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[Brian Gowing]

I'm going to apologize in advance for probably the most elementary of questions but I haven't been able to find the answer so I'm hoping that the experts here can help point me in the right direction.

I've been doing live sound for about 5 years, mainly churches. I've built myself a 500 sq. ft. recording studio at my house. I understand the signal chain process and the digital recording aspect of things.

But I'm confused by seeing that there are studios that use analog mixing boards to go into digital recordings. My assumption would be that if you're recording to individual tracks just going into the computer with a Firewire interface like a Firepod would give you the individual channel inputs into the software to enable you to mix on the computer after the fact.

So the questions are (assuming no computer generated MIDI instruments and say a typical 5 piece band consisting of drums, acoustic guitar, bass, electric, and vocals):

1. What is the advantage of using an analog mixer to bring the input into the computer?
2. If using an analog mixer does the mixing of the music happen prior to being brought into the computer (mixdown to stereo track?).
3. If using an analog mixer and bringing individual channels into the computer do you use the direct outs from each channel on the mixer to go into something like a Firepod or other AD-DA converter?
4. If you brought the individual tracks into the computer directly through a Firepod then you would do the mixing through a DAW correct? Which would be after the fact not during the recording?

Again I'm sorry if these are pretty rudimentary questions. I appreciate your help.

[jetbase]

Hi Brian,

It all depends on the mixer, but for ease lets just assume it's a good one designed for recording with appropriate routing capabilities.

1. The advantage is it's convenient & easy to use with all the controls at your fingertips. I'm guessing most people (or at least me) choose to use an analogue mixer for the sound as well as the flexibility.
2. Only if you want it to. Not usually. It also depends how many channels of AD conversion you have as to how much mixing you do, if any, before going into the computer.
3. Either direct outs or bus outs.
4. If you had enough DA converters to route the tracks back through the mixer you could mix analogue, or you could choose to mix in the computer.


Just basic answers, but I hope they help. Welcome to the forum.

Cheers,
Glenn

[wwittman]

to amplify a bit on #1

an analogue mixing desk is likely (if well chosen) to have superior mic preamps and EQ than your firewire interface or plug-in EQ.

So the primary reason would be sound.

If you're happy with the Firepod, and you don't need more than its 8 mic inputs, then you really DON'T 'need' an actual desk.
But of course you don't have EQ on your firepod.

And many of us believe in getting the sound right on the way IN, rather than leaving it for later or to be tweaked in the digital domain.

the choice to premix mics to a single track is stylistic... a matter of personal preference (question #2).
I generally record some things as 'stereo' tracks... so i might mix 3 mics on a piano to Piano Left and Piano Right as they go into the recorder.
Same thing with multiple tom mics, if i use them.
But many people would just put each mic to its own track and mix later, either inside the computer or at the desk during mixing.

hope this helps...

[Version]

1. What is the advantage of using an analog mixer to bring the input into the computer?

Routing capabilities:
do you need to make headphone mixes? Aux sends are good for that in an all live environment, maybe a reverb as well.

You could do this inside the compute rby using your firepod's outputs, but the mixer has not latency and easy knobs to grab. Think: headphone mix ca need lots of tactical attention.

2. If using an analog mixer does the mixing of the music happen prior to being brought into the computer (mixdown to stereo track?).

This can be done if you are confident in your listening environment (speakers you are *really* accustomed to or headphones you are *really* accustomed to.

3. If using an analog mixer and bringing individual channels into the computer do you use the direct outs from each channel on the mixer to go into something like a Firepod or other AD-DA converter?

a mixer can be a good gain staging and eqing environment. If you don't have a mixer that is bring a particular sonic improvement into the mix, just make sure that you use the mixer's headroom wisely and give a signal to the firebod that is under -6


4. If you brought the individual tracks into the computer directly through a Firepod then you would do the mixing through a DAW correct? Which would be after the fact not during the recording?

Try all these methods and see how you like to work. I prefer an analog mixer or a really well equipped controller that allows me to not use my eyes and really focus on my ears.

good luck.

[Brian Gowing]

Thank you all for your answers! I've always likes an analog mixer and was going in the direction of saving up money to purchase a good one to use in the studio instead of just using the Firepod but just wasn't sure how to use it with the computer.

So if I understand things right, using a mixer gives more flexibility, probably better pre-amps, no latency, and probably stuff that I like when I do live sound with one.

So do you use the analog mixer then even if you're doing a track at a time? What brand/models of ad-da converters are used to get the inputs from the mixer to the computer? And (final question hopefully )if you are doing track at a time are you using the mixer to bring in the already recorded tracks back into the mixer from the computer and using the mixer almost as a work surface?

Thanks a lot. This forum has been a big help to me learning a lot of tips and tricks from some experts in the field. I've been lurking for about a year reading through all the posts and am glad to be here!

[Version]

Brian Gowing wrote on Tue, 19 December 2006 08:30

So if I understand things right, using a mixer gives more flexibility, probably better pre-amps, no latency, and probably stuff that I like when I do live sound with one.

Compare the sound of the two pre amps and judge for yourself which you think sounds better.

Quote:

if you are doing track at a time are you using the mixer to bring in the already recorded tracks back into the mixer from the computer and using the mixer almost as a work surface?

Yes, depending on the configuration of the current environment I am recording in, I prefer to have everything come back up on the mixer. This happens rarely these days with the proliferation of decent control surfaces (for me at least).

Quote:

I've been lurking for about a year reading through all the posts and am glad to be here!

glad you piped up. As for AD/DA stuff, just start searching through the different forums here, I'm sure you will get the Lion's share of conversations and opinions on brands.