Audio Mixers & Software Buyer's Guide (page 2)

The choice of an audio mixer is a subjective decision. A mixer that's perfect for me may not suit your needs at all. Each manufacturer has a unique approach to mixer design, which results in a wide variety of mixer sounds and feels. The American mixers are different from the Japanese versions, while the European offerings differ from their Chinese cousins. Your job is to research your specific needs and compare them to the features and prices on the market. Whenever possible, get your hands on the candidates and test them with a microphone or other sound source. Plug in some headphones and check the tone controls, sliders and other controls. Look for sturdy construction, responsive adjustments, ease of use and flexibility. Should you find everything in a package that fits your budget, grab it and run. You've just made a significant investment in the quality of your productions.

With all this talk of hardware mixers, it's easy to forget that some of the coolest mixers in the world are virtual. Some level of software mixing is included with all multitrack recording packages. It may be as simple as a volume and pan control or more elaborate than any hardware mixer you can imagine.

Most often used in postproduction, software mixing offers several advantages. First, all your mix moves and channel settings are saved with the project. Everything comes back up exactly as you left it - whether it was yesterday or a month ago. In addition, most software mixing allows the use of plugins - little bits of code that emulate real devices like EQ, compressors, reverbs and even guitar amplifiers. Using plugins gives you a virtual rack of equipment that would cost thousands in the real world. Finally, once the signal is in your computer, all the processing takes place digitally, giving you clean mixes and the ultimate in control.

Contributing Editor Hal Robertson's first audio mixer was an ancient Shure M67. He's upgraded a couple of times since then.

Audio editing software, also known as a Digital Audio Workstation, is to audio what your NLE is to video. With a DAW, you can trim and splice audio, tighten narration and even out differences in volume. With signal processing, it's easy to transform the tone quality of a piece, making it fuller or thinner, or creating the illusion of an acoustic environment. You can even do pitch and speed adjustments, making your voice sound like Darth Vader or stretching a short piece to fit a specific time limit. Having and understanding a solid audio editor are essential for the video producer today.

• Adobe
  Audition, Soundtrack
  www.adobe.com
• Apple
  Soundtrack Pro
  www.apple.com
• Audacity Project
  http://audacity.sourceforge.net
• Bias
  Peak
  www.bias-inc.com
• Cakewalk
  Music Creator, SONAR
  www.cakewalk.com
• Digidesign
  Pro Tools
  www.digidesign.com
• Freeverse Software
  Sound Studio
  www.freeverse.com
• Goldwave
  www.goldwave.com
• Magix
  Samplitude
  www.magix.com
• Mark of the Unicorn
  Digital Performer
  www.motu.com
• PG Music
  PowerTracks Pro Audio
  www.pgmusic.com
• Sony Media Software
  Sound Forge
  www.sonymediasoftware.com
• Voyetra
  AudioSurgeon
  www.voyetra.com

This manufacturer listing includes software capable of editing .wav and/or .aiff files. This is not a comprehensive list.

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