Your field mixer is a powerful addition to production value, audio quality and your reputation as a media producer. You won't be a genius with it the first time out, but your skills will grow with some experience, and every project will benefit. Don't forget: a clean, professionally-recorded audio track will make everything easier in post, and the finished product has a real chance to shine. Congratulations on your decision to use a field mixer. Now, get busy and create some awesome audio!

Contributing Editor Hal Robertson is a digital media producer and technology consultant.

You don't have to box up your new field mixer after the shoot; it can do double duty back in the edit suite too. With a couple of simple adaptors, the output of the mixer will plug into your computer sound card, providing a powerful, flexible front end for recording. Now, you can use it for recording voiceovers, sound effects and Foley. Depending on input options, your field mixer can also serve as a level-matching interface for consumer audio equipment and camcorders. You'll have professional connectors, headphone monitoring and even phantom power for studio microphones, making the most of your investment.