Studio Mixers & Control Surfaces
Tracking a band or mixing an album? Sweetwater's recording consoles, summing mixers, and DAW control surfaces tackle everything from the smallest sessions to the most massive productions.
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Featured in Studio Mixers & Control Surfaces
Top Mixer Brands
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Mixing Consoles and Control Surfaces Bring Hands-on Control to Your Audio
A studio mixing console, also known as a desk, board, or mixing board, takes multiple audio signals and blends them into a combined output signal. For example, say you have a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer. You’d run the signals from each instrument or microphone into the inputs on the mixing console. You can then adjust their individual volume levels using controls called faders.
Mixing consoles have varying numbers of channels, and that number corresponds to how many signals the board can accommodate. Besides combining signals, also known as mixing, studio mixers often include tone-shaping processors such as equalizers, compressors, and more. After they are mixed, the combined signals are routed to your recording device. A mixer board also features outputs that let you listen to your recorded material.
Control surfaces, on the other hand, use rotary encoders and faders to emulate the mixing console experience in an in-the-box recording setup, typically without adding anything to your signal path. A control surface may offer fewer knobs than an analog or digital console. But thanks to its size, convenience, and configurability, a control surface is a strong choice for recording enthusiasts craving that old-school hybrid workflow. Our control surfaces selection lays out the fader counts and DAW support worth comparing, and the Control Surface Buying Guide walks you through matching one to your setup.
Analog and Digital Mixers: What’s the Difference?
Mixing boards fall into two broad categories: analog and digital. Like other analog gear, an analog mixing console uses changes in voltage to represent changes in sound pressure. The primary benefits of analog mixers are simplicity and sound. Once you learn your way around an analog console, it’s easy to use.
And the distinctive sound of an analog desk has graced countless hit records. This sound is why many world-class recording studios still use an analog mixing board. The tradeoff is that analog consoles may call for regular service and maintenance. Fortunately, Sweetwater’s Service Department is factory-authorized to repair nearly everything we sell, and our technicians deliver some of the fastest turnarounds in the industry.
A digital mixer uses digital signal processing (DSP) to combine and process audio signals. You gain the ability to recall your settings instantly, and many digital mixers are loaded with EQ, compression, reverb, and other digital effects. Many recording engineers have adopted a hybrid approach that employs elements of both analog and digital mixing consoles. In fact, Sweetwater’s Studio A houses a one-of-a-kind mixing console with a digital center section, providing the best of both worlds.
Console Mixers Do More Than Route Signals
Did you know that you probably already have a digital mixer in your studio? Most audio interfaces have an internal virtual mixer to route signals in and out of your computer, and most recording software includes a software mixer for adjusting your track levels. That distinction matters before you buy: an interface converts and routes signals, while a sound console sums them through hardware and puts faders under your fingers.
Many studios run both, and you can size up the conversion side across our audio interfaces selection. Still, there’s nothing like the sound of an analog studio mixing desk. That’s where summing mixers come in. Think of a summing mixer as a compact analog console without channel faders. You use it to sum the outputs from your recording software into a combined stereo signal, giving you the flexibility of digital mixing with the authentic character of analog circuitry.
Can Dust Damage My Recording Mixer?
Dust and debris can work into faders and pots over time, causing noise and hurting performance. Sweetwater stocks mixer cases and covers, so use the Case Finder at Sweetwater.com, or call your Sales Engineer. We also carry expansion modules, mixer lamps, meter bridges, rack ears, mixer stands, and wall plates.
Pro Mix and Mastering Engineers Look to Sweetwater for Their Mixing Consoles
At Sweetwater, we’ve had our hands on just about every kind of mixer board out there, from small desktop mixers to large-format consoles. Whatever your needs, we’ll help you find the right console mixer for your studio. And don’t forget to check out our Mixer Buying Guide to review all of your options.
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