Recording through analog mixer.. color or not the sound?

[Tone Deft]

same as with the Behringer, flat response as long as you're not relying on the EQs and whatnots.

[yearlongyeti]

If you want it done properly go to a studio. Otherwise. Personally I believe a pre amp in a desk is a hell of a lot better than trying to fix the audio after a cheap audio to digital box.

[3dot...]

same as with the Behringer, flat response as long as you're not relying on the EQs and whatnots.

no...not the same..
it's true they're all op-amps.. but they sound different..
I've found Mackie pre-amps to be Neutral even at higher dB's...

also saying that 'when no eqs are applied ' should be the same is wrong...
it still goes through the eq.. panning.. and other circuits on the channel..
(and usually there is no option to 'hard bypass' them..like on larger mixers)

[Tone Deft]

seriously? go to a studio? how many people are really going to do to a studio? it'd cost the price of a mixer just to book the time.

there's a reason those studios are going out of business, because we can do this siht in our homes.

don't judge something just based on the price tag.

[3dot...]

seriously? go to a studio? how many people are really going to do to a studio? it'd cost the price of a mixer just to book the time.

there's a reason those studios are going out of business, because we can do this siht in our homes.

don't judge something just based on the price tag.

+1... we're after all talking about 'home-studios'...
I agree that the mixing stage might benefit from a good control room and console...

[Tone Deft]

OK, so I tested a Mackie 1402VLZPro and a Behringer Eurorack UB1240FX, THD + N vs frequency.

the Mackie is around 0.08% THD, the Behringer is a little higher at 0.012%. if I had a USB stick I could get the plot off the test gear (Audio Precision System Two Cascade Plus.)

so, for $100 0.01% distortion is unacceptable?

[3dot...]

how about SNR ?

[Tone Deft]

their noise floors are at:
Behringer -85dB
Mackie -91dB

signal is just how loud whatever your input is. if your signal is 0db then the SNR is at -85 and -91dB respectively.

single ended into mixers, balanced out.

that is if I'm setting this all up correctly and have the mixers tuned right. it's late on a Monday.


edit - scratch that. I know I've seen this Mackie mixer measure down at 0.005%, I screwed up somewhere. I'll put these numbers up as worse case, I'm doing something wrong, too tired to bother.

edit edit - yeah, if I drive the Mackie louder the THD goes down to 0.005%. no change with the Behringer.

[leedsquietman]

I have a Mackie VLZ1202.

I don't use it much these days though unless I am jamming with some old gear. I keep it around as a backup, in case my firewire interface fails, I used to use it as a pre-amp/front end for recording into an Echo Indigo IO.

The pre amps on my Alesis IO14 audio interface record with a better s/n ratio, have more gain and sound very neutral. The Mackie pres are pretty neutral however.

I personally prefer to record with my audio interface and mix in the box - unless you're using some nice quality analogue consoles like an SSL, I see no benefit in it.

For summing out, if you prefer a more analogue sound, then that's a different issue. I have a buddy who has a Benchmark DAC, with an SSL X-Rack (he has 4 channel strips plus the G buss compressor) who can sum stems and record them into a Studer analogue tape machine, and then record it back into the DAW to get that cool analogue tape compression/saturation tone - he will do this for a reasonable fee per track which gives a great, less sterile sounding analogue tone. So if I'm not happy with my ITB mixes, I call on him, much cheaper than buying a ton of expensive analogue outboard gear. I still am OK with ITB 95% of the time though.

[kb420]

If I had the cash, I would grab one of these and stem out everything from Live through this. I think they are amazing at adding just the right amount of color.

[Tone Deft]

hey leeds, what do you make of a console that colors the sound. isn't that the opposite of what it should do? is it like monitors where one learns how the device colors the sound and you work with it?

[kb420]

hey leeds, what do you make of a console that colors the sound. isn't that the opposite of what it should do? is it like monitors where one learns how the device colors the sound and you work with it?

In his last post he said he would do it with a SSL.

[Tone Deft]

DOH!

[Hermanus]

thanks for all the answers

[Pasha]

Thanks guys.
Even if the discussion steered into another direction you, especially TD gave me the answer I need. Record Flat with as much gain as you can without distortion. Shape the sound in the DAW. In a way that was exactly what I did after my bad experience with the Bass Guitar Pre-Amp. I had several experiences in the studio and they recorded the band playing live wet (I mean EQ ON, no FX OFF) so I was wondering if those times were over. My last time in the studio with the band was 10 years ago. The idea was to shape the sound you need outside your DAW, whatever mixer you are using for Pop / Jazz / Fusion Music recordings, to give more 'analogue dirt' but the risk is that a cut frequency is lost for ever.
My equipment is not top-notch but I have used it for a lot of time with no failures.
I'm not a fan boy of anything but Beheringer served me well and with my hearing equipment (I know another crap.. ) made from Seiwin Monitors and my ears, I'm feeling good.
Especially my Behringer mixer, 7 years old and many gigs and no failures.
We use it as a stage pre-mixer in Live situation and as Pre-Mixer at home before the audio card. I know audio purists consider only the best brands but the important thing is not how much it costs because it's crappy chinese stuff everywhere but the value for the money compared to what you want to obtain. That's my way to do things. Results were welcomed here and I'm happy. Not a pro, not an audio geek, only a music composer or better said a songwriter

- Thanks again
- Best
- Pasha