Recording - August 2015 - 35

going into your own console and staying there. These stereo-USB mixers are
everywhere now and start at very low prices... as low as $300 to $400 for
12-channel rackmount systems by Behringer and Soundcraft, $500 to $600
for 16-channel systems such as the Soundcraft Ui16 (photo 6a). Another popular option: the touchscreen-driven QSC TouchMix series, starting at $900 for
the TouchMix-8 (which is actually a 12-input mixer; see photo 6b).
Much less common, but growing more so every year, is the digital console
that includes a multitrack recording interface. Every input is routed to a laptop
computer and the gig is recorded with each mic or DI instrument on its own
track. Essentially the live gig becomes a place where tracking into a DAW
takes place, just as it does in your studio.
A great example of this is the PreSonus StudioLive console series, which connects
to a computer running a very simple multitrack recording program called Capture.
It's intended to be foolproof and reliable, and it's used in thousands of venues around
the world. Similar products are now available from companies like Allen & Heath,
Behringer, Focusrite, MIDAS, Roland, Soundcraft, Yamaha, and many others.
These systems are slowly becoming more affordable as time goes on; a
StudioLive mixer can range from $1000 to $3000 depending on channel count,
and the Behringer X32 consoles occupy a similar price range depending on number of analog I/O channels and control surface size. Soundcraft has also entered
the fray with the $2800 Si Impact 32-channel mixer, and more are coming.
I'll close with a mention of a rising trend among these mixers: units that have no
user interface and rely on a wired or wireless connection to a computer, tablet, or
smartphone for all control functions. This saves an enormous amount of money, as
UI elements like knobs and faders constitute a large part of construction and parts
costs; a free app replaces them all. These mixers not only allow lots of features for
less cash, but they also allow multiple devices to connect to them, so (for example)
band members with smartphones can control their own monitor mixes and the like.
My primary caution here is that Wi-Fi traffic, even over networks that have nothing
to do with your mixer setup, can interfere with transmissions sometimes. A system
might work great in an empty club during sound check and then get flaky with the
club full of people checking their smartphones. Test your system thoroughly, and if at
all possible, have a backup control method on a wired connection for safety's sake.

Choices, choices
There's a lot to consider when budgeting a live
recording rig. If you add in mic stands, gaff tape,
extra cables, DIs, splitters, snakes and the like, the
total can add up pretty quickly. The secret to getting
what you need without wasting money is to know
what you need beforehand. Consider the bands
you'll be recording and where you'll be recording
them, and that will focus your efforts where they need
to be. As in everything else, preparation pays high
dividends in terms of time and effort saved.
6a

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recording - August 2015