I thought that I’d pass along this fun find that came into my possession recently. This mixing board is actually just a glorified sound card with lots of cool knobs, but it sure is fun to play with. It plugs into the USB port. It comes with a dumbed down version of Cubasis, but it seems to do everything that I’d like it to do. It takes midi/mic/line inputs and functions as an external sound card (it has line, digital, midi and phone out). It accepts (2) inputs and can control 4 tracks at a time, though the faders can be assign to infinite tracks.
Bottom line, it doesn’t do anything that a system with a good sound card (like SB Live) and a good DAW program can’t do, but it sure makes adjusting input and output levels easier (rather than having to go through all the menus with a mouse). It also has the recording buttons right up front where they’re easy to get to. Right now I’m running a keyboard, voice mic and whistle mic through it as well as all of my system sounds.
So if you’re thinking about upgrading your sound card or want to mix music on your computer, here’s a fun option.
I am considering this because despite all the bells and whistles of my G4 “Quicksilver (no less)”, it doesnt accept stereo cables in the back which really surprised me.
Currently, to do a recording, I am using a mic, 3prong to 1/4, adaptor then 1/4 to dinky stereo 1/8 and that goes into a round flat thing that hooks into a USB port. A fragile, possibly hum-acquring setup… And all this for a single signal, unless I use a mixing board and more adaptors…
how much for the device anyhoo…?
$300. I had considered getting one of the handheld digital minitrack recorders, but they just don’t communicate with the computer very well… especially if you actually use multiple tracks. You have to mix down each of the tracks. It really is an easy thing. Just plug it in to the USB port and away it goes.
My stereo has been in storage for the last 3 years and I just got it today, so I’m using the mixer to move all of my LP’s over to CD. After it’s in wave format I’ll run the files through a noise/pop gate and should have some nice recordings. (I know some like the pops, but I just can’t leave them that way).
