The ESQ1 Is Stereo.
Mike, Do You Make All Your Synths Run Dry Before Reaching Your Reverb? Or Do
You Use The Reverb In The Synths Also?
On Wednesday 31 December 2003 11:41 pm, Mike Metlay ++ Atomic City wrote:
> >Hi, everyone! I've got a quick question regarding
> >mixer set-up. So, here is the list of my equipment:
> >AN1x (obviously), ESQ-1, TX81Z, and an RY20. Now, I
> >want to run these through a mixer (Alesis MultiMix 6x,
> >maybe), but on that specific model, it has 2 Mono
> >(lines 1&2) and 2 Stereo (lines 3/4 & 5/6) inputs.
> >Now, the question is, if I get this specific mixer,
> >what would be the best way to hook-up my gear? I'm
> >sort of baffled as to why lines 3,4,5 & 6 don't have
> >their own separate stereo inputs. Shouldn't this be
> >labeled a '4 channel' instead of a '6 channel mixer',
> >as it effectively has "only" 4 sets of inputs?
> >Anyway, if someone would be so kind as to guide this
> >newbie down the correct path, I would GREATLY
> >appreciate it. If you wish to reply off list, my main
> >e-mail addy is nsbhp5@.... Obviously just
> >remove the nospam from the address. Thanks in
> >advance!
> >
> >Sincerely,
> >Scott
>
> Scott,
>
> Welcome to the jungle.
>
> The Alesis mixer you've chosen will not have enough inputs to run all
> of your gear at the same time if you want to use them all in stereo.
> Each box requires two inputs and that makes a total of eight.
>
> Mixer manufacturers can count the "number of channels" in many
> different ways; Alesis does it by counting the total number of
> signals that can be brought in on the channel inputs of the mixer (so
> a mono channel has one input and a stereo channel has two), but other
> manufacturers only count channel strips (thus possibly under-counting
> the number of inputs) or they also include effects returns (which
> over-counts the number of inputs).
>
> Most small mixers generally offer a combination of mono and stereo
> inputs. The former are for microphones and the latter are for the
> modern line-level keyboards that run in stereo, or for stereo effects
> processors (like the Line 6 POD) for guitars. The idea behind this is
> that if you're working with a lot of stereo devices, it's much easier
> and cheaper to build stereo channels for them. You only need one set
> of electronics rather than two, and when you turn down one knob you
> lower both channels' levels at the same time without riding two
> different controls. The ideal "synth mixer" would be a gigantic
> console that only or almost only has stereo channels, but only a few
> such boards have ever been made and they're only available as custom
> devices from companies like Speck Electronics now...and such boxes
> are very, very expensive.
>
> If what you want to record is four stereo instruments (I don't
> remember if the ESQ1 is stereo), you will require a mixer with four
> stereo channels or eight mono channels or some combination thereof to
> get you the total number of inputs you need. You will also need to
> reserve extra channels to use as effects returns if (a) your mixer
> doesn't have them and (b) you want to process your synths with
> external effects, for example a reverb box to help put all your
> synths in the same "room". If you're only going to use the internal
> effects of the Alesis mixer for now, then you needn't worry about
> that last limitation, as its internal DSP has its own returns and it
> doesn't use the ones on the mixer.
>
> If you insist on using the 6-channel Alesis, you'll need to do one of
> two things: either run two of your synths in mono, or use the stereo
> aux return to bring back one of your stereo signals into the mix
> (thereby sacrificing the ability to add external effects later). I
> recommend that you get the 8-channel model instead, as the extra few
> bucks will pay off in flexibility. And if you plan to add more synths
> later, you might even consider buying a mixer with even more channels
> to hold in reserve.
>
> Good luck, and if you really want to learn about this stuff upside
> down and backwards, the best investment you can make right now would
> be a subscription to a good pro audio magazine. I'd suggest
> --Whoops, ball dropping. Gotta go!
>
> mike