Recording audio is one of the most time-consuming and expensive parts of making a song. The audio interface you use can make or break your recordings, which is why it’s important to think about what kind of audio interface you want before investing in a mixer.
The first decision will be between an audio interface and a mixer. So.. Audio interface vs mixer for recording, who wins this round?
An audio interface records sound from instruments like microphones, electric guitars, basses etc., while mixers are used more for live performances where multiple instruments are being recorded at once.
This means that if you’re recording vocals or acoustic guitar by themselves, then an audio interface would be the best choice whereas if you’re performing with other musicians on stage then a mixer might work better because it can accommodate all the audio at once.
In audio engineering, audio interfaces and mixers have a common purpose: to process audio signals. In order to decide which is better for your needs, it’s important that you know the differences between them. It’s also important to understand what audio processing is and why it can be so crucial in recording situations.
1) Audio Processing
One of the most basic functions of an audio interface or mixer is handling audio processing. This means amplifying low-level sounds like vocals or instruments, removing noises from a noisy environment (like hissing), boosting volume levels when mixing multiple tracks together, and more advanced tasks such as adding delays or reverbs to create space in a song.
Without this function being handled by one piece of equipment in audio engineering, audio signals can sound weak, inaudible, or unprofessional.
2) Audio Interface vs Mixer for Recording
An audio interface is a piece of hardware used to process audio signals from an instrument or microphone. It houses the D/A Converter (converts your audio signal from digital back to analog), A/D Converter (converts audio signal from analog to digital), and a pre-amplifier.
The audio interface sends audio signals through a software mixer which will mix multiple audio signals from different audio devices together, thus creating your final audio track.
A mixer is another piece of hardware used for audio processing in recording situations. Like an audio interface, it houses a D/A Converter and an A/D Converter, but it also includes audio channels for audio inputs from multiple audio sources, which means you can send audio signals from one audio device to more than one channel at the same time.
This is why you often see audio engineers with headphones around their neck: each set of headphone corresponds with one audio channel on the audio mixer.
3) When To Use Audio Interface vs Mixer
So the question you probably have in mind is when do you need an audio interface versus a mixer? Well, if you are just getting started with audio engineering or are not ready to invest much money into your recording studio setup, then it’s a safe bet that an audio interface is a better choice for you.
This is because Mixers are on the more expensive side of studio equipment, so if you’re just using recording as a hobby and have a limited budget, then it would be pointless to invest in a mixer before you’ve even recorded one song.
Now if audio engineering is your profession and audio interfaces are a must-have in your studio setup, then you might want to invest in a mixer as well. This way you’ll have a dedicated audio channel for audio inputs from each audio source in your recording studio.
A mixer is usually better suited to an environment with many instruments where the sound from each instrument needs to be mixed together before going into the speaker.
4) Other Similarities
If audio interfaces and mixers were completely different devices with nothing in common, then audio processing wouldn’t be an issue (and audio engineers would be out of jobs).
However, audio interfaces and mixers are both used for audio processing. Although they may not offer the same amount of audio channels or audio inputs/outputs, they both help boost audio signals before they reach their final destination (whether that be a set of headphones, audio monitoring speakers, audio recording software, etc.).
This is why you’ll find audio interfaces and mixers in many audio engineering recording studios. Having both audio interfaces and mixers will allow audio engineers to handle every audio signal that comes into their studio environment.
5) When NOT to Use Audio Interface vs Mixer
Now that you have a good idea of audio interface vs mixer, here are some situations where audio interfaces and mixers should not be used.
– If audio engineers only need to process audio signals from one audio source then they shouldn’t use an audio interface or mixer. For example, if the audio engineer only needs to record audio from a microphone, they can simply plug the audio cable from the microphone directly into the audio recording software.
– If audio engineers need to create a separate audio track for each audio output then they shouldn’t use an audio interface or mixer. This is because audio interfaces and mixers only offer a certain number of audio channels which means you can only send audio signals from to one audio channel at a time. This is why audio engineers usually carry headphones around their neck: each set of headphone corresponds to an audio channel on the audio mixer.
– If audio engineers need to process audio signals without using an audio recording software (like FL Studio) then they shouldn’t use an audio interface or mixer. For example, if audio engineers need to process audio signals from audio sources like speakers and microphones then they should use audio editing software (ex: Audacity), not audio interfaces and mixers.
If they were to use audio interface and mixer for audio processing, it would defeat the purpose of using audio recording software in the first place since audio interfaces are used for audio recording while audio mixers are mainly used to adjust audio signals within an audio recording software.
– If audio engineers need to monitor audio signals from multiple audio sources at the same time, then they shouldn’t use an audio interface or mixer. This is because audio interfaces and mixers can only handle one audio signal at a time.
Audio engineers usually use audio recording software during audio monitoring so they can listen to audio signals from multiple audio sources at the same time (ex: audio playback on YouTube with vocals and guitar playing simultaneously).
So now you know what audio interfaces vs mixers are, how they’re used for audio processing, and when they shouldn’t be used. Although audio interfaces and mixers can both offer audio processing functionality, they do have a few differences between them. It’s up to audio engineers to pick the audio interface vs mixer that best suits their audio recording studio needs.
How To Decide Between An Audio Interface Or A Mixer
Choosing between audio interfaces and mixers can be a difficult choice, but there are some factors that might help you choose the audio interface vs mixer that best suits your audio recording studio needs.
First of all, audio interfaces and mixers both offer audio processing functionality. This is mainly because audio interfaces are used for audio recording while audio mixers are mainly used to adjust audio signals within an audio recording software.
Furthermore, audio interfaces and mixers offer different amounts of inputs/outputs. To be more specific, audio interfaces offer many more inputs/outputs than audio mixers
Another difference between audio interfaces and mixers is that they only offer one or two microphone inputs each. Audio engineers usually need to record at least three audio sources (e.g. vocals, guitar, and piano) so audio mixers are usually the audio recording equipment of choice for audio engineers who want to record multiple audio sources at one time.
Lastly, audio interfaces are mainly used by audio engineers that don’t require audio monitoring during their audio recording sessions. This is because audio interfaces usually don’t have audio outputs, so audio engineers can’t monitor audio signals from multiple audio sources on the audio interface itself
In comparison, audio mixers are mainly used by audio engineers that require monitoring during their audio recording sessions. This is because audio mixers have multiple audio inputs and outputs built-in (ex: audio input from audio interface on one audio channel on the audio mixer and audio output to headphones on another audio channel on the audio mixer), so audio engineers can monitor multiple audio sources while they’re recording them.
Our Recommendation of Audio Interface: Focusrite Scarlett 2i2
When audio interfaces are being made it is important to have audio quality in mind. The audio interface that I recommend for audio quality is Focusrite Scarlett 2i2. It has audio quality that rivals that of audio interfaces that are found in studios.
It has audio quality that matches audio interface consoles in studios, which are the industry standard for audio quality. This audio interface is very popular among many people because it is user-friendly and offers an easy way to get high audio quality recordings.
Focusrite audio interfaces are great audio interfaces to use when recording audio for audio editing. They can also be used when dubbing in audio in audio post. The pros of the Scarlett 2i2 include the quality of audio it provides, the high number of inputs and outputs, and low latency. If you’re interested in purchasing this audio interface, you can purchase it on amazon.com.
Our Recommendation of Audio Mixer: Allen & Heath ZEDi Series
Allen & Heath ZEDi Series audio interfaces are great for recording audio. This is because of the many features it has that are specific to audio production, such as being able to get low latency recording or have high quality pre-amps.
The audio interface also has a variety of inputs and outputs which include stereo and mono inputs, mic and line outputs, and MIDI I/O.
If you’re looking for an audio interface that is designed specifically for audio production, then Allen & Heath ZEDi Series audio interfaces will be a great choice. They’re built with all the features needed to make your recordings sound great.
What’s Next?
In short, audio interfaces are mainly used by audio engineers that need to record audio at the same time while audio mixers are mainly used by audio engineers who want to monitor their recordings more closely.
While both offer similar features and functionality, it’s important to know which one is better suited for your needs before making a purchase decision. If you’re not sure what kind of equipment will be best for you or have any questions about either type of product feel free to leave a comment below and I will try my best to help if I can.
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