Unsure of how to integrate a mixer into my set up (8 instruments)

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CancerRidden
Posts: 146
Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:50 am

Unsure of how to integrate a mixer into my set up (8 instruments)

Post by CancerRidden » Sat Feb 27, 2021 4:16 pm

Hi, i have 8 instruments and i don't know how I'm supposed to hook them all up.

My instruments are:

Microphone - mono
Microphone 2 - mono
Guitar amplifier - stereo
Synthesizer - stereo
MPC X - stereo
Total of 8 outputs

My audio interface is an Apollo twin, i only have 2 inputs to record with.

Sometimes i want to record and sometimes jam.

If i buy an 8 channel mixer, how does it integrate?

If i route my instruments to an 8 channel mixer, and then the output of the mixer goes to the 2 inputs of my Apollo Twin, doesn't this mean my laptop has to be on and running if i want to hear sound?

Sometimes i just want to jam and hear all my instruments without having to go through the interface/computer.

What's the correct way to do this?

I'm particularly confused on how the studio monitors will be able to get output at the very end. They need to be able to get signal from both the interface and also the mixer separately (for when the laptop is put away) otherwise there will be some sort of loop i believe


Thanks in advanced.

properLofi
Posts: 76
Joined: Thu Feb 25, 2021 7:35 pm

Re: Unsure of how to integrate a mixer into my set up (8 instruments)

Post by properLofi » Sat Feb 27, 2021 7:03 pm

You have a few options. The cheapest one is to repatch the the output of your mixer and monitor inputs depending on what you want to do.

The more expensive but flexible option involves a monitor controller and either a signal switcher or using alternative outputs on your mixer. You don’t say what mixer you have so it’d be easier to identify a solution if you did.

However, there are plenty of passive monitor controllers that will provide volume and source select for your monitors so source A could be the direct feed of your mixer (say from 2-track rec out) and source B could be from your laptop.

Normally you’d want a slightly more flexible set up for recording specific tracks and ideally a multi input interface. But you could use an aux channel to feed into your interface if you don’t have any record bus options in your mixer.

There’s loads of ways around this depending on your specific gear but it feels like a monitor controller will be pretty crucial.

Mamie Big Knob Passive would offer 2 sources https://mackie.com/products/big-knob-se ... interfaces

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