In this article, we're not going to be talking about recording consoles - the large or mid-size mixing desks we usually visualise when talking about recording studios. The debate continues about whether or not it is worth it having a large console in your studio in 2024 and there's no single right answer. People who have consoles usually have them because they want them, not because they need them, and there's nothing wrong with that. What we’re discussing here is small, portable analogue mixers. From little notepad mixers up to larger models, but definitely models we’d class as portable. If it doesn’t fit under one arm it doesn’t qualify.

I have a little notepad mixer in my studio and I wouldn't be without it. It’s not something which is permanently installed, but it’s not all that unusual for it to be pulled out of my box of bits to solve a problem or add an extra bit of flexibility. I’ve occasionally considered replacing it with something a little better. In spite of the fact that this kind of mixer can be very cheap secondhand it is a fact that these mixers tend not to have enough sends, which can limit their usefulness. A single pre and single post fade mono send can be frustrating. But in spite of this these inexpensive little units can be very useful, and if you need the extra facilities and are prepared to invest more then something like SSL’s SiX illustrates exactly how flexible a high quality notepad mixer can be.

But why would you want a small mixer in your studio? Here are five reasons I like mine.

Zero Latency Monitoring Cue Mixes

For this the mixer has to be big enough to provide the requisite number of sends but much of my band recording with my Digi001 was only possible because of a 16 channel Allen and Heath MixWizard. In those days (it was over 20 years ago) high buffer settings and latency were inevitable unless you were using Pro Tools HD. But in many big studios you’ll still find cue sends being set up via small mixers out in the live area.

There are more sophisticated systems available but using an analogue mixer is simple and it works. Depending on what you’re doing and what mixer you have, using a small mixer might be just what you need, especially for tracking situations where you’re laying basic tracks down rather than getting into drop-ins and overdubs.

Great For Experimenting

The thing everyone values about analogue mixers is that they are hands-on, one-knob-per-function, tactile and visual. All the things we want our software controllers to be! There are lots of things for which mixers are just too inflexible for nearly everyone these days, but it’s not an either/or choice and if you have a small mixer it can be a great way to get hands on in the most immediate way.

I wouldn’t want to do a whole mix through a mixer when I have all the automation, processing and recall of my DAW, but for creative experimentation a mixer can be perfect, especially for the creative use of effects. Hook up a hardware delay if you still have one, or get creative figuring out how to achieve the same thing using a plugin, and use the mixer to ‘play’ the effects. Dubby explorations await and before long you’ll be hooking up guitar pedals. If you have a modular synth you’ll probably already know you might lose days to this kind of thing…

Use A Mixer As A Synth

The previous point could be summarised as ‘have fun’ but if you want to really dig in on what can be achieved with just a small analogue mixer and a patch lead, just connect an output back to an input and turn it up. No input signal is necessary. With just the feedback loop and enough gain it will behave as an oscillator. In this way you can use a mixer as a synth and if you’ve never tried this, what are you waiting for?

It’s not musical in the sense of being able to play melodies, but it’s great fun and if you use the channel EQ you’ll quickly find how the sound can be manipulated and played to make all sorts of strange noises. Patch in a delay and you’re into all sorts of spacey sound creation opportunities and adding, cross-routing and blending multiple feedback loops can get very interesting indeed. Try it!

Problem Solver

On to more practical matters, the main reason I keep my mixer around is that it’s not unusual for an issue to present itself which is most easily fixed by introducing a mixer to supplement the DAW based setup which is already in use.

If you are working with a limited amount of IO and have exceeded it, just submix a few sources on the way in. The idea of a separate ‘tape track’ per source is relatively new and having submixes of multiple sources combined onto a single track, or in this case interface input, is something which doesn’t happen as much these days but is still perfectly valid. Blending those multiple mics on a guitar cabinet via a mixer or recording the toms’ close mics onto a single track might get you out of a squeeze and enable you to keep the things you really want separate.

Another problem I’ve solved with a mixer is simple and reliable loopback. Routing different applications’ audio around and monitoring them all can get confusing and while loopback provision via interfaces and dedicated software has improved, if you have a mixer you can probably get what you need without any head scratching.

It’s Analogue

It has to be said that there is something nice about analogue. The sonic difference might not stand up to double blind listening tests but it undeniably feels nice to use analogue gear and even inexpensive gear can have a charm about its EQ. And if you want to abuse your gain structure it couldn’t be simpler than doing it using analogue hardware. If you want to hear how the mic preamp sounds when driven, you have two hands… Just grab the gain with one and the channel fader with the other and move them in opposite directions!

There’s nothing here which is beyond the capabilities of a DAW, an interface and a control surface, but if you already have an old mixer lying around, maybe it could still earn its keep as an ad hoc addition to your studio. And if you don’t have one then check out second hand prices, you can get a bargain if you look.

Do you ever use a small mixer to complement your regular studio setup? Tell us how in the comments.