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Is a hardware mixer going to make a difference?

Was about to get another software synth or 2, but over the weekend I listened to my old 'pop' stuff done with a mixing desk (Tascam digital, about 12 years old and also a Mackie 16ch - the tascam sounded nicer to me) and it struck me how the sound seems wider, warmer and clearer compared to my 'new' setup based around cubase5 with no outboard mixer.

I think I could get a fairly nice 8 or 12ch second hand mixer for a couple of hundred pounds for mix summing. May even increase budget to get a second hand small soundcraft or sismilar.

I'm not expereinced enough to know whether it will make a difference.
I spend around 3 hours per night on producing and a lot more at weekends - I'm obsessed actualy, for example still at it late on a sunday night yesterday. It is my life and I need to satisfy my desire to get a pro sound.

BTW I am fully aware it mainly takes effort, skill and practice and there are no silver bullets.

My DAW ITB sound is 90% there to my ears and gets better with each track.

POINT IS; I really want another sofsynth, and dont want to bother with a mixer unless it really does make a difference.

Any opinion - is a mixer basically essential for a pro sound?

Re: Is a hardware mixer going to make a difference?

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler Any opinion - is a mixer basically essential for a pro sound?

Yes and no, a high end mixer will sound great. A mixer for a few hundred notes will not have much difference than working ITB

Maybe some DSP with a lovely tube or saturation plugin here or there will give you the desired effect without needing a mixer.

what about running tracks through an old analog mixer to re-create a true analog feel instead of using digital emulators. you can get some basic analog mixers for a very reasonable price on ebay . this is something i've always thought that would be cool and have wondered why it is never talked about. i'm going to assume theres a problem or something because there is no way all the analog freaks out there using digital gear wouldn't drop less than 3 figures to run their basses and leads through an analog circuit.

tehlord - yea I already have some nice DSP emulations, but my mold pop stuff done using mixing desks seems better mixed. It maybe those tracks were easier to mix compared to 138bpm trance


steve - yes that's what I'm talking about - getting an old analogue or solid state desk.
My best mate just got a lovely soundcraft for �1500 that was �12k new. Cant wait to hear how that badboy sounds.

Hard to tell whether I should get a summing mixer or not.

Re: Is a hardware mixer going to make a difference?

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler Any opinion - is a mixer basically essential for a pro sound?

No. If it was essential then all the pros would be using hardware mixers.

I bought a pair of SSL 5000 series eq's from a large desk to add colour to all my individual tracks, theyre not the best eq's SSL made but they sure aren't crap.

Just waiting to get them balanced and racked

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler tehlord - yea I already have some nice DSP emulations, but my mold pop stuff done using mixing desks seems better mixed. It maybe those tracks were easier to mix compared to 138bpm trance steve - yes that's what I'm talking about - getting an old analogue or solid state desk. My best mate just got a lovely soundcraft for �1500 that was �12k new. Cant wait to hear how that badboy sounds. Hard to tell whether I should get a summing mixer or not.

Soundcraft made some good consoles your mate should be happy, try and look for a small Amek desk, these are good. If you're after a summing box check out Black Lion Audio's new one

"Analog" and "tubes" are not always synonymous with "good sound," guys. Listen to Bob Katz:

quote:

Doing analog audio in the sixties and seventies was hell. Most of us would like to throw our bias oscillators in the garbage. Analog requires constant vigilance to sound good. In addition, you can't copy an analog tape. The second generation just falls apart; it's a pale replica of the first. If analog's so bad, what's the problem with digital recordings? Can't we give them the warmth of analog if we use vintage tube mikes and analog processors? There must be something to that argument, or the whole industry wouldn't be doing the retro-tube trip. But I wonder if we're all doing it for the wrong reasons. Please remember that there's good tube equipment out there, and a lot of bad....Only the best-designed tube equipment has quiet, clear sound, tight (defined bass), is transparent and dimensional, yet still warm without being artificial or muddy.

http://www.digido.com/back-to-analog.html

i dont buy the analog hype at all, what so ever. I just bought an alesis analog compressor to see if it could give me anything, it sure hell didnt. and as it is separate L/R it even manage to move the center of my track because eventhough the setting-knobs was the same on L and R it didnt really sound the same. It also has a sync L R button, but still im not sure about this stuff. im gonna sell it asap.

quote:

Originally posted by palm i dont buy the analog hype at all, what so ever. I just bought an alesis analog compressor to see if it could give me anything, it sure hell didnt. and as it is separate L/R it even manage to move the center of my track because eventhough the setting-knobs was the same on L and R it didnt really sound the same. It also has a sync L R button, but still im not sure about this stuff. im gonna sell it asap.

3630?

quote:

Originally posted by palm i dont buy the analog hype at all, what so ever. I just bought an alesis analog compressor to see if it could give me anything, it sure hell didnt. and as it is separate L/R it even manage to move the center of my track because eventhough the setting-knobs was the same on L and R it didnt really sound the same. It also has a sync L R button, but still im not sure about this stuff. im gonna sell it asap.

You would have to go a few steps up from an alesis compressor before you turn your back on analogue mate, i have an alesis comp myself but its been modded by BLA

yeah the 3630, it has awesome reviews everywhere "espeicaly great for house" etc, so i thought id get as it didnt cost shit. if i end up rich someday i might look into analog again, but meanwhile, forget about it, saving my money for better monitors instead. im not into compression anyway and i get the results i want if i just lower the master volume a little bit and rather raise my stereo.

I think the main uses for it on house are drum bus, sidechaining and dare i say it Daft Punk like it thrashed across the 2-bus !

quote:

Originally posted by Ry Thomas try and look for a small Amek desk, these are good. If you're after a summing box check out Black Lion Audio's new one

Not heard of black lion - I'll check it out

I saw a pro using the 3630 in a future music interview vid. He was a fairly well known German - but I can't recall his name. He said he put all his drums through it to add glue etc. He was'nt using it to put entire mixes thru.

In their own music, Daft Punk uses a number of different compressors. �We have a really small compressor, the Alesis 3630, which is $300. That's the main one we used on Homework and Discovery. The one we used the most is one of the cheapest ones on the market. It's really funny; it's the bricolage thing. Sometimes you don't have to have the most expensive equipment to make good music.�

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler I saw a pro using the 3630 in a future music interview vid. He was a fairly well known German - but I can't recall his name. He said he put all his drums through it to add glue etc. He was'nt using it to put entire mixes thru.

Was it Alan Braxe of Stardust fame?

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler I saw a pro using the 3630 in a future music interview vid. He was a fairly well known German - but I can't recall his name. He said he put all his drums through it to add glue etc. He was'nt using it to put entire mixes thru.

Kris Menace?

reel to reel player would be a better investment if you want warmth

quote:

Originally posted by rulzz reel to reel player would be a better investment if you want warmth

True but a good one will cost 0000's

quote:

Originally posted by palm i dont buy the analog hype at all, what so ever. I just bought an alesis analog compressor to see if it could give me anything, it sure hell didnt. and as it is separate L/R it even manage to move the center of my track because eventhough the setting-knobs was the same on L and R it didnt really sound the same. It also has a sync L R button, but still im not sure about this stuff. im gonna sell it asap.

What exactly were you expecting it to "give you"?

It's hilarious that you've summarized that analog gear isn't worth it after buying a low end compressor that you seem to have no idea how to even use.

HAY GUYZ I BOT A VIROS N PRAS BUTANS BUT IT DOENT DO NOTHIN WEN I PRAS IT. SYNTOSISAR IS STUPAD.

Re: Is a hardware mixer going to make a difference?

quote:

Originally posted by Richard Butler Any opinion - is a mixer basically essential for a pro sound?

My opinion - no, it's not essential. In the right hands, high end equipment can work magic, but in the wrong hands it will be a waste of money and space. My personal opinion is that you won't hear a several hundred or thousand dollar difference by simply running your mixes through a second-hand Soundcraft board (I used prosumer Soundcraft, Allen & Heath, and Mackie boards for years, mostly for live audio, but also in my studio). I'm not sure what your budget is, but most of the prosumer Soundcraft boards are probably not going to do anything very noticeable to your sound anyway, other than add a little color if you run it through the preamps.

That said, sometimes just having an new piece of gear can lead to new workflows, experimenting in a way that you wouldn't have thought of in its absence, reinvigorate your passion for making music, get you out of a slump, etc. But, the bottom line is that I don't think it's essential to have a hardware mixer, unless perhaps, you're multi-tracking numerous live instruments simultaneously.

Hardware mixer will improve everything (even with plastic computer speakers)

Re: Re: Is a hardware mixer going to make a difference?

quote:

Originally posted by cryophonik My opinion - no, it's not essential. In the right hands, high end equipment can work magic, but in the wrong hands it will be a waste of money and space. My personal opinion is that you won't hear a several hundred or thousand dollar difference by simply running your mixes through a second-hand Soundcraft board (I used prosumer Soundcraft, Allen & Heath, and Mackie boards for years, mostly for live audio, but also in my studio). I'm not sure what your budget is, but most of the prosumer Soundcraft boards are probably not going to do anything very noticeable to your sound anyway, other than add a little color if you run it through the preamps. That said, sometimes just having an new piece of gear can lead to new workflows, experimenting in a way that you wouldn't have thought of in its absence, reinvigorate your passion for making music, get you out of a slump, etc. But, the bottom line is that I don't think it's essential to have a hardware mixer, unless perhaps, you're multi-tracking numerous live instruments simultaneously.

...and the quest for a pro sound continues...

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