Purpose of Mixer?

R

rallymatt

Well-known member
I was wondering to myself, what is the purpose of a mixer when you can easily bring a 6-8 channel field recorder like the DR-680 and then do the mix in post?

I know the PURPOSE of a mixer, but it seems kind of redundant with a good multi track field recorder?

Can someone enlighten me? I currently have a FR2-LE, which is only two tracks, and have a project that will require multiple people being separately mic'd, so I was going to pick up a mixer for it. But then started thinking, why not sell the FR2-LE and by a DR-680 instead?
 
well with your fr2le you've got 2 channels of audio and technically 2 ways of adjusting those tracks of audio on the fly. with the 680 there is one knob, or POT, that adjusts the audio levels and then 6 buttons that choose which track that POT affects. now this isn't a main reason for a mixer, but this is a reason of why you'd need a mixer in front of the 680(i do know that chadfish uses a 680 without a mixer and gets good results). i don't know about most, but i prefer to constantly ride my levels when i'm mixing, or recording. and if i were to attempt this with the 680 it would be very difficult. maybe something like an edirol r44 would be better suited. or sound devices 788 with cl8 or cl9, or that tascam 8 channel recorder and its new control surface recently announced.

but a mixer is just that, a mixer. in the simple sense, its takes multiple channels of audio and mixes them. but also a major plus with using a mixer is its preamps, limiters, routing and monitoring. and of course there are other reasons, but these are the main ones that stick out to me.
 
People sometimes use the term "mixer" and "preamp" interchangeably. My Sound Devices MixPre is a mixer and preamp. The reason I use a "mixer" is not to mix many channels down to one or two, but for the preamp options of optical limiters on the input as well as the output. These are analog and much more effective than a software limiter that only limits the signal after it's past the preamp. That won't protect you from clipping your input. With my MixPre calibrated to a camera or recorder my signal is virtually clip proof. Also there are 2 levels of low cut BEFORE the signal gets to the input on my "mixer". You also have knobs to adjust the signal, not the recording level. For any professional dialogue gig I do use a mixer for those reasons. I do record mics straight into my DR-680, but that's usually music where I get a level and leave it alone, or going and grabbing a VO in someone's office where again the situation is controlled. For film dialogue you better have a mixer/preamp, and just use the recorder as a bit bucket. Especially for those people using Zoom H4N type things. The mixer will save your patuty.
 
If you have the time and money to do the mix in post, then use a multichannel recorder (recorder which allows you to adjust each channel easily on the fly). In some productions it is faster, simpler, lighter and more economical to mix everything to 2 channels and feed the signal to camera (ENG comes first to mind).
 
The purpose of a mixer is to either preview, use, or reroute multichannel audio, and/or apply effects. Mixers often come with phantom power and cheesy effects. It can't do anything you can't do in post, but it can allow you to monitor, create submixes, and so on.
When multitracking was more expensive, we would often knock down say 36 tracks to 24 on a big mixer so we could get them all on one 24 track recorder. Nowadays, most interfaces, like RME, have the mixer built-in, so when buying a new box, make sure it has a mixer, in case you need it. And also, recording 48 channels is no longer a problem, or even expensive, even on a laptop.

Some mixers, and also recorders, or mixer-recorder hybrids, have limiters. Although that would seem like a good idea, most audio engineers do not use limiters, owing to the 6 dB rule, which roughly works out to: "it is better to set the gain low and record in 24 bit" Since a bit is worth 6 dB, more or less, and you only need 20 bits. Because very few engineers use the limiter, it is now omitted from some audiophile gear. However, if you need a limiter, many field recorders have one. You are better off, if worried about clipping, having the backup box (which you MUST have) set lower than the main box.

Analog mixers are used by audiophiles for mixdown. Analog mix does sound different, but most people don't bother because of the time and work involved, as well as possibility of introducing a tiny bit of extra noise. Analog mixers that have a true summing bus are rare and expensive; 99 percent of the mixers on the market, including some pretty big names, take a lot of shortcuts in the sound to save space and lower costs. I'm always amazed when I take apart one of these things what cheap garbage is inside, and I'm also amazed, for example with Lavry, Mytek, Grace, and others, at the amazing quality...silver wire, hitech caps and so on.

Incidentally, your FR2LE, even though it has quite a few cheap plastic parts and cheap opamps, has a very good sound.

Short answer, you don't need one unless you need one. The 680 is a good box and you will have fun with it, except for the fussy menus.
 
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drdave, i think the OP was referring more of an ENG style mixer, not a large board mixer used for studio type of work.
 
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