Many contemporary mixers feature digital effects like reverb, compression, delay, chorus, flanging, and phasing. This means you can adjust certain frequencies of the recording, boosting the lower frequencies or toning down the higher frequencies, to make the recording sound clearer and more even. Even the most basic mixers tend to provide either a 2- or 3-band EQ, while giant consoles found in recording studios offer far more precise EQ options. One way to get great recordings out of your sound mixer is to adjust the frequency equalization, referred to as EQ. You don’t need an audio mixer with built-in preamps, but they often come in handy. Without preamp gain, these mics sound soft and flat.
A preamp provides a little extra juice for microphones with high impedance, meaning that they only allow a small amount of electrical current through and therefore need a bit of an extra boost to get the most out of their sound recording. A mic preamp is usually labeled as a “gain” knob on a mixer. Make sure your sound mixer has at least one XLR input channel that can supply 48-volt phantom power. Phantom power refers to the 48-volt direct current needed to power condenser microphones and ribbon microphones. To be safe, choose a mixer with a minimum of two XLR inputs. Many of today’s audio mixers feature hybrid inputs that can accommodate either of these plugs. Instrument inputs are quarter-inch plugs. These three-pronged plugs provide a balanced audio signal with minimal line noise.
#Soundboard mixer full#
You can scale up to as many as 16 channels if you can imagine yourself mixing full bands or mixing live sound. This way, if you start adding far more people to the mix, you can keep using the same mixer. Even if you’re only recording yourself to start, it’s a good idea to buy a multi-channel mixer to future-proof your recording setup. A microphone only needs a single channel, but some instruments, like digital keyboards, are designed for stereo inputs with left and right channels. Each channel represents a microphone or instrument you can include in your audio mixing. Generally speaking, the more input channels a mixer offers, the better. Here’s what to consider as you choose a mixer for podcast or music recording: As you choose a mixer for audio recording, you’ll want to prioritize what you need and pay less attention to the add-ons you’ll never use.