Minimal mixers

[wolfgangschaltung]

How about an Eurorack matrix mixer module that uses a Monome grid for control? Like 5 in, 5 out. One could set up different mixer settings, store these, recall them, have the levels slew as desired when switching between settings…

[nuun]

my experience with using apps like “64 faders” to control gain levels is that the grid is not precise enough… 16 discreet levels for gain is just not enough…

[nitefish]

http://www.toftaudio.com/atb04m.html
cheaper than the 5060,but Trident 80 series philosophy.

[wolfgangschaltung]

I agree. But such a module would not need to use the grid to set the levels. It could be more like the ES, so that you have real pots on the module for level control (and slew times), and use the grid to set the connections, switch presets, visualize levels etc.

For a 5 x 5 matrix mixer it could be anywhere between the minimum of 1 pot on the module to 5 pots on the module to have access to all levels of the selected row or column.

You could use some grid buttons to momentarily set the modes for the pots: default could be “absolute”, when pressing one button it is “relative”, when pressing another it is “catch” etc.

[laborcamp]

For use with modular instruments I think top or front input plugs are a must.

I would find it confusing and/or unusable if the inputs were in the back of the mixer: difficult/fiddly to patch live, and lacking the visual feedback for quick assessment of the signal flows.

[Tyelr]

Use the mixer upside down… hahaha. Actually that’s what a patch bay is for. you can get one relatively cheap. The cabling gets expensive if you have more than a few channels.

You might be able to achieve this with some digital mixers. A lot use a matrix mixer for their routing. Maybe with MIDI you can get control.

For a 5 x 5 matrix mixer it could be anywhere between the minimum of 1 pot on the module to 5 pots on the module to have access to all levels of the selected row or column.

You could use some grid buttons to momentarily set the modes for the pots: default could be “absolute”, when pressing one button it is “relative”, when pressing another it is “catch” etc.

Is your concept a dsp mixer or a digitally controlled analog mixer?

Seems quite similar to some of these new mixing boxes that are mostly minimal but with an ipad to control.

Now that i own a mixer myself (mackie) i finally understand this discussion better. I like the functionality but i don’t like to use it… I don’t feel inspired and creative when using it, which i do feel when i use my grid. But maybe i’m spoiled by the level of the design and build quality of monome

That is true, but a mixer is more of a tool. I stand behind one almost every day and rarely do I feel inspired. It is wonderful for combining signals of a few mics, computer outputs, synths, guitars, and anything else. If you have a nice one, you have a ton of different ways to combine and send this signal around.

Lee Scratch Perry and the Scientist do interesting things with it because they are playing the mixer. They essentially created remixing and DJ’ing as we know it. If you are actively playing and creating your music, you can’t even spend that much time “playing” the mixer. Nor would I want to.

[wolfgangschaltung]

Use the mixer upside down… hahaha. Actually that’s what a patch bay is for. you can get one relatively cheap. The cabling gets expensive if you have more than a few channels.

These patchbays are neither programmable, nor do they allow level adjustment. Plus they require special cabling if I want to split signals to 2 or more destinations.

Is your concept a dsp mixer or a digitally controlled analog mixer?

I don’t care if it is a DSP based mixer or a digitally controlled mixer.

Seems quite similar to some of these new mixing boxes that are mostly minimal but with an ipad to control.

The problem with these is that they are not a Eurorack module, i.e. they are way to large, require a separate power supply, require an additional device, have different I/O levels than Eurorack, and don’t work with CVs.

[emiddio]

i found this to be excellent use of mixer as instrument: https://vimeo.com/65767539

also, off topic a bit: http://www.ursss.com has amazing live gigs recordings

[Galapagoose]

Love Vladislav Delay, and this performance is fantastic - thanks so much for posting it! Love how the audience just doesn’t know how to deal with the bizarre footwork jams halfway through…

It’s a great example of how one can perform with a mixer, but it really seems that he just needed a bank of volume knobs / faders. He touches the sends a handful of times, but the gain & eq seems like total overkill for that approach.

It makes me realize there’s not many large-format (say 12+ channels) with a stripped down signal flow. Every commercial mixer always seems to have a 3/4+ band eq, plus gain trim, 2+ sends & pan. I wonder if the ‘mixer performance’ market is large enough that a more stripped down / focused mixer could be viable.

[ng_]

John Wiese playing the faders of a Tapco mixer.

[emiddio]

those are some good points actually…

it’s as if you can’t really equalise live if channels are already preassigned to “instruments”. that’s what i try to do at least…equalise everything before performing and not mess with that too much. i.e. kill low frequencies in the returning reverb aux etc…

but yes, i can’t really imagine how a more stripped down mixer would even look like!

[declutter]

This is a great video. Aside from the mixer, can anyone make out what other boxes he is using, hidden in the shadows?

[declutter]

Oh, the lights come up around 27/28 minutes - looks like an OP-1 to his far right, with a Big Sky reverb above it; and then on his left one of those faderfox USB controllers?

[emiddio]

yes to all three! there must be some loop pedals on the other side i think or potentially a diamond guitar compressor.

[chapelierfou]

I just discovered this topic and this blows my mind.
@glia : amazing performance. Truly love it.

[declutter]

Found this:

Ask the Experts: Vladislav Delay

I use a lot of hardware for live sampling and looping when playing live, and I guess so-called dubbing effects. I’m just playing with the mixing desk and feeding stuff to various effects and loopers and samplers back and forth, and I’m playing a lot with faders to recreate stuff that way. Basically, I’m trying to recreate something interesting from existing material by whatever means I have available. I often get really bored and also disappointed in what I have created or have played live for some time and usually come up with better and more interesting things for tracks that have already been released, so I just keep going at it. I like the fact that my productions nowadays often don’t have a definite beginning or at least an end—stuff just lives around and onwards.

I have a mixer with 16 faders, split half between eight sources from the computer and eight channels of effects (usually delay, reverb, a distortion or two, sampler [OP-1] and loopers [TC Ditto, Eventide Time Machine]). Sometimes I bring in extra sound sources, like chaos oscillator stuff or noise makers, or instruments that have a contact mic and so on. I have six AUX sends for sending stuff back and forth to create quite complex effects chains with what is basically quite a simple set-up. I always try to use the same mixer and layout, so I can play with it without having to think what’s where and how it’s connected.

[Simeon]

mixers

Keith McMillen Instruments K-Mix Audio Interface, Control Surface & Programmable...

[madeofoak]

i use more than one fader at a time often during a show, at least the way my live setup is currently set up. been thinking about redoing it for the next round of touring though, as faders are always the first things to break on the apc40. love having them though.

[Angrycrow]

I just got one of these… it’s beautiful.
But I don’t know how to get it working with max … so I’ll be working that out for the rest of the day.
Peep game :

I’ll make a panic post next week if I don’t have it figured out… till then I’m on the case…
But… it’s pretty much as quick and nice as you would hope for such a thing… bus-powered pre-amps… haven’t really gotten into the DSP aspect of the thing yet… but I’ll keep posted…

it’s darn pretty…

[shellfritsch]

just saw this:

http://frap.tools/portfolio/mixer/

separate channel, fx group and master out modules you combine to configure a mixer that suits your needs.
i like this idea, but i personally need almost none of the cv control (besides maybe pan). i’d trade that for bigger knobs on the fx sends.