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Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:57 am
by Moustache_Bash
I think it's a mixer,
Image

That thing in the middle. I've seen a few pedalboards on here using one. What is it? How do you use it?

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:09 am
by sonidero
There is no mystery here... That person is using it to mix vocals and guitar and possibly looper and send it to a P.A. as I don't really see an amp...

Mixers are Mixers...

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:12 am
by dase
pretty much. It's one of those things that can really free you up and open your mind when doing noise stuff. Instead of using 20 pedals in one big line, get three or four in three chains and mix them in together.

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:26 am
by 01010111
Yup, I ordered a mixer for this exact purpose. I'm going to mix guitar, vocals and synths and run them through the same amp.

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:34 am
by Moustache_Bash
Oh, okay. Thanks, guys!

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:39 am
by sonidero
Or you can create feedback loops and go crazy... There is a whole Noise based genre of music that uses "No Input" Mixers as the sound source...

I have a 16 channel rack mixer with L/R, Monitor and Headphone outs... I run the L out through a chain of pedals and into channel 1... I run the R out through another chain of pedals and into channel 2... I run the Headphone out through a Delay and split into channels 3 and 4... I run the Monitor out through another Delay and into an Amp or Sampler or whatever... I can use the Monitor sends on each channel to get a whole huge wall of feedbacking crazy pedal mayhem mixed with itself from the Headphone send and I'm in Space Noisevana... Easy...

Any mixer with at least two separate outs will work... Mo Aux Mo Betta...

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 1:54 am
by dase
I've always wanted to get an older mixer and try and kill it by using it like that. Pig Heart Transplant style.

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:27 am
by skullservant
A mixer was the first thing that I bought in my early noise days, I started out with a Death Metal distortion and the mixer and went from there. Don't use it nearly as much as I once did with my noise stuff, as I try to keep my setups to 3-4 objects, but when recording instead of recording multiple layers digitally, I send each layer through a channel of the mixer and do it all at once.

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 11:59 am
by erector
I like going through the PA for noise sets (particularly since I don't have any loud amps and don't want to run the admittedly somewhat minute risk of fucking up somebody else's amp, not to mention the fact that I, gasp, sometimes take public transportation to and from shows) and a mixer is pretty much essential for that. Always handy to have extra EQ and volume control possibilities, too. Having two channels of crunchy, distorted contact microphone abuse is always better than one, I think.

And, yes, no-input mixers are wonderful.

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 12:03 pm
by D.o.S.
skullservant wrote:A mixer was the first thing that I bought in my early noise days, I started out with a Death Metal distortion and the mixer and went from there. Don't use it nearly as much as I once did with my noise stuff, as I try to keep my setups to 3-4 objects, but when recording instead of recording multiple layers digitally, I send each layer through a channel of the mixer and do it all at once.


+1.

Think of recording a band "live in the studio."

That's basically what you're doing with a mixer--loading up on ambient elements that are easily isolated and controllable.

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:43 pm
by Moustache_Bash
This is really neat stuff. If I come into a little spare cash, I may have to buy a mixer. Could you wise ILFers give me some recommendations for a newbie?

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:45 pm
by skullservant
Behrenger makes cheap as shit mixers that are built tough as nails

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 2:51 pm
by sonidero
Anything but Behringer... Look in ANY Pawn Shop...

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:33 pm
by Dr. Sherman Sticks M.D.
sonidero wrote:Mixers are Mixers...


so poetic

phrases like this always remind me of that seinfeld episode..."eggs r eggs"

Re: Ambient people: How do you use mixers?

Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2012 3:51 pm
by myrrh
A mixer can really be an instrument. I stopped playing guitar for a couple of years and did only electronics. After while you really get a feel for subtle nuances in eq, what is a good and a bad fade in/out stuff like that. Make it live rather than just something to adjust levels.