Pete Johns I’m assuming it runs without usb as well as with usb so with this assumption or it only runs with power and usb? If it does run with only usb and no power cord do you get the same analog sound?
Seck 18-8-2 mixing console, 8 bus to Fostex 16 track digital recorder, back into Seck for mastering to 2 track stereo. I have no mastering facility yet, but am considering a number of options. Mastering to a Tascam D-40, when live or on location, or routing to a two channel audio interface. My main concern is latency when contemplating virtual instrumentation. Traditionally, the IEEE 1394 'Firewire' has offered the best low latency connection to a DAW, but USB (3) has certainly closed the gap in recent years. Now I do own an Avid/Digidesign 003, but both Firewire ports were fried by the last owner, so the 1394 chip and surge protectors require replacing before I could use this device as an alternative (to the Fostex/Tascam) 8 channel audio interface to a DAW. Contemplating the Yamaha AG03 or the Focusrite 2i2 as my audio interface to DAW. However, my last PC got fried by climate chaos recently, so I have no decent (fast enough) PC to work with as yet. I do have a Mac G4, but this is a tad old, so I might consider upgrading to a Mac G5 or Power Mac, if I can find one cheap enough. Using this setup, I only require a basic stereo mastering program... The Yamaha AG 03 can output at 192khz/24 bit sampling/bit rate, so what would be the best two channel mastering program to use with this Toshiba Satelite laptop... Sony Soundforge? Audacity? Anything else?
Deebz270 Based on using daws and I know you weren’t talking to me but.... Studio One, Audacity, Wavelab, Protools really they all do the same thing just different features for your workflow.
@@whatuthinkvswhatuknow4011 - No, honestly, anyone with any knowledge is valid to comment, I wasn't necessarilly directing that question at Pete per se... Yeah. That was what I figured, I see little difference between the two progs I have, Soundforge or Audacity. I've yet to try the others you mentioned. They are, after all, simply recording progs. Thanks Dude. Sharing knowledge is *good.*
Noone i saw in TH-cam ever explain in such simple way like you did 🙏. Proud to be your subscriber, learning lots of things over the years . Thanks for sharing 🙏
Finally somebody who actually doesn’t talk out of his rearside, when it comes to the difference between Mixer and audio interface. I’ve heard so many bad „explanations“ on what the differences are, that I actually was ready to prepare a similar comment to dozens I’ve done before while watching your video. But in the end, I had to do a 180 and now I’m sitting here applauding to your explanation. Nice work!
Thanks Michael. Appreciate the kind words my friend. Yes, I had a similar thought when I created this. I was getting several people every week buy a Behringer mixer and then b to understand why they could only record two channels, so thought this would help a lot of folks not be misled but the promise of “12 channels”.
there is a huge difference in the output sounding of each. i use yamaha mg10xu which is a usb audio interface cum mixer and a steinberg ur12. i would say when i connect my jbl lsr 305 directly to ur12 i can hear clean sound otherwise i hear some distortion or unclean or little bit noise mixed out in yamaha. i bought the mg10xu to save the money rather buying multi io interface. but its not worty if u wana hear the real sonic factors of sound.
Well it would be out of form if I didn’t respond to your comment! Thanks so much for your support. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
For those struggling with the flexibility of a USB Ai and and a USB Mixer (hardware device) here’s an analogy. Think of a BLT sandwich, The USB Ai let’s you individually send the “sandwich “ ingredients to your PC/Laptop/Tablet and you can control each of those elements going into a final mix software using the app’s software e.g. GarageBand. The USB Mixer let’s you mix those ingredient on its platter with the myriad of knobs and switches, i.e. hardware mixing. It then sends out the whole “sandwich” as a complete stereo mix. The latter means you have lost control of the invidual ingredients if you send it to another mixing device; you can up/down frequencies/volume but not necessarily an individual guitar/drum/voice.
I sold my Behringer 8-input mixer. Now that I'm working from home and using Zoom, I found that I needed another mixer, so I've invested in a Yamaha, It doesn't have all the bells & whistles, but it works good for desk-top and has USB output. Thanks for your clear and concise demonstration.
I use the mixer setup currently. What I like to do is record a demo track with the whole band/setup. That's my scratch track to keep everyone on the same page. Then I go back individually record each part so I then have control over that instrument/signal. It's a couple extra steps but I also use the mixer to play live so the flexibility is appreciated. Plus, multi-channel audio interfaces are...as mentioned...quite pricey lol
Nice one! Thanks for sharing your process. This does make sense to get a feel for that "whole band" sound early on, so you can craft your individual tracks. It's easy to get carried away overdubbing and adding more tracks and quickly get a sound that is not what you're really going for. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Pete.
@@PeteJohnsMusic The audio interface is an external soundcard, right? The mixer means your just relying on the soundcard of the laptop, pc, or ipad, which often isn't as good as what is in an audio interface.
You're very welcome! This was something that took me a long time to come to terms with and completely understand, so I figured there would be lots of others in the same boat.
Hi Pete Johns. I have been watching various audio interface vs mixer videos. However, none of those videos explained the differences in a simple and straight forward manner. Thank you so much for the information.
Thanks so much my friend. Very glad to hear it. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
I absolutely need a mixer as a drummer to get a mixed sound in my in ears/headphones as I play or practice. The recording aspect is also necessary, but secondary to my live sound.
Yes, the new breed of hybrid mixer/interfaces are a great option. I’ve been using a enjoying the Zoom LiveTrak L-8. th-cam.com/video/ty9nEhDtmPg/w-d-xo.html
As a voice actor, I started using a Presonus Audiobox. For several years it seemed to work fine until recently the interface was providing a scratchiness that I couldn’t dodge. Being so long I decided to upgrade and talking to coworkers at the radio station I work at, I was it tipped off to the behringer mixing boards they used at their respective homes. When I tried to get one, the -lace I was buying from didn’t have one, so instead I bought a Yamaha MG10XU. So far, I’m digging it, being able to control my voice input on the fly, and yes the FX are a novelty, but still good to have. Only recording stereo is fine, since that’s usually all that’s needed anyway for my line of work.
Great stuff Scott. Yes, the Yamaha MG series and seriously good quality at their price point and personally I think the D-Pre preamps are cleaner than the Behringer. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have 2nd Gen Focusrite 6i6 and it does everything I need it to do. It's hooked into a 10 year old POS Dell running Win7 and it records fine into Reaper without any latency. I record dry guitar DI, amped guitar DI (off the speaker cable via Behringer Ultra G DI), and an occasional SM58. [Note: please don't use a regular DI box on your speaker cable between your amp and cab; it'll do a combination of blowing up your tubes / transformer in your amp, melting your DI box, and / or burning down your house. Get a DI box or attenuator / power soak that's specially made for that application.]
Hey, thanks so much for your kind words and support. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Hope you enjoy the future videos here on the channel and be sure to provide any other feedback about what you would like to see.
I would also bring up the lack of AD/DA on the mixer and how the audio out of the mixer is handled. I'm a drummer and want full control over my input of raw tracks. So far, I haven't been able to find any interfaces with 12 mic pres and converters built in.(for home recording).
Hey Vincent. You might want to check out the ZOOM LiveTrak series. I’ve just picked up an L-8 but there is also the L-12 and L-20 if you need more independent inputs. th-cam.com/video/UW2OnSn03y8/w-d-xo.html
There's a ton of them out there but none of them are cheap. If you can find an Allan and Heath ZR 16 used, that would be a good bet. 16 simultaneous inputs to individual channels via FireWire and foldback on top of that. Mackie has a few. Most of these are outdated now as people have finally caught on that you don't need a mixer as most of your mixing will be done in the box. A good interface and a control surface are the way to go IMHO.
Very good explanation between the key difference between the two devices To make the sound more dynamic of the music should use an USB audio interface or a mixer when mastering
Hi there! So, a mixer or interface won't really impact how dynamic the music is as you can control the volume with both. Mixers probably give you a higher level of control over EQ so you can make sure frequencies are sitting right. However since most mixing is done after recording, there is not a big advantage of one over the other.
I have the Behringer XAir r18 Digital mixer and I love it, it has 18 inputs, 6 aux outs and 2 main outs that can be configured for mono or stereo, 16 mic pre amps with noise gate and compression on each channel, 4 dual channel effects with over 40 effect built in. Independent EQs on every inputs and outputs, routing control, 18x18 usb computer audio interface for recording and playback, wireless remote control apps from just about any computer and OS, phone or tablet, ducking and automix and lots more for less then $700 and the thing sound fantastic!
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍 You can also check out my gear guide here. studiolivetoday.com/gear
Great succinct video (makes a change for TH-cam!). I use a Zoom U44, with the add-on capsule for 2 more inputs. I send this into FL Studio to record two guitars, a mic and a keyboard. Works great.
Awesome! I keep hearing good things about the Zoom interfaces. Very tempted to pick one up as a portable stereo input when I’m on the go. And thanks for the kind words. I definitely try to rebel against the trend of videos which bury the lead and take forever to say nothing. I mean, I can do that too at times, but my intention is to not! 😄
I am currrently using a Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD audio interface with the PreSonus Studio One 3 Profesional DAW. I choose the UMC404HD because of its execllent price vs performance. I got four inputs for $99 instead of two. A nice feature of the UMC404HD is that is has a separate power input. What makes this feature so special is that I don't need to use a computer with a usb connection and a DAW to output to my monitors and/or headphones. The separate power input allows me to use the UMC404HD as mini mixer, a very basic mixer, but a mixer non-the-less. And yes, I sill get 48v phatom power with the external power source. To get compression and other effects, I'm using the Zoom G3X pedal to dial in the sound that I want. This is going through the fx loop on the HotOne Mojo Diamond 5 watt solid state amp. i input my computer from the heaphone jack to the aux input of the amp and the heaphone jack on the amp is used to send the output signal to UMC404HD. I actually split this signal into two mono signals and use two inputs on the UMC404HD. This makes for a nice practice setup where I can play along with backing tracks I have stroed on my computer. Since I am not using a DAW I can not control the left/right paning of the output signal to the monitors. This got me to start looking at usb mixers. This video help to decide that I really don't need a usb mixer since I already have a digital interface. The next question I need to answer is whether or not I really need a mixer at all.
Thanks for much for the detailed feedback. I need to try the same with my Steinberg UR14 as it is also separately powered, but I never thought of using it as a standalone mixer! Great work. Might be a good topic for a future video - using an interface as a mixer!
I actually use both a mixer and an interface together! Probably not needed for most applications but I find the mixer provides additional input & routing options that are patched out of the mixer into my interface, which only has two inputs, and it all actually works and sounds good together.
The Behringer Xenyx UFX 1604 has 16 individual channels to record with. It also features very good preamps (called Xenyx but I think they are Midas pres) plus a ton of routing options. I was lucky to get one of the last ones from Thomann for 299,- Euro but eBay and other platforms got some almost new ones in the same price range from time to time. An alternative would be the Behringer XR18 Mixer which features even more individual recording channels and even more routing options, BUT you have to pay around 390,- Euro and you need the not so sexy interface software since it is basically a stage box mixer. The software offers tons of options and even very good effects, the recording quality is awesome. I think they also put in Midas preamps although there is an XR18-Clone from Midas (I think they belong to the same company group) which specifically features Midas pres but does not sound different. I would always prefer a mixer over an interface as long as we're not talking UA-devices with own processors to feature latency-free recording with effects like reverb for singers. On a mixer you can almost always have your own mix send to the phones with fx and send it dry to the USB port in real-time. This makes recording overdubs much more fun and way easier than recording with a latency bugged interface in the entry class. If you don't need more than two channels, you can even go as cheap as 129,- for a Behringer Xenyx X-1204 USB which features 4 Xenyx mic pres and onboard FX. Disclaimer: I am not working for Behringer nor am I in any way affiliated with them. I just have wondered a long path of research and expensive trial and error until I found all I needed with good quality audio and acceptable pricing.
Great information! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I think I will cover the higher end mixers in the future as I’m keen to explore something like the Behringer XR18 or even the Preosnus Studio Live as my next audio interface/mixer.
Pete Johns if you want to get a stage box like mixer I‘d look into the Soundcraft Ui24R. It‘s down to 699,- Euro (from 1299RRP). Soundcraft has the best UI by far and it’s the same on every device since it‘s HTML5. Drawback is you need the 24 channel flagship for recording more than a stereo mixdown but that‘s the deal with all brands right now. If I hadn‘t bought the UFX 1604 I‘d have gotten the Ui24R.
Hi pete! Thanks for the info. I have a Focusrite for studio recording and now this mixer for live performance. Your video make me feel More secure about the buy of a mixer
Very welcome my friend. Yes, this is a common confusing factor. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
@@PeteJohnsMusic Would the alto live 1202 desk be the same? Also, when i got my audiobox i had to install its software. If i wanted to use a desk for recording would there be anything like that required?
Awesome! Hope things are going okay for you up there in Canada. And I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven't already.
well a mixer it is then! ive wondered about this for some time.. i have some hardware devices i mostly use for my music and play live with it so the lixer is the better option in genral for me. great ideo!
Great stuff Luk! Yes, I love my mixer now. Just being able to grab audio from my iPad, iPhone, keyboard, guitar, mic and mix it all together on the fly - it's awesome!
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍. Check out my gear guide too at this link - studiolivetoday.com/gear
Why not use both? I actually record my guitar, Bass, and keyboards all through my 4 track usb mixer, and then run a 1/4 jack out to my iRig studio HD. From there I go directly into my iMac’s Powered USB Hub. Great signal that way! And very clean sounding audio
Yeah, there are definitely options for using a hybrid setup with both a mixer and an interface. I have pushed stereo output from my mixer to my interface a few times.
Yeah, these are definitely a thing at the higher price point, but at the entry and mid levels you pretty much need to choose between the two right now.
Pete Johns- Have you ever used Logic Pro? I am currently debating getting this one and using it over garage band. It seems it doesn’t matter on how much money I put into my equipment there is always a slight airy hiss when I use the clean channels on my Guitar. Have a line 6 POD 2.0 that goes direct into my 4 channel mixer, and lastly into a iRig HD and I switch between the lightning input and USB input. I also currently record everything in garage band through an iMac or switch to an iPad Pro. Yet still a slight hiss. Any ideas that can help me get rid of this? You can’t hear it in the mix when there are more tracks, but it’s only when I hear it solo
Hey there. The software you use is unlikely to impact any noise in the recording. Is the boss there even with no amp sim selected and with a clean tone? All amp sims will introduce some noise and hiss so just confirming that you have checked the signal when plugged in direct and clean? I would also make sure your gain and volume at each stage are lower than you might think they should be. In a digital system you can get away with much lower input gain to help lower the noise floor. Hope this helps out somewhat at least.
Quick question... If the mixer has 2-channel output, doesn't it give you the same output capability as the 2-channel AI you're holding? Thanks for you great videos. I've come across a few randomly, and they are so succinct and helpful that I just subscribed!
Awesome! Thanks for he feedback and glad you’re finding the videos useful. Yes, you’re right that you can get a stereo signal out of the mixer so if you pan two channels hard left and hard right you can replicate the same output as a 2 channel interface. Depending on your software you’ll just need to do some splitting of the audio signal once recorded or record to two independent tracks that are also panned. It’s a little more fiddly than an interface but totally possible.
Thanks Pete. Since you asked, I have a Yamaha mixer. Now, I couldn’t explain the difference between EQ and compression. Thus, I leave all my settings pointing at the little triangle, whatever that means, probably some midrange setting. My use is to do home based karaoke parties, and to make music videos with the source music from a karaoke track that I’ve purchased somehow, and my voice recorded on a second track in GarageBand. Then I’ve been combining the GarageBand song with video in iMovie. Since I have had absolutely no idea what I’ve been doing, sometimes I tweak a little on the mixer, usually echo, then do nothing in GarageBand, and sometimes I record it with raw sound, and tweak little things in GarageBand. When I’m in a hightened mood to display my lack of expertise, I’ll change both the input and the recorded sound. I should probably have gone with some type of USB interface and learned how to tweak things in GarageBand. Oh well, it’s still been fun trying different things. 🤓
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I love hearing these sort of things. The key is to use what you have to the best of your ability and have some fun. I don't know everything about everything but it sure is enjoyable learning and experimenting.
Could use far more explanation of why one needs an interface. The only clue you mentioned in all of that was to have a 'clean sound'. Why not directly plug into the mixer?
Yes, it's always hard to balance enough and too much information. My point there was really that for the same price point, you will usually get a better quality (quieter generally) preamp in an interface, as a mixer needs to cut costs to include all the other bells and whistles. So a $200 interface is likely "cleaner" recording a mic than a $200 mixer. But not always... which is what keeps things, er, interesting!
People watching this should note that the mixer he has may only output to 2 channels, but there are mixers that send individual channel signals to the DAW. Mackie Onyx 1620i for instance.
Yup, 100%. Once you get in to the higher end mixers that are often hybrids, combining multi channel interfaces with a stereo mixer. An example is the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 which I show here - th-cam.com/video/ty9nEhDtmPg/w-d-xo.html
Haha! Nice one. Given the Wikipedia definition of a wombats is "short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia", I do tick most of these boxes. 😄
If you skip the USB mixer and just use a USB audio interface, you can get the effect of both if you add an EQ in the path of your signal. The only down side is you'll only have this on one channel, but they're a dime a dozen used. I got a Peavey Q431FX 31 Band EQ for $40 for this very purpose. A recorded sound vs your live and in-person sound are very different. I already have my gear set to what sounds good IRL, with this setup I don't have to change any of that and I can shape it as it's coming into the DAW to match best I can. It works great, but I ended up not doing this very often anymore. I found I'm EQing in the DAW already, so this is adding an extra step that just leads to little less DAW EQing, but it's always an option.
Great suggestions and input here - thanks so much! I’ve done similar in the past with effects by putting them in the chain on the way in to the interface and it’s kind of move to commit to your sound early in this way. Having all the options on the world later on mixing and editing is great, but sometimes too many options is overwhelming!
Great share, thanks for the vid. I bought a midi controller keyboard then realized the USB only carries midi info - you can't switch to 48Kbs data, although it has in-keyboard voices! So adding a audio interface and having to pick one that I can live with for a while.
great video for newbie like me! thank you so much. i just have a question, can i connect my yamaha analog mixer output into xlr input of focusrite audio interface and connect the focusrite usb into my laptop and do live streaming using OBS? the reason is i need to connect 4 mics, 1 guitar in mixer. my focusrite has only one xlr input. i ran a first live streaming last week but i found the sound was start breaking / cracking badly after 10 mins. is it because of my setup? hope my question makes sense to you... thank you!
Hey there. Yes, you can definitely send audio form a mixer to the line in of your interface. Is it a Scarlett 2i2? I recommend using TRS (1/4”) cables for the best results. th-cam.com/video/za1-jPvjiMs/w-d-xo.html Connect stereo output from the mixer to the two inputs in your interface and then set your levels in OBS. Let me know if you need any further info or support. Feel free to email me at pete@studiolivetoday.com
I use pro tools with eleven rack, however, PT is phasing out 11r and want to get a seamless audio interface (always had trouble with PT/11r once ver 12 PT came out) any recommendations? Thanks
Hey there. There’s a heap of good options depending on what you’re looking for. I love the Steinberg series of interfaces for quality and performance, and have recently started using the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 which is great. Check my gear guide here - studiolivetoday.com/gear
Hello Pete, thank you very much for your videos. You make things clear, simple and fast. In my humble opinion, brilliant! And in addition I can improve my english, because your diction is clear. Thanks for that too.
Generally speaking, you get better preamps on an audio interface. Mixers can tend to use cheaper preamps because they often include more channels and therefore need to reduce costs. If you are looking for the best audio quality, go for a two channel audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or the Steinberg UR22mkIi. Links at studiolivetoday.com/gear
Mmmm, fair warning to you all. A mixer/interface has latency issues when playing a live track through DAW... no matter which I used and settings, going back to a Audio Interface beat a mixer hands down, in my experience.
Yup. This is often done to the fact that mixers use lower quality components due to having so many extra features. Not the case with all mixers but something to be aware of in lower end mixers.
So can you plug in your instruments and mic in the mixer, the from mixer out to Audio Interface. In short i could the mute/unmute what i want to record via the mixer? Thanks for doing a great work!
The audio interface is good but limited to input ports. I have a UR22c. As my synth collection grows there is the need for a separate mixer. I bought a Behringer PMP2000d a while back and now realize it does not have Aux Sends. Now it's just an amp, as there is no way to incorporate my BigSky effects pedal. I have to buy a mixer with Aux sends. Bad mistake buying a PMP2000D
Hi Pete, the Allen and Heath Zedi 10 fx is a 4 in 4 out class compliant mixer amazing to use I have had one for a year or so I cannot recommend it enough great sound without the need for an audio interface, the effects section is stunning with chorus reverb delay flange easily edited to your personal preference, the pre amps are the same as the flagship Allen and Heath range, the mixer has 2 dedicated inputs for guitar , bass, so no di box required also has a lo cut facility button on the first 4 input channels sounds great. Cheers. Andy.
This video is severely misleading. There are plenty of mixers with USB support that offer full multi-track recording. Behringer, Allen & Heath, Presonus.
Thanks for the feedback. Certainly wasn’t my intention. Yes, there’s been a lot of discussion on this in the comments. This video is aimed at folks who don’t know the difference between the two, so I’m focusing on entry level interfaces and mixers like the ones I featured. Folks who are in the market for a mixer that also acts as a multi-channel interface probably know this as they are more experienced with audio gear and spending around $1.000 instead of $100. I do genuinely appreciate all the comments on this and perhaps a follow up video showcasing the next level up of mixers and interfaces would be useful.
Reaper, the DaW I use on PC (also available on Mac) can handle 5.1 mixes, as can ProTools. I’ve also used Adobe’s suite for this before (Audition and Premiere Pro)
That’s a good suggestion! Yes, a preamp is simply the amplifier that helps amplify the signal from a microphone to allow recording. Most audio interfaces have microphone inputs which also act as the preamps. You can also get a separate preamp and connect this to your interface if you want something that might have better quality sound. I hope this helps and I’ll definitely consider making a video on the future. 👍
@@PeteJohnsMusic hey, since you're online and actually respond to comments, what do you think of Behringer Xenyx Q802USB USB Audio Mixer www.amazon.in/dp/B008O517IC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kaWjCb7KRP52E ? I'll be using it to occasionally record mics, and mostly my synth (mostly not simultaneously). Is Behringer's quality good?
Yes, definitely if you’re streaming as it gives you instant and easy control over volume and effects, and you can manage multiple inputs at once on the fly. Podcasting isn’t as necessary as you’re usually pre-recording.
I use a 10 channel analog mixer with rec out, control room and main out. Control room goes to PA speakers, main goes to a simple stereo audio interface. Monitoring from audio interface stereo output to headphones
Hi Pete. I would like to be able to hear effects while recording but I would like the output to the computer to have no effects or EQ so that I can add them on the computer. Is there a way to do that? At the minute I use a Fostex VF80EX multitracker to record my tracks and then I play each track in turn via my Focusrite scarlett in real time into the computer completely dry. This works well but it is very time consuming. Thanks, Kenny.
Hey Kenny. I talked about this in today’s live show here - th-cam.com/video/LApr2evT5v0/w-d-xo.html In short, you can either use an interface that has DSP effects built in, or you can just use effects in your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to monitor.
@@PeteJohnsMusicHi Pete. Thanks for your reply. I don't think My DAW has that capability (Adobe Audition 1.5) but I have solved the problem anyway. It turns out that my USB mixer does exactly what I need. I can have effects while singing but it is recorded dry. Problem solved. Thanks again for your help.
Reading convo since i bought UR22C , looking for effect and end up of planning to buy a mixer ?? Any suggestion ? Should I buy so that during recording I can manupulate the effect
@@bonjovifomera3799 I use an Allen & Heath Zed 10 FX USB mixer and I discovered (by accident) that I can have effects while recording but the tracks are sent to the computer dry which is exactly what I wanted to achieve. I'm not an expert but I suspect that this would probably work with any USB mixer.
Very welcome my friend. Glad you got some value from the video and enjoy the other videos here on the channel. Let me know if you have any questions, and please consider subscribing if you do get more value.
As always, you make the complex simple Pete, thank you! I am getting a mixer for live show work, so I need to learn about how to use that versus my MacBook setup!
For USB audio interface something like scarlet 2i2 if i plug my headphones into the monitor jack can i hear my pc aswell? because while streaming i want to hear my microphone voice and my pc at the same in my headphones if not whats the best Solution, thank you in advance.
So all I need is audio interface and my iPad, and I would go on TH-cam find a song and would be able to have the music only play on the microphone so everyone can hear the music and my voice singing and the song lyrics and music in my ear? Does this make sense? Thanks
I think an audio interface is actually a great choice to start with. Mixers have many more options but interfaces are definitely my recommendation for getting started with recording.
I have one of each (got the interface first to do YT vids), but wasn't sure of which to use in other, different scenarios. This was helpful. Thank you for the info.
so this audio interface has only a couple of line and mics inputs, a mixer has much more for all my instruments and mics. Where do you plug in all your instruments in that little interface? I don't get it.
Hey there my friend. Yes, there are only two inputs but what most home studio folks do is overdub and record multiple tracks but not at the same time. Check out this set of videos for more information. th-cam.com/play/PLc8Xg_23Wa54nSpvFLpGZ1WXrAWTX96Mo.html
@@PeteJohnsMusic Hi Pete! Thank you very much for the answer :) I think I am going for a standard mixer because I allready have an old PCI audio interface in my PC with 2 ins and 2 outs. Having also a couple of keyboards and gear it would be cumbersome to switch plugs all the time. Altough an audio interface might have better direct sound quality, what do you think? Have a good new year :)
Yeah, having a mixer can be really handy for just that reason. I have some inputs ready to go with my iPad, a mic, and a guitar cable handy. Even if I want just one of these channels at once, I can just drop the faders on the others and quickly have just what I want in my mix. Definitely don't regret purchasing my Samson MixPad - th-cam.com/video/n5C7MbzzInk/w-d-xo.html
* Luddite Warning * Sooo , can a mixer connect directly to a computer , or does it still require a gadget to go inbetween ? Wouldn't an Interface still require a mixer for each microphone ? ( For mic'ing several acoustic instruments , but only 1, rarely 2 vocal .)
Hey there. Don’t worry, all luddites, noobs and any other folks are welcome here. So, yes - a lot of mixers include a USB connection which allows them to act as a sound input and output directly for a PC or Mac, but only two channels are usually available (stereo left and right). And interface can have two, four, eight or more separate inputs that can accept a line or microphone signal, so as in your example, you could connect two vocal mics, four mics for drums and two mics for instruments all to a single 8-input interface. If you did this with a mixer, instead of recording each channel individually, you would only get a stereo signal. I hope this helps and thanks for watching and for your question. 👍
I used the same audio interface mentioned in the video for quite some time, but swapped over to a Yamaha MG12XU last year. I really like the flexibility having a mixer gives me outside of the DAW. Plus I might be crazy, but it sounds more natural through the Yahmaha.
@@PeteJohnsMusic It's a solid move. MG have the same Yamaha D-preamps as the Steinberg, but you have way more control. Only records stereo L/R tho, so if you want to record with two mics you have to play with the pan settings on the mixer. I'll be trying out the Apollo Twin later this week, but I'll hold on to the Yamaha as a backup.
Yeah, If one uses drum machines, synths ,guitars, a single 2 channel interface may not be so versatile, adding a mixer thru the audio interface is key for creative and hands on playing 🎉
Hey there my friend. So, if you're doing anything LIVE, mixer. If everything it pre-recorded - interface. It's more complext that this, but that's a good place to start. All my gear recommendations are at studiolivetoday.com/gear
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I’m glad you got value from the video. I hole you find thy brothers here on the channel enjoyable and consider subscribing.
Hi Pete - thank you for the info! I am thinking about getting an AT2020 for a mini home studio (recording vocals for music/podcasts with Adobe Audition) - what mixer or audio interface would you recommend to pair? I've been looking at the Behringer Xenyx 1204 (currently out of stock on Amazon in Canada) then 1002B (preferring slides over knobs) - if it's not asking too much for ~$200CAD budget, I would like compression knobs to boot. Cheers!
Hey there. So I haven’t personally used a Behringer mixer so can’t say whether they are good, bad or otherwise. I have heard that they are solid performers and probably on par with the Samson MixPad series, which I wonder and used for several years, and still recommend. (Has sliders and compressors on two channels)
Daniel, I have that one at home that I'm using for my kid's guitar recording and it's working very well. We inherited it from a radio station I did IT work from. At the time I had no idea what to do with it, so we're just learning. But it works well. I came to this video just to find out the difference between a mixer and interface, so now I can stop trying to figure out why I can't get 8 outputs out of the thing :)
Thank you very much. I was thinking about saving a few bucks with an audio interface, but since im streaming live on Twitch, it makes a lot more sense to go with a mixer. Thanx again.
I’ve been doing a lot of live streaming lately and I can 100% recommend a mixer. Having those tactile faders and ability to quickly add and remove sound sources is so handy.
I must admit that I’m tempted to shop around. I think my current insurer may be increasing my rates without much justification. Do you have a good insurance broker that you can recommend?
All good! Sometimes there are specific commercials that are only in the US so I miss the references. Like “Flo” from Progressive. Had to look that one up. 😄
Great vid! One thing for the newbies is that some usb mixers actually can send each channel individually to your daw! The MTK-series mixers (like the MTK 12 and MTK 22) from Soundcraft are great examples, although the pricetags of these mixers goes up quite a bit!
Absolutely! Yes, I might need to do a “part two” talking about hybrid mixer/interface options. Zoom are pushing in to this space too with their LiveTrak series. The L-8 looks really nice!
With software like voicemeeter, you can gather multiple PC sound cards and record to stereo, 5.1 or 7.1. You're getting both a mixer console and an interface for almost free (USB sound cards are cheap).
Great info, Pete! Thanks to you I know I have the perfect setup for home recording with the Focusrite 2i2 and Garageband or Logic. No need for a mixer right now. Thanks for the clarity on this topic.
I just bought a Harbinger L402 Mixer for $160 Stupid Deal of The Day at Musicians Friend. It has 8 XLR inputs. I also purchased a used Lexicon Lambda Audio Interface awhile back for $28 on ebay. It's decent too. I'll be comparing the 2 one day.
Check out my audio interface guide here - th-cam.com/video/7QOXjfB1ExM/w-d-xo.html
Pete Johns I’m assuming it runs without usb as well as with usb so with this assumption or it only runs with power and usb? If it does run with only usb and no power cord do you get the same analog sound?
Seck 18-8-2 mixing console, 8 bus to Fostex 16 track digital recorder, back into Seck for mastering to 2 track stereo.
I have no mastering facility yet, but am considering a number of options. Mastering to a Tascam D-40, when live or on location, or routing to a two channel audio interface. My main concern is latency when contemplating virtual instrumentation. Traditionally, the IEEE 1394 'Firewire' has offered the best low latency connection to a DAW, but USB (3) has certainly closed the gap in recent years.
Now I do own an Avid/Digidesign 003, but both Firewire ports were fried by the last owner, so the 1394 chip and surge protectors require replacing before I could use this device as an alternative (to the Fostex/Tascam) 8 channel audio interface to a DAW.
Contemplating the Yamaha AG03 or the Focusrite 2i2 as my audio interface to DAW. However, my last PC got fried by climate chaos recently, so I have no decent (fast enough) PC to work with as yet. I do have a Mac G4, but this is a tad old, so I might consider upgrading to a Mac G5 or Power Mac, if I can find one cheap enough.
Using this setup, I only require a basic stereo mastering program... The Yamaha AG 03 can output at 192khz/24 bit sampling/bit rate, so what would be the best two channel mastering program to use with this Toshiba Satelite laptop... Sony Soundforge? Audacity? Anything else?
Deebz270 Based on using daws and I know you weren’t talking to me but.... Studio One, Audacity, Wavelab, Protools really they all do the same thing just different features for your workflow.
@@whatuthinkvswhatuknow4011 - No, honestly, anyone with any knowledge is valid to comment, I wasn't necessarilly directing that question at Pete per se... Yeah. That was what I figured, I see little difference between the two progs I have, Soundforge or Audacity. I've yet to try the others you mentioned.
They are, after all, simply recording progs. Thanks Dude. Sharing knowledge is *good.*
Thanks for sharing! Sounds like you’ve got some pretty good gear and options for recording there!
Noone i saw in TH-cam ever explain in such simple way like you did 🙏. Proud to be your subscriber, learning lots of things over the years . Thanks for sharing 🙏
Thanks my friend. Appreciate the kind words.
Finally somebody who actually doesn’t talk out of his rearside, when it comes to the difference between Mixer and audio interface. I’ve heard so many bad „explanations“ on what the differences are, that I actually was ready to prepare a similar comment to dozens I’ve done before while watching your video. But in the end, I had to do a 180 and now I’m sitting here applauding to your explanation. Nice work!
Thanks Michael. Appreciate the kind words my friend. Yes, I had a similar thought when I created this. I was getting several people every week buy a Behringer mixer and then b to understand why they could only record two channels, so thought this would help a lot of folks not be misled but the promise of “12 channels”.
I always wanted to know the difference between a USB mixer and USB interface. Excellent video. Thank You!
Thanks my friend. Glad you found it useful. 👍
After watching your video I understood that I just lost my money, I wanted to buy an audio interface but I bought a mixer.
If you googled it you would probably get his video. 🙏
there is a huge difference in the output sounding of each. i use yamaha mg10xu which is a usb audio interface cum mixer and a steinberg ur12. i would say when i connect my jbl lsr 305 directly to ur12 i can hear clean sound otherwise i hear some distortion or unclean or little bit noise mixed out in yamaha. i bought the mg10xu to save the money rather buying multi io interface. but its not worty if u wana hear the real sonic factors of sound.
So can u do a multitrack recording with a usb mixer
The fact that you genuinely reply with helpful information to every comment earned you a like, keep being awesome!
Well it would be out of form if I didn’t respond to your comment! Thanks so much for your support. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
The best explanation (period!) . Thanks a lot for taking the time of doing such a great video.
Thank you my friend. Really appreciate your kind words.
For those struggling with the flexibility of a USB Ai and and a USB Mixer (hardware device) here’s an analogy. Think of a BLT sandwich, The USB Ai let’s you individually send the “sandwich “ ingredients to your PC/Laptop/Tablet and you can control each of those elements going into a final mix software using the app’s software e.g. GarageBand. The USB Mixer let’s you mix those ingredient on its platter with the myriad of knobs and switches, i.e. hardware mixing. It then sends out the whole “sandwich” as a complete stereo mix. The latter means you have lost control of the invidual ingredients if you send it to another mixing device; you can up/down frequencies/volume but not necessarily an individual guitar/drum/voice.
I really like that sandwich analogy! And now I’m hungry. 😊👍
Ohhh thanks so much for that analogy!!
EXCELLENT analogy! Thank you!
You could use the usb mixer and record one track at a time to individual tracks on your DAW, getting the best of both snacks.
@@dillipphunbar7924 Also most DAWs have mixers with effects.
Finally a good explanation for us audio newbies. Thanks bro!!
You’re very welcome. Glad it helped out. 👍
I sold my Behringer 8-input mixer. Now that I'm working from home and using Zoom, I found that I needed another mixer, so I've invested in a Yamaha, It doesn't have all the bells & whistles, but it works good for desk-top and has USB output. Thanks for your clear and concise demonstration.
Very welcome. Yes, a mixer is such a useful thing for live video. 👍
I use the mixer setup currently. What I like to do is record a demo track with the whole band/setup. That's my scratch track to keep everyone on the same page. Then I go back individually record each part so I then have control over that instrument/signal. It's a couple extra steps but I also use the mixer to play live so the flexibility is appreciated. Plus, multi-channel audio interfaces are...as mentioned...quite pricey lol
Nice one! Thanks for sharing your process. This does make sense to get a feel for that "whole band" sound early on, so you can craft your individual tracks. It's easy to get carried away overdubbing and adding more tracks and quickly get a sound that is not what you're really going for. Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. Pete.
Okay if I read right here , the mixer recording audio quality into my DAW would still be good without audio interface ?
Hey there. Yep, the USB interface on a mixer is probably not AS good as an interface but can do the job.
@@PeteJohnsMusic The audio interface is an external soundcard, right? The mixer means your just relying on the soundcard of the laptop, pc, or ipad, which often isn't as good as what is in an audio interface.
You don't know how long I've been waiting for someone to explain it to me in layman's. Thank you very much.
You're very welcome! This was something that took me a long time to come to terms with and completely understand, so I figured there would be lots of others in the same boat.
This dude explains things very well. Thank you for the clarity!
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
Hi Pete Johns. I have been watching various audio interface vs mixer videos. However, none of those videos explained the differences in a simple and straight forward manner. Thank you so much for the information.
Thanks so much my friend. Very glad to hear it. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
I absolutely need a mixer as a drummer to get a mixed sound in my in ears/headphones as I play or practice. The recording aspect is also necessary, but secondary to my live sound.
Yes, the new breed of hybrid mixer/interfaces are a great option. I’ve been using a enjoying the Zoom LiveTrak L-8. th-cam.com/video/ty9nEhDtmPg/w-d-xo.html
Interested in recording drums for a project before I go back to work lol?
As a voice actor, I started using a Presonus Audiobox. For several years it seemed to work fine until recently the interface was providing a scratchiness that I couldn’t dodge. Being so long I decided to upgrade and talking to coworkers at the radio station I work at, I was it tipped off to the behringer mixing boards they used at their respective homes. When I tried to get one, the -lace I was buying from didn’t have one, so instead I bought a Yamaha MG10XU. So far, I’m digging it, being able to control my voice input on the fly, and yes the FX are a novelty, but still good to have. Only recording stereo is fine, since that’s usually all that’s needed anyway for my line of work.
Great stuff Scott. Yes, the Yamaha MG series and seriously good quality at their price point and personally I think the D-Pre preamps are cleaner than the Behringer. Thanks for sharing your experience.
I have 2nd Gen Focusrite 6i6 and it does everything I need it to do. It's hooked into a 10 year old POS Dell running Win7 and it records fine into Reaper without any latency. I record dry guitar DI, amped guitar DI (off the speaker cable via Behringer Ultra G DI), and an occasional SM58. [Note: please don't use a regular DI box on your speaker cable between your amp and cab; it'll do a combination of blowing up your tubes / transformer in your amp, melting your DI box, and / or burning down your house. Get a DI box or attenuator / power soak that's specially made for that application.]
More excellent tips here my friend. Thanks so much! 👍
I've watched quite a few videos, and by far, this taught me the most. Straight to the point, and simple enough for a beginner like me. Thanks!!
Hey, thanks so much for your kind words and support. I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. Hope you enjoy the future videos here on the channel and be sure to provide any other feedback about what you would like to see.
I would also bring up the lack of AD/DA on the mixer and how the audio out of the mixer is handled. I'm a drummer and want full control over my input of raw tracks. So far, I haven't been able to find any interfaces with 12 mic pres and converters built in.(for home recording).
Hey Vincent. You might want to check out the ZOOM LiveTrak series. I’ve just picked up an L-8 but there is also the L-12 and L-20 if you need more independent inputs. th-cam.com/video/UW2OnSn03y8/w-d-xo.html
Hook up a pre via ADAT?
There's a ton of them out there but none of them are cheap. If you can find an Allan and Heath ZR 16 used, that would be a good bet. 16 simultaneous inputs to individual channels via FireWire and foldback on top of that. Mackie has a few. Most of these are outdated now as people have finally caught on that you don't need a mixer as most of your mixing will be done in the box. A good interface and a control surface are the way to go IMHO.
Use a smaller kit. Hahaha
@@chuckschillingvideos Lol! Not much choice but good point!
most videos on audio are super confusing, thank you for finally giving me an understanding of the differences between the two
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
Very good explanation between the key difference between the two devices
To make the sound more dynamic of the music should use an USB audio interface or a mixer when mastering
Hi there! So, a mixer or interface won't really impact how dynamic the music is as you can control the volume with both. Mixers probably give you a higher level of control over EQ so you can make sure frequencies are sitting right. However since most mixing is done after recording, there is not a big advantage of one over the other.
@@PeteJohnsMusic
Thank you very helpful
You’re welcome.
I have the Behringer XAir r18 Digital mixer and I love it, it has 18 inputs, 6 aux outs and 2 main outs that can be configured for mono or stereo, 16 mic pre amps with noise gate and compression on each channel, 4 dual channel effects with over 40 effect built in. Independent EQs on every inputs and outputs, routing control, 18x18 usb computer audio interface for recording and playback, wireless remote control apps from just about any computer and OS, phone or tablet, ducking and automix and lots more for less then $700 and the thing sound fantastic!
Awesome! Thanks for the recommendation. I keep hearing more and more good things about these Behringer mixers.
Have the same mixer. Digital mixers ftw!
I really love this mixer. I use it for all my live streams and videos these days and it produces some great quality sound.
Allen & Heath ZEDi 10 also acts as a 4x4 interface and handles live recording very well. My suggestion.
Awesome! Thanks so much for your feedback.
Back for a second earful....this is by far the best explanation that could possibly be given to viewers...excellent !!!!!
Cheers my friend. Appreciate your kind words.
Perfect. Saved me hours of confusion. And probably money! Cheers!
Nice one! Glad it helped. 👍
this was the best video i have seen over this topic so far. Its short, simple and VERY informative. Thanks pete!
Thanks so much my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
thing video helped me understand the difference been searching on the internet for a few days now
Great to hear my friend! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. 👍
I'm picking up an audio interface thank you for explaining the differences
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
You can also check out my gear guide here. studiolivetoday.com/gear
Great succinct video (makes a change for TH-cam!). I use a Zoom U44, with the add-on capsule for 2 more inputs. I send this into FL Studio to record two guitars, a mic and a keyboard. Works great.
Awesome! I keep hearing good things about the Zoom interfaces. Very tempted to pick one up as a portable stereo input when I’m on the go.
And thanks for the kind words. I definitely try to rebel against the trend of videos which bury the lead and take forever to say nothing. I mean, I can do that too at times, but my intention is to not! 😄
I watched a few videos on this subject and I think this was the best explanation on when you want to use an interface vs mixer.
Thanks my friend! Appreciate the kind words and glad to hear it helped.
I am currrently using a Behringer U-Phoria UMC404HD audio interface with the PreSonus Studio One 3 Profesional DAW. I choose the UMC404HD because of its execllent price vs performance. I got four inputs for $99 instead of two. A nice feature of the UMC404HD is that is has a separate power input. What makes this feature so special is that I don't need to use a computer with a usb connection and a DAW to output to my monitors and/or headphones. The separate power input allows me to use the UMC404HD as mini mixer, a very basic mixer, but a mixer non-the-less. And yes, I sill get 48v phatom power with the external power source. To get compression and other effects, I'm using the Zoom G3X pedal to dial in the sound that I want. This is going through the fx loop on the HotOne Mojo Diamond 5 watt solid state amp. i input my computer from the heaphone jack to the aux input of the amp and the heaphone jack on the amp is used to send the output signal to UMC404HD. I actually split this signal into two mono signals and use two inputs on the UMC404HD. This makes for a nice practice setup where I can play along with backing tracks I have stroed on my computer. Since I am not using a DAW I can not control the left/right paning of the output signal to the monitors. This got me to start looking at usb mixers. This video help to decide that I really don't need a usb mixer since I already have a digital interface. The next question I need to answer is whether or not I really need a mixer at all.
Thanks for much for the detailed feedback. I need to try the same with my Steinberg UR14 as it is also separately powered, but I never thought of using it as a standalone mixer! Great work. Might be a good topic for a future video - using an interface as a mixer!
I actually use both a mixer and an interface together! Probably not needed for most applications but I find the mixer provides additional input & routing options that are patched out of the mixer into my interface, which only has two inputs, and it all actually works and sounds good together.
Totally. I’m the same. I actually have audio interfaces that go out in to my mixer.
The Behringer Xenyx UFX 1604 has 16 individual channels to record with. It also features very good preamps (called Xenyx but I think they are Midas pres) plus a ton of routing options. I was lucky to get one of the last ones from Thomann for 299,- Euro but eBay and other platforms got some almost new ones in the same price range from time to time. An alternative would be the Behringer XR18 Mixer which features even more individual recording channels and even more routing options, BUT you have to pay around 390,- Euro and you need the not so sexy interface software since it is basically a stage box mixer. The software offers tons of options and even very good effects, the recording quality is awesome. I think they also put in Midas preamps although there is an XR18-Clone from Midas (I think they belong to the same company group) which specifically features Midas pres but does not sound different.
I would always prefer a mixer over an interface as long as we're not talking UA-devices with own processors to feature latency-free recording with effects like reverb for singers. On a mixer you can almost always have your own mix send to the phones with fx and send it dry to the USB port in real-time. This makes recording overdubs much more fun and way easier than recording with a latency bugged interface in the entry class. If you don't need more than two channels, you can even go as cheap as 129,- for a Behringer Xenyx X-1204 USB which features 4 Xenyx mic pres and onboard FX. Disclaimer: I am not working for Behringer nor am I in any way affiliated with them. I just have wondered a long path of research and expensive trial and error until I found all I needed with good quality audio and acceptable pricing.
Great information! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I think I will cover the higher end mixers in the future as I’m keen to explore something like the Behringer XR18 or even the Preosnus Studio Live as my next audio interface/mixer.
Pete Johns if you want to get a stage box like mixer I‘d look into the Soundcraft Ui24R. It‘s down to 699,- Euro (from 1299RRP). Soundcraft has the best UI by far and it’s the same on every device since it‘s HTML5.
Drawback is you need the 24 channel flagship for recording more than a stereo mixdown but that‘s the deal with all brands right now. If I hadn‘t bought the UFX 1604 I‘d have gotten the Ui24R.
Finally the info i needed to make my choice. Thank's man ;-)
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
Hi pete! Thanks for the info. I have a Focusrite for studio recording and now this mixer for live performance. Your video make me feel More secure about the buy of a mixer
Glad to hear it! Yes, I'm finding it a really solid and capable mixer, and amazing value for the price.
i'm glad you explained why you only get one file outta that mixer even though has like 12 channels! That has definitely cleared alot up for me!
Very welcome my friend. Yes, this is a common confusing factor. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
@@PeteJohnsMusic Would the alto live 1202 desk be the same? Also, when i got my audiobox i had to install its software. If i wanted to use a desk for recording would there be anything like that required?
Exactly what I needed to hear. New to the interface world. However I have an Alessi 4multimix usb connected to a regular Yamaha non usb mixer.
Nice one! Glad it was useful for you. 👍
Tuning in here from Canada. Your videos are Terrific. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Awesome! Hope things are going okay for you up there in Canada. And I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven't already.
well a mixer it is then! ive wondered about this for some time.. i have some hardware devices i mostly use for my music and play live with it so the lixer is the better option in genral for me. great ideo!
Great stuff Luk! Yes, I love my mixer now. Just being able to grab audio from my iPad, iPhone, keyboard, guitar, mic and mix it all together on the fly - it's awesome!
Great video! Been looking for an explanation for it and after plenty of videos I found the one! Thank you!
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍.
Check out my gear guide too at this link - studiolivetoday.com/gear
Useful information. Love your channel Pete.
Thanks Robert. Always a pleasure to hear from you sir. 👍
Thank you so much for this! Went through a few videos but the quest ends here. Perfect explanation.
Thanks my friend! Glad it helped you out. 👍
Why not use both? I actually record my guitar, Bass, and keyboards all through my 4 track usb mixer, and then run a 1/4 jack out to my iRig studio HD. From there I go directly into my iMac’s Powered USB Hub. Great signal that way! And very clean sounding audio
Yeah, there are definitely options for using a hybrid setup with both a mixer and an interface. I have pushed stereo output from my mixer to my interface a few times.
Yeah, these are definitely a thing at the higher price point, but at the entry and mid levels you pretty much need to choose between the two right now.
The Presonus Studio Live and the Behringer Air series are ones I hear about a lot, but haven’t used them personally so can’t really vouch for them.
Pete Johns- Have you ever used Logic Pro? I am currently debating getting this one and using it over garage band. It seems it doesn’t matter on how much money I put into my equipment there is always a slight airy hiss when I use the clean channels on my Guitar. Have a line 6 POD 2.0 that goes direct into my 4 channel mixer, and lastly into a iRig HD and I switch between the lightning input and USB input. I also currently record everything in garage band through an iMac or switch to an iPad Pro. Yet still a slight hiss. Any ideas that can help me get rid of this? You can’t hear it in the mix when there are more tracks, but it’s only when I hear it solo
Hey there. The software you use is unlikely to impact any noise in the recording.
Is the boss there even with no amp sim selected and with a clean tone? All amp sims will introduce some noise and hiss so just confirming that you have checked the signal when plugged in direct and clean?
I would also make sure your gain and volume at each stage are lower than you might think they should be. In a digital system you can get away with much lower input gain to help lower the noise floor.
Hope this helps out somewhat at least.
I now love the suggested routine again. A good vid here!
Cheers my friend.
Quick question... If the mixer has 2-channel output, doesn't it give you the same output capability as the 2-channel AI you're holding? Thanks for you great videos. I've come across a few randomly, and they are so succinct and helpful that I just subscribed!
Awesome! Thanks for he feedback and glad you’re finding the videos useful.
Yes, you’re right that you can get a stereo signal out of the mixer so if you pan two channels hard left and hard right you can replicate the same output as a 2 channel interface. Depending on your software you’ll just need to do some splitting of the audio signal once recorded or record to two independent tracks that are also panned. It’s a little more fiddly than an interface but totally possible.
Thanks Pete. Since you asked, I have a Yamaha mixer. Now, I couldn’t explain the difference between EQ and compression. Thus, I leave all my settings pointing at the little triangle, whatever that means, probably some midrange setting. My use is to do home based karaoke parties, and to make music videos with the source music from a karaoke track that I’ve purchased somehow, and my voice recorded on a second track in GarageBand. Then I’ve been combining the GarageBand song with video in iMovie.
Since I have had absolutely no idea what I’ve been doing, sometimes I tweak a little on the mixer, usually echo, then do nothing in GarageBand, and sometimes I record it with raw sound, and tweak little things in GarageBand. When I’m in a hightened mood to display my lack of expertise, I’ll change both the input and the recorded sound. I should probably have gone with some type of USB interface and learned how to tweak things in GarageBand. Oh well, it’s still been fun trying different things. 🤓
Thanks so much for sharing your experience. I love hearing these sort of things. The key is to use what you have to the best of your ability and have some fun. I don't know everything about everything but it sure is enjoyable learning and experimenting.
Mate, your videos are just brilliant!
Cheers Kai! Appreciate it my friend. 👍
This is the video explanation I am looking for months :D
Wonderful to hear my friend. Very glad it helped. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
Could use far more explanation of why one needs an interface. The only clue you mentioned in all of that was to have a 'clean sound'. Why not directly plug into the mixer?
Yes, it's always hard to balance enough and too much information. My point there was really that for the same price point, you will usually get a better quality (quieter generally) preamp in an interface, as a mixer needs to cut costs to include all the other bells and whistles. So a $200 interface is likely "cleaner" recording a mic than a $200 mixer. But not always... which is what keeps things, er, interesting!
People watching this should note that the mixer he has may only output to 2 channels, but there are mixers that send individual channel signals to the DAW.
Mackie Onyx 1620i for instance.
Yup, 100%. Once you get in to the higher end mixers that are often hybrids, combining multi channel interfaces with a stereo mixer. An example is the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 which I show here - th-cam.com/video/ty9nEhDtmPg/w-d-xo.html
In a good way... he reminds me of a big friendly wombat!
(Btw great vid)
Haha! Nice one. Given the Wikipedia definition of a wombats is "short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia", I do tick most of these boxes. 😄
Pete Johns haha! Love it
If you skip the USB mixer and just use a USB audio interface, you can get the effect of both if you add an EQ in the path of your signal. The only down side is you'll only have this on one channel, but they're a dime a dozen used. I got a Peavey Q431FX 31 Band EQ for $40 for this very purpose. A recorded sound vs your live and in-person sound are very different. I already have my gear set to what sounds good IRL, with this setup I don't have to change any of that and I can shape it as it's coming into the DAW to match best I can. It works great, but I ended up not doing this very often anymore. I found I'm EQing in the DAW already, so this is adding an extra step that just leads to little less DAW EQing, but it's always an option.
Great suggestions and input here - thanks so much! I’ve done similar in the past with effects by putting them in the chain on the way in to the interface and it’s kind of move to commit to your sound early in this way. Having all the options on the world later on mixing and editing is great, but sometimes too many options is overwhelming!
A mixer is also good for blending food. The other is only for audio.
Yup. Does a good job with concrete if you have some construction work happening too. 🧱
Great share, thanks for the vid. I bought a midi controller keyboard then realized the USB only carries midi info - you can't switch to 48Kbs data, although it has in-keyboard voices! So adding a audio interface and having to pick one that I can live with for a while.
Nice one. Yes, an audio interface is super handy to have in your setup for capturing any analog sounds for sure!
great video for newbie like me! thank you so much. i just have a question, can i connect my yamaha analog mixer output into xlr input of focusrite audio interface and connect the focusrite usb into my laptop and do live streaming using OBS? the reason is i need to connect 4 mics, 1 guitar in mixer. my focusrite has only one xlr input. i ran a first live streaming last week but i found the sound was start breaking / cracking badly after 10 mins. is it because of my setup? hope my question makes sense to you... thank you!
Hey there. Yes, you can definitely send audio form a mixer to the line in of your interface. Is it a Scarlett 2i2? I recommend using TRS (1/4”) cables for the best results. th-cam.com/video/za1-jPvjiMs/w-d-xo.html
Connect stereo output from the mixer to the two inputs in your interface and then set your levels in OBS.
Let me know if you need any further info or support. Feel free to email me at pete@studiolivetoday.com
Great clarity when explaining this. Thanks!
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
I use pro tools with eleven rack, however, PT is phasing out 11r and want to get a seamless audio interface (always had trouble with PT/11r once ver 12 PT came out) any recommendations?
Thanks
Hey there. There’s a heap of good options depending on what you’re looking for. I love the Steinberg series of interfaces for quality and performance, and have recently started using the Zoom LiveTrak L-8 which is great. Check my gear guide here - studiolivetoday.com/gear
Hello Pete, thank you very much for your videos. You make things clear, simple and fast. In my humble opinion, brilliant! And in addition I can improve my english, because your diction is clear. Thanks for that too.
Fantastic to hear my friend! I know I can speak a little quickly at times so glad to hear you can understand and get some value out of my videos. 👍
Genereally speaking, which of the two (interface or mixer) has better pre amps?
Generally speaking, you get better preamps on an audio interface. Mixers can tend to use cheaper preamps because they often include more channels and therefore need to reduce costs.
If you are looking for the best audio quality, go for a two channel audio interface like the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 or the Steinberg UR22mkIi.
Links at studiolivetoday.com/gear
Spot on explanation, thanks! Unless I'm only into recording AND jam alone, I'd pick a mixer every day (with stereo USB output, that is)
Yup. Definitely get a heap more flexibility with a mixer.
Mmmm, fair warning to you all. A mixer/interface has latency issues when playing a live track through DAW... no matter which I used and settings, going back to a
Audio Interface beat a mixer hands down, in my experience.
Yup. This is often done to the fact that mixers use lower quality components due to having so many extra features. Not the case with all mixers but something to be aware of in lower end mixers.
@@PeteJohnsMusic Couldn't have said it better, thanks, Pete.
Excellent breakdown of the differences, I almost bought the wrong bit of kit, cheers.
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
So can you plug in your instruments and mic in the mixer, the from mixer out to Audio Interface. In short i could the mute/unmute what i want to record via the mixer? Thanks for doing a great work!
Yup, pretty much. This video will show what and how you can connect your things to your other things. th-cam.com/video/dyrxZrUeSEg/w-d-xo.html
The audio interface is good but limited to input ports. I have a UR22c. As my synth collection grows there is the need for a separate mixer. I bought a Behringer PMP2000d a while back and now realize it does not have Aux Sends. Now it's just an amp, as there is no way to incorporate my BigSky effects pedal. I have to buy a mixer with Aux sends. Bad mistake buying a PMP2000D
Hi Pete, the Allen and Heath Zedi 10 fx is a 4 in 4 out class compliant mixer amazing to use I have had one for a year or so I cannot recommend it enough great sound without the need for an audio interface, the effects section is stunning with chorus reverb delay flange easily edited to your personal preference, the pre amps are the same as the flagship Allen and Heath range, the mixer has 2 dedicated inputs for guitar , bass, so no di box required also has a lo cut facility button on the first 4 input channels sounds great. Cheers. Andy.
Wow! Sounds like a great option for folks looking for a solid 4x4 option! Thanks so much for sharing. 👍
This video is severely misleading. There are plenty of mixers with USB support that offer full multi-track recording. Behringer, Allen & Heath, Presonus.
Thanks for the feedback. Certainly wasn’t my intention.
Yes, there’s been a lot of discussion on this in the comments. This video is aimed at folks who don’t know the difference between the two, so I’m focusing on entry level interfaces and mixers like the ones I featured.
Folks who are in the market for a mixer that also acts as a multi-channel interface probably know this as they are more experienced with audio gear and spending around $1.000 instead of $100.
I do genuinely appreciate all the comments on this and perhaps a follow up video showcasing the next level up of mixers and interfaces would be useful.
Is there any kind of mixer software that will allow me to take 4 or 6 channels of audio input and combine that into a 4 or 5.1 stream in real time?
i think the zoom l12 does to but i havent gotten one to try yet
Reaper, the DaW I use on PC (also available on Mac) can handle 5.1 mixes, as can ProTools.
I’ve also used Adobe’s suite for this before (Audition and Premiere Pro)
terence smith those are called hybrid systems and in the product information it states that, most usb mixers only do two track mixdowns
I always asked myself the difference between that 2, thank u so much, suscribed from Chile!✌
Thank you so much my friend! Appreciate you watching and taking the time the time to comment. 👍
Friend, can you make a video of whats a preamp for or like can you tell me
That’s a good suggestion! Yes, a preamp is simply the amplifier that helps amplify the signal from a microphone to allow recording.
Most audio interfaces have microphone inputs which also act as the preamps. You can also get a separate preamp and connect this to your interface if you want something that might have better quality sound.
I hope this helps and I’ll definitely consider making a video on the future. 👍
@@PeteJohnsMusic thank you so much, it really helped 🙏 have a nice day
You’re welcome. You too!
I needed this! Thank god I watched this before I bought one!
Hi Rahul. Very glad I was able to help. 👍
@@PeteJohnsMusic hey, since you're online and actually respond to comments, what do you think of Behringer Xenyx Q802USB USB Audio Mixer www.amazon.in/dp/B008O517IC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_kaWjCb7KRP52E ?
I'll be using it to occasionally record mics, and mostly my synth (mostly not simultaneously). Is Behringer's quality good?
So if I am podcasting and streaming should I use a USB mixer?
Yes, definitely if you’re streaming as it gives you instant and easy control over volume and effects, and you can manage multiple inputs at once on the fly. Podcasting isn’t as necessary as you’re usually pre-recording.
Very well explained. Voiced in a clear and concise manner.
Thank you my friend. Appreciate the kind words and your support.
Zoom make a nice mixer that allows you to record multi channel straight to USB or your DAW
Nice one. I hear good things about Zoom mixers and interfaces. Might pick one up one day.
I use a 10 channel analog mixer with rec out, control room and main out. Control room goes to PA speakers, main goes to a simple stereo audio interface. Monitoring from audio interface stereo output to headphones
Nice one! Yeah, I think I need to play with setting up something similar so that I can have my mixer routed in to my audio interface as well.
Hi Pete. I would like to be able to hear effects while recording but I would like the output to the computer to have no effects or EQ so that I can add them on the computer. Is there a way to do that?
At the minute I use a Fostex VF80EX multitracker to record my tracks and then I play each track in turn via my Focusrite scarlett in real time into the computer completely dry. This works well but it is very time consuming.
Thanks, Kenny.
Hey Kenny. I talked about this in today’s live show here - th-cam.com/video/LApr2evT5v0/w-d-xo.html
In short, you can either use an interface that has DSP effects built in, or you can just use effects in your DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) to monitor.
Why not just record through the focusrite straight into the daw and discard the Fostex?
@@PeteJohnsMusicHi Pete. Thanks for your reply. I don't think My DAW has that capability (Adobe Audition 1.5) but I have solved the problem anyway. It turns out that my USB mixer does exactly what I need. I can have effects while singing but it is recorded dry. Problem solved. Thanks again for your help.
Reading convo since i bought UR22C , looking for effect and end up of planning to buy a mixer ?? Any suggestion ? Should I buy so that during recording I can manupulate the effect
@@bonjovifomera3799 I use an Allen & Heath Zed 10 FX USB mixer and I discovered (by accident) that I can have effects while recording but the tracks are sent to the computer dry which is exactly what I wanted to achieve. I'm not an expert but I suspect that this would probably work with any USB mixer.
That was awesome. I always wanted a mixer but I do other work than live. Thank you!
Very welcome my friend. Glad you got some value from the video and enjoy the other videos here on the channel. Let me know if you have any questions, and please consider subscribing if you do get more value.
Thanks coach freddy roach..
Thanks! That’s my name! I guess. 😄👍
As always, you make the complex simple Pete, thank you! I am getting a mixer for live show work, so I need to learn about how to use that versus my MacBook setup!
Very cool. Please reach out if you have additional questions.
For USB audio interface something like scarlet 2i2 if i plug my headphones into the monitor jack can i hear my pc aswell? because while streaming i want to hear my microphone voice and my pc at the same in my headphones if not whats the best Solution, thank you in advance.
Yes, the interface becomes the input and output of your PC so you will hear any audio playing back in your headphones.
So all I need is audio interface and my iPad, and I would go on TH-cam find a song and would be able to have the music only play on the microphone so everyone can hear the music and my voice singing and the song lyrics and music in my ear? Does this make sense? Thanks
Once again, your tutorial is spot on and informative. Thank you.
Thanks my friend. 👍
Your title is actually my question right now that need answering. Nice video!
Thank you! Glad I was able to help out. It is a tricky question that a lot of people have had which is why I made this video.
@@PeteJohnsMusic but you made me feel sad that I bought my Behringer UM2 audio interface before watching your video. I should just grab mixers..
I think an audio interface is actually a great choice to start with. Mixers have many more options but interfaces are definitely my recommendation for getting started with recording.
What’s the difference between a bison and a buffalo
2.
The spelling
Bison aren't real buffalos
I have one of each (got the interface first to do YT vids), but wasn't sure of which to use in other, different scenarios. This was helpful. Thank you for the info.
Awesome. Glad to hear.
so this audio interface has only a couple of line and mics inputs, a mixer has much more for all my instruments and mics. Where do you plug in all your instruments in that little interface? I don't get it.
Hey there my friend. Yes, there are only two inputs but what most home studio folks do is overdub and record multiple tracks but not at the same time. Check out this set of videos for more information.
th-cam.com/play/PLc8Xg_23Wa54nSpvFLpGZ1WXrAWTX96Mo.html
@@PeteJohnsMusic Hi Pete! Thank you very much for the answer :) I think I am going for a standard mixer because I allready have an old PCI audio interface in my PC with 2 ins and 2 outs. Having also a couple of keyboards and gear it would be cumbersome to switch plugs all the time. Altough an audio interface might have better direct sound quality, what do you think? Have a good new year :)
Yeah, having a mixer can be really handy for just that reason. I have some inputs ready to go with my iPad, a mic, and a guitar cable handy. Even if I want just one of these channels at once, I can just drop the faders on the others and quickly have just what I want in my mix. Definitely don't regret purchasing my Samson MixPad - th-cam.com/video/n5C7MbzzInk/w-d-xo.html
* Luddite Warning *
Sooo , can a mixer connect directly to a computer , or does it still require a gadget to go inbetween ?
Wouldn't an Interface still require a mixer for each microphone ? ( For mic'ing several acoustic instruments , but only 1, rarely 2 vocal .)
Hey there. Don’t worry, all luddites, noobs and any other folks are welcome here.
So, yes - a lot of mixers include a USB connection which allows them to act as a sound input and output directly for a PC or Mac, but only two channels are usually available (stereo left and right).
And interface can have two, four, eight or more separate inputs that can accept a line or microphone signal, so as in your example, you could connect two vocal mics, four mics for drums and two mics for instruments all to a single 8-input interface. If you did this with a mixer, instead of recording each channel individually, you would only get a stereo signal.
I hope this helps and thanks for watching and for your question. 👍
I used the same audio interface mentioned in the video for quite some time, but swapped over to a Yamaha MG12XU last year. I really like the flexibility having a mixer gives me outside of the DAW. Plus I might be crazy, but it sounds more natural through the Yahmaha.
Nice one! I’m thinking of upgrading to the MG series soon actually. They look really good!
@@PeteJohnsMusic It's a solid move. MG have the same Yamaha D-preamps as the Steinberg, but you have way more control. Only records stereo L/R tho, so if you want to record with two mics you have to play with the pan settings on the mixer. I'll be trying out the Apollo Twin later this week, but I'll hold on to the Yamaha as a backup.
Yeah, If one uses drum machines, synths ,guitars, a single 2 channel interface may not be so versatile, adding a mixer thru the audio interface is key for creative and hands on playing 🎉
Hey..pete which is good one interface or analoge mixer for room.studio
Hey there my friend. So, if you're doing anything LIVE, mixer. If everything it pre-recorded - interface. It's more complext that this, but that's a good place to start. All my gear recommendations are at studiolivetoday.com/gear
Finally someone who explains it correctly!
Thanks for taking the time to comment and I’m glad you got value from the video. I hole you find thy brothers here on the channel enjoyable and consider subscribing.
Hi Pete - thank you for the info! I am thinking about getting an AT2020 for a mini home studio (recording vocals for music/podcasts with Adobe Audition) - what mixer or audio interface would you recommend to pair? I've been looking at the Behringer Xenyx 1204 (currently out of stock on Amazon in Canada) then 1002B (preferring slides over knobs) - if it's not asking too much for ~$200CAD budget, I would like compression knobs to boot. Cheers!
Hey there. So I haven’t personally used a Behringer mixer so can’t say whether they are good, bad or otherwise. I have heard that they are solid performers and probably on par with the Samson MixPad series, which I wonder and used for several years, and still recommend. (Has sliders and compressors on two channels)
Daniel, I have that one at home that I'm using for my kid's guitar recording and it's working very well. We inherited it from a radio station I did IT work from. At the time I had no idea what to do with it, so we're just learning. But it works well. I came to this video just to find out the difference between a mixer and interface, so now I can stop trying to figure out why I can't get 8 outputs out of the thing :)
Thank you very much. I was thinking about saving a few bucks with an audio interface, but since im streaming live on Twitch, it makes a lot more sense to go with a mixer. Thanx again.
I’ve been doing a lot of live streaming lately and I can 100% recommend a mixer. Having those tactile faders and ability to quickly add and remove sound sources is so handy.
*let me ask you something do you think your car insurance rates are fair*
I must admit that I’m tempted to shop around. I think my current insurer may be increasing my rates without much justification. Do you have a good insurance broker that you can recommend?
@@PeteJohnsMusic lol, i swear every time i watch one of your videos this is the commercial ad i get! Never fails
Is there an actual specific commercial I remind you of? Or do I just generally sound like an insurance salesman? 😄
@@PeteJohnsMusic , he's saying that when he watches your videos, its the only ad he sees is a car insurance ad. hes being goofy.
All good! Sometimes there are specific commercials that are only in the US so I miss the references. Like “Flo” from Progressive. Had to look that one up. 😄
Great video. Concise, informative and I learned a few things.
Thanks
Thanks Joseph! Appreciate your support and kind words my friend.
Well done... simple and easy to understand
Thank you my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
Excellent... excellent... you explained very nice and very easy to understand
Glad to hear it my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
Great vid! One thing for the newbies is that some usb mixers actually can send each channel individually to your daw! The MTK-series mixers (like the MTK 12 and MTK 22) from Soundcraft are great examples, although the pricetags of these mixers goes up quite a bit!
Absolutely! Yes, I might need to do a “part two” talking about hybrid mixer/interface options. Zoom are pushing in to this space too with their LiveTrak series. The L-8 looks really nice!
@@PeteJohnsMusic Look forward to it!
👍😄
Thank you so much for an explanation that was both informative and to the point.
Cheers my friend! That was definitely my intention so I’m glad it helped you out. 👍
With software like voicemeeter, you can gather multiple PC sound cards and record to stereo, 5.1 or 7.1. You're getting both a mixer console and an interface for almost free (USB sound cards are cheap).
Nice one. It familiar with this software so might have to check it out. 👍
Best explanation on this topic! Thank you.
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
Nice & simple little classroom feel! 👍🏻
Thanks my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍
Pete Johns I already have subscribed the channel. Liked your approach, and yes, would like to get some advice as and when needed. Best of luck bro!
This was actually super helpful, thanks a lot!
You’re very welcome my friend. I hope you get value from the other videos here on the channel and consider subscribing. 👍
Thnk you so much man..!
U clear my doubt about mixer, that it is not going to record separate tracks..!
Hi there. Glad I was able to help and thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Great info, Pete! Thanks to you I know I have the perfect setup for home recording with the Focusrite 2i2 and Garageband or Logic. No need for a mixer right now. Thanks for the clarity on this topic.
Very welcome.
I just bought a Harbinger L402 Mixer for $160 Stupid Deal of The Day at Musicians Friend. It has 8 XLR inputs. I also purchased a used Lexicon Lambda Audio Interface awhile back for $28 on ebay. It's decent too. I'll be comparing the 2 one day.
Very cool.
Very helpful to someone like me non technically aware.
Nice to hear. I hope you get value from the other videos on the channel and consider subscribing if you haven’t already. 👍