Home studio battle: Mixer vs. audio interface
With many staying home due to the coronavirus, more people have rediscovered their love for making music. While smartphones and laptops have the capacity to record audio to some degree, it’s definitely far from the best. Image source: bhphotovideo.com Image source: audioexpress.com Most—if not all—recording studio require a laptop or a desktop as the workstation. Recording at home means having little space for equipment. USB mixers and audio interface are top choices for a home studio setup. However, the two work differently, says James Haidak. A USB mixer, when plugged into a computer, mixes multiple signals before sending it to the digital audio workstation. Much like how a usual sound mixer works, a USB mixer can have a built-in reverb, gain, and echo controls apart from the usual volume knob. Depending on the mixer, one can plug a microphone and an instrument at the same time. The mixer then sends the audio from the microphone and the instrument as a ...