why does everyone say a mixer is a vital purchase with an mp

i usually eq in reason

tapedeck wrote:i am not saying it is better or not.
just explaining a method - if yer samples come in how you want, you don't have to go back and forth.

its up to op to go this route or not.

no worries, i was just explaining a possible pit fall of sed method. its really good for any mid frequency reduction IMHO especially with breaks, I really prefer how mid reduction sounds with an analog eq routed into the ADC/DAC...rather than doing it in post digitally.

inflict3 wrote:i usually eq in reason

this is one of the few stock DAW mixers i love, that emulation of the SSL is absolutely amazing. It even creates smearing across the stereo field when using compression like the real SSL 9k! They did a great job across the board.

m56p87 wrote:

inflict3 wrote:i usually eq in reason

this is one of the few stock DAW mixers i love, that emulation of the SSL is absolutely amazing. It even creates smearing across the stereo field when using compression like the real SSL 9k! They did a great job across the board.

YES!!!!

I never EQ everything is raw

Run my samples through 7 band graphic eq before sampling.

I have a phonic firewire mixer, that also serves as my interface for multitrack recording. Never use the eq on that one. All fx are software fx or plugins.

IMO a mixer is vital when I work with the S950, since it's quite tedious to adjust the volume of different samples, it's easier to assign certain sounds to an assignable output and lower or raise the volume of that output by using the mixer.

Also when you have multiple soundsources or multiple pieces of hardware it's good to have a mixer. Then you don't have to keep plug and unplug cables.

So depending on what you want to try to achieve, a mixer can be (not always is) very vital. But I wouldn't suggest you to buy one for eq.

I have two digital mixers, of the same brand, giving me 16 individual inputs plus two pairs of spdif input. I never use all of the inputs at the same time. Some machines I have are equipped with multiple outputs and I track sounds out individually as often as possible.
Yes the MPC4000 or various other samplers have the ability to mix inside them but I like the converters and the hands on approach to mixing live.
I have grown to learn that there is no ultimate machine that can do it all. In fact it is great when you can find a machine that is focused on one task because the tendency is that it will do that one thing very well. Obviously a good computer can do many things well if good programs are in it.
I am into hardware and I get machines to sound better using external effects and the digital mixer. Though sometimes you may want the machines raw sound or its internal effects.
In short I am a fan of mixers and I track everything out and my only wish is that I could afford an SSL mixing desk. When I make it big in the music game then I will make sure all of my tracks are made on one.
To me the mixer is an instrument... that is what I grew up watching, the old dub guys in Jamaica dancing while mixing songs in the studio.

Cheers,
Ian

Before you do this back and forth thing you should think about using the PC as FX unit to go thru before sampling. I use the following chain

Turntable -> DJ mixer (for the phono preamp) -> Soundcard IN -> simple VST host with the effect or chain of effects I want (depends on the sample but I like voxengo overtone GEQ for example.For more sculpturing I use Melda MEqualizer) -> Soundcard out to the specific sampler audio IN.
No need to record the sample first into the DAW (in most cases).

peace

I use a mixer to get all my instruments into my audio interface. Less plugging and unplugging. Also helps to have everything going at once for an idea. Nothing expensive, but definitely worth it.