Analog Mixer vs Windows Mixer

[oclafed]

I read (im another forum) that the use of the Windows mixer to control volume levels when recording wave files was inferior to using an Analog mixer(located between the music source and sound board) similar to the ones used by DJs. The details were not given, but it appears to be a matter of using all of the bits available vs losing some of the bit depth. Does anyone have any experience or knowledge of this?

[Rick]

Re: Analog Mixer vs Windows Mixer

I don't know for a fact, so I too would be interested in hearing from someone who does, but this is probaby sound card dependent.

I think that higher end sound cards have actual mixer ckts on them with digital volume controls and some don't.

My reasoning is that sound cards usually show three independent volume controls for Mic, Line and Aux inputs, BUT on many cards you can only select one at a time. This would seems to indicate that they may be digitally scaling the input down after the converter. (Which is bad)

Some cards come with independent mixer applications and you can select a number of inputs simultanously. These cards likely have digital volumne controls.

So for cards with no volume controls, it would be much better to leave the volume all the way up, and adjust the input to the card with an analog mixer to achieve the proper level.

Rick

Rick

[Keith]

Re: Analog Mixer vs Windows Mixer

I've found that it's best in my case to do the level control outside the computer as well. I use a soundblaster live card with a modified live drive [mic input removed and input capacitors replaced with film types.] I did lots of experimenting, and found I get the best sound and the least noise by using the output from my preamp and setting the gain with the volume control there. All of the extra inputs on the sound card are muted in the software. This has worked well enough that I now use a second preamp for feeding the computer, while the main one feeds my stereo normally.

[Keith]

Re: Analog Mixer vs Windows Mixer

One more thing---I forgot to mention that I have also found the sound from an audiophile-type preamp to be far superior to most any DJ-type mixer. It is to be preferred, especially if you do not need the mixing feature. They can be purchased very reasonably at places like Ebay [which is where I found mine..........]

[Rick]

Re: Analog Mixer vs Windows Mixer

One thing I have noticed on the High End sound cards that I have here is that there is no input volume control at all. They have output level controls, but no input control. I too use an external mixer to get the signal to the proper level for recording.