Lots of hardware to connect to DAW - few soundcard in and outputs
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thecontrolcentre thecontrolcentre https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=76240 - KVRAF
- 35190 posts since 27 Jul, 2005 from the wilds of wanny
Mixer makes more sense to me too. I like having gain, eq and level controls as well as aux sends. YMMV
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- KVRAF
- 7796 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
Personally, like I said I USED to use a line mixer. (I actually still have them - 3).
However, I did use them more like a patch-bay with separate attenuates.
Mixers in general, have a tendency to color the sound slightly. Line mixers are known for being more transparent. Patch-bays, of course, are the best in transparency. And if you need to reroute things constantly, it is the best way to go. The line mixers made my life simpler at the time is all. Now they just take up rack space (but honestly, so would a patch-bay now).
However, I did use them more like a patch-bay with separate attenuates.
Mixers in general, have a tendency to color the sound slightly. Line mixers are known for being more transparent. Patch-bays, of course, are the best in transparency. And if you need to reroute things constantly, it is the best way to go. The line mixers made my life simpler at the time is all. Now they just take up rack space (but honestly, so would a patch-bay now).
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- something special
- 8571 posts since 16 Mar, 2002 from Birmingham, Alabama
I'm using a mixer; but what I really want is a patchbay. As said, mixers add their own color and I'd rather avoid that.
A 25 yr old mixer can be rather noisy!
A 25 yr old mixer can be rather noisy!
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Threshold Productions Threshold Productions https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=25496 - KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 22 posts since 14 May, 2004 from Sweden
I forgot to mention that my "studio" space is very limited (my bedroom) and got no room for a mixer 
Threshold Productions | linktr.ee/thresholdproductions.se
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- KVRAF
- 7796 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
Me neither, my line mixers are in the rack though. So they each only take up 1 rack space.Threshold Productions wrote:I forgot to mention that my "studio" space is very limited (my bedroom) and got no room for a mixer
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- KVRAF
- 3170 posts since 13 Jun, 2004
what are people's thoughts on the fostex 2016? has front input jacks, and
RCAs at the back. 2 sends and can be used 16:2 or 2x 8:2
(signal to noise on an 80s device?)
RCAs at the back. 2 sends and can be used 16:2 or 2x 8:2
(signal to noise on an 80s device?)
Last edited by mztk on Tue Aug 26, 2014 9:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Threshold Productions Threshold Productions https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=25496
- KVRer
- Topic Starter
- 22 posts since 14 May, 2004 from Sweden
That's a good solutionBBFG# wrote:Me neither, my line mixers are in the rack though. So they each only take up 1 rack space.Threshold Productions wrote:I forgot to mention that my "studio" space is very limited (my bedroom) and got no room for a mixer
Threshold Productions | linktr.ee/thresholdproductions.se
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- KVRAF
- 1724 posts since 31 Dec, 2004 from betwixt
Yet another +1 for mixer. There can never be enough knobs, sliders, ins and outs and patch cables involved in making music. My God it's rapturous to caress audio gear.
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- KVRAF
- 3080 posts since 17 Apr, 2005 from S.E. TN
I like mixer because it works even if the puter is turned off.
When moving to a "hopefully ergonomic" small setup, after leaving fallow the big home studio some years, initially racked up an old mackie 1604 16 ch mixer, an old tiny rackable carvin 16 ch mixer, and a couple of patch bays.
But the mackie had developed a low level hum, didn't want to bother fixing it, so gave it away and am just using the old tiny carvin. For dealing with line level signals, recreational use, I never notice objectionable noise from the little thing. In order to notice mixer hiss, it must be cranked to levels where music would be painful when you click the play button.
Some mixers are nasty and noisy of course. Tis odd how different equipment gets good or bad reputation. Some years ago when mackie was the fair-haired new kid on the block, and I got the mackie mixer (the little carvin came later to allow more synths to be connected)-- I studied the schematic of an old 16 ch peavey (considered trash by fashionable people) compared to the mackie. Opened em up and studied the innards. The peavey design was at least as well done as the mackie, the boards were just as clean, and the specs of the peavey opamps were slightly better than the mackie. The opamps in the peavey were the same low noise part ubiquitous in studio mixers costing many thousands of dollars at the time. I couldn't buy a current model peavey small mixer, because even if they sound fabulous, they are so ugly it makes yer eyes hurt to look at them. Maybe they hired the designer responsible for 1950-1970 era Rambler and Saab automobiles!
Am not saying that 1990's era peavey mixer would be "the same thing" as an expensive console. Not as many busses and features. But for what it could do, it seemed to do it very well. Its the same with my tiny carvin. Well built, reasonably quiet and clean, uses the same opamps the "deluxe mixers" were using at the time.
Brand loyalty has its limits of course, because a company can make a great product one year and follow up with a dog the next year. Have to either buy with fingers crossed or annoy the music store by toting in test equipment to evaluate yer next purchase.
After giving away the mackie, thinking I needed 32 channels, looked at carvin's latest offerings. Maybe they are as good or better today, and the price is good, but their smallest 16 ch mixer is too big for my convenience. Perhaps that makes it more ergonomic for the typical customer, but their current small mixer grew in depth by adding channel sliders wheras my old one uses channel volume knobs, and they added a couple more knobs and switches to the channel strip.
It looks like mackie, yamaha, and perhaps others still make small format mixers with knobs rather than sliders for 8 or 12 channels, but looks like nobody currently makes a truly compact 16+ channel rack mountable mixer, that I've seen.
But luckily have discovered that 16 channels is sufficient for current needs, along with patch bays, so the pressure to find a new mixer is postponed indefinitely until the little old carvin catastrophically fails, or my gear lust overcomes my frugality.
When moving to a "hopefully ergonomic" small setup, after leaving fallow the big home studio some years, initially racked up an old mackie 1604 16 ch mixer, an old tiny rackable carvin 16 ch mixer, and a couple of patch bays.
But the mackie had developed a low level hum, didn't want to bother fixing it, so gave it away and am just using the old tiny carvin. For dealing with line level signals, recreational use, I never notice objectionable noise from the little thing. In order to notice mixer hiss, it must be cranked to levels where music would be painful when you click the play button.
Some mixers are nasty and noisy of course. Tis odd how different equipment gets good or bad reputation. Some years ago when mackie was the fair-haired new kid on the block, and I got the mackie mixer (the little carvin came later to allow more synths to be connected)-- I studied the schematic of an old 16 ch peavey (considered trash by fashionable people) compared to the mackie. Opened em up and studied the innards. The peavey design was at least as well done as the mackie, the boards were just as clean, and the specs of the peavey opamps were slightly better than the mackie. The opamps in the peavey were the same low noise part ubiquitous in studio mixers costing many thousands of dollars at the time. I couldn't buy a current model peavey small mixer, because even if they sound fabulous, they are so ugly it makes yer eyes hurt to look at them. Maybe they hired the designer responsible for 1950-1970 era Rambler and Saab automobiles!
Am not saying that 1990's era peavey mixer would be "the same thing" as an expensive console. Not as many busses and features. But for what it could do, it seemed to do it very well. Its the same with my tiny carvin. Well built, reasonably quiet and clean, uses the same opamps the "deluxe mixers" were using at the time.
Brand loyalty has its limits of course, because a company can make a great product one year and follow up with a dog the next year. Have to either buy with fingers crossed or annoy the music store by toting in test equipment to evaluate yer next purchase.
After giving away the mackie, thinking I needed 32 channels, looked at carvin's latest offerings. Maybe they are as good or better today, and the price is good, but their smallest 16 ch mixer is too big for my convenience. Perhaps that makes it more ergonomic for the typical customer, but their current small mixer grew in depth by adding channel sliders wheras my old one uses channel volume knobs, and they added a couple more knobs and switches to the channel strip.
It looks like mackie, yamaha, and perhaps others still make small format mixers with knobs rather than sliders for 8 or 12 channels, but looks like nobody currently makes a truly compact 16+ channel rack mountable mixer, that I've seen.
But luckily have discovered that 16 channels is sufficient for current needs, along with patch bays, so the pressure to find a new mixer is postponed indefinitely until the little old carvin catastrophically fails, or my gear lust overcomes my frugality.
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- KVRAF
- 2946 posts since 31 Jan, 2003 from Ghent, Belgium
I like my audio interface, because it also works when my puter is turned off.JCJR wrote:I like mixer because it works even if the puter is turned off.
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- KVRAF
- 16398 posts since 22 Nov, 2000 from Southern California
FWIW 1, a 16 input Tascam US-1800 is only $219, about the total price of a cheap line mixer and patch bay yet probably more useful for the average KVR member.
FWIW 2, our studio has a 48 point patch bay and a 20 input mixer. The patch bay is really only used for elegantly repatching things when we've made some equipment changes or when we are trying to isolate issues. The mixer does most of the work.
FWIW 2, our studio has a 48 point patch bay and a 20 input mixer. The patch bay is really only used for elegantly repatching things when we've made some equipment changes or when we are trying to isolate issues. The mixer does most of the work.
