Audio Interface vs Mixer: Which Is Right For Your Music and Studio?

The audio interface vs mixer debate is an interesting subject but one that really can confuse and leave those starting out on their audio journey somewhat confused and bewildered. 

Firstly, while it’s correct to describe an interface as a device for turning analogue signals into digital information your computer can store and process, that very processing of the audio nearly always revolves around some form of mixer interface, be it part of the interfaces control software or as the software available in your DAW. 

Likewise, the last few years have seen an increase in the functionality offered by digital desk manufacturers to the point where the vast majority offer built-in multichannel interface capabilities. 

Even analogue desks of all sizes have realised the flexibility of a product that can connect to a computer and provide direct recording and playback facilities.

Bearing all this in mind, a journey into music recording, podcasting, or streaming can be bewildering enough with all the gear choices. The last thing a new user needs is to agonise over whether to buy a mixer with or without interfacing capabilities or an audio interface with a bewildering array of control software. It’s time to weigh up the pros and cons of both.

Mixers

Mixers are essentially tools for bringing the audio signals from either a number of microphones, stems, or playback tracks together for a given output, collectively known as the mix. This process is known professionally as "summing". 

Mixes are usually stereo but could also include monitor mix output channels (buses) in either mono or stereo to help musicians and performers do their jobs effectively. 

There may also be other output buses for FX sends as well as matrix outputs to split the stereo mix between left, centre, right, sub, infill, and delay speakers in the case of live audio systems. 

And here lies the key feature and obvious benefit of a mixer: Regardless of whether it's a complex digital console designed for live sound or a small desk designed for podcast production, what they tend to have in common is tactile physical controls.

The second major advantage of a dedicated mixer is lower latency. Latency has often been the trade-off in cheaper budget home studios and is often made worse during tracking when using plugin emulations for guitars and channel strips! 

However, with improvements in computer processing power and DAW’s low latency tracking options, this has become less of a major issue. To put it into perspective, the audio from a floor wedge on a stage approximately 2 meters away from your ears takes 5 to 6 milliseconds (ms) to reach your eardrums. It is generally accepted that a round trip latency of 10ms or less will not be perceptible by even the most demanding drummer or guitarist. However, it starts to become a problem as the latency figure moves beyond 15ms as what they are hearing in their headphones is no longer in time with their performance. 

When it comes to vocalists wearing headphones, even the slightest bit of latency can cause a certain amount of discomfort, so if you want to record and overdub vocals you might want to look for an interface that has direct analogue monitoring. Essentially, this is why many pro studios either employ expensive low-latency hardware or retain an analogue desk; it enables overdubs and vocal tracking to be done in the analogue domain with zero latency, thus guaranteeing the best possibility of a comfortable and positive experience for musicians, engineer and producers.

In the case of analogue mixers, every channel will have a set of controls for every mic or line input. Offering even quicker tactile manipulation of your audio signals. However, just because it's an analogue desk doesn’t mean it can’t have a built-in interface. SSL’s Big Six is the perfect example of a small professional-grade analogue console that connects directly to your computer and provides zero-latency monitoring and hybrid recording facilities.

Analogue mixers have largely disappeared from live music sound reinforcement on account of their size, weight, and the need for racks of outboard equipment to come close to the facilities offered by the likes of DiGiCo, Allen & Heath, and SSL. 

However, many podcast creators like a small analogue desktop mixer, as the ability to grab the fader on the fly is immensely useful. Also, the ability to quickly alter EQ due to the proximity effect or an increased distance is a godsend for interviewers/engineers! Of course, if said desktop mixer does not have a digital output, you will also need an audio interface!

Audio Interface

An audio interface, meanwhile, is more commonly found in home and smaller studio setups as they are generally cost-effective and take up less space.

Most interfaces offer a pretty good round-trip latency when it comes to direct connection to core audio (Mac) or ASIO (Windows). For the average consumer, an interface will have two to four inputs and roughly the same in terms of outputs.

They feature combination mic preamps and line-level amps for recording. Better quality interfaces may well feature separate line-level instrument inputs for guitars and keyboards. Better still, they may also support a number of digital I/O connections together with word clock syncing, and even a midi port. Although, with the wealth of software synths out there, it's far more common these days to see a MIDI keyboard connected via USB to handle the MIDI control side of things.

Again the more money you invest, the more comprehensive the feature set and the more sophisticated the control software. Some audio interfaces even come with their own front-end mixing software, which provides front-end console emulation, EQ, dynamics, and FX. A good example is Universal Audio’s UAD2 Apollo systems with onboard DSP to help keep latency down to a minimum.

While Interfaces were born very much of a need to convert analogue sound waves into digital recordable data and were never designed to replace a mixer, virtually every audio interface comes with mixing software providing control of your inputs and output. Not forgetting, of course, that your DAW will also provide you with a comprehensive range of mix features when it comes to mixing and producing your music.

What is it you’re looking to achieve?

Being very clear on what you’re looking to achieve with either product will make the audio interface vs mixer debate much easier to settle. 

What are the use cases you envisage happening in your music sessions? For example, are your recording bands playing live takes, or honing in on the sound of a solo artist? Are you podcasting and just need to record voices? Are you streaming? Will you need lots of inputs that a mixer typically provides or just a minimal amount that a smaller interface tends to have? 

You should consider if you’ll handle the audio side of things via software as you would with an audio interface, or if you’ll need more hands-on mixing capability. 

Try to get a clear idea of how many microphones you'll typically use and how many outputs you need for headphone and speaker monitoring. Also important is how many recording outputs are required and whether loopback audio for streaming is required. 

Available space, speed of execution, and quantity of data are all things to consider!

If you're looking at podcast recording but are on a limited budget there’s nothing that says you can’t use an interface and a computer to get excellent results. However, life could be made easier by using a dedicated piece of hardware that will give you hands-on, tactile control over the mic levels, EQ, and other features. For example, check out the amazing Rodecaster Pro from RODE (a podcaster's dream).

Tactile Vs In the box

How you organise your workflow will very much dictate whether your emphasis is on your recording interface or a mixer for manipulating quickly on the fly! 

There are two obvious examples here:

Firstly, if you're a small project home studio then your emphasis will be on your computer and software instruments, you may only need a good-quality interface with a couple of mic inputs and a couple of instrument inputs for guitar and bass, as you'll likely plug any keyboards or MIDI controllers directly into your computer. 

In this instance, your options are immense but a couple of interfaces stand out for sound quality and value. Have a look at the SSL 2 or 2+ and the Audient ID4; both manufacturers offer a great mic preamp/instrument jack with low noise floor and zero latency analog monitoring of the current source via the monitor mix level. 

It’s also interesting to note that there’s been a marked increase in vendors offering hardware control units for common DAW software features all with the aim of increasing your ability to instantly respond to a given feature in a more tactile way rather than just using hotkeys and dragging a mouse about the screen to alter values. Despite the trend to move "in the box," it would seem that budget permitting, professionals still love the feel of the fader and the rotary!

The second example is taking a band on the road for its first festival season, where you want intimate control over all aspects of the band's sound for both FOH and Monitors. Surprisingly this isn’t as daunting as it might sound. There are some great-sounding, cost-effective desks out there. The first of which springs to mind is the Allen & Heath SQ series. 

All you need is a rack of IEMs, some batteries, a stage box in the control rack, and a satellite DX box for the drum riser. Add in a mic package for the drums and other instruments and a couple of radio mics for the vocals, and you can rig all of this and have your show file and scenes ready to go just as quickly (if not quicker) than the local PA company. (Often with a more consistent and far less stressful result). 

From experience, always hire good quality IEM packs, get moulds made, run them in stereo, and give everyone their own mix. Remember it’s easier to get a stage crew and PA techs to help you do your job than it is to leave everything to them and hope it all works!

I've used the SQ as an example here because it is a superb-sounding desk at a very affordable price. A desk that also sports a multichannel USB interface allowing you to record your show to a DAW and then playback to perform virtual sound checks and maybe even refine your show file in the comfort of your hotel room.

Ultimately there are some workflows that simply demand a mixing console!

Going portable on location

Another area we haven’t touched on yet is location recording for film and TV. Often, this will feature a fair bit of battery-operated RF packs, often miniature, so they can be discreetly hidden from the individuals you are recording. In these instances, you will often have a high-end small portable mixer that also comes equipped with an interface and a built-in hard disk recorder. 

It’s often common for the boom op to also carry the mixer/recorder and plug in his boom mic as well as carrying a number of receivers that are also recording the radio mics! Backups are often taken from an interface of the multichannel streams to a second multichannel recorder or laptop. It's also common to see dedicated transmitters and receivers given over specifically for the purpose of recording and transmitting time code. This makes life easier when it comes to sifting through the vast amount of recorded material and mixing to create the soundtrack. Check out Sound Devices 833 Mixer Recorder and other units from the Sound Devices range!

Getting started on your audio journey

Above all don’t be intimidated by the wealth of information out there. Don’t assume that a helpful YouTube video is right and that it represents the only way to get a professional result. There are multiple ways you can go about recording, producing, and mixing - so don’t be afraid to experiment. Everyone in this business has their own way of working and their own preferences when it comes to their preferred equipment. Always mix with your ears not your eyes, if it sounds good it is good!

Further Reading:

Best audio interface for home recording