Meet the Hybrids

Sep 1, 2007 12:00 PM, By Rusty Cutchin

           

Four analog mixers with digital audio interfaces.

FIG. 4: The Alesis MultiMix 16 FireWire offers onboard effects to go with eight mic-pre channels and four stereo/dual-mono channels.

Alesis MultiMix 16 FireWire

The MultiMix 16 FireWire mixer ($799) is a very compact 16-channel mixer with eight mono mic/line channels and four stereo/dual-mono channels. (A USB 2.0 version is anticipated for summer release.) Its compact size owes a lot to the 3-pound in-line transformer on its power cable, which attaches to the mixer with a 3-pin twist connector. The MultiMix 16 handles 24-bit audio at either 44.1 or 48 kHz sampling rates and comes with Steinberg Cubase LE. The mixer has optional ears for rackmounting.

This mixer sends all 16 of its inputs (4 stereo/dual-mono and 8 mono channels) down the FireWire cable, along with its main-mix signal as channel 13/14 (see Fig. 4). It converts the signals postgain, -EQ, and -fader, so you can tailor individual signals somewhat before recording them. However, the MultiMix 16 offers only fixed-frequency 3-band EQ on all channels and provides no insert points on any channel nor any gain controls for its stereo channels.

The mixer does provide a lot of effects presets — 100 28-bit effects including reverbs, delays, chorus, flanging, pitch, and multi-effects. These are accessed from the aux 2 sends on each channel strip. Only one can be active at a time, and none are available on the FireWire stream, which means the effects section is primarily useful for monitoring — for example, for providing a master reverb or a flange effect for a group of synths on a live gig.

The 2-track return from the computer is available at the mixer's 2-track bus. You get RCA connectors for this bus, and if you have a CD player or other device plugged in, its signal is merged with the signal from the FireWire return. However, you get no controls for the corresponding signal levels other than a headphone/control-room knob.

Each of the eight mic/line channels has a 75 Hz highpass filter and gain control. A single switch toggles phantom power for all eight channels. Each of these channels also has a balanced ¼-inch TRS line input. The channel strips have two aux sends. You can set aux send 1 to pre or post. Aux send 2 is post and feeds the effects section and the aux 2 output connector.

A channel strip's Mute button routes the input signal to the Alt 3/4 bus. Each channel strip also has a Solo button. The Solo Mode switch in the master section toggles the Solo buttons between PFL (Pre-Fader Listen) and Solo mode.

A single S/PDIF output jack is located between the XLR and headphone connectors at the top of the unit and is accompanied by an illuminated Digital Out label. That will be an easy connector to find if you must operate the unit in the dark. The only other illuminated signs are the power and phantom-power indicators, and the 2-digit LEDs that list the selected effects program.

Mix in Your World

Although all four mixers offer some sort of digital transfer capability for getting live analog signals to your digital recording application, the features and prices of these boards put them at different levels of digital recording usefulness. The Alesis MultiMix 16 FireWire is the most economical way to get 16 channels into the computer.

The M-Audio NRV10 points the way to the future of hybrid recording, with digital tracks flowing seamlessly back and forth from mixer to application. If you need better mic pres, Mackie's tried-and-true Onyx 1220 (or one of its siblings) provides the reliable path to seamless multitracking. But the bargain of the lot may be Phonic's feature-rich Helix Board 24 FireWire MKII, which puts an impressive group of features into a rackmount mixer and lets you EQ 16 channels of audio before routing it to your computer through FireWire.

Rusty Cutchin is a former editor of EM and a producer, engineer, and music journalist in the New York City area.

COMING FROM YAMAHA

Yamaha's new n-series FireWire Digital Mixing Studios, the n8 and n12, were not available for evaluation at the time of this writing but should be released by the time you read this. They promise to offer 24-bit mixing and processing at a 96 kHz sampling rate, mic pres with phantom power, 3-band sweepable EQ, and high-resolution reverb. Both units feature comprehensive monitoring capabilities, and the n12 includes surround support.

The n12 is a 12-by-16-channel unit with an additional two bus and two aux input channels. Those are routed through its 16-by-16-channel FireWire audio interface, which includes full 5.1 surround support. The n8 is an 8-by-12-channel unit, but again it has an additional two bus and two aux inputs, all routed through its 12-by-12-channel FireWire audio interface.

MANUFACTURER CONTACTS

Alesis www.alesis.com

Mackie (Loud Technologies Inc.) www.mackie.com

M-Audio www.m-audio.com

Phonic America Corp. www.phonic.com

Yamaha www.yamaha.com