Why use a mixer?

[cswdc]

Many sound cards have XLR inputs (those are the mic cables) and phantom power (to run condesor mics). Why does everyone need a crapy $50 mixer before the using an even worse sound card (a/d converter)?

My recomendation is to get a good sound card, even an alright one. m-audio, tascam, steinberg, lexicon, mackie, even the Mbox by protools make great USB sound cards ranging from $100-$450. C'mon protools with hardware (focusrite preamps) for $450. Sometimes you can find deals for less, GC (guitar world/palace/galaxy) had the Mbox for $350 in the last big sale

I am using the steinberg system 4 with cubase SL which has an insert slot I plug an alesis 3630 (crapy$100) compressor in. I also have Vegas and acid for preproduction and music production. I also got a cheap midi controller that had reason(sweet MIDI software) which I use for drums. thats about it. An Ipod is $200-400? I think it is a great investment to buy a small studio too.

l8
my name is beng

PS: I am working on a new podcast with a friend. It is called "Common Sense with Dan Carlin" This program should be on once a week, but before too long we will bump that two twice a week.

the xml is on the signature the website for the location before the dns stuff is

http://72.11.115.91/bcast/cswdca0.mp3

please check it out

[indiekid]

Here's why I use a mixer.

I do a music podcast where I typcailly have at least three things being fed through to a recording.

My Voice
My Bumpers and Skype
Music

But when I have a guest or two, then I just add two more mics into the equation. The main reason I use a mixer is so that I can manipulate the sliders very easily to cue up and bring up the music and fade it in and out nicely.

Also...another reason is because my mixer has a monitor out. So here's what I do when I'm doing a live podcast with someone on Skype. While I'm talking, the Skype channel is all the way up, or at least at the level that it needs to be, and then when we switch to music, I pull all other levels down except for my iPod, so how will I listen to my Skype guest? Well, the reason I can't just listen to them on the computer is because their audio comes out of my Powerbook, and I'm recording back into my Powerbook. If I plugged my headphones directly into my powerbook then, I wouldn't have any opportunity to hear the progress of the music, etc. So what I do is just pull all the music down and switch from my Headphones channel to my Monitor Out channel. There's a couple other knobs on my board that are for the levels going into the Monitors. So basically, I turn the music low in the monitors, so I can still reference it, turn my Skype way up and turn me up. The only disadvantage is that I still need to use some alternative mic, since the one I use for the podcast is running into my computer, and that level is down for the music. Basically, I just set up my iSight so that they can at least hear me during the convo...

Alrighty, so that looks pretty good. And for reference, here's my setup:

Apple 15" Powerbook G4
40GB iPod photo
Behringer MXB1002 Mixer (Battery Powered for those mobile podcasts)
Crappy Audio Technica Mic (Soon to be MXL V63m)

My Powerbook runs its line out into my mixer
iPod into mixer
Mic(s) into mixer

Main Audio out runs back into Powerbook and records music over Audio Hijack Pro.

I hope that may have explained at least one person's reason as to why they use a mixer

:wink:

[cswdc]

Why do we have to record it in real time? Get some multitracking software. everything at once? even if you wanted to these sound cards have multiple inputs and direct monitoring. So you can hear yourself directly out of it in real time.

(that mixer is kind of kewl although i am usually not a big fan of behringer stuff because it is prone to break)

keep up the good work

[indiekid]

Why do we have to record it in real time? Get some multitracking software. everything at once? even if you wanted to these sound cards have multiple inputs and direct monitoring. So you can hear yourself directly out of it in real time.

Because that costs a fair amount of money for what I'm already doing. And I used to use multitracking software to do my podcast, only I recorded the segements and then pieced it together at the end. The biggest thing though is that now, I hit record, once I'm done, I upload, simple as that...no more work on my part!

[Patrick]

When you have pre-recorded segments or music or anything like that, it's better run it through the mixer and let yourself and your guests here it in real time - it feels more like youre doing a show then.

If you just record intros and crap and then piece it all together later, you lose continuity, the ability to do callbacks and past references, and the show loses that "show feel".

Check out a lof of the podcasts that are mostly pre-produced bits. You can tell if they are done live or if it's cut and pasted together later.

Even Letterman runs pre-produced bits live in-sequence while recording the show. Throwing them in later would be just like it is when you do it in your podcast - awkward.

[kickasspodcast]

Why use a mixer?

Because you have lots more control over the way you sound.
Because you can plug lotsa gadgets into your mixer.
Because you can feel like adam curry.

As far as REAL TIME- its all a matter of opinion I think...

I.M.H.O. It couldnt matter less weather you post post produce or do everything at once as you podcast. Everyone manipulates their files to make them shorter or convert to MP3 so regardless if you use cast blaster or not, you still have some sound engineering you can't get around.
The beauty of podcasting is that you aren't live, you can make sure you get your show exactly as you want it before you release it..
What we do is we have all the promos,bits,and music on cue- when we say we are going to a song, we listen to the song. Then we stop and record the next segment. This way we can stay true to our audience without having to have crappy drop-outs or playback issues due to 'as you go' production..I think it would be totally ackward if you didn't have it lined up the way we do it so as soon as the song ends, you can hit record and get honest responses.. Letterman and I were born in the same hospital so.. forgive me.

everyone feels differently about this, I think that the idea of being able to multitrack as you record is ok- but in my experience, there is no all in one sound program, and those that can multi-track often have other short comings.. good idea for discussion tho-

You know on Daily Source Code when adam actually has to stop talking for another stupid "The power of pure intelligence!" ... that is why i'm not crazy about the castblaster stuff, I mean I will try it in 2 years when they release to the rest of us scallywags but.. why should you ever have to stop talking when you may have something to say just so your other track can finish or continue...

IMHO


jack

[jeffoest]

I can start to smell a [do it live] vs. [do it in post] argument developing here - LOL

Look, both work great. People just have different vibes and some will do so much better in a live environment and some will excel in a post environment. They obviously both can lead to brilliant shows.

Value of a mixer? As said - flexibility mostly. Crappy mixer with lousy pre-amps? Perhaps not so useful... but one thing you'll notice is that podcasters tend to be pretty darn CHEAP! ;-)

[cswdc]

I am not saying do it post.

I think the talk part should be always be live. I am not thinking scripted.

template the intro and map the beds and the bytes to a midi keyboard. each key on the midi keyboard could have a different peice of music or sound byte you can pull from live (software sampler). use the computer as the mixer. spend a minute or two to polish it at the end. crunch and upload.

Time is spent in preproduction getting the beds and sounds to your computer and setting up the keyboard.

again I do not think the talk should ever be scripted. live talk is where it is at.

[jeffoest]

Again, everybody's vibe is different. Whip Report is all scripted and it's one of my favorite casts. He excels in the scripted and thought-out environment. It would suffer if he did everything "ad-hoc"....

There is really no need to try to define any phony 'rules' for putting together the best podcast. Just follow YOUR vibe and do the best for YOU.

[Patrick]

So how do I input sound from my laptop, another PC I'm using skype on, 4 XLR mics, and someone's iRiver all at the same time for my show?

That's why you need a mixer.

[SFEley]

Again, everybody's vibe is different. Whip Report is all scripted and it's one of my favorite casts. He excels in the scripted and thought-out environment. It would suffer if he did everything "ad-hoc"....
My podcast is scripted too, and heavily edited. It has to be -- 90% of the show is narrated short fiction, and we aspire to audiobook standards. Nothing sounds dumber than breaking in the middle of a sentence in a good short story because you have to cough or you stumbled over a word.

And since the main feature of our show is edited, we don't want the intros and outtros to sound worse, so we write those up in advance as well, and edit all the mistakes out of the delivery. (Or at least all the ones we catch on repeat listening.) >8-> It takes a long time to produce a show, often a few hours for a half-hour podcast, but the end product sounds clean and it meets our listeners' expectations.

And isn't at least some of your podcast scripted too, Jeff? I mean, those skits can't be 100% improvised... (Been listening to your show lately. I love your opening bits.) >8->

[cswdc]

I like the vibe

Do it the easiest and best way for you. I have a great batman byte that would work for this.

"their is more than one way to skin a cat woman"

keep gettin it done however!

I am just getting into podcasting and it seems pretty cool...keep up the great work everyone...

[Patrick]

Exactly...

It depends on the type of show, your format, the impression you are trying to give off to your listeners, etc.

Do what you feel comfortable with and what works best for you and your show. You will change and adapt as you learn and go on.

[jeffoest]

And isn't at least some of your podcast scripted too, Jeff? I mean, those skits can't be 100% improvised... (Been listening to your show lately. I love the way you open it differently every time.) >8->

Absolutely - the 'noir' bit was scripted though it was really the first time we ever did it.... We'll probably try another scripted one this week as well. It's kind of fun to do! The 'murder' at the beginning of our last show was thought out to some extent but not scripted.

Thanks so much for the kind words and listens!

[kickasspodcast]

I think the talk part should be always be live. I am not thinking scripted.
....

again I do not think the talk should ever be scripted. live talk is where it is at.

Hey, I agree, but just for clarifications sake, you mean never scripted, and you want the talk part for the most part unedited and fresh.

The term 'Live' is one that tends to lead to confusion, at least for me, I don't know of many live podcasts there are some, but they would be webcasting live and podcasting their webcast later right?


Pain-In-***

<shrugs>