Dumb question - are mixing boards eve...

Dumb question - are mixing boards even needed anymore?

Posted on Aug 26, 2008 02:13 pm
Indellable
Music Afficionado
Member Since: Aug 12, 2008

Quick background on my setup:
Primarily record vocals and some digital and analog instruments. Right now I am running Digital Performer 5 (soon to be Pro Tools) with a Focusrite Saffire soundcard and an analog 1Mackie 6 channel mixing board. I also have a 48pt patchbay so that I can patch in compression from my 2 compressors on any instrument before or after it hits the board (the mic goes through a dedicated Focsrite voicemaster platinum). I dont use the analog Mackie board for anything but inputs for the digital instrments (Korg Triton, Yamaha Motif, MPC 2000, MPC 1000, etc.) Meaning, once I set the levels of the inputs, I dont touch the board at all - I use the one on DP5. My (probably dumb) question is: If all of these recording applications have built in digital mixing boards do you even need a physical one anymore? Sure would love to save on space but I cant say that I have ever been to a studio that doesnt have a big board so there is probably a real simple part of the equation that I am missing. Is is it just that people like the tangible access of a physical board? Or is there something else? Thanks.

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dbmasters
Administrator
Since: Apr 03, 2002

Aug 26, 2008 02:19 pm

No, they aren't if you are a one man band, simply recording yourself over yourself, or you have a multiple input card and decent outboard gear before the cards input...

I got rid of my mixer a few months back, never needed it since...

Some folks do, it depends on your set up.

CynicEidolon
I tune down down...
Member
Since: Jun 11, 2007

Aug 27, 2008 08:33 pm

I don't think they are NEEDED anymore. But, I'd love to have an analog mixing console.(And one is on the way.) Anymore, they are just for the sound and accessibility not the necessity.

Geoff
SM7b the Chuck Noris of Mic's
Contributor
Since: Jun 20, 2002

Aug 28, 2008 02:21 pm

if you have good preamps and/or built in pre's on you sound card then a mixer isn't really needed. I've had several for this and that in the studio but more for doing larger pojects. I use one still because my mixer has direct outs on all of it's channel and i can hook them up direct with my sound card that doesn't have mic pre's . but onece it's in the box i use the software mixer (with a controller) and that's it.