If you're shopping for a mixer and feeling
a bit overwhelmed by all of the options, you're going to find this video very helpful. I
want to introduce you to some important terms, show you the various types of mixers,
and walk you through the three most important factors to consider when
choosing mixer. All of that's coming up, but if this is our first time meeting, my
name is Kyle. Welcome to Audio University. First, let's take a look at a
few different types of mixers. This will give you a general idea of which
mixer you need, based on how you plan to use it. The most common type is an analog mixer. Analog
mixers come in a vast range of sizes and costs. If you just need a simple mixer that will allow
you to route a few signals between a few devices, something small like the Allen & Heath ZEDi-10
might be a good fit. In fact, I posted a video all about the ZEDi-10 a few weeks ago. On the
other hand, if you need to mix a full band with effects and matrix'ed outputs, you're going to
need something a lot bigger. Analog consoles like the Midas Heritage 3000 and the SSL Duality
offer dozens of inputs, outputs, auxes, and other routing options. And as you can imagine, there
are endless options between these two extremes. One great thing about an analog mixer is that
once you learn how to use one of them, you'll probably feel comfortable operating just about any
other analog mixer. One drawback, however, is that the more inputs, outputs, and routing options you
need, the bigger and heavier the console will be. That brings us to one of the main benefits of
a digital mixing console. With digital mixers, you can fit a lot of functionality and power into
a very small area, because you don't need analog circuits for every channel. Take for example
the Behringer X32. It can facilitate up to 40 channels and 16 mix buses. To get that same
functionality out of analog gear would require a much larger and more expensive console,
not to mention a full rack of outboard gear, which brings me to another big benefit
of digital consoles. Most digital mixers have effects like EQ, compression, reverb,
and delay built-in. Not only that, but you can pre-program a digital console's settings
and recall different presets for each event. That makes them an excellent choice
for tours, churches, and clubs. The third type of mixer I want to talk about
is actually more of a feature that can be found on a variety of mixers. That's a built-in
audio interface with usb connectivity. Many analog and digital mixers offer the ability to
connect to a computer for multi-track recording. For example, the ZEDi-10 that I mentioned earlier
can facilitate 4-track recording directly into your recording software. The X32 I mentioned
earlier can facilitate 32-track recording. While there are other methods for
recording that I'll point out later, this method is by far the simplest
and usually the most economical. A powered mixer is a mixer that has a
built-in amplifier for powering speakers, which makes them a great choice for rehearsal
spaces or portable pa systems. While the features of a powered mixer are relatively limited,
the portability and simplicity might make them an ideal choice for some users. You simply
plug the mixer into the wall for power and then connect the microphones and speakers directly to
the mixer with no need for external amplifiers. While a control surface might look like a mixer,
it doesn't actually provide any signal processing or routing capabilities. Control surfaces
are simply tools that provide mixer-like control of a DAW or recording software. Some
digital mixers can be used as control surfaces, but not all of them and it's important
to keep this distinction in mind. Now that you've seen an overview of
the types of mixers that are available, let's get into some key factors to consider when
shopping. Before we do, I want to let you know that links to all of the mixers mentioned in
this video and some other recommendations can be found in the description of this video and in
the full post. If you buy through these links, a portion of your purchase will go toward
Audio University at no extra cost to you. The first thing you'll want to decide is how many
inputs and outputs you'll need. This is probably the most important factor and will give you a
rough idea of how much you can expect to spend. Make sure to consider the various types of inputs
that are available. For example, in order to connect a microphone to the mixer, you'll need
a mic level input. You can't just connect a mic directly into a line level input. Learn more about
the difference by watching this video on mic level versus line level. The main difference between a
mic level and line level input is the preamp. Make sure you pick a mixer that has a microphone preamp
for every microphone that you wish to connect. In most situations you'll want to route audio
to at least one pair of outputs that will be connected to your main left and right speakers.
However, in many situations you'll need some additional outputs. For example, perhaps you will
connect the main outputs to the main speakers but, in addition to the main speakers, you might also
want to route signals to some stage monitors so that the performers can hear themselves.
In this case, you'll want a mixer that has some additional auxiliary outputs that
can be connected to those stage monitors. If you plan to use any outboard effects
processors, you'll need to get a mixer with either inserts for EQs, gates, and compressors or effect
sends for outboard reverbs and delays. Unless you've got a collection of outboard gear already,
I'd personally recommend starting with a digital console that has these effects already built-in.
It will save you money, space, and setup time. As I mentioned before, some mixers have built-in
USB interfaces that route audio into a computer to be recorded or streamed. This is by far the most
streamlined way to make multitrack recordings, where each input is recorded to a
separate track in your recording software. If you're using a mixer that doesn't have
USB connectivity, you can still record, you'll just need a separate audio interface. You
could mix all the inputs together in the mixer and send the mix down into your audio interface. Just
remember that you won't be able to individually control the inputs after recording with this
method. Alternatively, you could connect the direct outputs of each channel to your interface.
To keep all the inputs on separate tracks, this method would, of course, require
an interface with several inputs. In addition to the analog and usb inputs
and outputs we've covered at this point, some mixers offer digital inputs and outputs. The most common digital protocols you'll
find are Dante, AES3, MADI and AVB. These protocols make it possible to send anywhere
from a few dozen to hundreds of channels over a single cable which can be extremely advantageous
in live sound and in large integrated systems. The second thing you'll want to consider is
the type of effects and processing built into the mixer. If you do most of you're mixing in
a DAW, you probably won't need many effects on your mixer. The DAW will provide you with all the
processing tools you'll need. If you're working in live production, you'll want a mixer that has
effects built-in. You might be tempted to try and run signals through a computer in real time, but
this will almost certainly cause too much latency, or delay. For live performances, it's best to use
the EQ, dynamics, delays, and reverbs that are running on the mixer, itself, That's why digital
mixers are almost always the best choice for live sound applications, compared to analog. Even
affordable digital mixers like the Behringer X32 come with the basic tools you'll need for
mixing a live band. Honestly, it's incredible how powerful these consoles have become!
Professional mixers like the DiGiCo SD9 offer incredible processing power and routing options.
You can even find mixers like the Avid SC-48 that allow you to use your favorite plugins.
In any case, make sure to choose a mixer that will at least provide the essential tools like EQ,
compression, and gates. Most analog mixers do have basic EQs, but they usually don't really cut
it for live mixing and feedback suppression. The third factor to consider is the set of
control features. Some mixers are more basic and others offer complete customizability. As I
mentioned before, analog mixers are all, more or less, the same. Each input channel has a channel
strip and each bus has a master knob or fader. However, digital consoles come in a much wider
variety. You may find that you need to dig through a couple of screens in order to find
what you're looking for with a digital console and, while this might seem like a limiting
factor, it also means that you can control a lot more on a much smaller interface. In my
opinion, digital consoles with motorized faders are almost always the best option. Instead of
reaching across a giant console, you can simply flip to a set of faders you want and control
and adjust them right there in front of you. You should also keep an eye out for features such
as group faders or DCAs, which let you control many channels with a single fader. While some
high-end analog consoles have automation options, almost every digital mixer allows you to create
presets and scenes. Imagine dialing in a unique mix for each band during sound check and then
simply recalling those mixes throughout the show. You can even do the same thing with a separate
scene for each song if you find yourself working with the same band with the same setlist night
after night. In an ideal world, your mixer will always be perfectly located in the center of the
audience so that you can hear what the audience is hearing while you're mixing. But in reality,
your mixer might be tucked away behind the stage somewhere which makes it difficult to hear what
you're doing while you're controlling the mixer. This is where wireless control comes into play.
Most digital mixers can be connected to Wi-Fi routers and controlled by a tablet remotely. So,
while the mixer is beside the stage, you can be in the audience making adjustments to the faders and
the effects while you're in front of the speakers. Again check out the full post for some
links to some of my favorite mixers. If you found this video helpful, hit the
"Like" button and I'll see you in the next one.
