Synthesizers and other digital instruments use MIDI cables. Electric guitars and basses use ¼ inch cable. The connection from inputs to the mixer board depends on the equipment.

Input from microphones and instruments.

There are four links in the chain needed for a home recording studio: Having a good connection between the mixer board and the audio interface is vital for good recordings. The audio interface turns the analog signals from the mixer board into digital streams for that the computer can read. To get your mixer board output to the computer, you need another piece: the audio interface. That’s not the case anymore.Īll the final mixing is now done with a computer. Once upon a time, the output from the mixer board went straight to master tapes, which were used to create the recordings for sale. Each input has its own channel, and you can control the volume and effects on each instrument separately. All the microphones and instruments are plugged into the mixer board.

The mixer board has always been the heart of a recording studio. Once you have selected the right cable, all you need to do is plug the audio output from the sound mixer into the audio input on the audio interface. However, if your components both have multiple jack types, you need to give the decision a little more thought. If either of your audio components has only one audio jack type available to connect, you should choose the cable that fits, hook your system up, and start recording. May pick up interference or noise over long runs “Balanced” cable signal only benefits if all components carry a balanced signal Less noise from interference over long runs Many devices have multiple input and output ports, allowing you to choose between cable types when connecting the mixer to the interface. Selecting the Best Cable to Connect a Mixer to an Audio Interface Continue reading for all the information you’ll need to set up your mixer. It may sound as simple as plugging in a cable, but as you probably already know, it isn’t that simple. If the devices have different types of cable ports, adaptor cables are also available. Check the inputs and outputs of your equipment to see which connections you have. You can use a quarter-inch cable, RCA cable, or XLR cable to make the connection. How do you connect a sound mixer to an audio interface? Plug the audio output from the sound mixer into the audio input on the audio interface.

Audio interfaces translate the analog sound from the mixer into digital computer signals. Sound mixers (also called soundboards or audio mixers) let you control the volume and effects of each microphone or instrument input separately. If you are interested in high-quality home music recording, chances are you have looked into a sound mixer and an audio interface to take your digital recording to the next level. This doesn’t impact the products we mention. Sometimes when Musicians HQ mentions gear, we’ll include our affiliate link & may earn a commission at no cost to you.

Mixer to recorder signal path