Home Recording Hub HeaderTop
Home Recording Hub Header Middle
Home Recording Hub Header Bottom
Home Recording Hub Left Border

Untitled Document

Home Recording Hub Navigation
Home Page
Contact Us
Blog
Build Your Studio
Interface
Recording Software
Computer Audio
Microphones
Mixing Board
Audio Monitors
Studio Accessories
MIDI Recording
 
training sessions
Apple Garageband
 

 

presonus studiolive


Mackie Onyx


Allen and Heath ZED

Mixing Board

Does size matter?
That depends if you have one or not...
a mixing board that is.
by Ron Tongue

You may not even need a mixing board with all the options in today's home recording studio configurations. Just like other parts of your home recording studio, the mixing console serves two basic functions.

  1. An object to pass your audio tracks through to your recording device (computer, hard disk recorder, FireWire interface...).

  2. A mechanism for mixing your prerecorded tracks.

What audio mixing board
do you recommend?

Tell us all about it here!


 

Before I get into too much detail, let's first determine if you even need a mixing console. One way to determine this is by deciding how many tracks of audio you would like to be able to record simultaneously in your home recording studio.

If you answered 2 - 4 tracks, then you may very well not even need a mixing console. You could purchase a FireWire interface with 2 - 4 preamps and record, mix, and master directly on your computer. But if you answered more than four, read on.

So you know you want the ability to record several tracks at once. What should you look for next? Preamps, inputs, and outputs.

Preamps

The preamp is probably the most important part of the mixing board. This is because the preamp takes the audio signal from your instrument or microphone and amplifies it to a recordable level (volume). Ideally your mixing console will have one preamp for every input or channel on the board.

To determine how many preamps are on a mixing board, simply count the number of gain or level knobs at the top of each channel strip.

Warning!! Cheap preamps add significant noise to your sound. Turn the level way up and you'll see what I mean.

Inputs

Hopefully, the number of inputs is the same as the number of preamps. Look for an XLR input AND a balanced ΒΌ inch input for each channel. You may also see and "insert" jack. This is for adding effects such as a compressor to individual tracks. We'll talk more about that later.

Outputs

Lastly check the various output options on the mixing console. For recording purposes, it's very handy to have a direct out on each channel.

If your mixing board does not have direct outs, you would need to either premix the audio and record to two tracks or use the sub channels. This defeats the purpose of multi-track recording.

Tip!! Make sure your mixing console has direct outs. You'll thank me for it later.


What audio mixing board
do you recommend?

Tell us all about it here!


I highly recommend taking a look at Mackie mixing consoles. For home recording studios, the Mackie Onyx is a perfect companion. It has excellent preamps, it's available in several different input sizes, and has direct outs for recording. To top it off, if you add the FireWire option, you can record directly to your computer and kill two birds with one stone!


A Detailed Overview of the Various Options
Found on many Mixing Boards

Let's take a closer look at the different sections of a mixing board and it's functions. Keep in mind, that there are tons of different models and designs. I'm going to go over the most common functions that are found on many recording consoles. I'll be referencing the Mackie 8 Bus console since it's what I'm currently using in my home studio.

Part 1 - Channel Inputs

Part 2 - The Channel Strip

Part 3 - The Master Section

Part 4 - Master Section I/O



comments powered by Disqus


Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved Home Recording Hub, Marietta, GA


Tips Tricks and Tweaks Newsletter

Related Articles


A Detailed Overview of the Various Options Found on many Mixing Boards

Part 1 - Channel Inputs

Part 2 - The Channel Strip

Part 3 - The Master Section

Part 4 - Master Section I/O


Home Recording Hub Right Border
Home Recording Hub Lower Left Corner Home Recording Hub Bottom Home Recording Hub Lower Right Corner