Using a Mixer With a DAW

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Using a Mixer With a DAW

by Ethan Winer
This article first appeared in the March 2003 issue of EQ magazine

Ethan's new book The Audio Expert explains

studio setup in much more detail than this article.

One of the most frequent questions I see in the audio newsgroups asks how to connect a
mixer to a computer-based recording setup. Many people have a small mixer, like the
Mackie 1402, and want to record basic tracks first and then add overdubs later. The Mackie
manuals show several setups for combining musical instruments and other sources to play
them through loudspeakers. But they ignore what may be the most common setup of all - a
typical digital audio workstation (DAW). This article explains the basic principles of recording
in a DAW and shows the best way to connect the various components through a small mixer.
I will use the Mackie 1402 VLZ for these examples, but the concepts apply to any mixer that
offers an insert point for each preamp output.
With most DAW setups, it's best to record each instrument and microphone on a separate
track. This gives the most flexibility when mixing, letting you change the volume and
equalization separately for each sound source, add more or less reverb to just that
instrument, and so forth. I also suggest that you do all mixing within the DAW program using
the software's volume, pan, and plug-in effects, rather than sending individual tracks to a
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hardware mixer. Mixing in a DAW is more flexible because it allows the mix to be automated
and recalled exactly. It also ensures that when you export the song to a stereo Wave file, it
will sound the same as what you heard while mixing.
INPUTS AND OUTPUTS
Most small mixers contain two independent sections: an input section and a mixer section.
The input section contains the input connectors (XLR and 1/4-inch) and the preamps, which
raise the small input signals to line level so they're suitable for recording. The mixer section
then combines all of the preamplified inputs into one stereo mix that you can play through
loudspeakers or headphones. It's important to understand the difference between the input
channels, which are available independently, and the combined stereo mix. You'll record
each sound source through the preamps to a separate input of your sound card, but you
also need to monitor all the channels mixed together to hear yourself as you play or sing,
and to hear the tracks already recorded.
The first step is to route each microphone or instrument to a separate input on the sound
card. If you have only one stereo sound card, you can record only one stereo source at a
time, or optionally two mono sources. (Of course, you can record any number of additional
tracks later as overdubs.) If you have a multi-channel sound card, you can record as many
separate tracks as the sound card has inputs. However, you should play all tracks through
one output, even if your sound card has several outputs. This way the mix is controlled
entirely by the settings in your DAW program, independent of the knobs on the hardware
mixer.

Figure 1: The 1402's Front Panel Input Section

Figure 1 shows the input section of a Mackie 1402 VLZ mixer. You can connect either XLR
microphone or 1/4-inch instrument cables, which go through the 1402's preamps and then to
the mixer section that combines the inputs. The channel insert portion of the 1402 back
panel is shown in Figure 2 below, and this is where you'll connect each preamp output to
one input of your sound card. The original purpose of an insert point was to insert a
hardware effect box, such as a compressor, into the recording chain. But with a DAW, you

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can do that with plug-ins later. For our purposes, the insert point will serve as a splitter to
send the preamplified input to the sound card while also sending it to the rest of the mixer for
monitoring. When an output is taken from the insert point, it's called a direct out because the
signal is taken directly from the output of the preamp, before passing through the mixer's
volume and tone control circuits.

Figure 2: The 1402's Back Panel Insert Points

With nothing plugged into an insert jack, the output of the preamp goes through the channel
volume, pan, and EQ controls on the front panel and is combined in the mixer section with
the other preamp outputs. But when you insert a 1/4-inch plug only partway into the jack, the
output of the preamp is sent to the inserted plug and also goes to the rest of the mixer. This
is the key to recording each source to a separate track. Since the preamp output still goes to
the mixer section, you can control how loudly you hear the source through your speakers
with that channel's volume slider. And since each preamp output goes directly to the sound
card, it's the only thing recorded on that track. If you were to record from the mixer's main
output, the new recording would include all the tracks already recorded as well as inputs
intended for other tracks.

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Figure 3: Connecting it all together - be sure to push the plugs only partway into the insert point jacks!

Figure 3 shows how each channel's insert point output goes to one input of the sound card.
The sound card's main stereo output then goes to one of the mixer's stereo inputs so you
can hear your recording program's playback. This way you can control the volume you hear
for each track being recorded with its input channel volume slider, and control the playback
volume of tracks already recorded with the stereo channel's slider. In this example, mixer
channels 1 through 6 control how loudly you hear each source being recorded, and stereo
input pair 13-14 controls how loudly you hear the tracks already recorded.
SETTING RECORD LEVELS
Each of the six input channels has two volume controls: the preamp gain knob (also called
Trim) and the channel volume slider. Both affect the volume you hear through the
loudspeakers, but only the preamp gain changes the recording level sent to your sound
card. Therefore, when recording, you must first use the preamp gain control to set a suitable
recording level, then adjust the channel slider for a comfortable volume through the
loudspeakers or headphones. Since the channel volume slider and equalizer are not in the
path from preamp to sound card, you can freely change them without affecting the recording.

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MONITORING WITH EFFECTS

It's often nice to hear a little reverb when recording yourself singing or playing, for extra
inspiration and to get a sense of how it will sound in the final mix. Many DAW programs let
you monitor with reverb and other software effects while recording, but I usually don't
recommend that. One problem with monitoring with effects is the inherent delay through the
program and plug-ins, especially with slower computers. Another problem is that the effects
tax the computer more than recording alone. If your computer can just barely record eight
tracks at once and you monitor with effects while recording, you may end up with gaps in the
recorded audio or the program might stop suddenly. Fortunately, most small mixers, like the
1402, have Aux busses where you can patch in a hardware reverb. Any reverb you apply on
an Aux buss affects only the monitoring path and is not recorded. Therefore, you can hear
yourself sing (using earphones) with all the glory of a huge auditorium, and defer the amount
of reverb until you make the final mix. Better, since reverb on an Aux buss is not recorded,
an inexpensive unit is adequate.
Likewise, I recommend recording without EQ or compression effects. With analog tape, the
hiss is always a problem; in the old days it was common to add treble boost or compression
while recording if you knew those would be needed later. But modern digital recording - even
at 16 bits - has a very low noise level so recording with effects is not needed. More
important, it's a lot easier to experiment or change your mind later if the tracks are recorded
with no processing. It's difficult to undo equalization, even if you write down exactly what you
did, and it's just about impossible to remove compression! To me, one of the greatest
features of DAW recording is the ability to defer all balance and tone decisions until
mixdown. This feature is lost if you commit effects by writing them permanently to the tracks.
The only exception is when an effect is integral to the sound, such as a phaser or echo on
an electric guitar.
THE WINDOWS MIXER
Most pro-quality sound cards include a software "control panel" to set sample rates,
operating levels, internal patchbay routing, and so forth. But consumer grade PC sound
cards rely on the Windows mixer for level setting and input selection. You launch the
Windows mixer by double-clicking the little yellow loudspeaker icon in the lower right of the
screen. To get to the Record Panel screen shown in Figure 4, click the Options menu, then
Properties, and under Adjust volume for, select Recording as shown in Figure 5. If you have
a typical consumer sound card, you should select Line-In as the recording source and be
sure to set the input level to maximum.

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Figure 4: The Windows Mixer Record Panel

The Windows mixer Play Control panel (not shown) adjusts the mix of sources that play
through the Line Output jack of the sound card. The Record Control panel lets you select
one input from which to record. Be aware that the Windows mixer is probably hiding some
input and output level controls. Yet those sources can contribute hiss from an unused input
or add noise generated by the hard drive or video card. For example, you might hear
scratching sounds as you move your mouse or as things change on the screen. Therefore,
you should select all of the available playback sources in the Properties screen (Figure 5) to
make them visible. Then mute or turn down all the sliders you are not using, such as TAD
(telephone answering device), Microphone, and so forth. You can hide them again afterward
if you don't want to see them.
Most Creative Labs SoundBlaster cards also have a WhatUHear input source that records
the same mix of sources defined in the Play Control panel. If you have a SoundBlaster card,
do not use WhatUHear when recording audio because that will add whatever tracks you are
playing along with to the current recording. It may also add hiss to the recording because it
includes the MIDI synthesizer, CD Audio, and other inputs if they are not muted. The only
time WhatUHear is useful is when you need to record audio from the sound card's MIDI
synthesizer or convert a MIDI track that uses SoundFonts to an audio track, and you want to
include the sound card's reverb in the recording. Otherwise, select MIDI as the record
source and add reverb later to the audio track in your DAW program.

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Figure 5: The Windows Mixer Properties

OTHER DAW ISSUES AND ADVICE

Earlier I stated that you should push the 1/4-inch plug only partway into the insert jack
so the preamp's output will go to the sound card and also to the rest of the mixer. If you
insert the plug fully, the preamp's output will still go to the sound card, but the
connection to the rest of the mixer is disrupted so you'll no longer hear what's being
recorded. Unfortunately, these jacks are sometimes too loose to make a reliable
connection when the plug is not fully seated, or they become worn over time, so you
have to wiggle the plug occasionally to get the signal back. The best solution is Radio
Shack's adapter 274-1520. This inexpensive gadget can be inserted fully into the
mixer's insert jack, yet it retains the connection needed from the preamp to the rest of
the mixer. Added August 2, 2015: This part is no longer available now that Radio
Shack is out of business. You might find these adapters online by searching for "Radio
Shack 274-1520" but you'll probably have to wire them up yourself as in the drawing
below.

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In Figure 3 the sound card's main stereo output comes into the mixer on stereo
channel 13-14. This provides a separate volume control for the DAW's output, which
can be adjusted independently from the volume of each input being recorded. But you
may be using all of the mixer's stereo inputs for other sources like a CD player,
cassette deck, and so forth. Or maybe you have a smaller mixer like the Mackie 1202
that has fewer inputs. In that case you can connect the sound card's stereo output to
the mixer's second Aux Return, if available, or even to the Tape Input. If you use the
Tape Input, though, you won't have a separate volume control for the DAW program's
playback.
Even though the Windows mixer has record volume controls for each input source, it is
important to set these to maximum and adjust the record level using the preamp gain
on your hardware mixer. The same is true for the software control panel that's included
with more expensive sound cards. Software volume controls affect the volume after the
sound card's A-to-D converter. So if the level from your mixer's preamp is too high and
overloads the sound card's input, reducing the software volume control just lowers the
recording level yet the signal remains distorted.
Most DAW programs let you apply plug-in effects either individually to one track, or on
an Aux buss that can be shared by all tracks. In general, any effect that does
something to the audio should be inserted on the track, and effects that add something
to the audio should go on a buss. For example, EQ, wah, chorus, and compression
effects modify the audio passing through them and should therefore be applied to a

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track. On the other hand, reverb and echo add new content - the echoes - and are
better placed on an Aux buss. Further, reverb plug-ins use a lot of the computer's
limited calculating power to generate the enormous number of echoes needed to
create a realistic reverb effect. So adding separate reverb plug-ins to many tracks is
wasteful. Moreover, if you use only one or two reverbs for all tracks, the result will be
more coherent and sound like it was recorded in a real room, rather than in many
different acoustic spaces.
Folks who have used analog tape recorders but are new to digital recording tend to set
the record levels too high. With open reel tape and cassettes, it's important to record
as hot as possible to overcome tape hiss. But analog tape is more forgiving of high
levels than digital systems. Analog tape distortion rises gradually as the signal level
increases and becomes objectionable only when the level gets very high. Digital
recorders, on the other hand, are extremely clean right up to the point of gross
distortion. Therefore, I recommend aiming for an average record level around -12 dB.
or even lower to reduce the chance of distortion ruining a good performance.
If you use your DAW for both MIDI and audio, and you have a SoundBlaster Live or
Audigy sound card, you need a way to record the entire final mix. You can't just tell
your DAW program to render the mix as a Wave file because that would omit the MIDI
instruments. One solution is to record all of the MIDI instruments at once to a new
audio track, which works well and takes only as long as the song duration. To do this,
arm a stereo audio track for recording, in the Windows or Creative mixer select MIDI
as the record source, then start recording. When the song has finished, you'll have one
stereo track with no reverb that you can balance with the rest of the audio tracks. If you
prefer to record the sound card's reverb, use WhatUHear as the record source instead
of MIDI, but be sure to mute all non-MIDI tracks so they're not included. Another
solution is to record each MIDI track as a separate audio track. This gives more
flexibility because you can EQ and add reverb to each track separately; however, this
requires many separate passes as you solo each MIDI track and record it as described
above. The third, and easiest, solution is to select WhatUHear as the record source so
you'll capture the exact same mix you hear when you play the song. Then you can
record the entire mix either to a new track in your DAW or in another program, such as
SoundForge. If you record the entire mix as a new track in your DAW, you'll have to
export just that track to a new Wave file, and then delete or mute the track since it's no
longer needed. To record the mix in a separate program, simply start that program
recording, then switch back to your DAW and press Play.
Often when you connect an audio device like a mixer to a computer using analog
cables a ground loop is created which causes hum. Sometimes you can avoid this by
plugging both the mixer and computer into the same physical AC power outlet or
power strip. If that doesn't solve the problem, a good solution is to place audio isolation
transformers in series with every connection between the two devices. High quality
audio transformers can be expensive, but I've had decent results with the EBTECH
Hum Eliminator. This device is available in both two- and eight-channel versions, and
at less than $30 per channel is reasonably priced for what it is. However, if the highest
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audio quality is important, and you're willing to pay upwards of $100 per channel,
consider better grade transformers such as those made by Jensen Transformers.
Ethan Winer has, at various times, earned a living as a studio musician, computer
programmer, audio engineer, composer/arranger, technical writer, and college instructor. He
now heads up RealTraps, a manufacturer of bass traps and acoustic treatment.
Entire contents of this web site Copyright 1997-2015 by Ethan Winer. All rights reserved.

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