Mixing Board...?

[Zetajazz44]

I've had the Digi001 since it first came out and have done quiet a bit of recording with it and am pleased with the results... I mainly record bluegrass/acoustic music, never more than 2 tracks at a time... I see people all the time here on the DUC and other forums using mixing boards... What am I missing? I've never been recording anything with my Digi001 and said to myself, "Now if I just had a mixing board"... What am I missing? I know you guys have had more experience than myself, enlighten me a bit... Also, if there is a recomendation to buy a mixing board would you suggest analog or digital? With a digital board can I use the lightpipe inputs directly from it to my Digi001? Is that a good move?...

[bigbubbaj]

You could always get a control surface..

I dont think you are missing anything!

I prefer to mix in the box.

[Zetajazz44]

Thanks bigbubbaj,
I've been wrestling with this thought a lot before I decided to post and ask... I'm thinking to best improve my current set up would be to get some good mic pre's... I'm thinking with the mics I have, most of the Rode models and some decent pre's, I will be Ok without a mixing board... Am I on the right track?
BTW, how do you like your Vintech pre's and FMR compressor? I just got an FMR and I'm happy with it so far... Been wishing for a Vintech...

[bigbubbaj]

i LOVE the vintech. I not have 2 of the RNCs. Love them also!

Front end is the most important. Room, Mics, mic placement and preamps make the biggest impact on final sound.

[Zetajazz44]

Thanks again... Sounds like I am on the right track then... I'm in the process of building a 'studio' so, maybe the room will be good, I'm using ideas from www.sae.edu ... I don't think I have the worst mics in the world... Like I said, I have most of the Rode models, which I've been very pleased with, an AT4033 and more SM58's & SM57's than you can carry... Like you mentioned... The front end for me right now is key. I guess the next purchase will be decent pre's...

[IntelDoc]

Mixing in the box is fine. I know a guy who has an HD3 Accel setup and mixes in the box. If you are speedy with it, why bother. Some clients like to see a board in a studio though. I have the 002, not he RACK and like to have the faders. It gives me a feel to do things, and it looks cool when the automation takes over. Clients like to see that too. I actually prefer to mix with it, but do alot of tweeking with the mouse and keyboard. If preamps are calling and you do not have any decent pre's to go with, then I would definitely get your front end in line first versus going to a board. The 1272 is a great unit, not clean like you may desire for bluegrass, but is a great unit for kick and snare by all means. Go with a good attack on your inputs and I think that you will notice a huge improvement over what you have done before. Mics are critical too. The Rodes are good, and it may not hurt to have a nice TLM-103 or M149 in there somewhere too. Just a thought?

Anyways, hope you figure it out and keep asking questions.

Good luck,

- Doc

[Zetajazz44]

LOL! Doc.. I've often thought that same thought about a mixing board in a studio 'just for clients to see.' I know one of my friends drops by a lot and he always asks about a board... Says it just ain't right for a studio not to have one... Heck, I've got a Mackie 32 X 8 we use on the road I can sit on the desk in there and throw a few wires over it! I agree to about the automation thing... I've seen people's reactions to this... They are surprized to see it happen on the screen in PTLE! So bottom line is: If I like mixing in the box and it gets done what I need, a board may just be for cosmetic reasons for me... I think I'll spend my next moneys on Pre's and mics... I can see that helping my finished product more than a board... right?

[Chris Cavell]

It's been my experience (ymmv) that if you want to mix with an analog board...only the best top of the line boards give me results that are comparable to what I can get ITB. I've really adapted almost completely to working ITB now...as have many engineers. However, some still really prefer the analog summing...and if it is this you are going after and not necessarily the board itself, there are many high quality analog summing boxes on the market.

[Zetajazz44]

Thanks all! I think I've gotten my answer... I DON'T NEED A BOARD! That was the answer I was hoping to get anyways... I'd rather spend my money on Mics and Pre's... Myself, I've never had a problem mixing ITB... I'm a software devloper by day, so driving a mouse and hackin' on a keyboard come pretty easy...

[badperson]

Yeah,

it seems to me that control surfaces are a gigantic waste of money. They offer absolutely nothing but the ability to mix with faders rather than a mouse. Am I wrong?

Speck electronics makes a line level mixer, no frills, it's still 9 grand, but a lot less than the 100k + boards that big studios use. I think this type of thing will be a lot more common for serious daw studios. I've heard that really high end boards sound better even with the pres/eq/comp bypassed, just the circuitry itself is superior, but that's way over my head.

I think for those of us on the daw front, good mics/pres/comps, etc are where it's at.

And my opinion is that hardware is a better investment. The value of any software based item seems to fall through the floor in a very short space of time. (although 001's seem to hold their value pretty well.)

anyhoo, my 2 cents.

bp