- Hi, I'm Jordan from Kettner creative. In this video, we're going
to show you the differences and the similarities between
a standalone audio interface and an audio mixer that has
a built in audio interface. In order to do that, there's
about 10 different points that we're going to compare
all the way from price to whether or not things
have mute buttons, gain and everything in between. And we're going to talk about
five different applications. What are you actually
doing with this device and which type of device is better for that specific application? And then we're going to go through some frequently asked questions. And what do you do if you
want the best of both devices? So in this video here, we have
the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 audio interface. This is quite possibly the
most popular audio interface in the market. Then we have the SSL 2+ audio interface. This is my favorite
personal audio interface. I think it hits the point right
on for price versus value. Next, we have the Yamaha
MG10XU audio mixer with the built in audio interface. And we have the Mackie
ProFX10v3 audio mixer with a built in USB audio interface. Now, if you want to look up pricing for any one of these items in this video, we do have all kinds of links
down in the description below with all types of pricing,
specs, where you can buy them, et cetera. For each of these devices,
we also have a playlist. So if you want to go deep
on any one of these devices, please check out those playlists. We cover all types of different topics. So speaking about price,
it's important to know that inherently an audio
interface and an audio mixer you won't find one category
that's less expensive than another. It really does come down to the make model and quality of components
on that individual device. You can't say that all audio
interfaces are less expensive than all audio mixers. Both of them have a wide range of pricing and it is a sliding scale. So keep that in mind. The same thing goes for
the USB outputs and inputs on these devices. You can't inherently say that
bit depth, bit rate, latency or anything like that is inherently better on an audio interface or an audio mixer. You really do need to look up the specs for each individual item to
figure out those answers. It's possible that some audio interfaces will have a better bit depth
and bit rate than some mixers. And some mixers will have a
better bit depth, bit rate and latency than some audio interfaces. That being said, the big
difference between these different categories of equipment, is that an audio interface, if something says that it's
a standalone audio interface you can make the assumption that it will be great at recording. This means that every input
that you plug into this device will show up separately
in your audio software. It doesn't matter if you're
using GarageBand, Logic, Ableton, Pro Tools, Cubase, or any other type of
audio editing software. If you're using a
standalone audio interface and you plug a vocal mic
and a bass guitar into it, you can assume that when you
open up your audio software, you will see the recording
for the vocal mic and the bass guitar separately. You can manipulate them separately,
compress them, EEQ them, add effects separately and
mix them after the fact. An audio mixer that has a
USB audio interface built in, typically, unless they
specifically say otherwise, they're going to send the
stereo mix to your computer. This means that if you
plug in a vocal mic, a bass guitar, electric guitar or maybe a laptop input into
this, you mix it all down, you're just going to get a
copy of the stereo outputs. The full mix. There are a couple tricks,
if you wanna multi-track. Just two inputs. Basically you pen input one to the left, input two to the right, that way your computer that
receives the stereo mix will receive both of
those inputs separately. But that's not what these
devices are designed for. These are designed for
capturing the full mix of what you're putting into them. These are designed for
keeping everything separate and sorting it out later on your computer. Next, let's talk about size of devices. You can see here that inherently the standalone audio interfaces
are generally always smaller than a full audio mixer with
the built in audio interface. They take up a much smaller footprint because they don't have as many controls on the surface itself. A lot of what you're going
to do with an audio interface is done with software,
where on an audio mixer, there's a lot of physical
hands-on controls that you need to manipulate
to get the mix that you want. So that's why these devices are bigger. That being said, when we talk about the inputs of each device,
they both scale up and down. It's possible to get a
2-channel audio mixer, a 2-channel audio interface, a 4-channel six, eight 10,
12-channel audio interface, and the same for mixers. So if you're wanting a bunch of inputs do keep in mind that
you can slide that scale as to whatever size of device
that you're looking for. Next, let's talk a little
bit more about inputs. On both types of devices you
can find a variety of inputs. You can find that XLR
microphone level input, a 1/4 inch line level input for something like a drum machine, an instrument level input for something like
plugging electric guitar or bass guitar directly into the device. Now not all devices can
accommodate all types of inputs. Some interfaces, if it's
a 2-channel interface, you'll only be one XLR and one 1/4 inch line level input. But generally speaking, something
that you want to look for is you want a device that
accommodates all three; mic level line level,
and instrument level. All the devices I have
here will do all of those. So there's no inherent kind of feature set with an audio interface
compared to an audio mixer. Both should do both. As well when we're talking about inputs, you should find input gain on all types of consoles or
pieces of equipment as well. What the input gain will do, is it'll raise that tiny
microphone level signal, or it'll give you more
control over a line level, or instrument level signal
to adjust it to the level that you want it to. But the idea is that you
want to boost that signal into whatever software that you're going to make sure that you're
getting an appropriate level. Next, let's talk about monitoring. For monitoring some features
that are very commonly found on an audio interface will include something like a blend knob. A blend's very common. What this does is it allows you to blend your latency free inputs. So what you're actually
recording with zero latency with what's coming from
your audio software. So if you're recording a new vocal track, you'd play that vocal track
from your audio software while you're recording your vocal mic, and you can use a knob like this one to blend the balance between the two. Also in the monitoring
options you do get the ability to change your stereo. So if you want your channel
one in the left ear, channel two in the right ear, most audio interfaces have a knob or a feature for that as well. The Focusrite has that feature but it doesn't have the blend knob. Generally on an audio mixer, you won't get the same monitoring options but by chance, the mixer I have here, the Mackie ProEffects 10V3
does have a blend knob for that very purpose. So there is some overlap
with that feature. The Yamaha does not have that feature, the Focusrite doesn't either. So if that's important to you, do make sure that you do
a little bit of research to find which device
has the specific feature that you're looking for. It is possible that both types of devices would carry that feature. Next, let's talk about
some of the fancy things that you'll find on an audio mixer that you won't find on an audio interface. One of those things is
an on-board compressor. On both of these devices here,
the Yamaha and the Mackie, we have a one knob compressor available for some of the channels. Both of these mixers
have two of them on it. What this does is it will
add a little bit of gain and it will reduce a threshold
and add a compression ratio, basically making quiet things louder and loud things a little bit quieter just to narrow the dynamic range. This is really helpful for things like live
events and live streaming where you don't want to be
mixing the level of your signal the whole time or through the whole event. So this is really helps to get
it into a more narrow window. You don't have that option
with an audio interface. Also on an audio mixer,
you'll find some type of EQ. Sometimes it's a two band,
three band, four or five, but basically this allows
you to change the tone of your signal on the device itself without requiring any software. Now, it's important to note that these are destructive changes. If you add compression to
one of your microphones or one of your inputs here, and then you record that in software, you can never undo that compression. Same with EQ. You can try to reduce or
boost those frequencies again after the fact, but you'll
never be able to get it back to the raw input. So do note that if you're
making changes on this mixer, the final whatever you
do on this mixer is saved and locked in. When you
send it to recording. Now with an audio interface you're just capturing the raw
signal from your input device, and you're doing all your
editing on a computer where you can undo and remix as necessary. Also on an audio mixer,
you'll usually find some type of aux channel
or effects channel. What this does is it allows you to turn up the aux or effects and either
send it to an outboard monitor or effects unit before
bringing it back in. This is common with
sending something to like a reverb engine to add reverb to your mix, or some audio mixers
will have this built in like these devices here
and you can just choose the effect that you want and
you can add it to your mix. Again, just like compression and EQ, I would consider this a destructive change which to me, that means
that you cannot undo it. Once you add reverb to your mix and send it out to the computer, there's no way that you
can undo that reverb. So do keep that in mind depending on the type of
recording that you're doing that you may or may not
want to use that feature. Another feature that's
common on audio mixers and not on audio interfaces, is the ability to pan your channel. This is a great way to clean up your mix by panning some instruments
or input sources to the left some to the right. You'll get a much better
sounding mix that way. But when you're using an audio interface you need to do all those
changes on the software itself. It's just two different ways about going about the same problem. Again if you do pen channels and you're recording the stereo output that panning is saved and locked in. Another feature that
some audio mixers have, are mute buttons. This is great for live
events and video streaming, where you have your mix all set up. Maybe you're not using
one of your input sources, you can just mute it. And then when you want
to activate it again, you can unmute it. And all the settings
that you have are saved and ready to go. Also on audio mixers and
not on audio interfaces, is the final level. So you set your input gain and the input gain will boost the signal, so it's an appropriately sized signal to compress to EQ, to add
effects, to do all those things. And then you can fine tune
the level of that input device to something that you want. On an audio interface, since you're doing the final
mixed down in software anyway, you just set your input,
gain you record that, and then you mix it on
the computer itself. So there's two different ways about going about the same problem. And it really depends
what you're wanting to do. So that's a lot of information there and that probably didn't actually
help you solve the problem as the finding to out
which one's right for you. So now let's break it down. What are you actually wanting
to use this device for? If you're just multi-track recording, you're not wanting to do anything else. You just want to do
some recording at home, get an audio interface. It's small design. You can put this under your monitor, or it's extremely portable, and you can take it with you anywhere. You can throw it in your backpack or put it in a small case. Anything like that. An audio interface will
be a good bet for you. Now, if you're wanting to do live events out in the real world, connecting to powered speakers, an audio mixer is going
to be better for you. It has balanced XLR outputs. It has a variety of
features like an aux output, which you can use for a stage monitor, for a musician or something like that. You can add compression. You can have mute switches, which these are all super common features that you want in something for live sound. So if you're doing live
sound, get an audio mixer. Now, if you're doing video streaming this is where it starts
to get a little bit gray. But generally speaking, if
you're doing live video streaming or streaming a game of any type, most people prefer an audio mixer. The ability to have fast tactile
buttons at your fingertips to make little changes. If you don't like the tone of your voice, you can just roll off some of the low, or if you want to bump some of the low. If you need to change your compression, it just takes half a second. You can make that tweak and you're still streaming
and doing your event that way. Also the mute buttons on some
mixers, like the Mackie here are extremely helpful for live streaming. Because like I said, if you're
not using that input device you can just mute it, but
all your settings are saved. So this is a great concept
for live streaming. Now, if you're doing some
type of video conferencing again, this is where it's a bit gray. If you're just wanting a
great sounding XLR microphone and you know, you're
not doing anything else then an audio interface is
probably the best for you. Unless you're wanting some of those EQ or compression options. But it's small form factor in portability. It fits right under your monitor. I think this is the
preferred solution for you. Now, if you're doing a hybrid event, I would recommend an audio mixer. A hybrid event is a live event that you're also live streaming. So all the benefits of live
streaming and live events, obviously this is the
right choice for you. Now what if you're not sure
exactly what you want to do? Say you want to do some home recording and you know that that's
how you're getting started. You want to make some beats at home, but you're not really sure
where this is going to go. I would say go with an audio mixer because there's a very good
chance that once you start into the audio world,
people are going to find out that you're interested in audio. You're going to start getting
requests for things like, "Can you play music at my wedding? Can you run a microphone
for this event I'm hosting?" If you have a mixer like this you can easily do all those things to help out friends and family or whatever events are
happening around you. But with an audio interface, none of those options
are really open to you. Again, you might think that
you're wanting to start home recording or something, but as you get into the audio world, you might like starting a YouTube channel, or do some live streaming or
Twitch or something like that. And an audio mixer is going to give you the freedom to do that. Although it does take up more desk space. So there's some things to consider there. Now, as far as frequently
asked questions go, we often get the following. "Which sounds better." Again, it really comes down... It's quite subjective honestly. A lot of people love
the sound of SSL preamps that are in the SSL 2+. A lot of people like the warmth that comes with the Mackie preamp. So this is really subjective
as to which sounds better. Both items can give
similar amounts of gain, similar noise ratios. So it really does depend
on personal preference. There is not inherently an
audio interface sounds better than an audio mixer. You really do have to look
at the specs of each unit to make that decision. Now, what's the best for vocals? We get this a lot. "I'm wanting to start
wrapping in my basement, I made some beats and now it's
time to lay down the vocals, which will sound better for that?" Again, it's the same thing. It's really really subjective. I think if you're just recording vocals, you will be happy with either one. You can't really go wrong. Most things if you're
spending a good budget, meaning anything over a hundred bucks you're going to get some
pretty good sounding preamps and good quality components
in these devices. But obviously the sky is the limit. You can easily spend thousands of dollars on a device like this. So it really does depend on how much you're willing to spend. Another question that
we get all the time is, "Which is most popular?" I really have no way to
tell which is most popular, an audio interface or an audio mixer. I think both of them have their spot. Again, if you're just
doing home recording, I would say an interface
is more popular for that, and it will serve you much better. It's a smaller form
factor, it's more portable, all that, et cetera. But if you're doing anything live, live is generally all about speed. So hands-on tactile controls
are usually the way to go for live streaming, live
events, hybrid events, or anything like that. The gray area in between
is video conferencing as to whether or not you just
want the small form factor or the additional controls. Now in each category, I can
say the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2, like this one here is probably the most
popular audio interface just from what I've seen with
the vendors that we work with. And on the mixer side, the Yamaha MG10XU, is an extremely popular audio
mixer for this form factor. And I would say that this
is probably the best seller in this category. Now, what happens if you
want the best of both? If you can't decide what you want, you want to multi-track everything, but you want some of the hands on features of an audio mixer, you usually end up getting something like a digital audio mixer
or digital audio console. These come in a variety
of shapes and sizes. This is the Allen and Heath QU-16. TASCAM makes a pretty good 12-channel one. I think a lot of manufacturers are really going to enter
that six to 12 channel space coming up in the next year
for digital audio consoles, because this really is
the best of both worlds. The downside of this is
they are more expensive. Right now, good ones like this usually sit around 2000 bucks, but that price is changing really quickly. So do check out the
links in the description. I'm going to put links to
three different popular digital audio consoles just
to help you get an idea. But the main benefits of this, is with a digital audio console you get all the benefits
of an audio mixer, plus you get digital processing built in, so you can add noise
gates, compression, gating, digital IQ, which is a lot more accurate. You can do a 31 band EEQ if you want. Plus all of your inputs are
multi-track to your software. So whether you have a 12,
16, 24 or 32 channel mixer or 64 channel mixer, you
can multi-track record all those inputs to what you're working on and mix them down later after the fact. So if you're still
confused, what I would do is I would sit down and
make a list of the things you want to do. That way if you find out, "You know what, I've just really want to
record vocals and my guitar, or run a guitar SIM or
record my keyboard." Something like that, an audio
interface is good for you. If you write down anything in your list that has the word live in it, live streaming, live events,
band, anything like that, I think you're gonna be way
happier with an audio mixer. Now, again, for everything
that you've seen in this video, plus some other recommendations, we do have pricing and specs
in the description below. If you have any questions or comments about anything that
I've said in this video, I'd love to hear from you. If you found this useful, not useful, please leave a comment in
the comment section below. We do read every comment, and we produce videos
like this all the time. So if you want to see
more videos like this one in the future, please like, and subscribe. Thank you for watching. (upbeat music)
