Digital mixer recommendations?

garden

Ok, folks. As usual you're my first point of contact for questions like this.

We have a studio that used to be audio/digital hybrid. We always recorded to DAW, but we had a bunch of stuff with analog outs... amps, a mic, pedals, even some old keyboards... that were routed through a mid-size mixer to a Apollo Twin DAC/ADC interface.

We're redoing the whole thing. We have very little need for all those analog inputs. We use amp modelers, most of the keyboards have digital outputs, etc. There are still a couple of points that want those audio jacks, but anything like that can be patch-bayed.

We don't need onboard EQ or FX at all. They just get in the way. If possible, we'd also like to dispense with the Monitor Station.

So what I'm describing here is a hybrid mixer, with multiple (like, 8 or maybe more) digital inputs on faders. Could even just be a bunch of USB ports. Faders are nice. We like faders. Digital I/O to/from the DAW. No onboard FX needed, no EQ needed.

Oh, and "side by side" DAWs are actually nice, so that we could, for example, run Reaper on one as a source, and Cubase on the other as the actual tracker.

The other night I was watching Underworld - now old - do a live concert set. And of course all they were really doing was DJing. I couldn't see it clearly, but it looked like the guy was using exactly what I'm describing. Which suggests a DJ mixer, but it didn't have the big jog wheels.

This also describes what is now known as a DAW control surface. But such a thing, not being a mixer, doesn't pass in/out the actual signal... so you still need the outboard - and probably expensive - converters.

I'm sure you get by now where I'm going with this. I ramble.

Any observations on this? Any specific experience to pass on?

I am, as always, grateful for your braintime.

uncledave

Hi. By "hybrid mixer", I guess you mean that the device includes some analog inputs as well as the 8 digital inputs on faders. This might be easier to find in the digital inputs were ADAT, but that would require a separate box of A/D converters for the sources that are already available in digital form.

What are you hoping for from the DAW connection? Typically, a mixer outputs the master mix and maybe a couple of other channels. But I suspect you would like every source on a separate channel. So your "mixer" is really just a centralized controller. It really sounds like you want a DAW control surface, plus an analog interface for the remaining analog sources.

mrufino1

Are you looking to multitrack or just wind up with a stereo/ 2 channel recording? I ask because of the Apollo in your current setup.or are you using the Apollo with an 8 channel adat expander as well?

If you are looking to use usb outputs from modelers and keyboards maybe one of the podcast type mixers would be something that would work. These often seem to have 4 usb inputs.

What kind of digital outs do the devices that you’re using in terms of modelers and keys have? With some mixers you can get aes input cards. I don’t know of cards that have multiple spdif inputs. As was mentioned, adat is in blocks of 8, so that may not be what you want, although sometimes those adat ports are able to be configured as 2 channel spdif.

If you’re using a Mac, you may also just be able to connect all of your digital stuff by usb and make an aggregate audio interface that includes all of them.

I’m not exactly sure what you’re trying to accomplish, hence the many questions.