Hi everyone

This may seem totally obvious to all you Pros, but not to me, -an 18 year
old with a fast developing interest in music technology.

Somebody asked me this question 'What is the main purpose of a mixing desk
in a studio'? ...Now whilst I've used many desks in many different setups,
I could not for one minute think how to apply all my experience and
translate my knowledge of its role into english! It left me stumped and
looking like a total twit...I want to be readily prepared if somebody ever
asks me that again!

So the question I put to you lot is, how can one define this role in plain,
simple terms? "What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

Help solve the mystery!!!!

Matt

Hi!

Kind of simple when it's written down like that isn't it?!
http://www.music.ox.ac.uk/studio/mixdesk2.htm

In article writes:

So the question I put to you lot is, how can one define this role in plain,
simple terms? "What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

To impress the visitors. They look at it and say "That has an awful
lot of knobs. Do you know what every one of them does?"

As to what its real role is, this depends on your perspective. If your
introduction to recording is a computer with a sound card, then it's
easy to see why you can't conceive of the need for a mixing console.
The computer does what the console does. In the live world, it takes
inputs from many sources, sometimes one or two at a time, sometimes a
whole lot a time (like when recording a band using separate
microphones on each instrument and voice) and mixes them as you
choose, then sends the mix or mixes out to different destinations -
recorders, monitors, headphones, signal processors, etc.




--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )

Customer of Plusnet wrote:

So the question I put to you lot is, how can one define this role in plain,
simple terms? "What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

The main purpose of an audio recording studio's mising desk is to mix audio
signals.

--
================================================== ======================
Michael Kesti | "And like, one and one don't make
| two, one and one make one."
| - The Who, Bargain

The main purpose of an audio recording studio's mixing desk is to mix audio
signals.

That's but one of its purposes. I think the more salient aspect of the desks
role is as the central audio signal routing device, including the patchbay as a
functional element of the mixing desk.

Scott Fraser

Don't forget that they are also good for holding up a cup of coffee or
a pizza box.

On 01 Oct 2003 17:13:17 GMT, (ScotFraser) wrote:

The main purpose of an audio recording studio's mixing desk is to mix audio
signals.

That's but one of its purposes. I think the more salient aspect of the desks
role is as the central audio signal routing device, including the patchbay as a
functional element of the mixing desk.

Scott Fraser

In article writes:

I think the more salient aspect of the desks
role is as the central audio signal routing device, including the patchbay as a
functional element of the mixing desk.

A lot of people use a mixing console as a router these days, a job
that would be better performed with a patchbay or switch box. But in
many cases, it's cheaper to get a mixer even though it does put more
electronics in the signal path.




--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )

In article writes:

I think the more salient aspect of the desks
role is as the central audio signal routing device, including the patchbay as a
functional element of the mixing desk.

A lot of people use a mixing console as a router these days, a job
that would be better performed with a patchbay or switch box. But in
many cases, it's cheaper to get a mixer even though it does put more
electronics in the signal path.




--
I'm really Mike Rivers - )

The main idea is to create thousands of parts that will eventually
need cleaning and servicing. If my memory serves me correct,
Focusrite had this huge console in NYC, enormous. It sounded great
and had zillions of illuminated push-buttons. The bulbs in that mixer
would go out all the time, and take away from the pinball machine
razzle dazzle. Then they would have to be replaced. Perfect!

That's the main idea, actually. To keep repair techs in business. I
believe manufacturers have gotten better at keeping corrosion and dust
away, but that's really spoiling the fun.


So the question I put to you lot is, how can one define this role in plain,
simple terms? "What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

Help solve the mystery!!!!

Matt

The main idea is to create thousands of parts that will eventually
need cleaning and servicing. If my memory serves me correct,
Focusrite had this huge console in NYC, enormous. It sounded great
and had zillions of illuminated push-buttons. The bulbs in that mixer
would go out all the time, and take away from the pinball machine
razzle dazzle. Then they would have to be replaced. Perfect!

That's the main idea, actually. To keep repair techs in business. I
believe manufacturers have gotten better at keeping corrosion and dust
away, but that's really spoiling the fun.


So the question I put to you lot is, how can one define this role in plain,
simple terms? "What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

Help solve the mystery!!!!

Matt

As far as impressing clients I remember seeing a post a while back (with a
picture even) where a guy used a DAW but built a big fake desk just to
impress clients. He said clients that heard his work loved it and would hire
him but were turned off when they showed up to his place and saw he was
doing it on just a small computer. Go figure.


"ScotFraser" wrote in message
...
The main purpose of an audio recording studio's mixing desk is to mix
audio
signals.

That's but one of its purposes. I think the more salient aspect of the
desks
role is as the central audio signal routing device, including the patchbay
as a
functional element of the mixing desk.

Scott Fraser

As far as impressing clients I remember seeing a post a while back (with a
picture even) where a guy used a DAW but built a big fake desk just to
impress clients. He said clients that heard his work loved it and would hire
him but were turned off when they showed up to his place and saw he was
doing it on just a small computer. Go figure.


"ScotFraser" wrote in message
...
The main purpose of an audio recording studio's mixing desk is to mix
audio
signals.

That's but one of its purposes. I think the more salient aspect of the
desks
role is as the central audio signal routing device, including the patchbay
as a
functional element of the mixing desk.

Scott Fraser

(Mike Rivers) wrote:

"What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

To impress the visitors. They look at it and say "That has an awful
lot of knobs. Do you know what every one of them does?"

That's absolutely true.

The computer does what the console does.

But if you want to work effectively (means without using the mouse)
you need a hardware controller. An this looks like a mixer, too. And
is often not cheaper (as an digtial mixer).

(Mike Rivers) wrote:

"What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

To impress the visitors. They look at it and say "That has an awful
lot of knobs. Do you know what every one of them does?"

That's absolutely true.

The computer does what the console does.

But if you want to work effectively (means without using the mouse)
you need a hardware controller. An this looks like a mixer, too. And
is often not cheaper (as an digtial mixer).

(ThomasT) wrote in message . com...
(Mike Rivers) wrote:

"What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

To impress the visitors. They look at it and say "That has an awful
lot of knobs. Do you know what every one of them does?"

That's absolutely true.

The computer does what the console does.

But if you want to work effectively (means without using the mouse)
you need a hardware controller. An this looks like a mixer, too. And
is often not cheaper (as an digtial mixer).

I'm not sure that people will be using hardware controllers a few
years from now. At first, I couldn't get on using a mouse after moving
from an analog console, but since then I have found that using a
mouse/keyboard has a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages. The
disadvantages were all I could see at first.

It may be that hardware controllers are simply there to facilitate
transition by people who are moving from analog environments, and that
over time people will end up using nothing but the computer (apart
from the front end).

(ThomasT) wrote in message . com...
(Mike Rivers) wrote:

"What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

To impress the visitors. They look at it and say "That has an awful
lot of knobs. Do you know what every one of them does?"

That's absolutely true.

The computer does what the console does.

But if you want to work effectively (means without using the mouse)
you need a hardware controller. An this looks like a mixer, too. And
is often not cheaper (as an digtial mixer).

I'm not sure that people will be using hardware controllers a few
years from now. At first, I couldn't get on using a mouse after moving
from an analog console, but since then I have found that using a
mouse/keyboard has a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages. The
disadvantages were all I could see at first.

It may be that hardware controllers are simply there to facilitate
transition by people who are moving from analog environments, and that
over time people will end up using nothing but the computer (apart
from the front end).

"Customer of Plusnet" wrote:

So the question I put to you lot is, how can one define this role in
plain,
simple terms? "What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

Help solve the mystery!!!!


To mix and route audio signals...

-jw

"Customer of Plusnet" wrote:

So the question I put to you lot is, how can one define this role in
plain,
simple terms? "What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

Help solve the mystery!!!!


To mix and route audio signals...

-jw

I don't agree. With a hardware controller, you have more control, as
you can use more fingers... with a mouse, you have only one pointer,
while using a controller or a console, you have 10 pointers.

Erich

(5016) wrote in message . com...
(ThomasT) wrote in message . com...
(Mike Rivers) wrote:

"What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

To impress the visitors. They look at it and say "That has an awful
lot of knobs. Do you know what every one of them does?"

That's absolutely true.

The computer does what the console does.

But if you want to work effectively (means without using the mouse)
you need a hardware controller. An this looks like a mixer, too. And
is often not cheaper (as an digtial mixer).

I'm not sure that people will be using hardware controllers a few
years from now. At first, I couldn't get on using a mouse after moving
from an analog console, but since then I have found that using a
mouse/keyboard has a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages. The
disadvantages were all I could see at first.

It may be that hardware controllers are simply there to facilitate
transition by people who are moving from analog environments, and that
over time people will end up using nothing but the computer (apart
from the front end).

I don't agree. With a hardware controller, you have more control, as
you can use more fingers... with a mouse, you have only one pointer,
while using a controller or a console, you have 10 pointers.

Erich

(5016) wrote in message . com...
(ThomasT) wrote in message . com...
(Mike Rivers) wrote:

"What is the main purpose of a mixing desk in a studio?"

To impress the visitors. They look at it and say "That has an awful
lot of knobs. Do you know what every one of them does?"

That's absolutely true.

The computer does what the console does.

But if you want to work effectively (means without using the mouse)
you need a hardware controller. An this looks like a mixer, too. And
is often not cheaper (as an digtial mixer).

I'm not sure that people will be using hardware controllers a few
years from now. At first, I couldn't get on using a mouse after moving
from an analog console, but since then I have found that using a
mouse/keyboard has a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages. The
disadvantages were all I could see at first.

It may be that hardware controllers are simply there to facilitate
transition by people who are moving from analog environments, and that
over time people will end up using nothing but the computer (apart
from the front end).

5016 ) wrote:

I'm not sure that people will be using hardware controllers a few
years from now. At first, I couldn't get on using a mouse after moving
from an analog console, but since then I have found that using a
mouse/keyboard has a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages. The
disadvantages were all I could see at first.

It may be that hardware controllers are simply there to facilitate
transition by people who are moving from analog environments, and that
over time people will end up using nothing but the computer (apart
from the front end).

I think it's a fundamental mistake to think that mice, keyboards, and
other "hardware controllers" are not part of "the computer".

Personally, as far as interface/controller issues go, I think I might be
indefinitely satisfied with a reliable DAW system that intelligently
integrated itself with a multi-button mouse with a HIGH-resolution wheel
(and/or knob(s) on the keyboard), and ample screen real estate.

But if price were no consideration, I wouldn't limit myself to just
mouse and keyboard control. Especially if I could go to 11.

- Brian

5016 ) wrote:

I'm not sure that people will be using hardware controllers a few
years from now. At first, I couldn't get on using a mouse after moving
from an analog console, but since then I have found that using a
mouse/keyboard has a lot of advantages as well as disadvantages. The
disadvantages were all I could see at first.

It may be that hardware controllers are simply there to facilitate
transition by people who are moving from analog environments, and that
over time people will end up using nothing but the computer (apart
from the front end).

I think it's a fundamental mistake to think that mice, keyboards, and
other "hardware controllers" are not part of "the computer".

Personally, as far as interface/controller issues go, I think I might be
indefinitely satisfied with a reliable DAW system that intelligently
integrated itself with a multi-button mouse with a HIGH-resolution wheel
(and/or knob(s) on the keyboard), and ample screen real estate.

But if price were no consideration, I wouldn't limit myself to just
mouse and keyboard control. Especially if I could go to 11.

- Brian

"Paul J. White" wrote:

Don't forget that they are also good for holding up a cup of coffee or
a pizza box.

My cat likes to sleep on my board... He also pushes buttons and moves
the faders. Hmmmmm, maybe he has some studio potential...

Ron Capik
--
...snips..

"Paul J. White" wrote:

Don't forget that they are also good for holding up a cup of coffee or
a pizza box.

My cat likes to sleep on my board... He also pushes buttons and moves
the faders. Hmmmmm, maybe he has some studio potential...

Ron Capik
--
...snips..