Try not to get blinded by the numbers though. With a digital mixer this is largely solved by presets, but since bands can always come in with their own microphones or even more instruments, having the right number of physical channels is the most important feature to consider. For example, even a band with a standard setup can quickly eat up 16 channels, and you might also find yourself sound-checking a couple of bands ahead of the gig and want to be able to leave settings as they are. The golden rule here is that it’s always better to have too many channels than not enough. One of the first questions you need to ask yourself when thinking about buying a mixer is “How many channels do I need?” and the answer, of course, depends on the size of the band or ensemble that you’re planning to mix. The channel strips of this mixer include controls like channel faders, PFL (pre-fader-listen) buttons, and the option to create two sub-groups via the ‘1-2’ and ‘3-4’ buttons. Channel strips can even be picked up separately – most of the time, these are high-spec, high-end strips with prices to match. For example, the microphone channels will often have a different layout than line signal channels, but whatever the input type, the channel input combined with its set of dedicated controls is always referred to as a channel strip. The channels of most mixers tend to include the same set of controls, but there are some differences here and there. You can get really small mixers that have just two channels like this, and the next step up would usually be a mixer with four channels, and then a multiple of four after that – so 8 channels, 12 channels, 16 channels, and so on. Each channel is made up of an input (mono or stereo) and a number of controls that are dedicated to that particular channel. The channels are usually lined up on the left of the control panel. Here, you can see two effects sections, meaning that a maximum of two effects can be used at the same time. If the model name includes ‘FX’, this lets you know you’re looking at a mixer that comes with built-in effects, like reverb.Ī mixer with built-in effects. If you see a combo of three numbers, then the number in the middle indicates the number of available sub-groups. A combination like 4-2 means four inputs and two outputs (which combine for a stereo output). ![]() When looking at the model names of mixers, you’ll usually see a set of numbers that can give you a hint as to what features are on offer. Since they’ve been developing for way longer than digital models, there’s also a far wider array of analogue mixers available. Used for live sound as well as for recording, the original mixers were always based on analogue technology, and while digital mixers are just as common now, some engineers still swear by the warmer sound of a genuine analogue mixer. ![]() This is the principle on which mixers have been founded from the very beginning, and while things like equalisers, effect sends, and sub-groups were added during the sixties and seventies, not that much has changed. Using the buttons and faders that any mixer control panel offers, all of the different audio sources can be balanced and mixed until they sound like a cohesive whole. This mixed signal is then sent out via the ‘main output’ to gear like a PA amplifier or a set of active speakers. In basic terms, a mixer is a piece of equipment that takes multiple audio signals and blends them together into one mono or stereo signal. ![]()
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