you probably love the feel of real hardware synthesizers, effect processors, guitar pedals and real instruments. Especially with the resurgence of boutique synthesizers, people are now playing live with their instruments more than ever. If you want to control all this hardware you need a device that can manage it all in an organized way.
One central hub
That is where a mixer comes in. A mixing desk allows you to connect all kinds of equipment to one central hub. Every channel is clearly laid out in front of you with EQ on every channel and lots of routing options depending on the mixer you have.
Most mixers have aux sends which allow you to route audio to effect processors like a lexicon reverb unit, a chain of guitar pedals or a modular synthesizer system. Multiple audio sources and effect returns can be mixed together to a bus, which in turn can be send to the inputs of your audio interface.
Get committed
“But, why can’t I just use an audio interface in the first place?” Well, you could. The problem is that it’s really difficult to easily experiment with sound and to commit to your decisions. With a mixer, you could blend the dry output of a synthesizer with a chain of guitar effect pedals. Once you’re happy you can send it to a bus and record that sound. You’ve now committed to this sound and can’t change it later on which is actually a good thing. This prevents you from endlessly tweaking things in your DAW and saves you lots of time in the end.
No more latency
On top of that, you now have a way of monitoring all your hardware instruments latency-free! Ever tried to sing into a microphone and heard all kinds of phasing artifacts? That’s the comb filter effect resulting from your voice combined with a delayed recording of your voice. Monitoring in the analog domain will prevent this from happening.
Analog sauce
An analog mixer will also provide you with a certain sound. The preamps, EQ, summing and all other internal circuitry of the mixer add some randomness and coloring to your sound. This is a good addition to the otherwise sterile environment of a DAW. Maybe you’ve got a hardware compressor or EQ. You can now insert it into a group channel and send all your recordings trough that one compressor. You are now mixing like the recording studio’s back in the day used to do and by working this way you’ll notice that songs start to take shape a hell of a lot quicker.
When you are done with recording all your sounds, all you need to do is make a rough balance in your DAW and you are actually presented with a mix! There is not a lot you need to do because you took care of it all when recording.
Get creative
A mixer provides you with an intuitive way to control all the sound-making devices in your studio. Send midi notes to a synthesizer and you can automate effects during the recording process. You can create dub delays, distort the input preamps of your mixer and create feedback loops, which is really difficult to do in the digital domain.
You could even go back in time one step further and ditch the computer altogether. Get a cheap 2-track tape recorder or cassette deck and perform your music live. Now every piece you record is a once in a lifetime experience just like a live gig, you’ll never play like that ever again.
So, having a mixer is certainly a great addition to your studio if you work with hardware instruments and effects a lot. If you only record occasionally and work in the box most of the time you don’t need a mixer at all. Unless you want to add some analog flavor during the mixdown process of course.
Melvin Rijlaarsdam
Melvin Rijlaarsdam is a music producer and composer from the Netherlands. He produces and mixes music for artists and media like film and documentary.
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As an AI language model, I have a vast amount of knowledge on various topics, including music production and studio equipment. I can provide information and insights based on my understanding of the subject matter. However, it's important to note that I don't have personal experiences or opinions. Instead, I rely on the information available in search results to provide accurate and up-to-date information.
In the article you mentioned, the author discusses the benefits of using a mixer in a recording studio. Let's explore the concepts mentioned in the article and provide more information on each:
Benefits of Using a Mixer in a Recording Studio
The article highlights several benefits of using a mixer in a recording studio. Here are the key points:
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Historical Context: In the past, recording studios used analog mixing desks to mix down recording sessions to tape. Limited channel availability required mixers to reduce the number of recorded channels into a smaller number of tracks, typically 8 tracks .
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Central Hub: A mixer serves as a central hub that allows you to connect various equipment, such as hardware synthesizers, effect processors, guitar pedals, and real instruments. It provides a clear layout of every channel, with EQ on each channel and routing options. Most mixers have aux sends, which allow you to route audio to effect processors or other devices.
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Commitment to Sound: Using a mixer allows you to blend the dry output of a synthesizer with effect pedals or other processors. Once you're satisfied with the sound, you can send it to a bus and record it. This commitment to a specific sound prevents endless tweaking in a digital audio workstation (DAW) and saves time.
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Latency-Free Monitoring: Monitoring hardware instruments in the analog domain can prevent phasing artifacts and latency issues that may occur when monitoring through a DAW.
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Analog Sound: Analog mixers provide a certain sound character due to the preamps, EQ, summing, and internal circuitry. This adds randomness and coloring to the sound, which can be a desirable addition to the otherwise sterile environment of a DAW. Additionally, analog mixers allow you to insert hardware compressors or EQs into group channels, mimicking the mixing techniques used in traditional recording studios.
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Intuitive Control: A mixer provides an intuitive way to control all the sound-making devices in your studio. You can send MIDI notes to synthesizers and automate effects during the recording process. This level of control is often more challenging to achieve in the digital domain .
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Live Performance: Some musicians prefer to perform their music live without relying heavily on computers. In such cases, a mixer can be used as a central control hub for connecting instruments and effects, allowing for a more dynamic and spontaneous performance.
It's important to note that the need for a mixer depends on individual preferences, workflow, and the type of music production being done. If you primarily work with software instruments and effects within a DAW, a mixer may not be necessary. However, if you work extensively with hardware instruments and effects, a mixer can provide valuable functionality and control.
Let me know if there's anything specific you'd like to know more about or if you have any other questions!