Original Message                 Date: 17-Aug-04  @  12:32 AM   -   Which mixing desk to buy?

Lloyd Duddley

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I'm looking into buying a mixing desk for a small home setup. Although it's only really for bedroom use at the moment, it may be used for more in the future (maybe some live work or some better quality recording). I still need quite a few inputs (drummer) and don't really want a crappy one that I'll have to change in the future. Obviously it needs to have XLR inputs and 48v, which I'm assuming most do. I would also like some kind of EQ or effects built in. My budget is around £250 and I really like the look of the Behringer Eurorack UB2442FX-Pro. Has anybody used one of these before, and if so then could you please give me some good and bad points about it. Is it worth the money and will it be suitable for me? Another thing that I've noticed with some small mixers is that they can generate some hiss, is this desk likely to do this? Does it have decent pre-amps? Thanks a lot

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Message 21/26                 Date: 22-Aug-04  @  04:28 PM   -   RE: Which mixing desk to buy?

Lloyd Duddley

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Ok I posted this in the soundcard forumn but there was no response so I will try it here and I suppose that it does actually apply to this forum anyway. If you have read any of my other posts then you'll realise that I am looking into buying a mixing desk with around 8-10 inputs. The trouble is that I am going to need a soundcard that can handle multiple inputs and mine only has one. I have been told that an Emu 1820M could be the way to go and after reading some reviews it does look very impressive. Could I ask a few stupid things though? If I am going to connect an 8-input desk to this sound card then which kind of leads would I use to then connect it to the sound card? Also, does balanced just mean XLR? It seems as though this soundcard only has 6 inputs so does that mean that I can only ever use 6 channels at once? Thanks a lot. Any other sound card suggestions would also be grately appreciated...........

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Message 22/26                 Date: 23-Aug-04  @  04:23 AM   -   RE: Which mixing desk to buy?

damballah

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I think it's an 8 input dealie with those 2 mic inputs on the front being those neutrik combos that'll accept an xlr for mic or a 1/4 inch for line or instrument. Balanced in simple terms means there's 3 wires instead of 2 like a cable you'd use with a guitar which is unbalanced. It can have XLR or 1/4 inch TRS (which stands for tip-ring-sleeve) connectors. The TRS connectors look like the large jack on the cable for a pair of stereo headphones.

Is there any advantage of the 1820M over the 1820 if you're not using the sync card part? You got any external word clocks or smpte you're trying to sync to? You might just save you the hundred bucks or whatever that translates to in your currency.

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Message 23/26                 Date: 23-Aug-04  @  05:01 PM   -   RE: Which mixing desk to buy?

Lloyd Duddley

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I suppose you're right although I dont fully understand the idea of using some sort of external clock. Maybe this would be some use for the future if I ever learnt its use, u think? And also would I be able to connect the desk to it via the leads you described above???Yes, you are correct it has 8 1/4 inch jack inputs and two of those neutrik ones. Does this mean that the back of the mixing desk will have xlr outputs that go to 1/4 inch, or will it just be 1/4 inch either end. Oh and another thing, do the leads get supplied with the desk or am I just being optimistic???

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Message 24/26                 Date: 23-Aug-04  @  07:56 PM   -   RE: Which mixing desk to buy?

Influx

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no cables with mixers unless you buy used and thats part of the deal.

the "M" of the 1820 has better converters so if you can afford it why not splurge.

the thing you dont seem to be getting is that to take advantage of all the inputs of your audio interface youll need a mixer that has that many outputs. So if you have an 8 input soundcard youd want a mixer with at least 8 outputs.

these can be "direct outs" (coming directly from each channel on the mixer) or "bus outs" which are outputs that you can choose to route signals to, or "aux outs" (often used as effects sends)

I mean no offense but I think you need to do a little more reading before you make your move

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Message 25/26                 Date: 23-Aug-04  @  09:57 PM   -   RE: Which mixing desk to buy?

k

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yeah just to clarify the butter further

if you use the mixer channel DIRECT OUTS, these a sniff' as they terms goes from the channel ly - in other words, it's simply a socket on the mixer channel next to the Mic & Line IN's and insert-points (if provided) which takes a signal OUT from that channel AFTER the gain/input-amp

That means if your mixer has 8 Input channels, and only stereo out, you CAN take 8 outs from the 8 mixer channels va the direct-out sockets on the channels, BUT, one channel will send to only one soundcard input - there is no way to blend any of the 8 mixer channel inputs on the mixer together to send to ONE input or a stereo pair of inputs on the soundcard - for example - if you create a synth pad using TWO different hardware synths layered together and want to send the 'blend' of both those synth channel together to be recorded at a soundcard stereo input - you cant with direct outs - you CAN with bus's OR you can if the mixer has TWO Aux sends, but thats more fiddly and complicated in some ways.

idealy for greatest flexibility you want a mixer with 8 bus's, and a soundcard with 8 IN's - and that really means going s/h to be affordable unless you go for Behringer who do a cheap 8 bus mixer...... Nothing wrong with older s/h mixers either, as long as it's serviced and lokked after - best to buy from a dealer even tho it means paying a bit more, but get some sort of warranty at least.

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Message 26/26                 Date: 23-Aug-04  @  11:33 PM   -   RE: Which mixing desk to buy?

Lloyd Duddley

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Yeah I def need to read up more. I have am familiar with using auxiliaries, groups etc. But I've never had to deal with knowing what is needed for my own purposes or thinking about connectivity. I also would like to speak to my course tutors and a few shops to see what is best suited for my uses. As far as I am aware I cant see that I would ever need to record mroe than 8 tracks at once so as long as the mixer has 8 direct outs then I could probably get along fine. The 1642 does have 4 aux sends/returns but no subgroups. I would prefer to go new but cant find any Mackie prices new. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. I think I just need to learn a bit more like you say. Although the thought of having groups does seem very logical. HELP! SOMEBODY HELP MEEE!!!

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