In short: If only to connect an Octatrack (plus some gear connected to the OT inputs) to my speakers and a Zoom/IRig, would I benefit from running it through a small good quality mixer? I’d only use one stereo channel for the OT, and would hope to have a couple of main outs to connect to speakers, a Zoom, and perhaps an Irig (Note: DAWless setup, I don’t own or think I want an audio interface)
Background:
Hi y’all,
Lately I’ve been enjoying reading the mixer forum discussions. Often it seems like it comes down to, providing budget is limiting: either choosing for more channels, options, and fx send/returns, or choosing less channels/options but getting a better sound with a quality (analog?) mixer. Which leads me to:
Recently I minimalised my setup back to OT, with DT and DN in Mono and an FX send return. Sometimes a BassStation too, and then the OT inputs are full, and I don’t want more anyways at the moment.
All that is then going from OT main outs into a Behringer 12 channel mixer that I had for when I had more gear and no OT. Using this large cheap-ish mixer now just for some EQ on the OT stereo main mix, and then out into my speakers, and the second outputs to a Zoom and headphone outs to an IRig to record on my phone sometimes. I don’t have/use a DAW, and am not interested in multitracking at the moment.
Being in this position of having little need for mixers with many options/channels: would you get a small but great sounding mixer for this? Any preferred types/models? Or just stick with the Behringer?
(I could almost even run straight from OT to my speakers, but then I’d miss the extra outs to my Zoom and iRig to use for recording sometimes, which I like to have dedicated and setup to be ready.)
I’m super curious to hear the different ideas, and perhaps specific suggestions. But also just curious about the general question that this proposes: does a good mixer do a lot to better your sound? (I’ve never had any other mixer then the Behringer, so I’ve no idea really)
Ta!