The Infamous external mixer question

[DVX100Shooter]

I keep seeing photos of people's editing set ups online and in various trade magazines I read. Almost all of them have Final Cut Studio as their editing application and also have an external mixer sitting on their desk. If you can't control your audio mix in FCP with an external mixer then what uses is this for? I could be wrong but I thought at one point I read you can use an external mixer with the new FCP6.

 

[Shane Ross]

I can control my audio mix in FCP with the mixer...so there. Tascam FW-1082...connects via firewire. Also, I route my microphone thru the mixer so that I can record temp voice over.

But, a lot of people just have a mixer to control the outgoing audio, and the audio of their deck or multiple decks. In that case you can get a small cheap 4 channel mixer, like the Behringer ones...even cheap Mackies.

 

[fevercity]

I use 2....

1. Mackie Control Universal uses a MIDI -> USB connection to control the mix in Final Cut & Soundtrack.

2. Spirit Notepad (the little guy on the left) controls levels from any decks / mics coming in.

The main point behind using a mixer with Final Cut is to avoid mixing with a mouse. Gets old real quick. As far as mixing signals coming in, that's a non-issue if you're only capturing over FireWire.

 

[adkimery]

I just have a mixer, not a control surface and I use it to feed my Mac, PC, Deck, and DVD player (along w/any other misc audio devices that come and go) into a pair of Roland speakers. If I did more of my own audio mixing I'd probably pony up for a control surface.

-A