Do I Need A Mixer?

I want to buy a Turntable and i didnt know for shore if i needed a mixer to sample vinyls. What exactly does a mixer do

way way back in the day, you had only one channel to record or broadcast music with. someone realized you could get a better sound using a bunch of mics instead of just one, but you still had to get them all into a single channel, hence MIXERS were created. they take several sources and MIX them into one. they can also add EQ if needed to enhance or alter certain sound characteristics.

modern mixers are much more complicated but they can basically do the same thing mentioned above and more. turntable mixers have a special preamp section designed to compensate for the RIAA curve used in the vinyl manufacturing process, as well as a layout designed for DJing.

you need a mixer if you have multiple audio sources to mix down or your turntable doesn't have a built in preamp. otherwise when you sample your vinyl it will sound very tinny with no bass. if you have a computer you can find software to 'fix' this, just record your vinyl into the computer, throw a RIAA compensation filter on it and you have a working sample to put in your MPC....

o okay so how do i sample into a Laptop with just USB plugins. mic plugins and head phone plug ins

You need something with a phono input like a DJ mixer or a reciever designed for use with a turntable. If you don't want to spend alot on a DJ mixer, goto a thrift shop or a pawn shop and look for a sterio reciever with an input called phono. Make sure it has some sort of output other than speaker wires, like a 1/4" headphone out. Plug your turntable into the phono input in the reciever then plug the reciever into your laptop line in or mic in.

iRock wrote:o okay so how do i sample into a Laptop with just USB plugins. mic plugins and head phone plug ins

1.)buy a usb turntable, like the numark ttusb.
2.)OR get a turntable with a builtin preamp, and get a rca to 1/8 cable.
3.)Or your could buy a preamp, and the rca to 1/8 cable.

hey thank you

USB TT would be the simplest... are you trying to keep the gear/$$$ count low?

that would be the best solution IMO.

EDIT:

forgot to mention that there are also USB and Firewire mixer too. So that would also be another route that could be ventured.

yeah im trying to stay in the 100-200 range

how about a stanton str8-80..it has digital outs that you can plug into the 1k digital in..thats what i do so now my record ins on the 1k are free to sample something else and i didnt have to buy a dj mixer..its in your price range too


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