How To Set Up A Mixer To A Computer

With the availability of inexpensive personal computers and recording gear, it is more than attainable than always to mix and record your own music.

Simply 1 of the most confusing parts of home or live recording is figuring out how to become the audio from an analog mixer into your calculator. If you are reading this article, most likely, yous are trying to effigy out the all-time ways to do and then.

Here are the top three proven methods yous tin can use to record sound from a mixer to a calculator:

By connecting the mixer directly to the calculator through a audio carte or line-in to USB interface cablevision
Connecting the computer to a USB mixing console
Using an audio interface

Read on to learn more about each of these three methods in this consummate guide nosotros've put together. Let's get started.

Tabular array of Contents

Requirements for Recording Audio from a Mixer to a Computer
- The Reckoner
- The DAW
The 3 Proven Methods for Recording Sound From a Mixer to a Computer
one. Connecting the Mixer Straight to the Computer'southward Sound Card
- Cables For Making the Connectedness
- A Cheaper and Effective Method Using a Line-In to USB Interface Cablevision.
- Setting Up for Recording
2. Using a USB-Capable Audio Mixing Panel or Multitrack Recorder
three. Using a USB Audio Interface
- Things to Consider When Choosing an Sound Interface
Recording For Everyone

Requirements for Recording Sound from a Mixer to a Reckoner

The Calculator

The first piece of equipment yous volition demand is a decent computer. Both Mac and Windows work fine.

You will need a calculator that has enough RAM and processing power. These are the biggest bottlenecks in terms of recording audio.

It doesn't have to be the latest, top-of-the-line organization on the market, but information technology needs adequate resources to piece of work. I would stay abroad from Chromebooks or outdated equipment every bit they are very limited and can't be upgraded most of the time.

These are the computer specs I recommend for recording audio from a mixer:

PROCESSOR: y'all'll want the fastest processor y'all can afford. The minimum I recommend is the Intel i5 processor.
RAM Memory: no less than 8GB. The more, the improve.
STORAGE: a solid-land drive (SSD) no less than 250GB. If you can afford to buy or upgrade to NVME M.2 SSD, I highly recommend it because it will run smooth and lightning fast, which will exist handy, especially when editing.
OPERATING System: I highly recommend 64-chip Bone. Near digital audio workstation software runs on 64-bit operating systems.
PORTS: you'll need at least two USB ports. If it has more, it's better because you'll accept more flexibility. If possible, a Thunderbolt connector is an excellent idea, peculiarly if y'all make up one's mind to upgrade later.

The DAW

The 2d thing that you will need to record audio is a DAW. This stands for "Digital Sound Workstation."

DAWs allow you to record multiple tracks simultaneously. This is useful when mixing, as information technology gives you control over the sound and levels of each rail.

Y'all can as well apply effects such as equalization, reverb, and pinch. DAWs besides permit you lot chop-chop edit tracks. And then if you have an extra striking on the snare drum, you can just splice information technology out easily.

Digital Sound Workstations come in many different flavors and price ranges. For example, Audacity is completely gratis and open source. Information technology is a popular pick for people just getting into recording.

GarageBand tin can too work if y'all are a Mac user, only continue in mind that it is somewhat limited. For beginners, it is an excellent choice.

For a stride up in terms of functionality and ease of employ, look into Reaper. Yous can employ it as a free and fully functional demo for every bit long as yous wish. And a full license but costs $60.

Other DAWs such as ProTools, Logic, Cubase, StudioOne, and FruityLoops are popular choices, equally well.

The iii Proven Methods for Recording Sound From a Mixer to a Computer

Afterwards yous have your calculator and DAW set up and ready to rumble, it'due south time to connect the mixing console to your estimator.

There are 3 options for achieving this, each increasing in quality and price.

ane. Connecting the Mixer Directly to the Computer's Audio Card

This is the simplest and cheapest option, assuming that you already accept some kind of mixing board.

If it is an older board or lacks USB connectivity, this is the route yous volition take to take.

This method assumes that your computer has an onboard audio card with a microphone input connector. On most computers, this is a 3.5mm input jack.

Keep in heed that most newer model laptops don't come with a microphone input anymore, and then if you decide to use this method, yous'll need to become a USB sound card like the Sabrent AU-MMSA.

Another thing to remember is that these affordable USB sound cards only provide a mono line-in input, which ways that they can only record a mono bespeak coming from the mixer.

Here is a diagram to help you figure out the connection.

If you want a stereo line input for recording, y'all will need an external sound carte with a stereo line-in connector.

Something like the Creative Sound Blaster X4 will work for connecting stereo line-in signals from the mixer to the computer for recording. The merely downside is its price. For nearly the same amount, you tin get an audio interface that does a better job at recording and offers more features.

Cables For Making the Connection

Depending on the output connections on your mixer, you will take to use dissimilar cables.

If your mixer has RCA outputs, you will demand a iii.5mm TRS Stereo Audio Jack to 2 RCA
Yous can also use 2 one/4″ TS (mono) outputs. For this, you will need a dual 1/4″ TS to a single iii.5mm adapter cable.
Lastly, if your mixer has XLR outputs, get a 2x female XLR to 3.5mm adapter cable.

Go along in mind that you should not skimp on cable quality. Cheap cables introduce noise and interference into your recordings.

A Cheaper and Effective Method Using a Line-In to USB Interface Cable.

An alternative to external audio cards is to utilize something like the Behringer Line2USB cablevision interface. This adapter would work perfectly well because it accepts a stereo point and connects information technology to the calculator via a USB.

Inside the USB-A instance, an analog to digital converter takes the line level signal from the mixer and converts it to digital so the DAW can tape information technology in stereo style.

The six.6 human foot (2 meters) cablevision comes with 2 mono 1/four″ jack connectors that yous can easily plug into your mixer to bring the stereo signal to your computer.

This device is Plug-and-Play which means that you lot don't need to download any drivers for it to work with your favorite DAW on Mac and Windows computers.

The digital audio output operates at 44.1 kHz and 48 kHz sample rates. And for your convenience, the Line2USB cable is also compatible with about 32-chip drivers and software.

Follow the connection diagram shown beneath to hook things together

Setting Up for Recording

To prepare this up for recording, create a track in your DAW and route the input to your soundcard. Employ your mixer to accommodate your levels until everything sounds good, and start recording.

The major downside of this method is that it does not allow you to multitrack. This means that any comes through the mixer volition get recorded all on one runway.

This can be mitigated by using a USB sound card that can take a stereo line input. If using the Behringer Line2USB, information technology would transport a stereo betoken by default.

If you lot employ this method, it will split your signal into left and correct channels.

You tin then pan your mixer tracks all the way to the left or right. Tracks on the left will be recorded into one stereo track and the same for the correct side.

In your DAW, you can split the stereo track into the left and right tracks and mix them separately.

Please keep in mind that this is not the best method for recording audio from a mixer to a computer, but information technology can work in a pinch or on a tight budget.

2. Using a USB-Capable Audio Mixing Console or Multitrack Recorder

If the sound card method is not working for yous and you want amend quality and command over your tracks, consider springing for a USB-capable mixing console.

These come up in many input numbers and toll ranges. Generally, they start at two simultaneous tracks and tin can go all the way up to forty-viii.

Mixing consoles are appealing for live sound recording, as they let you to record audio from a PA system to a laptop.

When shopping for a USB-capable mixer, make sure to go along the number of simultaneous tracks in heed.

Non all USB mixers can multitrack with all of the inputs. Don't make the mistake of buying a sixteen-channel USB mixer that can only record 1 stereo track.

Generally, the more you spend, the more tracks it volition be able to tape simultaneously.

Besides being able to multitrack, these mixers as well permit you to route computer sound playback to the mixer.

If skillful sound quality matters to y'all, don't skimp on the mixer either. Inexpensive mixers exercise non have high-quality microphone preamps and will sound noisy and dull. Go for trusted professional audio brands.

There are several fantabulous options on the market for USB-capable mixers. Yamaha, Allen & Heath, Tascam, and Mackie make several great options with differing numbers of inputs and outputs.

Some higher-end USB mixers tin can even act equally DAW controllers, allowing you to tape, break, and play with the faders on a physical console. An example of this is the Tascam Model 12 and the Zoom LiveTrak L-12 for mixers that can actually do it all affordably.

To record using a multitrack USB mixer, you will accept to ensure that your DAW recognizes it as an input device.

Connect all your instruments and microphones to the mixer
Utilise the USB or Thunderbolt connector to connect the mixer to the computer
Create a track for each input that yous are recording.
Make sure to assign each track to the proper input from the mixer.
Then information technology's equally simple every bit pressing the record button and making the music happen!

3. Using a USB Audio Interface

Sound interfaces used to but be available in loftier-finish recording studios. Only in the by decade, manufacturers have put out affordable offerings for "prosumers" at home.

Audio interfaces are the preferred method for connecting a mixer to a laptop or pc for recording audio.

The easiest style is by getting the stereo output from the mixing console and connecting it to the sound interface. Hither is how to do it:

Find an available line-level output in the sound mixer
Setup the audio interface to receive the bespeak from the mixer
Use the proper cables (TS, TRS, XLR) to make the connection between the two devices
Set up the gains and levels correctly to get a clean bespeak for recording to avoid clipping and distortion

I am only presenting an overview because I have covered these steps in item in some other article. To check information technology out, click this link. The caption includes pictures and a connection diagram.

Things to Consider When Choosing an Audio Interface

Audio Interfaces have much better microphone preamps than almost standalone mixers and improve analog-to-digital conversion rates.

While they don't accept all of the knobs and faders of a mixing console, the other advantages brand them the go-to in the recording earth.

Audio interfaces are too designed to be like shooting fish in a barrel to route and connect to a DAW. They are normally USB powered, although some also take Thunderbolt connections.

They also come up in a wide range of input numbers and prices. In that location are cheap 8-input interfaces and four-effigy two inputs, so brand sure to balance performance and features appropriately.

Audio interfaces likewise allow you to route playback audio through monitors or headphones. Some also have MIDI input/output connections that enable you to command virtual or hardware synths from your DAW.

Higher-terminate interfaces, such as the MOTU 8pre-es or Universal Audio's offerings, allow you to run plugins from your daw within the interface, taking the strain off your calculator'south processor.

Companies such every bit Focusrite, Audient, PreSonus, MOTU, and Behringer offering multiple sizes of interfaces. Features also vary, so shop advisedly.

If your budget is limited now, but you plan to expand in the time to come, at that place are two things to consider when hereafter-proofing your interface buy.

The kickoff is ADAT and/or SPDIF connections. These allow you to "concatenation" multiple interfaces or microphone preamps together. This basically expands your interface's inputs.

Yous can showtime with a cheaper interface with fewer inputs, such equally the Audient iD14. This is an instance of a two-input interface with ADAT, assuasive you to aggrandize to 10 inputs in the futurity with a split preamp or interface.

Since audio interfaces usually interface with DAWs automatically, all y'all need to do to record multiple tracks is create the number of tracks y'all need. Then assign them to the inputs on the interface.

If you can only afford an interface with a limited number of inputs, be aware that you can still use a traditional mixer.

This is especially useful for recording things like drums, where you tin can put all of the drum mics into the mixer and then take it go to 1 input on your interface.

Recording For Everyone

Whichever method you choose, y'all at present know the iii best methods to record sound from a mixer to a estimator. Think, what's nearly of import is making the music happen.

Starting small and simple with restrictions can force you to become a meliorate mix engineer. Going straight to a iv-figure setup when you don't even know how to create a track in your DAW volition non make y'all better.

For more than audio tips and in-depth how-to'due south, make sure to bank check out the other articles on our blog.