How to Choose an Audio Mixer for Beginners

In case you’re a content material creator, the fitting audio mixer could make your life a lot simpler, particularly as you develop your setup. The excellent news is that discovering the fitting one for you comes all the way down to answering a couple of questions.

What Are You Utilizing the Mixer For?

Audio mixers are pretty easy: they take a number of audio alerts and mix them into fewer alerts, no less than sometimes. That stated, they range in lots of different methods, like what number of inputs and outputs have, plus different built-in options from primary equalization to audio results.

Associated

Why Do Podcasters Wear Headphones While Sitting Next To Each Other?

Ever surprise why podcasters put on large headsets once they’re virtually elbow to elbow? Spoiler: It’s not about fashion.

Whereas it may be temping to buy options you may use, it’s typically higher to concentrate on what you’ll be utilizing the mixer for many. For instance, when you’re recording a podcast, you’ll need a mixer with loads of microphone inputs, whereas this gained’t be vital when you’re primarily recording from synthesizers, for instance.

Selecting the Proper Variety of Inputs

For a lot of functions, a very powerful quantity in terms of a given audio mixer is the variety of inputs it handles. Producers don’t precisely exit of their strategy to cover this info, however they don’t make it as clear as they might.

For instance, most mixers labeled as “16-channel” are literally counting each the left and proper sides of a number of stereo channels to achieve that quantity. Technically, this reaches the said channel rely of the mixer, however this isn’t the identical as 16 full channels.

There isn’t a set N+1 rule to comply with for channel counts. As an alternative, you’ll have to rigorously examine the channels on the mixer you’re contemplating shopping for to be sure that it options the variety of inputs you want within the format you want.

One closing factor to remember is that purchasing one other mixer later is pricier than shopping for a barely greater one now. In case you’re undecided whether or not it’s possible you’ll want these additional channels, you seemingly gained’t remorse it.

Microphone vs. Line vs. Instrument Inputs

Whereas a mixer might have a given variety of inputs, the connections these inputs use are one other story. That is as or much more vital as the general variety of inputs.

Audio mixers sometimes settle for both 1/4-inch or XLR microphone connections. When you’ll discover the occasional mixer with an instrument-level enter for plugging in a guitar, that is sometimes a function extra usually present in audio interfaces than mixers.

Many consumer-level mixers function mixture jacks that allow you to plug in both 1/4-inch or XLR cables into the identical jack. This provides you flexibility each now by way of what you possibly can join and later by way of how you should use your mixer.

How Many Outputs Do You Want?

Selecting the variety of inputs you want for a mixer is normally a reasonably easy course of: Plugging in six microphones means you want six inputs. Deciding what number of outputs you require could be simply as simple, or extra daunting!

For a lot of functions, if all you’re on the lookout for is stereo output, the overwhelming majority of mixers obtainable have all of the output capabilities you want. In case you’re shopping for your first audio mixer, that is in all probability all you should know.

That stated, one different function constructed into many trendy mixers is the flexibility to output stereo audio to a digital audio workstation (DAW) in your pc. Not each mixer has this function, however many do, and whereas it gained’t substitute a devoted audio interface, it might be a helpful additional function.

Constructed-in Results

Relying on what you’re utilizing a mixer for, it’s possible you’ll be trying so as to add some easy results to your alerts. Whereas the built-in results you’ll discover on most mixers aren’t going to rival {hardware} models that engineers pay hundreds for, they’re nonetheless a lot efficient.

You gained’t discover each impact, however primary reverb, echos, and delay results are frequent on consumer-level mixers. You’ll even discover extra over-the-top results like AM radio and pitch-shifting results, relying on the mixer and the producer.

One factor that isn’t as frequent is extra sensible results like compression, seemingly as a result of that is an impact that works higher on a per-channel foundation. There are mixers with compression constructed into every channel, however they’re sometimes rather more costly than what we’re speaking about right here.

The Portability Issue

In case you consider the standard mixer in a recording studio, you’re seemingly considering of one thing that takes a group of individuals to maneuver from room to room, if it’s even attainable in any respect. Whereas it’s true that mixers could be large and cumbersome, they will also be mild and moveable.

Properly, no less than as moveable as one thing sometimes produced from metallic could be!

That’s yet one more factor to contemplate when serious about shopping for a mixer. Sure, it’s good to have as many inputs as it’s possible you’ll want some day, however it’s additionally helpful to have a mixer you possibly can toss in your backpack on the best way to a jam with some mates.

This largely comes all the way down to how you intend to make use of the mixer, however don’t low cost portability once you’re serious about how huge or small to go together with your mixer.

When To not Use an Audio Mixer

A mixer is not at all times the fitting software for the job. Most individuals shall be completely effective with a couple of USB microphones and DAW software program. You solely really want a mixer when it’s a must to combine quite a few audio sources on the identical time.

For instance, if you should mic up a drum package, or you’ve got 4 or 5 folks taking part in a podcast. So consider carefully about how a lot mixing you really want after which determine if a devoted mixer is de facto the most effective resolution.

Studying to make use of a mixer appropriately takes time, analysis, and observe. So you should be able to make that dedication earlier than making that buy!