Digital Mixers vs. Analog Mixers

Digital mixers are growing in popularity. Part of the reason for this is because they are becoming more affordable. There are advantages and disadvantages to using a digital mixer vs. an analog mixer. So in this post, I want to weigh all the options. If you are thinking of making the switch to digital let’s consider all the options.

Analog Mixers

On the positive side, analog mixers are easy to understand. It does not take a great deal of training to figure out how all the features work on an analog mixing console. They don’t have fancy features like touch screens, menus, iPad control, and scenes. Another great feature is that they are much cheaper than a digital mixer saving you hundreds of dollars. They cost a lot less and if you are on a tight budget that may be the way to go. Analog mixers are compatible with a wide range of additional sound systems. The analog mixer I had was a Behringer SX2442FX and it was a fantastic mixer. It was affordable and it had many great features.

On the negative side, analog mixers are typically big and bulky. They are hard to transport. If you are playing live in a band scenario then sound checks are very important and they take a little longer. The reason for this is because analog mixers don’t provide a way to save settings and channel groups. They don’t sound as good as a digital mixer, although I got to say that my Berringer analog mixer sounded incredible. But my digital mixer sounds even better than that one. The features of analog mixers are limited and they are less automated which is why they are cheaper. One reason to upgrade would be to take advantage of the newer technology found in digital mixers. Digital mixers can be more compact and smaller. They can fit inside rackmount cases.

Digital Mixers

There are many advantages that are contributed to digital mixers. For starters, most digital mixers can be used as an audio interface so you can record music with your computer. You can achieve a very high-quality recording. It’s really amazing how much better your audio recordings turn out when using a digital mixer. An analog preamp converts the audio to digital signals via an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) and sends them into the mixer.  The mixer is essentially combined with a built-in computer that can be programmed to be able to process the audio signals and combine or separate them into different signals.

Digital consoles can also process many types of audio effects such as equalization, compression, gating, limiting, chorus, reverb, amp modeling, Flange, level control, and many other types of audio effects that you won’t find on an analog mixer. You can also program analog mixers remotely using computers, iPads, tablets, and cell phones. You can save your channel settings through something called scenes so when you play out somewhere all you do is press a button to load your scene. Entire channel groups can be saved. This cuts down on the time it takes to do a soundcheck.

The downside of these mixers is that they are a lot more expensive compared to analog mixers. The learning curve on digital mixers is much higher. They are more complicated and that means it is harder for beginners to figure out how to use these mixers properly. Learning how to operate one digital mixer does not mean you will be able to operate another one easily. Each one is different and it takes time to learn all the individual functions whereas an analog mixer is pretty universal. Once you learn one mixer that is pretty much how they all work.

Conclusion

After much deliberation, I took the plunge and purchased a digital mixer. I got the Behringer X32 producer TP model. This mixer did not disappoint. It has been an incredible asset and now I see why many people are upgrading despite the learning curve. YouTube was not much help. I was more lost after watching several YouTube channels regarding this mixer. They all seemed to talk over your head and there was no real order to anything. Eventually, I got the basics of the mixer down using the Behringer website, the owner’s manual, and YouTube. It was really amazing to take the journey and discover just what this mixer could do. I am still learning things about it.

I decided to make a video series and cover all the information I needed but had a hard time finding it on YouTube. So if you decide to venture into the digital realm but your funds are limited consider the X32 producer by Behringer, and if you want to see just what this mixer can do. Check out the YouTube videos I made.