Reddit mentions: The best mixers & accessories

Edit: Most of this post assumes you have a "line in" available on your computer. Most desktops have this already, not sure if laptops do if that is what you game on. Also, the Mackie Mix8 would be better if you plan to use voice chat because you can use the aux send for voice chat.

What mic you need really depends on what you're doing. Some great streamers get by with just a headset mic. Some people have $600 microphones and don't sound wonderful.

If I had $200 and was just starting streaming, I would start small, and do a lot of research. Get to know the basics like the difference between dynamic mics and condenser mics. Understand what phantom power is. Learn the difference between unidirectional, omnidirectional, and cardioid microphones.

If you want to get into pro audio, which it sounds like you do, I would recommend you should opt for a small mixer, maybe something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-Mix-Mix5-5-Channel-Mixer/dp/B00ND1K8T6/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1485752991&sr=1-4&keywords=Mackie+Compact+Mixer

I would recommend a mixer rather than an interface (such as a Scarlett Solo) because a mixer ultimately gives you more options. The Scarlett Solo is a beautiful device, I have one, but it's good for one voice optionally paired with one instrument, each on mono channels. That small Mackie mixer, which is about half the price, lets you have one voice paired with two stereo channels. Right now I'm sporting a 14-channel mixer I picked up used for $125, and it has more options than I need. Interfaces are supposed to have amazing analog-to-digital converters, meaning the sound they capture is more accurate, but I feed the "main out" from the mixer into a "line in" on my PC and I notice no appreciable difference. I am not an audiophile, though. To do that you'd need a cable like this:

https://www.amazon.com/TNP-Premium-3-5mm-Audio-Cable/dp/B01CNMSRA2/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1485755363&sr=1-2&keywords=6.25mm%2Bmono%2Bto%2B3.5mm%2Bstereo&th=1

Pair the mixer/interface, whichever you go with, with an XLR microphone. I'd recommend starting small. This dynamic mic sounds decent for a realllly low price:

https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM48-LC-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002D0HY4

It's what I currently use. It's kind of a dumbed down SM58. I started with a Sterling Audio ST55, because GiantWaffle uses that and I think his stream sounds great. It turns out my house is super noisy, so the ST55 which is a condenser mic picked up crazy amounts of noise. All the running computers in the room, the air conditioning, pets running around, people talking across the room, people stomping around upstairs, you get the idea. GiantWaffle didn't have that problem because he uses sound dampening materials in his studio, and keeps noisy stuff far away from his microphone. I tried out the SM48, and it works better for my environment, but if I had known better a couple years ago I probably would have bought this instead of the ST55:

https://www.amazon.com/AKG-PERCEPTION-Professional-Instrumental-Microphone/dp/B00167QUWI

A friend of mine has it, and it sounds amazing. It has similar sound qualities to other condenser mics, but it doesn't pick up nearly as much room noise.

I'm sure the AT2035 is great. It's a condenser mic, so it can pick up really quiet sounds, and it likely picks up a huge range of frequencies resulting in a super full-sounding voice. Just make sure if you go with this one that you streaming in a quiet room. Also, it needs phantom power, so make sure that the mixer/interface you're using can support it.

Be sure to buy an XLR cable. Some microphones don't come with one.

Pop filters are cool, but aren't strictly necessary, especially if you aren't singing.

Scissor arm mounts are nice if your desk can accommodate them. Remember you get what you pay for. A normal mic stand will work alright if you have enough room for it.

I should also mention the AT2020, Blue Yeti, and even the Blue Snowball sound great. If you simply want to plug, play, and forget with no options after that, they will suit your needs. Some headsets also have pretty good microphones on them, too. Like this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-PC-350-Special-2015/dp/B015ZKJIYI/ref=dp_ob_title_ce

Good luck!

Thanks man, I really appreciate you giving it a listen.

I do all my recording on a PC I built a few years back. I purposely went overboard on RAM when I did, because prior to that I'd had nothing but trouble with laggy, crashing audio software during marathon sessions. Beyond that, mine is a "budget" setup to the max, but it works for what I do.

The DAW I use is Reaper - I've experimented with several over the years but this is the most responsive one I've found yet, and even the "vanilla" plug-ins are awesome. I think it cost me $60, but in reality it's a Winrar type deal where you could use the free "trial" forever. In the end I really wanted to support the dev though, because it's a great tool for the price tag.

When I'm just looking to bang out a quick recording before an idea escapes me (most of the time), I literally just use a $50 Blue Snowball wired directly into the PC via USB. I never intend for those to be the final versions of my songs, but sometimes I just kind of fall in love with random happy accidents and can't bring myself to toss out tracks with "real" moments in them. Hence the poor quality on a lot of my stuff.

When I want to record something "for real," I use this six-channel USB mixer, this standalone compressor/gate (I'm a bit old school about that), and some combination of a Shure SM58, an MXL 990 and an MXL991 depending on the situation. I was gifted a pair of Sennheiser HD280 cans many years ago, and they have been my faithful monitoring headphones ever since. When I want to play back what I've recorded so far at unreasonable volumes, which I consider a mandatory part of the process, I use the time-honored pair of Dayton B652 bookshelf speakers with a Lepai LP-2020A digital amplifier.

The only thing I somewhat regret is the mixer. It's fine for what it is, but I wish I'd spent a little more money on something that had more channels and enough juice to support the unpowered speakers I use for live performances. Other than that, my setup won't hold a candle to a $5000 or $10,000 rig, but it gets the job done and it's something I'm proud to have built one piece at a time. I paid for all of it using money I've made on gigs at local bars and coffee shops over the years, so it has some sentimental value as well. One day when I have the money for a serious upgrade, I hope I get the chance to pass this stuff down to a random kid who's just getting started and make his fucking year. :)

>Im worried that being that the AT2020 is a cardioid mic

I think you mean that the AT2020 being a condenser mic not a cardioid mic. The AT2020 is both a cardioid and a condenser mic, but the "cardioid" refers to the polar pattern and "condenser" refers to the type of transducer. You definitely want to get a cardioid or hypercardioid microphone.

Condenser microphones are much more sensitive than dynamic microphones. That means that they pick up your voice from further away but also pick up more background noise. Condenser microphones also general will record a more accurate respresentation of the sound input (they sound better). Generally you want a condenser mic about 6-8" from your mouth pointed directly at you (or slightly off-axis) and directly away from any background noise.

Dynamic microphones are less sensitive so they don't pick up as much background noise but they also generally need to be closer to the sound source. They also don't have as good audio quality for lower end microphones. Generally you would want a dynamic mic 3-4" from your mouth pointed directly at you (or slightly off-axis) and directly away from any background noise.

If you have $300 to spend on an interface and microphone then I suggest spending more of it on the interface and less on the mic and then upgrading the mic in the future if needed. That is because some of the lower priced interfaces will introduce noise into your system. There are two main styles of interface. There's the tube amp style (think Scarlett 2i2 or Presonus audiobox 2x2) and there are mixing boards (think Behringer Xenyx or Yamaha MG10XU). For your price range the tube amps will give you better sound but you won't be able to adjust it as much hardware-side. The mixing boards will give you much more control over your audio but with slightly reduced quality. since you are streaming I highly recommend going the mixing board route, but that is up to you. Personally I love my Mackie ProFX8V2 ($200) but the Yamaha MG10XU ($200) is basically made for streamers. I like my Mackie because it has audio inputs which allows you to easily add hardware effects (EQ, compressors, gates, etc). The Yamaha has a very simple built-in compressor that you might find useful.

If you want to go the audio interface route then I highly suggest the Steinberg UR242 ($170) or the Presonus Audiobox 44VSL ($200). These will give you the best sound for your money. I have tried every one of these interfaces and mixing boards and these 4 are my favorite. The Scarlett gave me huge problems and has also given all of my content creator friends issues.

Now for microphones. You mentioned that you wanted the SM7b but did not want to price tag. The SM7b is basically an upgraded version of the SM58 ($100) and SM57 ($100). The SM58 is geared slightly more towards vocals while the SM57 is geared slightly more towards insturments, however they are very similar. These microphones are nearly indestructible, are the go-to microphones for live stage performances, and the SM57 is what President Obama used for every one of his speeches. It has This cover on it. I highly recommend either microphone and they will pair well with your $200 interface and sits right in your $300 budget.

If you have any questions please let me know, I would be happy to help.

If you're interested in music and audio like I think you are, a hardware solution will also allow you to do some cool stuff, like hook up a turntable and get good recording quality to play old LPs and digitize them.

Looking at some of the audio interfaces (not amps, those are different. Audio interfaces hook up to your pc via usb and control audio there) it looks like you'll be hard pressed to find decent ones under the $100-150 range.

behringer, $50, mixer

I have the big brother for this one so it shouldn't be too noisy. If you're recording try to use a denoiser afterwards, but I don't notice too much of a difference (could just be my room creating the noise)

Focusrite, $150, audio interface

I keep hearing about the scarlet from other producers. I don't know why, maybe it's pretty good. Also look at the itrack solo for $80

Steinberg, $100, audio interface

Look at the 2 in, 2 out version as well, it's more in line with the focusrite

Mackie, $99, audio interface

presonus, $79 (ione), $150 (itwo), audion interface.

Check amazon for "itwo presonus" and you'll find a couple of bundles that may pique your interest.

My mixer, behringer, $150, mixer

I like this thing alot, it's got plenty of inputs, and while it is a tad noisy it's not enough to notice. Could just be my ambient room/computer noise that I don't hear. Anyway, with some cables and advanced routing it's turned out pretty damn good for streaming and chatting at the same time, you just have to use multiple inputs to your pc to have separate audio outputs it only took me a week of poking around (no manual) to learn and figure out everything. The compression and eq settings are also a bit nice to have.

BTW if you're getting xlr mics, some of the best ones are sm57's/sm58's by Shure. Usually $100 and they're solid enough to last you a while. I have a sm58 and it's ballin'.

Hope I was of help!

i don't have this exact one, i have the the X1204USB and its ok. perfect for the average studio musician/performer.
http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-X1204USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B0039PPW60/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1416593544&sr=8-7&keywords=mixer+usb


here's the setup, routing:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Elektron/comments/2m7n2g/show_us_your_elektron_setup/cm7mq1o

wish i'd gotten that one, but its a lot more monies. i will probably upgrade in due time. that mixer looks fucking amazing. has amazing features. great price.

i'd pick the xenyx ufx1204 with the overload of features, good quality, and great price over the overpriced, great quality, but subpar featured mackie. i feel like mackie fandom is a bit of the monster cable/gold tipped crap... not much different in quality in the cheaper stuff... mixers are super easy circuits...

Kyle's Setup

Microphone (Shure SM7B) - https://www.amazon.com/Shure-SM7B-Dynamic-Microphone-Cardioid/dp/B0002E4Z8M/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=shure+sm7b&qid=1549674292&sr=8-2

That runs into a clean gain booster, Cloudlifter (I didn't know he wasn't running this since he got his Shure in 2014. Once I learned that, I had him get one and he's been running that for about a month and a half now) https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Microphones-CL-1-Cloudlifter-1-channel/dp/B004MQSV04/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=cloudlifter&qid=1549674274&sr=8-5

Which goes into his mixer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CTKI10A/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Now if someone wanted to run this setup, I would say don't get the Behringer, they have problems but most of the time they're fine. But you want to get a Focusrite Scarlett https://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T50LY/ref=sr_1_12?keywords=cloudlifter&qid=1549674274&sr=8-12 or Mackie Onyx https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-Producer-Interface-Bundle-Polishing/dp/B07GJWQQM3/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?keywords=mackie+onyx&qid=1549674443&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1 (I recommend the Onyx but they're both fucking great, used both, currently running the Mackie in my new studio setup)

Taylor's Setup

Same exact setup as Kyle, even though I told them to get him this Blue Micrphone TUBE arm: https://www.amazon.com/Blue-Compass-Premium-Tube-Style-Broadcast/dp/B078MLBGRM/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=blue+microphone+arm&qid=1549674585&sr=8-5

It's a way better arm. Kyle is using the standard Rode arm & either that's what Taylor's got now or he's using a super cheap ass one. But no way that cheap ass one would work with the Shure's weight, so he probably got a rode. But I recommended they both get the Blue tube arm.

Woody's Setup

Microphone (Electro-Voice RE20):

His preamp/mixer is all in his rack that's mounted with his PC which is down by his knee. I forget what he's using cause it's been many, many years since he built that thing.

The microphone arm he is using is the cadillac of microphone studio boom arms the K&M 23860: https://www.amazon.com/23860-Microphone-Desk-Arm-Black/dp/B00AXMM0L2?tag=paidinsi-20

-----------------

The Shure SM7B and Electro-Voice RE20 are the gold standard for radio and podcast production in studios. You can't go wrong. But if you get the SM7B then you need a pre-amp or something that's going to give you an additional 20-40db of clean gain.

If you don't have that Cloudlifter and just use it with that mixer, then you have to crank the fuck out of the gain which greatly increases and raises your noies floor. So you'll be audible and sound good, but you'll still get lots of white noise/background noise.

In my setup it's the Shure SM7B, Mackie Onyx, Cloudlifter, Blue Mic arm and quality XLR cables. When I plan to expand and add more microphones to do several people in studio productions. I'll create a rack unit VERY similar to what Lefty is currently running. With an electricity conditioner and the same preamp he has that I researched on my own and it's perfect for getting the clean gain added that you need so you don't need the cloud.

Definitely understand being new to the game, took me a while to figure out what I needed for live use.

Here's my 2 cents:

• Free/low cost synth samples: You could check out the free Proteus VST, which includes tons of 80s and 90s style synths, basses, horns, strings, etc. sampled from the 90s-era Proteus 2000 rompler. http://www.creative.com/emu/proteusvx/ Check out sample videos on YouTube to see if you like the sounds . . . it is FREE, so that's a selling point. I've heard good things about Arturia's Analog Lab software, I think it's relatively cheap . . . you can get the software bundled with a keyboard controller for $99 (or less if you shop around).
  
  
• I don't know about PCI, but if you're trying to use USB to go to a PA, there are lots of choices available. A standard USB audio interface with one set of L and R outs to a PA board would probably run you $50 at lowest on Amazon. You can also find some small mixers that have a USB interface built in, like this one: http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-MultiMix-USB-Four-Channel-Mixer/dp/B001T9O5VG/ref=sr_1_11?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1421427469&sr=1-11&keywords=usb+interface
  
  I haven't used this mixer, but I've had good luck with Alesis mixers in the past. Using these interfaces would require you to run cables from the outs of the interface to the ins of the PA's mixing board.
  
  If you've got the money to spend, a better-than-lowest-rung USB interface might be a good investment. I bought the Focusrite Scarlett 8i6 for home recording a year or so ago and LOVE it . . . you can find smaller/cheaper interfaces in that range and they're all great - it just depends on the number of ins/outs you need: http://www.amazon.com/Focusrite-Scarlett-Solo-Compact-Interface/dp/B00MTXU2DG/ref=sr_1_4?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1421427916&sr=1-4&keywords=usb+interface&pebp=1421427921645&peasin=B00MTXU2DG
  
  
• Not sure about Chromebook . . . I don't have one. Does it allow you to install windows-based applications at all? Software apps on the Android platform are limited as compared to iOS because of the latency common in a lot of Android devices . . . but I'm not sure the line between Android and ChromeOS, having never owned a Chromebook.
  
  You could check out AudioTool: http://www.audiotool.com/
  It's a browser-based music studio with bass synths, key synths, samplers, sequencers, drum machines, etc. I believe it'll let you connect an outside MIDI controller keyboard and play the synth modules.
  
  Hope this helps!

Per popular request:

All-righty then. It's really simple, but it took a few years to figure out.

First, I'll go over the list of gear I use for easy setup and tear down. Obviously, get a transmitter. I use the Broadcast Warehouse TX 150. 150 watts. Plenty of power for a small town. Here's the full list of ones they make:

http://www.broadcastwarehouse.com/fm-transmitters/60/cat

I use the 6th one down from the top- 150W power. They go up to 1000 watts and down to 1watt. UK based company, excellent products.

Next you need an antenna. I prefer one of two antenna's. The first one is an old pirate radio standby called a Comet. Cheap, easy to set up, easy to tune. Model number CFM95SL 5/8 wave.

http://www.progressive-concepts.com/info/item.php?id=47

I mount it using one of these tripods (the base of antenna fits directly into the tripod):

http://compare.ebay.com/like/261030527237?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

Next, get a cheap laptop.. this is your streaming box. You'll be streaming from a remote location (i.e. your computer at home or work where you're playing DJ), or even a netbook. I like one with a reasonably big hard drive so I can store music on it that the system defaults to if I lose the internet connect (more on that in a bit).

You'll also need a small 2 channel mixer. I like USB mixers because I get the best sound signal out of a cheap laptop from USB vs. the crappy audio outs they put on sub $400 laptops. I use either the Alesis Multimix 4:

http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-MultiMix-USB-Four-Channel-Mixer/dp/B001T9O5VG/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1348455765&sr=1-1&keywords=small+usb+mixer

Or a Behringer (whatever you can get your hands one).

USB mixers are easier to set up and tear down as well.

You'll need two M/F XLR cables (3 ft.. you're going from the mixer to the transmitter sitting next to it).

And, you'll need some 50ohm coax cable. I would order it from these guys:

http://www.progressive-concepts.com/info/item.php?id=68

Depending how far you're putting your antenna away from your box of goodies.. you'll likely need 50 ft. and more likely 100 ft.

I use one of these yard storage boxes (often used for garden supplies, hoses, etc) to store the transmitter, laptop and mixer:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Rubbermaid-Large-Deck-Box-with-Seat/20681996

3 bricks. (seriously).

Last, you'll need a power strip and a 50 or so foot power cord.

So...put the laptop, the transmitter and the mixer into a outdoor storage box (this is the kind you use for garden gear/hoses, etc.). The laptop is hooked to the internet via wi-fi (provided by the 'hosts' home or business) and controlled via logmein or VNC. The laptop also has a local library of music on it in case you lose internet. The antenna goes on an light weight tripod that sites on the roof of a house or business.

15 minute setup: The laptop, mixer and transmitter are already mounted in the box I just put them all in there on the floor of the box. The box has a large piece of tape across the front of it that says "Ham Radio Repeater" (this is for plausible deniability for the 'host' of the setup). You take the box out of your car, you find a good place in the backyard to put it. Usually against the back of the house. You run the power cable to a power outlet (outside or in the garage). You get the laptop hooked up to the local hosts internet via Wi Fi.

Next you take the Coax cable, and you connect it to the transmitter (through the precut hole in the outdoor storage box). You then hook it to the Antenna. You've PRE TUNED (message me if you need the brain dead simple formula for tuning) the antenna for your desired frequency so all you have to do is take the antenna, tripod and cable up to the roof of the house. Find a high point on the roof, and set it upright. Use 3 bricks on each leg lip of the tripods legs to hold it down in high winds.

Go back down, turn it all on. Make sure you're internet connection is working and that Logmein or VNC loaded so you can remotely connect to it. Make sure your transmitter is one and broadcasting.

Leave.

The way you get content into it is by setting up a shoutcast stream and then just log into that shoutcast stream from the laptop via logmein/VNC. Have local music in the playlist incase you drop the internet connect (it then just moves to the next song in the playlist.. I prefer old Winamp v2.91 for this).

Thats how I set it up in 15 minutes.

Tear down is: Go on roof, disconnect the antenna, take antenna/tripod down throw in the car. Pick up the box, throw it in the car. Actually, it's more like 3 minutes (we actually did this once WHILE the FCC was in front of the house, but that's another long story).

Anyway, I know it seems complex, and it sort of is, but it's sort of not as well.

Here's my blog on running a pirate radio station:

http://freemedia.blogspot.com/

Here's a wikipedia article on the station i started and ran for years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KBFR_(pirate_radio)

TL;DR: Put a transmitter, a mixer and a laptop into a box, hook it to a tripod based antenna on a roof, hook it to the internet, turn it on, run away.

There are a ton of cheap ones, so I guess quality of the cable could cause problems. If you wanted to be 100% sure you could go with an xlr to 3.5mm cable (though that would move the quality to your motherboards sound card), or a cheap mixer like a Behringer q302USB which would guarantee pretty great audio quality.

To be safe with the usb cables, i'd stay away from the sub $10 ones, or definitely go with a mixer or interface. I think the best cheap, but kind of jankey setup, you could go with in your price range is to get a cheap usb sound card and use a 3.5mm to xlr adapter with that. Just keep in mind the setup would probably be better off with a $10 increase to the budget and a proper mixer.

edit: the q302 doesn't have the ability to turn of phantom power, but the q502 is also good. I have used the $13 usb cable that's on amazon before (from neewer i think?) and it worked for my original jankey at2020 setup, so you would probably be good using that too.

As a second mic I can reccomend check out the atr2100, its great and both usb and xlr, so when your budget increases or you want to upgrade your setup you can upgrade to an xlr setup without scrapping your mic.

tl;dr maybe try separate outputs for each pickup

If you want to go for something unique and versatile without spending much cash, you can go for a two-output configuration. On the Fender Jazz, this would involve putting a second output jack where the tone knob currently is. You can decide how to wire up the remaining knobs... maybe you don't need volume control for one pickup, but you do want tone control for it, or maybe you don't need tone control at all.

The idea is to have one pickup going to one output, and the other pickup going to the other. That way, you can put the effects on the sound of only one pickup.

I do this on my main bass. It has a fat mudbucker at the neck position, and it has a P-style pickup at the mid position, and the P-pickup is wired to a 0.0047 μF capacitor to kill the low end, so that it doesn't interfere with the mudbucker. The mudbucker runs clean to provide a huge low end, and the P-style pickup runs through an overdrive pedal to boost the treble and add some crunch, and also a phaser when I want something a little different. This way, all the effects only act on the attack and the fret buzz sound, while the low end can just be what it is.

Maybe you want something different, like putting thick fuzz on the neck pickup while the bridge pickup provides a clean, treble-rich attack with a little bit of chorus. Maybe you set up one pickup with a reverse tone knob... if you wire it up like it's a volume knob, and then bridge the terminals with something like a 0.0047 μF capacitor, you'll have a knob that turns down the low end while leaving the high end. There's a lot you can do, and this is a fairly easy mod that's fairly easy to undo if you don't like it. But if you like to use a lot of effects, having two signal chains with different frequency profiles can provide a lot of versatility.

If you have two amplifiers, great, but to combine the signals for one amplifier, you'll need something like this, which runs about $25: https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-MicroMIX-MX400-Low-Noise-4-channel/dp/B000KGYAYQ

Here's the thread where I describe the two-output mod I made to my bass: https://www.reddit.com/r/Bass/comments/5mn5my/gave_my_cheap_ibanez_a_new_paint_job_a_second/

When buying a new bass, the biggest thing to look for is how it feels. You can always change pickups and electronics and such, but finding a bass that's just fun and comfortable to play is the challenge. If you're interested in a Rickenbacker, it already has dual-output capability, so go to the music store with your pedals, and try a bunch of configurations with the effects, and you'll see what's possible.

No problem, if you want to go the "Mixer" route, and only need 2 microphones...I'd recommend this one:

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q802USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B008O517IC/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1501093834&sr=1-3&keywords=usb+mixer

Remember, You'll need to buy XLR microphones and a couple XLR cables for the microphones as well. You're looking at about 20 bucks per microphone and depending on the length of the cable, 5-15 bucks each for those as well. Microphone stands are also something you'd want unless you buy XLR body microphones but those are pretty pricey. Decent to good stands range from 15-25 bucks depending on shipping.

The nice thing about the XLR route is that in the long run, you can mix match and replace equipment on an individual level. XLR microphones can sound just as good as high quality USB microphones and are much cheaper (when only buying the mic). The Mixer itself gives you more control over your sound too.

If you want more specific recommendations on the other pieces of equipment just let me know. Generally I just go with what's rated well and priced right at Amazon, but I got 3/4 of my mic stands from monoprice.


The one I use is:
https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-1204USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B00871VO5Y/ref=sr_1_9?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1501093834&sr=1-9&keywords=usb+mixer

I got lucky like I said and was able to grab an open box one for 67 bucks instead of 150.

Feel free to ask any questions, I've been dealing with my setup for about 6-9 months so far.

Ok well I won't explain everything in mine because it's a little over the top, but that's because I recorded music before I got into Twitch so I already had all my equipment. But what it essentially is a dynamic mic w/ XLR cable -> audio interface w/ USB cable -> computer. Here's the cheapest possible setup I could find on Amazon:

Shure PGA48 w/ 15' XLR cable: $40

Behringer Xenyx Q502USB: $60

Neewer Suspension Boom Stand: $14

total: $114

Do keep in mind that this mixer only has one pre-amp, meaning you'd only be able to plug one mic into it. If you wanted to plug in more than one mic (for instance if you have a friend coming over or something), you'd need a different mixer with more preamps. But yea my setup is essentially the above, just with more expensive stuff haha

If you wanna hear what my setup sounds like (getting a setup like the one above would get you a similar sound), here's a short highlight to see what it looks and sounds like (I chose this one to highlight the fact that you can move the mic around): https://www.twitch.tv/kvyngaming/v/106103644

Note how even when I grab the mic and move it, you barely hear anything. That'd never happen with a condenser mic.

I'd highly suggest XLR mics and an Audio mixer. For voice effects, you'll have best quality with a hardware voice transformer. There are lots of software options available, but they typically have limitations and quality issues.

Here's a few suggestions as to what you could use...

• Audio Mixer
  
  
• Microphone
  
  
• Voice Transformer
  
  Getting a good audio setup isn't cheap as you'll quickly see. lol. The microphone I linked is what I currently use and I love it. The Audio Mixer and Voice Transformer, I recently ordered myself so I can't fully say how good they are. But, they do have great reviews.

This was a surprise to me, too, when I got my first Volca after collecting a few Pocket Operators. They still play nicely together, but not in the same way. If you plan on getting more Volcas, a Volca Mix <https://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/volca_mix/\> may not be a bad idea (it can power three additional ones), though it is more expensive than other solutions.

Otherwise, there are a number of affordable mono mixers out there. I've seen people mention the Behringer Micromix before <https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Micromix-MX400-Low-Noise-4-Channel/dp/B000KGYAYQ\>, but you'll need some adapters for 3.5mm to 6.35mm jacks. This will strictly be mono, however, so if you plan to add some stereo devices to the mix (pun intended), you'll hit a wall pretty quickly. Behringer has a range of other mixers, and you may want to check something out in the Xenyx range <https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-502-Premium-5-Input-British/dp/B000J5UEGQ/ref=sr_1_9?crid=120WM7ZC873VD&keywords=behringer+xenyx&qid=1555091076&s=gateway&sprefix=behringer+z%2Caps%2C160&sr=8-9\>, where even the lowest-end one (linked) will give you plenty of room to expand.

Personally, I just bought a Roland GO: Mixer <https://www.amazon.com/Roland-GO-Mixer-Smartphones-GOMIXER/dp/B01MYC4DVP/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=roland+go+mixer&qid=1555091001&s=gateway&sr=8-1\> to use between a Volca, a few PO's, and a microphone for straight-to-phone video/audio recording purposes, and I've enjoyed it. If you don't plan on recording things and just need something to mix, this will be super overkill for you.

Here's everything for equipment, so hopefully this answers any questions:

---

Wall:

• TV
  
  
• Lights/Nanoleaves
  
  
• Whiteboard
  
  ---
  
  Desk:
  
  
• Top (74x1 1/2")
  
  
• Drawers (can't see in picture) (2x, in brown-black)
  
  
• Top Legs (Supports top off of drawers)
  
  I also made modications to the desk, including installing a grommet with 2 USBs and 2 outlets, as well as a wireless charger.
  
  ---
  
  Audio Setup:
  
  
• Shure SM7B
  
  
• Rode Arm Stand
  
  
• Behringer Xenyx X1204USB
  
  
• Dbx 286s Microphone Preamp
  
  
• Sennheiser HD 660 S
  
  
• Headphone stand (Not sure if I can recommend. Headphones leave a lot of marks on the stand and can make the transparant plastic look foggy)
  
  ---
  
  Peripherals:
  
  
• Glorious Model O (White, might want to wait for the Model O- to drop if you have smaller hands)
  
  
• The Glorious GMMK (Full sized, white keycaps, Kailh Speed Silver switches)
  
  
• Mouse Bungee (White)
  
  
• Mouse Pad (XL)
  
  
• Monitors (2x)
  
  ---
  
  PC specs:
  
  
• 2080ti
  
  
• i9-9900k
  
  
• 64 GB Ram
  
  
• 4 TB SSD
  
  
• 3 TB HDD (Unsure what exactly, bought a long time ago. Pretty standard HDD though)
  
  
• 1000w Power Supply
  
  
• HZXT H500i Case
  
  
• Asus ROG Maximus XI Hero Z390 Motherboard
  
  
• Corsair Hydro Series H150i Water Cooling
  
  ---
  
  
  Any other questions, feel free to leave them and I'll try to respond :)
  
  ---
  
  Edit: Thank you for the gold random kind redditor!

AlienArchitect,


I have something you could try....


This will allow you to hear audio from both your PS4 and PC simultaniously.


As far as chat audio goes, you may need to do some tinkering in order to have bidirectional audio from PS4 to your mic, and PC to your mic. I've tried several configurations and can't quite seem to get it perfect. If I use a Y splitter from the PS4 controller to an external mic such as the Audio-Technica Pro 24-CM, the audio levels are adjusted for lack of a better word, weird. I haven't tried a straight 3 pole 3.5mm adapter cable from the controller though. Maybe the Y split does something wrong since I dont have my headphones connected to it. I stopped trying after that, but would like to achieve the same result you are looking for. I think a Macki Pro FX would help!


http://www.amazon.com/Mackie-ProFX4v2-4-Channel-Professional-Mixer/dp/B00VUU702A/ref=sr_1_3?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1454205223&sr=1-3&keywords=mackie+profx


Anyways, tried to give you a quick presentation of what my setup looks like. If you have any questions just let me know! I'm glad to help. I'm sure trying this and using some of the other ideas on this thread will get you there eventually!


Thanks


https://i.imgur.com/NzsrGYI.jpg

With a $500 to $700 budget I might suggest the following. Steer clear of the "packaged podcast stuff". And others will have their own opinions and thoughts but here are mine.

Recorder: Zoom H4nPro $230. Portable, flexible, will accept up to 4 inputs. Records on a SD Card.

Software: Audacity. It is free and allows you to manipulate and put together a cohesive product.

Mics: 2 of the ATR 2100 USB $150. Again, flexible and a decent beginner mic.

Accessories needed. 2 wind screen/pop filters for mics ($20), 2 mic stands ($20), 2 XLR cables for mics ($25)

Headphones: Sony MDR7560 $80 2 might be nice, but 1 required.

That is about $550 to $600 at this point.

If you wanted a studio mic, a decent starter mic is the MXL 990 at $100/ea. But beware that this is a condenser mic and it will pick up a ton of ambient sound especially in a non-treated room.

You may want to add a mixer into the mix at some point. I have a Behringer Xenyx 1204USB $139, but wish I had known more when I bought it and I would have bought the Behringer UFX1204 with the difference being that the one I have sends out a single stereo track to the recorder, but the latter has the ability to send separate tracks. Woudl be very handy if your guest is VERY soft spoken, there is a lot of talk over one another, etc.

The best way I know how to incorporate live sounds into your show is to use a mixer. I usually recommend the Mackie ProFX8v2 USB Mixer but if you don't mind known reliability issues the Behringer Q802USB mixer has great capability functionality for the price. You can then plug your Galaxy S7 or laptop into the mixer and play live sounds.

Because you will be using a mixer your Yeti will no longer work in this capability which is why you'll need to get an XLR capable microphone. I would encourage you to get a dynamic cardioid microphone which is the same type of microphone lead band singers, radio announcers and sports broadcasters use. These four microphones offer an exceptional capability for the money with the Knox coming in at only $40 right now:

Knox Podcast Microphone

Audio Technica AT2005

Audio Technica ATR-2100

or a Samson Q2U

Then if you wanted to take it to the next step and record both your soundboard and your microphone in separate tracks you could add a Zoom H5 Portable Digital Recorder to the mix.

Of course there are lots of different ways to go about this. The solution laid out is usually the one I recommend though.

Do you have any tips on mixing? I'm pretty tech savvy but it seems so complicated to do in FL Studio... Also do you recommend the AT2020 or the AT2020 PLUS? The plus is $50 more. Also, what is even the point of using an XLR mic with an audio interface? Is it just better sound quality or something? Is it like the mic plugs into the interface, and then the interface into your computer? How does the interface connect to the computer, is it USB? Someone recommended this interface to me, which seems like a great deal.

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q502USB-5-Channel-Mixer/dp/B00CTKI10A/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1426532990&sr=8-3&keywords=behringer+xenyx+usb

I am a streamer who is looking to improve my set-up over this summer. One of the things I am looking to do is separate the audio from my game system to a USB mixer I am looking to pick-up. My big tradeoff would be that no longer I'd have separate tracks on OBS Studio (where it records the audio) but with easily being able to adjust audio live better through a mixer I think it's worth it.

-
So my set-up would be Game System HDMI Out -> Capture Card HDMI-In -> Capture Card HDMI-Out -> HDMI Splitter -> HDMI Audio Converter Extractor -> USB Audio Mixer.

Essentially after the audio converter, I'd plug this in (RCA Cables) into here (L and R Tape In on the board.) Sorry if I'm not technical enough...still learning a lot. Is this correct and would it work well?

How would I be able to send the sound out to a venue's sound system and then be able to control what they can hear on it while maintaining the stream on my computer captures a different sound?

For example: When an actual match is being played I do NOT want the commentators being heard on the live PA system as it would disrupt the competitors...so at that point I'd want the sound going to the venue system to be turned off...but once the game ends I'd want them to speak to the venue about any deals showing on screen, in general getting the crowd hype, etc. How would that be possible?

Thanks for any help you can give!

There are tons of outboard fx units out there -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5RtdIEzz4



You could go with a small desk mixer with built in FX, but some may not have all the ones you're looking for -

(just an example)

• https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-PROFX4V2-4-Channel-Compact-Effects/dp/B00VUU702A/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-MG10XU-10-Input-Stereo-Effects/dp/B00IBIVL42/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-1202FX-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B000J5Y214/
  
  ---------------
  
  
  or a dedicated multi-FX processor
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Virtualizer-FX2000-High-Performance-Multi-Engine/dp/B003EZXMS0
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/TC-Electronic-Reverb-Effects-Processor/dp/B001R5G70O
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/TC-Electronic-M100-ELECTRONIC/dp/B0731N1HY3
  
  
  ---------------
  
  or a dedicated vocal fx unit (some of these are made for live performance, hence the foot switches)
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Roland-VT-4-Voice-Transformer/dp/B07JKLMDGX/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Helicon-Voice-Vocal-Effects-Processor/dp/B00GM0NX3S/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Eventide-H9-Core-Harmonizer-Pedal/dp/B01CY237P6/
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/TC-Helicon-Effects-Processor-Burgundy-996369005/dp/B074TRXB21/
  
  
  There's a plethora of them... just hunt around on sweetwater, musicansfriend, or BHphoto to see some ideas.
  
  ---------------
  
  The Roland is pretty cool , because it lets you adjust things on the fly easier -
  
  (this is like what the Beastie Boys used for "Intergalactic")
  
  Roland VT-3
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeHHV1LPfOo (@1:02)
  
  Roland VT-4 demos
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5RtdIEzz4
  
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5kkYemu-gs
  
  
  

Audio interface isn't necessary but as many other people on here have stated, they're nice to have and, depending on how advanced yours is, they can save you quite a bit of time when trying to balance out your mic audio. My mixer - was recommended it by another redditor here - for most people is massive overkill but I am so glad I purchased it. The EQ knobs are a god send and at some point, I plan on getting extra mics and maybe other audio devices to plug into it. I'm very much a hands on person and even though I love figuring out software, there are many times that having a full on hardware solution makes getting from Point A to B so much easier.

The headset that broke was the G35 headset from Logitech which goes for about $90 these days. It's a great headset but this would be my 3rd set in 4 years. The mic quality is average and often requires fussing with in post but overall it's a great headset.

While rocking this backup setup I've been using ear buds and I quite like it compared to the closed ear noise cancelling headset so I don't think I want to go the headset route again.

I've always wanted to go the XLR/Mixer route. This would allow me to manipulate any volume/noise issues with the mic on the fly and not touch it at all in post. I never settled on a solution that was afforable and always went with what I knew the G35.

This is the goal. It's not much more expensive than the G35 headset but is the correct tool for the job :Þ

• Audio-Technica AT2020 XLR ^USB ^version ^exists ^too
  
• Behringer Q502USB 5-Channel Mixer
  
• XLR Microphone Cable
  
• Microphone Suspension Boom
  
  A few notes about these choices. The 5 channel mixer is total overkill but this one functions as a USB audio interface meaning when you plug it in to your PC it shows up like a USB mic would. Behringer makes a 3 port USB mixer but I don't like the way it looks lol.
  
  Not all mixers have the ability to function as a USB device. On NON USB mixers you would have to run the output of the mixer into the input on your soundcard on your PC.
  
  I prefer the audio device approach. You plug your XLR mic into the mixer which is acting as the USB audio device. This allows you to control on the mixer what the computer hears on the audio device interface.
  
  Totally a long and involved answer but some might find it useful if in the market for audio upgrades :Þ

Hey man just wanted to say thank you for taking the time to respond with so much detail.


Your answer pointed me in the right direction and what I've found is that my mixer (Behringer 1202fx) only exports 1 channel. My understanding is that although I have 12 channels going into my mixer (that I can adjust, e.g. adjust gain on each) when it goes out of my mixer and into my mac, it's all one channel (this video helped me understand this: https://youtu.be/1VC1Dho7nh0). One of the next versions (Behringer 1204fx usb https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-X1204USB-Xenyx-Input-Mixer/dp/B0039PPW60) looks like it would be able to record to 2 channels, but mine can't.


I had to bite the bullet and look into another option - either go for the 1204 (or another mixer with the 2 channel input) or an audio interface. It looks like the Focusright Scarlet 2i2 audio interface is a good option (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Focusrite-Scarlett-Audio-Interface-Tools/dp/B01E6T56EA). It records 2 channels, so in audacity I can record both mics on a separate channel. This seems worth it to me, because if someone speaks over the other or if someone starts coughing or their mic picks up noise or one person is louder than the other (and I don't pick this up when recording), I am assuming this means I can edit each mic's audio independently, so that when combined it's better quality.


If my understanding looks wrong, please let me know and thanks again for taking the time :)

If you want to stick to Behringer, look at something like this instead. You want something that has an XLR input for your ATR 2100 and has USB out to get to the computer. I can't speak to the quality of the pre-amp in that, but honestly, I'd guess it's not great. Alternatively, you might consider this one which I'm guessing has a better pre-amp, but I don't know. I really have no experience with their products.

If you want something with more inputs and flexibility, I'm pretty sure the 802 (as /u/fridaynightarcade has mentioned) gets used fairly frequently in here to good reviews. That is more expensive and has more inputs, but it also provides room for growth if you're ever planning on adding more people/microphones/audio sources to your stuff.

I just bought a mixer, 3 XLR cables and 3 XLR mics for $300.

I would look into the Mackie ProFX12V2, it's $250. Then look at the Behringer XM8500. And you can put together a good setup at a decent price. You're probably looking at $400-ish, for what you're wanting.

You could go for an omnidirectional condenser mic, but you're going to have to be careful about background noise, as it's probably going to pick everything up. Also, you'll have to be more mindful of everyone's speaking volume and nervous ticks (tapping feet, clicking pens, for example). You'll want to treat your room where you're recording, using blankets and rugs to deaden the sound.

We used to record with Four Hosts using the Blue Yeti and Audacity. It works fine, but the sound isn't as ideal as you could get from a well treated studio or using a mixer and dynamic mics.

I don't think headphones are a super necessity, but if you're using an omnidirectional mic, it'll help you be more mindful of who needs to speak louder.

Definitely go with something XLR based, since USB usually can't offer the same quality at the same price (even for a whole setup.)

Though I say that ATR2100 is something I keep recommending because it is both XLR and USB, and has very good quality (per quick youtube search) for the price. It's also a dynamic microphone, so it will pick up less background noise and other things dynamic mics do.

As for a stand I have been using this boom arm for almost two years, and have absolutely no issues with it except for a minor squeak when putting it away (not really an issue you're going to have if you're using it) and as much as people like them, pop filters are not really neccisary, just talk with the mic a bit to the side and you're fine (don't waste the $8 I did).

All in all both the atr2100 and the stand will run you about $100, and it is pretty damn good quality for that price.

I would reccomend an XLR interface in the future though, since they do live mixing, built in EQ, better gain control, better sound quality, and a built in DAC for your headphones, but that's around $50-$80 for either of my decent interface choices: the Q802USB Which I am currently using, or a Q502USB which If it's anything like the 802 is cheaper and just as good (albiet with less inputs, but you probably don't need 8 inputs).

The least resource intensive would be to play it from a different device, like a phone. Then the issue is that you have your PC and your phone playing through different speakers/headphones.

Some speaker sets have dual inputs, so you could actually connect both your phone and your PC to one set and listen to everything at the same time from two separate devices. But if you don't have that, then your options are a bit more limited.

There are devices that allow you to mix multiple sources with a single output. Something like this. You get knobs to individually control the volume for each channel. But it might be a bit overkill for this since you have a perfectly good computer.

I think there's one more solution if you want to play from a separate device. You should be able to connect your phone to the line in audio, and then pass that audio through to your sound output in Windows. Instructions here. That would make your computer play all the audio coming through your phone without any special software.

If you want a music program that won't use many resources (unlike Spotify), maybe give Foobar2000 a shot.

I've never used a Behringer mixer (but I have used some rack gear) so I can't really comment and I'm in no way trying to advise you not to consider it! Just when doing research for myself, I read that they can be noisy sometimes. Then again, I also saw people who said they had zero issues.

What I eventually decided was to reduce the risk and look into something else, Mackie or A&H. Almost pulled the trigger on a ZED until I saw Mackie put out a new mixer with better preamps, the ProFX12v2. The ProFX8v2 would give you 4 XLR inputs for $199. To be honest though, the 12 is only $249 and you get 2 more XLR inputs, which is 100% worth it!

The preamps are great, you've got some room to crank it, much better than an older Mackie I've got.

https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-PROFX8V2-8-Channel-Compact-Effects/dp/B00VUU77XW

Best of luck either way, just sharing where all of my exhaustive research landed me!

I have been using 2 PCs for a while, I can PM you a video I made a while back if that helps.

You're old PC is very capable of handling streaming. You don't have to use a capture card, but it is what I am using at the moment. You can setup a rtmp server, I have a little success using it but decided to go back to using a capture card.

The capture card you choose should depend on what settings you want to run your game and stream at. The AV.IO 4k is what I am using right now, it lets me game at 1440p and downscale to 720p for my stream. You said you want to get an ultrawide monitor and this card can let capture that screen size. Not sure about OBS, but Xsplit will allow you to capture a portion of the screen so the rest of it won't be shown.

For sound I am using a channel mixer, with an XLR mic. You don't have to use a channel mixer. Depending on the capture card that you use you can capture the sound via HDMI, a channel mixer just offers more control.

There is a neat program called synergy that will let you use one set of m&kb for both computers.

If you use an Avermedia capture card you will have to use an extra program for OBS, at least this was the case when I still had one. Not sure about other capture cards but the Avermedia LGP has a headphone jack that will allow you to listen to your gaming computer, but not you streaming PC.

This is all I can remember right now, let me know if you need any more help.

I do couch coop stuff with 2 mics but can do up to 4.
Best solution is expensive ish and that's to get a mixer that will handle multiple mics and several inexpensive (but decent) dynamic mics.

Like 4 Pyle pro PDMic58s and a BEHRINGER XENYX X1204USB.

And don't forget to sound treat the room a little.

Yes I see where you're going there, however I'm not sure that mixer is as versatile as it looks at first glance. Unless I'm reading them wrong, the first slider is for the mic only, and the 2nd slider is for either usb or line, not both. Now, there are a couple (and I do mean a couple!) of line mixers that would be appropriate for my particular purpose (apparently I'm pretty rare in the computer/desktop/tv demographic). I found this, which is an active mixer. And then there's this guy which is passive, Some say the voltage drop through the signal path on this one degrades the audio somewhat. I have to say the Behringer's active electronics along with the price make it the more desirable of the two. Samson makes a 5 channel line mixer as well, but they're fifty bucks too. I'm really trying to keep my total expense as low as possible without losing the potential to hear good audio. Thanks for helping me out Zeos. I really appreciate it!

Sounds like you really need an inexpensive USB mixer, something like the Behringer Xenyx Q802USB, or even the Q502USB. This will allow you to use more than one XLR microphone and port it into your computer via USB.

It would also allow you to do mix-minus with Skype calls — but I think a Zencaster account might work just as well, or even better.

You should consider picking up a Zoom or Tascam digital audio recorder as well, if only to have a redundant recording system. Ray Ortega has a great walkthrough on setting up mix-minus with a mixer: How to Setup a Mix Minus for Recording Skype.

Are you talking about having a backing track on the computer, and then recording voice and mixing it to the backing track? Or just voice (like a podcast?)

Either way, I highly recommend a USB-mixer, like this one:

Behringer 502

I picked one up off Craigslist for $40 a few years ago. It's a great "swiss army mixer" that I use for little projects at home and on live-sound gigs.

Then start off with a solid vocal mic:

Shure SM48

or Behringer 8500

This will give you the option to easily upgrade the microphone in the future if you want to.

You'll also want a mic stand.

Audacity is awesome, and you can check out other options here:

http://www.homestudiocenter.com/best-free-audio-editor/

For non-simultaneous playback:

Here's what you could do:
Buy one 3.5mm Stereo Male to Two RCA Male Splitter Cable, and one 2 x RCA Male, 1 x 3.5mm Stereo Female, Y-Cable 6-Inch. Also get a 3-Way Audio Video AV RCA Switch Selector Box Splitter. That all together is $9.82 US.

Connect the xbox to your TV as normal. Use the RCA cable included with the splitter to connect your TV's audio output to the Splitter's Input 1. You don't need to connect the yellow video connection on that cable. Then use a male 3.5mm Stereo to RCA cord to connect your laptop/iphone's headphone jack to the Splitter's Input 2. Plug the 2 x RCA Male, 1 x 3.5mm Stereo Female, Y-Cable 6-Inch cable into the Splitter's Output, and connect your headphones to the 3.5mm female end. You should then easily be able to switch between ipod/laptop and xbox/tv sound feeding to your headphones by adjusting the splitter's output switch. This is a very basic setup, but should achieve what you're going for as long as you didn't want the two inputs playing simultaneously.

For simultaneous playback:

Here's what you could do (I admit this is probably a bit of a wrap around way of doing it, but it was fun to come up with):

Buy:
Two Behringer MICROMIX MX400 4-Channel Mixer, one 3.5mm Stereo Male To 2 RCA Male Cable, one Male RCA to male RCA cable, one male RCA to female 3.5mm cable, six 3.5mm to 2RCA female adapter, and six 1/4 inch to 1/8 inch stereo jack adapters. This setup without shipping and handling costs $75.55 US.

This thing only outputs in mono though, so it doesn't benefit your headphones greatly (only one side will play sound). This is why we're gonna get two of them though, and this is the fun part. Check out this picture: http://i.imgur.com/UPMX5j2.png. It has the steps included with a crude illustration. The benefit of this setup is that you can have the ipod/laptop coming in at a different volume than the tv/xbox. Also has space for two more inputs if your ever have more you want to plug in (or to allow a laptop and ipod to be plugged in at the same time).

I... I think that setup would work.

I'm glad to see that you are researching it out and spending some time thinking about it. That's the right first step! I don't have experience with other mics to speak of, but I'm pretty happy with my purchases and what I'm able to do with them. So, some more food for thought:

• MXL 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone $78
  
• Neewer 40037799 Scissor Arm Stand $32
  
• Behringer Q502USB 5-Channel Mixer $60
  
• MXL WS-002 Foam Windscreen $19
  
  I've since also added some additional toys for effects and fun:
  
  
• iRig PRE
  
• XLR Y-Splitter
  
  Here's a video I made showing what I'm doing with all of this: http://youtu.be/PDmhV3079RI
  
  
  And if you have a budget you're trying to work within, just stick to that and don't worry about the little differences between a slightly more expensive setup and what fits within your budget.

I actually do happen to have this mixer with 12 line-ins. Not the best but I've never really had trouble with it.

I'm somewhat concerned about my workflow though, and if you have a setup like this (analog mixer -> audio interface), maybe you could shed some light on it? Usually I'll record a bunch of MIDI stuff and send it off to each piece of hardware (using Ableton's external instrument) and just let them run while I'm composing more things. Then once I'm satisfied I'll record all the different instruments to different tracks (easy to do simultaneously with an audio interface). I think it would get a little more hairy with the mixer - having to mute channels, record one at a time, etc. It wouldn't be terrible but I don't think it's as clean, and it could get annoying.

I am chewing up all of the 6i6 inputs right now though, and it would be nice to free up the front inputs with preamps for whenever I feel the need to do mics or guitar/bass.

Most computers can't deal with 8 USB mics at once, on top of the fact those mics don't work well all in the same room together. I would get a USB XLR mixer and some dynamic mics.

8 people seems like a lot? This mixer goes up to 6 via XLR and is pretty affordable. Behringer is an "affordable" brand.

Speaking of Behringer, these mics are pretty decent for the price. They will slightly pick up others in the room, but nothing a simple gate in post can't fix. I don't know your budget, but if you want to get fancier, you can go with the MXL BCD-1.

I use the Focusrite 18i20, it's way more pricey.


I enjoy using Reaper.FM, it's $79 on both Mac/PC. It can record your software and edit it. I'm on Mac, I record everything with Audio Hijack first, then do my post in Reaper.

If you have more questions, let me know. I can get more specific with other stuff if you care.

If you're strictly wanting a mixer for the very basics of streaming, then I'd honestly recommend using some sort of virtual mixing software. Most users would disagree, but I think that reason is because a lot of streamers jump to using actual mixers because that's what they "hear other streamers doing" and they also want to appear more professional. But some sort of virtual solution would be my first recommendation. If you actually want to start implementing and building upon your setup other than the basics though, then obviously that wouldn't be a smart decision.

However if you really want a mixer, then I agree that a Behringer would be the most logical solution in my opinion. Most models give the user a lot of control and functionality, without a hefty price point. I personally have the X1204USB I use for recording music, and sometimes streaming. I wouldn't think someone only streaming would need that high of a model as I don't really suspect you needing that many inputs / control. That being said, you could possibly look into the Q802USB.

A very important thing to note is that you need to remember that mixers are typically used to convert analog to digital (while I do realize there are methods / adapters to create a digital to digital solution), so the fact that your microphone is a USB essentially means it's not going to plug into that mixer. You would need to invest into a standard condenser microphone that uses an XLR connector. Some might recommend purchasing some sort of USB to XLR adapter, but I've never found that to make much sense as it's regression.

Hey, I know I'm hitting this late. I'm looking to start a DnD play podcast with a few friends of mine. I'm totally new to audio recording though and would love some advice on getting recording gear. I was looking at mics and equipment and found a really good deal on some very cheap mic sets, and also know I'll probably need Phantom power and a mixer.
Do you think I could get away with starting with this stuff I've picked out (I've gone cheap because I'm very new at this) or is there other stuff you would recommend? Also ,is there anything I'm missing or should I be able to plug this stuff into a PC and record? OH! I almost forgot, I'm getting 3 mics to record 5 people, do you think that's enough or should I plan on one mic per person? Thank you for taking the time to read this!
Stuff I'm planning on buying:
Mixer: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07QDN6Z83/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ALJSAJJCN3221&psc=1
Mic Set : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0756V2B6R/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?smid=AVM8BIH53RWJ1&psc=1
Phantom Power : https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KAPGLQC/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=A2HC58KVPP5OOH&psc=1

I cannot recommend the Heil Pr-40 enough.

Great, clean sound. It's a bit pricey, but BSW has some really good deals on it.

If you want to be ready to go out of the box. They have this bundle

It used to have teh Scarltite, which thankfully it no longer does because that thing was garbage. I don't know anything about the Presonus Studio 2/6 though.

Alternative. This is the package that I got. I have been extremely satisfied with it and this is a GREAT price.

You will have to pick up a mixer separately. Which I would advise doing some research on what you will need from your mixer.

This is what I ended up getting - but that was mostly because I wanted the availability of more than 2 mics.

Something like this.

Anything cheaper, and it likely doesn't provide stereo out. I'd only go this route if the receiver in use is higher end, really, as you'd still need to invest in the chat adapter for mic input and party chat output, the cables, et. al. If you have a HTIB (Home Theater In a Box) for a receiver, you'll probably get better sound from the DSS2. Which would cost less than the mixer, and has a mixer function built into it.

Yeah, your all in one solutions are generally more ideal for ease of use. Hopefully in the near future we see more games going with binaural, or 3D sound, settings allowing us to make use of simple stereo hookups and no additional 3D processing for headset surround sound.

I'm trying to decide what condenser mic to go for and the Shure PG42 seems the best in the $200 or less price range. I looked over the other options like the AudioTechnica AT2020, Blue Yeti, Razer Seiren, Rhode's selections etc.. and it looked like the PG42 was the best bet (anyone have a better reccomendation?) Only problem is that it's not being sold much of anywhere anymore for some reason. It's kinda bizarre, nobody is selling it really, especially the USB version. Amazon and everywhere else is completely out of the USB version (1 seller selling for $1,000...smh) and just barely have some XLR versions. Most other sellers are completely sold out.

At first i thought it was that they replaced it with a "PGA42" (not sure of the difference between pg and pga honestly) but that doesn't seem to be the case as Shure has NO PGA42 listed on their site. Only place i found a "PGA42" was on musiciansfriend and i wonder if it's a mistake or something, as it just shows a PG42 with a mic stand in a bundle. Amazon lists the PGA27 as the "newer version" of the PG42 but that doesn't sound right to me as the 27 versions are all-purpose mic's, and i want a pure audio cardioid mic.


I'm just wondering whether the USB version would be better than the XLR version since i don't have a quality mixer or preamp etc.. and if i did it would have to be a cheap $100 or less one like this Alessa (http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Multimix-4-Channel-Effects-Interface/dp/B00IPF9DX2/ref=dp_ob_title_ce)
Do you think that for someone without much experience in audio recording like me, a USB mic would be better than XLR since a cheap $100 mixer might sound exactly the same as the cheap built-in preamp in the USB version?


$200 Budget for mic. $300 budget for mic + mixer.

Looking for a Cardioid Condenser mic for Vocals: deciding between a USB version or an XLR + Mixer setup.

I'll be using them to record spoken audio mostly, sitting on my computer desk, with occasional sung vocals.

I'm willing to buy used, but would prefer not to if possible.

Sorry if this isn't the right sub for this

Reposting due to formatting issue in previous post.

So I'm currently trying to figure out how to split audio from all of my consoles.

The best setup I can think of at the moment is splitting the audio off of the second output from my HDMI splitter I use for my PS3. I could try to move the HDMI splitter after my capture card, so then I'd still hear all audio from the currently active console.
The above visualized: Current into new

My main issue is finding a cheap stereo mixer that takes single, stereo, 1/4" plugs to the Mini-mixer, as the one I recently got is exactly what I need, except that it's mono only. I've been able to find a few passive mini-mixers, this one being the most likely. The reason I can't go with that, is because it's likely the game's audio will be too quiet for me and I'd to boost it, which requires an active mixer.

Every single other alternative has been the Behringer Xenyx 502, which may work, but I'd need to buy 3.5mm/RCA to L/R 1/4" adapters, which would be an extra $20-$30 plus I want a bit more scalability for future audio inputs.

Lastly, for a bit more info, I use the VST plugins within OBS Studio, so I sadly cant just plug these into my current mixer, a Yamaha MG10XU, or else it'll come out of where my mic is, as well as likely being too loud for viewers when I boost the volume for myself.
The only alternative would be to upgrade to a Yamaha MG12XU for the extra Aux bus's, which would be an extra $130 for only the extra aux bus's I'd be using, since there's nothing else that i feel warrants the extra cost.

So in summary, has anyone found a better way to get console audio to headphones while keeping it separate from the stream audio?

Oh dear, I don't a have a great understanding of what you just mentioned but I'm sure I can look it up.

The mixer

The headphones with microphone.

Thanks for your response. I really appreciate the help.

If you want to do it properly, you will want a USB Mixer that has both built in FX and Insert channels such as the Mackie ProFX8v2

And a dynamics processor Expander/Gate/Compressor/Limiter such as the DBX 166xs.

The mics connect to the mixer, then you use 2 Insert TRS(Tip-Ring-Sleeve) cables to run each mic into channel 1 and 2 on the back of the processor.

Inserts allow you to send audio to a processor and then back, all on the same cable (Example https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/STP201). It utilizes the 2 channels of a standard TRS connector, one to send, one to receive.

Because you have 2 mics in close proximity, the Expander and Gate will help limit spill from the other person talking further away, the compressor and limiter brings your dynamic range closer and boosts levels to increase your clarity.

This video explains how Inserts work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFArc1ZJdQw

Microphone:

• Audio-Technica AT2020 is totally solid (not the USB version obviously)
  
• Rode NT-1A would be a proper step up from there
  
  Since you're aiming to do everything in hardware, you will need a mixer, the Mackie 802vlz4 would be a decent option. Any Mixer that has solid preamps and effect inserts on the microphone channels will do here. Normally I'd prefer just using an audio interface, but they don't have inserts for hardware effects or volume controls for individual channels which you do need here.
  
  There are lots of mixers with integrated USB interfaces, but they don't usually allow you to send audio from the PC into the mixer and then back, they're just intended to allow recording the whole mix and often don't have proper drivers so they end up adding delay.
  
  Since this Mixer is purely analog, you need to add a really minimalistic audio interface like the ESI U24 XL or the Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 (which would already be somewhat overkill since it has mic preamps which you don't need).
  
  Finally, you need a proper compressor. For this part, someone else might have more to offer, don't have a very good overview over the market when it comes to hardware units like this.
  
  
• The DBX 266 XS should be very solid, has compressor and Gate/Expander
  
• FMR Audio RNC 1773 really nice, but more expensive option, and doesn't have a gate. You'd need to get another device for that purpose if you go for this one.
  
  This would be coming in at around $470 plus microphone. More if you go with the FMR compressor and a separate gate/expander.
  
  Oh, setup:
  
  Microphone -> Mixer -> Mixer FX insert -> Compressor/Gate -> Mixer FX return. The FX insert/return is actually one jack on the mixer, you need a splitter cable from stereo 1/4" to 2x mono 1/4" to use it.
  
  Mixer Master out -> USB Interface
  
  USB interface out -> Mixer (one of the stereo channels)
  
  Mixer headphone out -> well, headphones ;)

Hi, thanks for responding :)

I figure that a couple of these would be my best bet if I don't want to use a online voice chat right?

Also, with something like this would I be able to route inputs to the headphones/control room (not 100% what ctrl room is either) but not to the output and vice versa?

Thanks again :)

Well after you sent the first response, i went and dived straight into PA systems and shit and let me tell you its a headache starting off, but still. I have been looking to upgrade all recording equipment and shit when it came down to it (mixes and things of that sort). all of this was rEEEEAAAALLLLLY helpful man thanks so much!!!! But can i ask just one more small favor, i have a mixer in mind i'm looking to purchase in a few weeks and need to know if i need anything else for this and if this set up will work technical wise. I took all of that above into consideration whilst still learning tones of shit

I have a [Alesis MultiMix 4 USB Four-Channel] (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001T9O5VG/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=3N06IE5A4RNGV&coliid=I3R1C8ZWOCH4ET) i had in mind. i think all i could use is a 4 channel being quite honest. Do you think it is going to be of use to my situation? im buying XLR mics along with this with all the cables i think i need.

What do you think? This seems to work in my head but i lack the experience to know if it will all work so i can get 2 channels separately recording. and overall just work with audacity (or anything for that matter)

Thanks so so much again!

I used a Yeti for the first few years of my channel. I loved it and got great results from it, however the background noise was a bit too much so I knew eventually I'd want to switch to a dynamic (or at least a much better condenser).

My suggestion to people is to get an ATR2100 ($64) to start with as a USB microphone. Then, when you've saved up money and decided to go the next step, purchase a USB mixer (I have this one ($80), or you could use this one ($60) which is only one channel and cheaper). There's a noticeable difference between the USB and XLR interfaces of the ATR2100. Some people even like the USB better, I don't, but then again I'm adding EQ and compression through the mixer which for me yields better results than software effects.

Thanks. I really appreciate it! Your suggestion seems like a bit overkill for an audio pleb like myself. Would something like this work just as well for my purposes?

Regarding KVM (keyboard, video, mouse), 3 basic options (in no particular order):

• KVM switch (switches 1 or more monitors, plus the keyboard and mouse, between computers), or a USB switch to only the keyboard/mouse, and the monitors directly-conencted
  
  
• Synergy (or similar software); this sorta does like the USB switch option, except you don't have to "switch" between, just move the mouse between monitors, but it does require network connectivity between the "server" and "client" systems (probably the PC is the server and the Mac is the client, so the PC works if the Mac's off doing something elsewhere)
  
  
• Just remote into one of the two (probably the Mac from the PC, since the PC's static) and fullscreen the session; latency shouldn't be a concern on a local network, and you could use both monitors for the desktop if the Mac's not currently needed
  
  Number 3 would probably be my solution. About 90% of my work is remoted into a system somewhere else, and it's fast and easy to Windows or Linux; I don't have experience with remote-access to Macs (they're just not a significant presence in datacenters), but I can't imagine it's all that different.
  
  For audio (assuming stereo, not 2.1+) get a cheap small mixer (e.g. something like this, which is just the first thing that I searched up in Google), which would (safely) let you play multiple audio streams to the same speakers.
  
  If you're going to use the MBP with desktop stuff often, might be worth looking into a dock of some sort. That way you only have 1-2 cables, instead of at least 4.

I actually haven't - I contacted a guy about a Behringer 802 for £30 and haven't heard back. Have you any Mackie equivalent to the Behringer 802 you'd recommend off the top of your head? I'll go do some research in the meantime anyway! Cheers for the insight Jehos (Y)!

Quick EDIT: Just quickly googled it as I knew immediately I should have done.

• Saw a Mackie 402VLZ4 for about $100 (I work on £ so i'll need to snoop around). Looks decent.
  
  
• Or perhaps this?, the Mackie Mix5: https://www.musicmatter.co.uk/mackie-mix5?gclid=Cj0KEQiAhs3DBRDmu-rVkuif0N8BEiQAWuUJr-gwORyfEPJJqmDO9xvo_nNJ___FXbwHKtZp56il0FYaAiWA8P8HAQ
  
  
• I've also seen this - which seemingly has better reviews than the one above on amazon, the Alto Zephyer ZMX52
  https://www.amazon.co.uk/ALTO-PROFESSIONAL-ZMX52-Alto-Zephyer/dp/B004TM31QK/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_sims?ie=UTF8
  
  
• The Mix8 looks like a solid equivalent to the 802 - I think, maybe? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mackie-Mix8-Mixer/dp/B00Q8TGLEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1483977228&sr=1-1&keywords=mackie+mix8#
  
  I'm in a world of confusion, AHHHH!

OK awesome, thank you I will keep that in mind a long with the picture / diagram that I made. Looks like I will be investing in a smaller sound mixer - Are you aware of one any smaller / essential for this task other then the Behringer q502 USB?
ORRRRRR
Wouldn't the Behringer 1202USB Sound Mixer allow me to use the microphone pass through AND the whole task I am trying to get right now at the same time on this sound mixer?

I've been trying to get a similar solution but between two PC's. I'm not a streamer, I just want to listen to a feed both and adjust the volume as needed. I bought a Rolls MiniMixer II which does the job.

​

I use Line out 3.5 to RCA into the a pair of line ins into the MiniMixer - then from the line out into a headphone amp to push the feed into my headphones. I put a ground loop isolator to minimize hiss.

​

I've been happy so far, but I'm wondering if there is a better solution.

You can't turn one down without turning down the rest of the chain. At least, not without some likely menu-diving. You also have to try to manage all that gain-staging, creatively. You might be reducing your dynamic range, compositionally, for the sake of dancing the line between too quiet and clipping. There's just no beating a mixer, when it comes to, well, mixing.

I highly recommend getting a mixer. They have some reasonable portable ones now- the rolls and nady mixers come to mind. More featured ones have recorders built in, which could be helpful. Consider the Zoom R16 for this, as it gets plenty love. 8 inputs at a time. If you don't mind being plugged in, nab yourself a cheap behringer mixer used and keep it pushin. I'll link u in a sec, I'm at work lol.

edit: yeah, highly recommend a mixer, but you'll be find daisy-chaining while you research and save up. just be mindful of your needs and how you'll need to route your audio so you're minimizing compromise.

there is a Makie mixer with better preamps that will run quieter, the 402VLZ4 and the larger 802VLZ4.

But I promise you that what you really want is an interface, not a mixer. this one is very popular and will allow two mics. there are more expensive ones with more inputs. Then for a mixer, use a DAW. Reaper is free and fully functional.

This is the mixer that I bought. I'm not entirely sure I would recommend it though lol. Using the PS4's audio through the controller would create a noise floor when the controller was charging, which can get annoying. Other than that, functionally speaking it's perfectly fine and I still use it when I'm playing on the PS4 and wanting to listen to my PC (Teamspeak, Discord, videos, etc)

Really, any such small audio mixer will probably do the job. Do some more research about other solutions if you can find them though. I would be curious to see if there's a better way to do it.

I'd try using a small audio mixer (something like this, for reference), so you could send multiple inputs to one output (headphones/AMP), along with the ability to tune the volumes for each individual input. You'd have to make sure your mixer model supports the features of your headphones (stereo vs surround sound, frequency range, etc.), but I imagine you could find something decent for >$100.

For connecting to the PC, I'm assuming you'd either be using a dedicated sound card with a cable from it to the mixer, or use a USB adapter cable from it to the mixer. For connecting your PS4 to the mixer, you have a few options; optical cable, GameDac, USB Audio adapter, or HDMI Audio Extractor. It's up to you.

It sounds like a bit of a janky solution, but if you're already using an external AMP and you're only looking for stereo audio, the only extra piece you'd be getting at is the mixer itself. All of the other wires/boxes involved are what it take to connect your devices to your headphones either way.

Hi all! So i'm negotiating with someone to buy this mixer Yamaha EMX5000-20. A little context. The guy i'm talking to doesn't personally own it, he's just in charge of the very small campus organization that i used to mix on this very board for. They are looking to downsize since the Yamaha is big and heavy. He was planning on listing it online for $800. Which i think would be out of the question for anyone, not just me looking for an obnoxiously good deal. I don't want to pay more that $400 which is a tall order but i offered to earn that discount by assisting in getting him a good deal on the replacement system since his knowledge is limited and i know a seller.

So he said they had been looking at a [Mackie CR1604 VLZ] (https://reverb.com/item/441076-mackie-cr1604-vlz-16-channel-mic-line-mixer). Which is smaller and lighter but they still could do with half the channels. It's also unpowered but they are looking at active speakers. I was going to recommend something along these lines (or). Which is what i was considering for myself (the yamaha is overkill for the few friends weddings i'm doing) I don't have any other gear yet, was going to buy based on what happens with the board.

Is $800 insane for the yamaha?

Thoughts on the Amazon options? or am i stupid for considering Amazon? They are just always on sale!

I know it's long, any feedback would be awesome!

PS, does anyone know what year the Yamaha was discontinued?

I do this. Assuming you have speakers, even the cheapest 2.0 logitech speakers will be better thank your monitor speakers, get an affordable tn monitor for ~$150 (that's the low price in Canada) and then buy a cleap mixer and tie in the audio of your pc and console both in so you can have your pc and ps4 audio going in, and coming out of your speakers and headphones if you wish. Bonus is it will be far easier to change the volume and balance of each.

I can link you suggestions if you want! Also, for gaming, any monitor would have better response time than a tv. Also you'll have to go into "game mode" and even sometimes that doesn't make the lag useable

Or you can Buy something like 2 of these then put a chromecast on one, but if you have a laptop or a pc, 2 of those would be more than cheap enough to get two and dual monitor!

something like this would be more than enough for mixing the audio lines, but you can go and extra 10-20 bucks and get an actual audio mixer or get a beringer if you can get it for a similar cost

You dont have to know a LOT to get a good deal on a mic that will perform. I have two AT2020s and a Perception 200. Total spent? $50. The only reason i done have better quality on my podcast is I spend less time on the back end. As i stated before, and u/firelight pointed out, mine is portable so there is some give and take. Your best bet, IMO, would be a decent mixer (mine ran around $150 new ), some SM58s, and something similar to a tone port. This is going to give you the best bang for your buck. You do not need the same mixer that I have, a smaller one would suffice but I do other recording projects with our band from time to time so its kind of a jack of all trades.
edit
if you want to hear the change in quality look up Shiddy Cast Radio. (should be on mst podcast apps iTunes for sure) the first and third episodes have a HUGE difference. That was just from the mixer upgrade.

Pretty much what your looking for isnt going to work well. The problem is that mixing multiple audio sources causes attenuation. So essentially if you want to mix 3 signals and play them through headphones you're going to need a powered mixer, which are either very expensive or very shity. Powered mixer circuitry is expensive if you do it right.

To answer your question, yes the 1/4 inputs are stereo but im guessing that setup won't sound very good.

My suggestion is if your going to go with a Mixer get a Rolls brand one. Ideally you should get a analog (non-powered) mixer and run the output to a headphone amp (like a cheap O2). Personally I use this:

http://www.amazon.com/Rolls-MX42-Stereo-Mini-Mixer/dp/B00102ZN40/ref=sr_1_6?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1410043299&sr=1-6

and run it into my Lyr 2, and it works very well. But if you can't afford an amp then I would suggest going with something like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Rolls-MX51-Mini-Channel-Mixer/dp/B0002BG2S6/ref=sr_1_5?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1410043299&sr=1-5

I've never personally heard Samsons products but I know Rolls tends to make high quality equipment for the price range.

I just wanted to say I have a blue snowball and while it is good mic I do not recommend it. They went with using generic mic drivers on it instead of making their own and this has caused the mic to be very finicky. It seems to draw more power from USB than multiple ports on many pcs and often will not recognize as a device from reboot to reboot. I gave used two mics on two different pcs with the same result. If you do get it the most sure fire way to make it recognize is to plug it in after you finish boot up. Also it seems more stable on USB 3 plugs.

If you can save up for an XLR and a usb mixer (2 links) go with that because you can expand it later and you can get easy monitoring of your recording. If you go Snowball if you want to upgrade later you have to start all over because it is locked into USB output.

Well, you've got room to expand. :D I mean if you were to get something like a Verona DM-1 that's like 9 lines right there.

Probably helpful to start reading reviews wrap your head around the capabilities.

Mackie is a quality name in mixers.

Whatever you do, don't run out to guitar center and buy a behringer mixer. Behringer has a trash name for a reason, and a shitty mixer is just going to make everything sound like crap. Its not fun, its not joyful, but you can't cheap out on your mixer.

Alternatively, sell it, you might get $150 for it quickly, cheapest on reverb is $300 with a case. My 12 channel yamaha cost around that.

Something like this would suit your purposes probably.

Weighing the options, that thing is so overkill for anything you seem to be interested in doing, its going to be a huge dust collecting waste of space. I would get a small 6 channel mackie or yamaha mixer, they are pretty compact and you can even get them with built in effects if you so choose.

So far I have 0 pedals, but I'm wanting to do a Royal Blood setup, maybe playing just "rhythm guitar" for worship services. I was thinking that my best bet would be

ABY switch->Darkglass preamp for the bass side


ABY switch->micropog->pitchfork->Darkglass preamp for a guitar side

Run both lines into a mini mixer
and then a 10 band EQ and maybe a looper, and then out to an amp, DI, whatever.

Since then however, I've been considering the Helix or HX Stomp, and using Ableton Live/FL studio for the rest.

That would save me a little money and work but I'm not sure how functional it would be. Having no hands-on experience with any of this equipment means it's all theoretical for me so far. Help.

I used the older version of this for a while, and while it's not the greatest sound quality, it works and isn't too much money. It has the ability to plug into your computer so you can record.

No experience with this one, but it has decent reviews, is cheap, and would work for what you need with a little room to expand but no USB implementation.

And this is the one I'm currently using and really like. A lot of room to expand here. It has built in effects, but I don't think they sound very good. No USB either, but it's pretty cheap for what you're getting.

Take a look at the inputs on whichever one you decide on, as they may required some adapters (1/8" Stereo to 1/4" dual mono, etc...) to work with your setup. Let me know if you have any other questions.

That would do the job but it’s honestly a little lacking for that price range.

I’d honestly recommend this one

Little bit more money, but waaaay more features. It’ll also have pre/post fader switches which will be instrumental in the setup you’re talking about.

I am so lucky!

I just ordered all new audio stuff and by luck I got a cardioid Mic, a mixer with phantom power, and a pop filter.

Thanks so much for doing this! If you have a chance could you do a tutorial type post on how to adjust settings on a mixer? I bought this one: Mixer with this Mic: Mic

Just sent you a tiny tip on your channel. Thanks man!

I think I'd prefer simultaneously. In that case, would something like this do the job, along with some 3.5 mm to 1/4 inch adapters?

EDIT: If you could point out any other mixers then that would be great. Just looking for the best deal while still maintaining decent quality.

I am a novice turntable owner and I have a question about what speaker I should choose. I just don't want to buy the speakers and realize it's not a good fit..

My Current Setup:

• Fluance RT80 turntable. http://www.fluance.com/rt80-high-fidelity-vinyl-turntable-record-player-with-premium-cartridge-diamond-needle
  
• I decided to use my Audio Technica M50x headphones before buying speakers so I bought Alto Professional ZMX52 audio mixer. https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B004TM31QK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
  
• Currently I can listen to albums with my headphones.
  
  So I found this deal. http://www.fluance.com/catalog/product/view/id/360 The fluance customer support told me exactly this. "Regrettably the Alto Professionsl ZMX52 will not work with the RT80. The RT80 turntable needs to be connected to speakers with a builtin amplifier or it needs to be connected to a Receiver and speakers." Well I can use the audiomixer with the turntable already :) .
  
  Do you recommend this speaker? Can I connect it to my audiomixer?
  
  
  
  Thanks

Y-splitters often work fine. A lot of people will tell you that's not how you're supposed to use them, and they are right. However, in my understanding, (nearly?) all modern equipment is properly protected. I actually emailed both Korg and Novation about using a Y-splitter with my two synths, and they both said it was fine.

Korg did kindly point out that Behringer makes cheap mixers, starting at $25 :)

An aux input would be ideal for your needs, but if your amp doesn't have that then you need to mix the signals.

A cable like u/TheShakerDuster described exists, but it's more like two male 1/4" on one side and stereo aux on the other. Reason being that it is actually a two channels in, two channels out arrangement, with one 1/4" connected to each side of the stereo. Two inputs will not work with one output because it will allow the electronics at either side to interact in an unpredictable manner. It would connect your guitar directly to the headphone jack on your phone and vice versa.

If you want both your guitar and phone signals going into the instrument input of your amp then you're going to need a mixer. Here is an example although for your purposes you might be able to find one with a 3.5 stereo input, a 1/4" mono input, and 1/4" mono output.

As long as the mic came with its own mounting (which I assume it did), it should fit on any standard boom.

For home recording at a desk, in front of a screen (audiobooks/let's play/etc...) I'd recommend one of these puppies.

And don't forget your pop screen filter.

EDIT: Just read the "multiple people in a big room" part. Disregard the links.

EDIT 2: Looking at that mic you've got, it claims "Tight Cardioid pattern for superior off axis sound rejection." That means that it's going to try to reject most sounds that aren't coming directly into its recording path. If you can swing it, you should try for multiple microphones. (2 people can share 1 mic) Alesis makes a great, affordable little mixer that can help you manage multiple microphones.

Just remember, sound quality is a huge factor in a video. Most people forget that, and their projects end up seeming very amateurish. So even if you're just doing this as a hobby, try to hobby like a pro.

EDIT 3: Words

> MidiMan multi mix

I'm guessing those aren't made any more? Google'd and just found old hits from Ebay, etc.

I found this on Amazon - looks like maybe the modern version of it? It definitely is the closest thing I've found so far...but still way overkill. This will be my backup if I can't find it exactly. :-) Thanks!

Yeah, it's dusty. Will be getting to that.

So, for the curious, here is the setup.

The CD Player is a Sony CDP-690, and it appears to be one of the early models that has 2 DACs in it, one for right channel and one for left channel. I got it at Goodwill for $5.00 and needed to buy a new belt for it off of eBay for $5.00. Not bad for $10.00.

The reason why it was put away was because I redid my work desk. I originally had a receiver on it, and the CD player, and an EQ. It became a tad too crowded.

So, I paired everything down. I disconnected everything and bought a pair of JBL L305B MKII powered studio monitors and plugged them in my laptop. And I was listening to my music using MusicBee on my laptop from my ripped CDs.

Well, I also have an Amazon Echo Dot on my desk and I really wanted to be able to plug that into the speakers also. But I needed to be able to hear sounds my laptop was making (email notifications, skype, etc.) at the same time as hearing the Echo.

So, I did some Googling, and came across the Rolls MX51S mixer. I plugged the laptop into input 3 and the Echo into input 4 and could gloriously listen to my Echo speak and my computer make noise at the same time.

So, just a half hour ago, I said to myself "Hey, I have 2 other inputs!" So I plugged the CD player into Input 2 and fired up a CD.

There's just something about pulling a CD out and popping it into your CD Player and listening to a whole album that satisfies me.

The CD Player is sitting on a Monoprice Glass Shelf

That makes it easier. You can try the simplest solution first, use an AUX cable from the line out on the second PC into the line in on the primary and enable "Listen to this device" under Windows audio settings.

If you want to use hardware, you can get small stereo mixers in varying prices. There are passive mixers that could lower the volume on the stereo channel and active mixers that can keep the volume but also boost it.

Those are the best results I could weed out on Amazon that has stereo channels but I have no clue about the quality of those mixers as I have never used either of them. You will also need 3 pairs of 3.5mm to RCA cables, two for the computers and one for the headphone.

For Garageband - I'd recommend this: Alesis MultiMix 4.

That's what I use with Garageband and Ableton and love it. I like having physical knobs in front of me, as well as mic, guitar, and line inputs. I don't have mics at the moment but will be getting 2 soon so this mini mixer is perfect for the hobbylist/lite recorder.

HD webcams that are connected to the laptop just with regular usb?

Yes or via active usb extender cables such as
https://www.amazon.co.uk/BlueRigger-Active-Extension-Repeater-Female/dp/B005LJKEXS/ref=pd_lpo_147_bs_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=5XTF7EG145X9N1PZY2Z9

Any suggestion to which one? Could you suggest mics and mixer?
i use a cheap behringer usb mixer
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B008O516L0/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1481858123&sr=1-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=behringer+usb+mixer&dpPl=1&dpID=61gv6f5oIkL&ref=plSrch

many good quality mics available for under £100. you could even just use the mic on one of the USB cameras and do away with the mixer altogether if it was close enough to the person - audio quality will not be as good as using dedicated mics. if you let me know about the anticipated set up / scene you're wanting to broadcast i can advise in more detail

yeah, a DJ mixer.

You can find them used for cheap at yard sales and craigslist. The preamps may even be better than the built in AT one.

Barring that, use the line out and simply get a mini desk mixer from Mackie like the Mackie Mix5:

• https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-Mix-Mix5-5-Channel-Mixer/dp/B00ND1K8T6/
  
  ...or a passive controller like the Big Knob Passive:
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-BIG-KNOB-PASSIVE-Controller/dp/B01NCUZ32O
  

You could do most of this with a mixer. Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Xenyx-1204USB-Premium-12-Input/dp/B00871VO5Y/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=behringer+mixer&qid=1564543072&s=gateway&sr=8-6

would allow you to do everything except 3 pretty easily.

Connect your L and R channels to inputs 1 & 2 on the mixer.

1. Pan pots on the channel strips.
   
2. Faders on the channel strips
   
3. You'd need a separate box for this. Did a bit of hunting on summing bass to mono but didn't find any dedicated hardware.
   
4. EQ on the channel strips.
   
5. On most mixers with mute function, when you mute a channel it's redirected to another set of outputs labelled 'Alt 3-4'. If you connect the Alt 3-4 output to one of the Stereo Aux Returns - making sure to swap L/R on one end of the cable - then muting channels 1 & 2 will give you your stereo swap. Looks like you'll have to go to 6 or 8 channels to get channel mutes though, which is overkill for what you're doing. On the plus side, it would allow you this control from multiple sources.

Alright, I know this probably doesn't completely fit into the purpose of this thread, but I figured peeps here would still know a hell of a lot more than me about this stuff... Would love to be able to adjust audio from multiple sources for one pair of headphones without getting a crazy mixer right now....is there anything somewhat similar to the simplicity of [this mixer] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000KGYAYQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_XDHrzb54F22YY), but stereo, not mono? Or is the best option for something like this basically the [Q802] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008O517IC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_Vpcszb8YRQWGF)?

I'm currently shopping for the same setup right now! Here is what I've found on amazon.

The mixer I found is this 5-channel mixer. It has the headphone connection you wanted and has all around great reviews.

For the amp I found [this] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07PJVM79X/ref=ox_sc_act_image_1?smid=ATV3LXZ3ZXOW8&psc=1). It has basic EQ and a separate volume adjustment for a sub.

I'll be getting this duo for $130. I think it'll be great.

The NW-700 is a decent mic for the money but you should probably use dynamic mics instead of a condenser mic. You’ll have a lot of issues with sound bleeding with 5 condenser mics in a room.

You could get 2 of these.
3x mic pack

That way you also don’t need phantom power.

Then you can pick up a better mixer with something like this.
mixer

Lastly, you can get 5 Neewer boom arm with XLR cables inside the arm for $18

That puts tour total at about $370 for the setup or about $75 each.

If that's the case, you might be better off buying active powered PA speakers. Most home theater speakers aren't going to be able to handle the volume you're probably going to throw at them. You won't have to buy a receiver either, because these speakers have their own power source.

These speakers would be good, and you'd need a mixer like this (and power supply to hook your source up to, using this cable.

We had a system similar to this in our frat house in college, and those speakers were just about indestructible and ridiculously loud. You can also add a subwoofer (or two) if you want.

Edit: Forgot about speaker cables.

You can also skip the mixer and just directly hook up your audio source to the speakers using this.

Sorry to hijack your responses, but I have a Behringer X1222USB Xenyx 16 Input 2/2 Bus Mixer and was wondering if you could recommend any "cheap" wireless microphone setups at all. Would like to walk around my apartment and talk into a mic that is attached to me.

Thought I'd ask since you've been surrounded by this kinda stuff for years :)

I went with the Mackie ProFX8. I followed the same advice of "get more channels than you need". Bought one that was marked as used but never opened on eBay during the holiday season for about $100 off the new price. Its been a great mixer for my needs.

As Kic said, you can opt to convert to a sound card-compatible interface, but most creators I know go the route of a XLR to USB converter like the Focusrite Scarlett solo, Behringer Q802USB Mixer or XENYX QX1002USB mixer.

Here's a typical XLR cord. Don't get the cheapest one, but you don't have to get a super fancy one either.

I think it's easier if I just explain what I use.

My drums are mic'ed into the Scarlett 18i20 interface which offers output mixing through its software. I then have my DAW (Reaper) recording while the interface sends the raw signal into a mixer which sits next to the kit (this one). I can then run another output from the PC with the track/click I'm recording to, and mix those two signals accordingly. I then use these in ear monitors which do a good job of blocking out my drums' acoustics and let me listen to just the mix at whatever volume I'm comfortable with.

Pretty simple setup.

Any old 4 channel mixer with USB output should work pretty well.

https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Multimix-4-Channel-Effects-Interface/dp/B00IPF9DX2

This is just an example there's probably cheaper models.

The USB will go to your PC, and ALL of your audio will go into it.
Connect a headset and mic, you should be good to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSqOQtwgG90

This video could help, i dunno.

Well in this hypothetical, assuming my friend doesn't live in a van down by the river, couldn't we share his amp, iPhone, tablet or computer while we jam? But if you're going to jam with your friend at his house and he only has a single input on his amp, perhaps he was equally foolish and bought a Fender frontman 10G then I guess I need a 1/4" Y splitter for $5.00.

https://www.amazon.com/Hosa-YPP-118-inch-Dual-Cable/dp/B000068O56/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1480701257&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=1%2F4+Y+splitter

But if that's what I do, if that's how I play guitar, then there are other types of gear I'd spend money on:

https://www.amazon.ca/Behringer-MX400-Ultra-Low-Noise-4-Channel/dp/B000KGYAYQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480701616&sr=8-1&keywords=4+channel+mixer

https://www.amazon.ca/Mackie-402VLZ4-4-Channel-Compact-Mixer/dp/B00EDRUQXC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480701709&sr=8-2&keywords=4+Channel+mixer

Any of these three purchases are for gear that I will use and reuse if I become a professional musician. The Frontman 10G, I will discard into the trash bin when I get a good practice amp or rig.

I got this one for the same purpose (without realising the speakers I was trying to connect had an auto-sleep function sigh) but the mixer seems great quality and I've kept it around because it might be handy in future.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-MX400-Micromix-Noise-Channel/dp/B000KGYAYQ

Apologies for the UK link if you are from elsewhere. You should be able to find the same item on your local store though. As mentioned you'll want to get some 3.5mm-1/4" adapters as well though.

Hi,

Sorry in advance, I'm a beginner

I'm looking for an audio device that will take, let's say, 4 audio inputs and 4 audio outputs, preferably just simple 3.5mm or 6.35mm audio jacks, and will have volume knobs for each input/output combination, as shown in diagram.

Diagram: https://imgur.com/a/r6GT2Ap

So pretty much I'm looking for something that will combine 4 of these devices into one device:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Behringer-MX400-Micromix-Noise-Channel/dp/B000KGYAYQ/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=behringer+audio+amp&qid=1569795390&s=gateway&sr=8-3

Any help is much appreciated.

Update: the radioshack switch didn't work at all. For whatever reason the audio coming in on its RCA video input didn't trigger it to auto-select.

What I did find, though, is an equally good solution that works for my case. Since I only plan on having a single input playing at a time, I can use a mixer to achieve the same goal. All inputs all the time, instead of playing just the one with music on.

Similar incongruous options compared to what I want, but at least options are out there. Most seem targeted at 1/4" and Mono inputs/ouputs. A lot have 1 set of stereo-capable RCA inputs, but I specifically need (at a minimum) 2 sets of stereo RCA inputs. I could also use an adapter to convert to stereo 1/4", but pretty sure all the 1/4" inputs are mono. Here are some examples that might work:

Looked good at first, but complaints that the output is too weak (it's passive apparently)
http://www.amazon.com/Rolls-MX42-Stereo-Mini-Mixer/dp/B00102ZN40

3 stereo RCA inputs & stereo RCA output:
http://www.amazon.com/rolls-MX51S-Mini-Mix-Mixer/dp/B0002BG2S6

Has 2 RCA stereo inputs, but A/C adapter is sold separately and it's radioshack brand...
http://www.amazon.com/RadioShack-Stereo-4-Channel-Microphone-Mixer/dp/B0050ZP1OU

Sorry I forgot to link :x. This is the one I use in my setup rolls mixer. I have my computer, Nintendo switch, and music all routed through it. I was tired of switching devices or not being able to get them through my speakers or headphones at the same time. What's cool about it is that you can run it to an amp or just plug in headphones and switch between them at will. It's obviously a more expensive solution though.

Edit: and you could then run the audio from the switch's display to the unit as rca and from the computer to the unit as rca and you wouldn't need to mess with the 3.5mm plug all the time. Then you have the option of using one or both devices without any configuration.

Btw sweet rig, hope that helps!

^ This.

Also, if you want to get a bit of the ambience of the stage/room, plug in another mic (or two, for a good stereo mix) and add that into the mix so it doesn't sound so dry. It helps, trust me.


in which case, this would help.. http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-XENYX-X1204USB-12-Channel-Mixer/dp/B0039PPW60/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1396237588&sr=1-1&keywords=behringer+1204

First, what is the Recording device? Computer? Smart Phone? Other?

There are relatively simple Mixers that could be of benefit.

This particular mixer has 4 inputs and both analog and USB output -

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q802USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B008O517IC/

Here is an even more basic model -

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002BG2S6/

The Smart Phone Mixer would likely work too -

https://www.amazon.com/Roland-GO-MIXER-Smartphones-GOMIXER/dp/B01MYC4DVP/

Decent functional microphone can be bought relatively cheap -

https://www.parts-express.com/pyle-pdmic59-professional-handheld-unidirectional-dynamic-microphone-with-on-off-switch---248-4726

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/vocal-microphones/765

https://www.parts-express.com/cat/headworn-headset-microphones/757

There are components made for Podcasting, and even complete Podcasting Packages -

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=podcast+system

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-PODCASTUDIO-USB-BEHRINGER/dp/B000PARIZU/

Podcast directly to your phone -

https://www.amazon.com/Movo-Executive-Microphone-Monitoring-Smartphones/dp/B019HQHXN4/
What you are trying to connect to, that is, the recording device, your budget, and whether this is audio only, or audio and video will be the deciding factors.

Just listened to some of your other stuff. You sound pretty damn good for not having an interface! But if you get one, it will help a lot.

There are a lot of options, just depends how much you want to spend. I'm sure there are better ones, but I have this one and I like it: https://www.amazon.com/Alesis-Multimix-4-Channel-Effects-Interface/dp/B00IPF9DX2

I'm using this small mixer for the Volcas and random small gear:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000KGYAYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1408515182&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40

It's probably not a the best mixer but it sounds good enough to me.

To get a stereo sound from it you need this $3 adapter as well http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003DBTAZ4/ref=pd_aw_sims_2?pi=SL500_SS115&simLd=1

You would then also need at least three 3.5mm stereo male to 3.5mm stereo male cables to connect stuff to it, as well as 3-5 of this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000068O3T/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?qid=1408515974&sr=8-3&pi=SY200_QL40

Mixer wise, it looks like I'm needing something like [this] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VUU7B7E/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_7t15ybQ59V0M1), right? Cause I'd need the 6 XLR inputs for everyone? It's a steep price for something I currently do as a hobby, but i could save up for it, and possibly the rest of the cast would chip in.

OK, thanks so much for all your help!

Would this be similar enough to your first suggestion?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Numark-MultiMix-USB-FX-mixers/dp/B00IPF9DX2/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1450373354&sr=1-1-fkmr1&keywords=Numark+M6+USB+4-Channel+DJ+Mixer

Go for a stand alone mixer that has a USB interface. It costs more than the one you're looking at, but not that much. I'm afraid you'll quickly outgrow the mixer you showed. Plus you'll eventually want a USB interface.

http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-XENYX-X1204USB-12-Channel-Mixer/dp/B0039PPW60/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1377547611&sr=1-2&keywords=Behringer+QX1222USB+XENYX+USB+Mixer

Good Luck!

If you go with this mixer instead of the Fiio, then it will have plenty of oomph to amplify the pickup into headphones. It will also take an additional stereo mic, if you want to have more sound-isolating headphones and yet still hear the rest of the ensemble.
Be aware that it is really easy to turn headphones up to dangerous sound levels without being conscious that you are doing so.
I know a bunch of musicians at the highest level who play with either foam earplugs or have had an audiologist take a mold to make custom musicians' earplugs.
I also think you will be much much happier in the long run if you choose a better pickup such as the Fishman.

To listen to more than one audio source at a time, a mixer.

• JUST MIXER $43
  
• JUST MIXER 2 $49.
  
• Rolls MX42 Stereo Mini Mixer $49.
  
• ANLEON Stereo Mini Mixer $49.
  
• Rolls MX51S Mini Mix 2 Four-Channel Stereo Line Mixer $54.
  
  To stay in a $100 budget, you could start with $50 6-1/2" 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker Pair and Hi-Fi Mini Amplifier Bundle then upgrade just the speakers or just the amp one part at a time later. To add a subwoofer later, one with speaker level inputs. Speaker Wire Only Sub Hookup
  
  Or Edifier R980T 4in Active Bookshelf Speakers $55 refurbished. To add a subwoofer, split the signal.
  
  If you don't want a mixer, add a switcher for one audio source at a time. Panlong 4-Way AV Switch RCA Switcher 4 in 1 $11.
  
  Home Audio Guides:
  
  
• Intro to home stereo systems
  
• Zeos Tutorials, Diagrams and Videos
  
• Guide to Home Audio
  
• AverageJoeAudiophile's Guides
  
  Speaker Positioning:
  
  
• HEY YOU! Get Those Speakers Off Your Desktop/Shelf
  
• How to position your speakers for great sound
  
• Speaker Placement for Stereo Music Listening

For that cost you won't find a mixer than can do any kind of multi tracking via USB. Usually you'll just get a 2 track left and right out. You could probably do this with an audio interface of some kind.

Your main outputs are for your main speakers, if you're just recording you could mix your monitors like that and not run mains. I would be looking for something with a few aux outputs that you could use for monitors because you could then send just your vocal channels to them.

How many inputs are you talking about recording?
Something like a Behringer Xenyx would work, but again you'd be limited to recording JUST your left and right output, so you wouldn't be able to mix anything after the fact. There are a lot of little boards like this that might fit the bill depending on your needs. Yamaha, Allen and Heathe, Mackie, so on and so forth.
https://smile.amazon.com/Behringer-X1222USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX-x/dp/B0036ECH1M/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1543530825&sr=8-3&keywords=behringer+xenyx

Other option is picking up an audio interface that would allow you to multi track in some software and send some outputs to your monitors, but your money probably won't go as far per input.

[The cheapest audio mixer that seems to be pretty good quality. ](https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d
/B000KGYAYQ/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1484857054&sr=8-4&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=audio+mixer&dpPl=1&dpID=41SynHPP6RL&ref=plSrch)

Take my advice with a grain of salt, I highly recommend reading reviews to see what other people think of it.

The presonus fader port isn't really going to be of any use if you are doing multitrack mixing. It is useful if your just demoing/playback a track that is already mixed.


There is no such thing as "best" for FL studio. There is only what fits your needs. So you need to figure out what your trying to do and invest in a tool that helps you with or fulfills that need.


Obviously digital consoles would work best with FL studio but an analog console will also work. For example, lots of twitch streamers use analog consoles like this one. I don't recommend Berhinger as a brand. Instead a Mackie would be a better choice. Such as this one


There is also mastering consoles but they tend to be very expensive.

there isn't a mixer that takes USB mics, I'm pretty happy with the Behringer X1204USB I got last december. I'd also recommend the AT2005 USB mic. It has both USB and XLR and is usually around $60. It's a dynamic mic that works well and the mixer has the capacity to have 4 of them.

For an arm, I have a cheap Newwer Mic Boom that works well, but I don't think it'd hold up under a lot of stress. It's a good starter though and has a XLR cable built into it.

Here's what I use:

Behringer C-1

Innogear phantom power

Rolls MinimixII

I also run the minimix into a Korg Kaoss Pad Mini-KP to add effects and just play around with.

Instead of the USB, you can use the analog line-in or mic-in on your mobo, which will probably allow you to achieve a higher sample rate than USB. You'll also need to make sure that you have all the wires you need, and that they are long enough. Also, while most mixers with an XLR input will claim to carry phantom power on-board, you'll want to make sure that it provides the ample voltage for your microphone.

Thank you, I'm very grateful (I wasn't able to wrap my head around it all)!

One last question to finish out: let's say I purchased something with a USB out (like this: https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-PROFX8V2-8-Channel-Compact-Effects/dp/B00VUU77XW), then connected all the microphones with the adapters to this mixer, and also connected the mixer to the PC. If I then opened a program like Audacity, would it show and be able to record all the streams into one file (mp3 or the like)?

I never messed with midi to mp3. I recorded my music through the track recording of my YPG-625 and used the audio out port to connect the piano to my computer's usb ( Guitar Bass To USB Link Cable Adapter... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00834KJ60 ). I changed audio in (using Audacity) to USB instead of Mic jack. So after I recorded a piece on the keyboard, I just hit record and pressed play. Not the most efficient way of doing it but hey it worked lol

Edit: now that I have a decent job, I'd probably use something like this BEHRINGER XENYX X1204USB https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039PPW60

I highly recommend this one. With the built in FX theres alot of fun options to play around with.

Behringer QX1002USB Premium 10-Input 2-Bus Mixer, KLARK TEKNIK Multi-FX Processor https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B008O516L0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_MXSxybG4VYKE2

I'm basically doing something similar just with a much smaller Mackie PROFX8V2 8-channel mixer

Here's my setup:

• Ch. 1 - Microphone
  
• Ch. 2 - Nothing
  
• Ch. 3/4 - Xbox/PS4 game sound coming from an HDMI switch with audio out
  
• Ch. 5/6 - PC sound (notification, games, discord, music)
  
• Ch. 7/8 - Party Chat from PS4
  
• FX send - Mic goes to PS4 for party chat
  
• Aux Send - Mic goes to PC for Discord chat
  
  I just discovered an open source application for Google Play music so I'm actually going to route GPM to channel 7/8 and then send PS4 Party Chat to "Tape In". So I can separately control the volume with the mixer knob than trying to alt-tab away from a game or something. That application is great, it actually lets me control it using my keyboard media keys instead of having to try and do things through chrome. I was using spotify for a while, but didn't want to pay for both services.
  
  Uitimately I'd like to be able to route more things to the mixer to individually control things, but I don't have enough channels or space on my desk for a larger mixer. Eventually when the kids move out I'll move my office to the basement and get a second smaller desk next to me and get a bigger mixer there, but for now this is good enough.
  
  I also haven't experimented much with the USB connection so I don't know how that works exactly. Also don't know how channel 2 works. I've tried routing a 3.5mm to 1/4 cable to it for sound but only got sound coming from the left side. Figured it was meant for mic's only.

> It easily could be a bad mixer, cable or some real weirdness in the system somewhere. We'll see. Behringer usually is good enough to start with. Lots of much better equipment that is complete overkill for us out there.

Oh definitely . I didn't mean to make it sound like its shit. It really is a good enough mixer for most. Just noticed that it has a few reviews mentioning hissing. [amazon link]
(https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q802USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/product-reviews/B008O517IC/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_hist_2?ie=UTF8&filterByStar=two_star&reviewerType=avp_only_reviews&pageNumber=1#reviews-filter-bar) Though many people got a perfectly fine unit. It's worth trying to isolate the problem, to see where the problem might be, and if it is a problem with the mixer it self, and they didn't want to risk picking up another faulty one there are options.

Mackie ProFX4V2(analog only you'll need a separate audio interface.)

This might be better. Mackie Onyx Blackjack 2x2 USB Recording Interface

PreSonus Audio Box 2x2

The way I see it, USB mics simply aren't as versatile as XLR. I'd rather have an external mixer or pre-amp any day. That way, you can swap mics, try new ones, and mess around with different setups a lot easier. If you're really just looking for a no frills, no noise way to connect to your computer, check out the Alesis MultiMix 4. Best I've found for under $100. That, along with a decent condenser or even a basic Shure SM58 in a good room will give you a really solid sound well under your budget.

Right, slightly more expensive then sorry: Rolls MX51

I have the Sennheiser HD 555 and I really like them so I can directly recommend the 558. However, I haven't personally tried the Q701 but comparing their frequency response, they should both sound pretty similar. ( http://graphs.headphone.com/graphCompare.php?graphType=0&graphID[]=2861&graphID[]=2931&scale=30 )

Not a bare-bones budget, but I think if I could spend less than $500, that would be good. I'm starting to eye this Behringer mixer with four XLR channels because I would like the option to record up to four people in person at some point in the future. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0039PPW60/?coliid=I1U6WT72X04TT2&colid=CO55CD5WF43M&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

Okay, thanks for the help. I still don't understand the difference between a mixer and interface though. Doesn't this do the same thing as this?

Ok; you'll need two things.

First, you need a device to convert the optical from the ps4 to analog. A simple dac like the fiio d03k will do the trick, as will an hdmi audio extractor. If you're interested, I have a d03k for sale over on hardware swap.

From there you need something with inputs and separate volume knobs for each input. A mixer will work, but so will something simple like this.

All you need to do is plug an optical from the ps4 to the dac/audio extractor, then an RCA cable from the dac/audio extractor to one of the inputs on the mixer. Then from your PC, you'll need a 3.5mm to RCA cable to go from your PC's line out to another input on the mixer.

I hope this helps out some.

One more thing that will work, but is much simpler, is a usb mixer. Those can be more expensive though, but here's a decent one that's not too expensive.

if you want more control you need a audio interface board, i use a Alesis 4 channel mixer and i can control bass, treble and other things. http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-MultiMix-USB-Four-Channel-Mixer/dp/B001T9O5VG you might be able to find it cheaper but thats what im using atm and i love it

TBD. We were honestly hoping to get a few episodes in the can before making any major investments, but that might be unavoidable. Here's what I'm looking at so far:

Mixer option 1

Mixer option 2

Mics

Audio out to laptop

XLR cables for phantom power

The mics each come with an XLR to 3.5mm cable which would be swapped out. I'm leaning more toward 4 mics and to have people share mics if we have additional guests. 4 is probably more realistic than 6.

So this might work, but it really is not what you want to do. A splitter is to take one output to two inputs, like splitting the output of a headphone jack to two pairs of headphones. You want to take two outputs into one input. A splitter might work for these levels but it is not the right way of doing it and you will not have any control of the volume mix between the two devices. If you really wanted to do this right you would find a small audio mixer. Something like this, https://www.amazon.com/FIFINE-Low-Noise-Sub-Mixing-adapter-Ideal-Microphones/dp/B07QDN6Z83 .

As someone else posted, if you leave your PC on all the time you can have the Chromecast audio plugged into the line in of the PC. You are basically using the PC as a mixer, in fact you will open up the audio mixer controls to set the volume.

Agreed. You need an external mixer that can dual as a soundcard. There are a few good candidates out there that would fit this description.



Budget: https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Xenyx-1204USB-Premium-12-Input/dp/B0039PPW60



Mid Tier: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ZED14



High End: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SLCS18AI

60$ https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q502USB-Xenyx/dp/B00CTKI10A/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1508983694&sr=1-1&keywords=q502usb

80$. https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Q802USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B008O517IC/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1508983894&sr=1-1&keywords=q802usb




These are pretty good, second one brings a compressor built in. I personally use (100$)https://www.guitarcenter.com/Alesis/Mixers.gc#/Alesis/MultiMix-4-USB-FX-4-Channel-Mixer-with-Effects-USB-Audio-Interface.gc

If I understand what you want to do correctly:

Since the 2i2 only has 2 ins, I think what you're looking for is a "studio mixer"

http://www.amazon.com/Mackie-802VLZ4-8-channel-Compact-Quality/dp/B00EDHWLFI

I am not necessarily recommending that particular mixer, but just as an idea of what it is, perhaps other users here can give a good recommendation.

You would route your PC's audio into the mixer, the turntable's audio into the mixer, and the iphone cable into the mixer on 3 separate channels and then the mixer's master out would route into your sound card (The 2i2) at LINE LEVEL. This would allow you to listen to and record from all 3 of those sources simultaneously or independently without unplugging anything ever

I don't have any experience with it personally, but my friends all recommended http://www.amazon.com/Alesis-MultiMix-USB-Four-Channel-Mixer/dp/B001T9O5VG for me when I was asking around.

You’re right about needing a 2 channel mixer. Here’s a link to a very small, cheap, and simple mixer. I’m assuming you don’t need anything super robust and high quality. This will get the job done. You’ll just need a 1/4 to 1/8 adapter for your audio input.

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Micromix-MX400-Low-Noise-4-Channel/dp/B000KGYAYQ

tyfogob is correct, no computer needed for most mixers.

The cheapest and easiest mixer I know of is the Behringer Micromix but it only controls volume.

For a little more you can get a mixer with gain, pan, aux in, and other features. I have an Alto mixer that I got used for cheap at a Guitar Center.

I asked a similar question a long time ago, and was recommended a mixer.

Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BG2S6/

I never got around to buying one, so I can't say whether that model is a good one or not.

A lot of mixers have 1/4" mono inputs, but with some adapter cables I'm sure you could make something like this work.

If you ever want to have callers/skypers/etc. on your show, make sure you get one that you can do a mix-minus with. Basically you'll want a mon-send or an fx-send. Look for at least a 2-bus mixer or you'll be limited to a single mix-minus connection.

I have a Behringer Q802USB - I should have just bought the 802 (not USB) for $15 less. Here's a little secrete I didn't know when I bought it - you can't use the USB bi-directionally. You're EITHER sending audio to the PC or receiving audio from the PC. So it didn't work for my needs to monitoring incoming audio from the PC and send my mic feed at the same time. I ended up buying a UCA202 USB interface and that solved my problem.

You'll hear the Behringer's are noisy. They are. If you drive the gain it gets really hissy. BUT keep the levels down and it works just fine. For under $80 it's really hard to beat.

If you're on a budget, and want to record 3 mic, I would maybe take a look at these:

Behring 1202
http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-1202-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B000J5Y282/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1421430697&sr=8-1&keywords=behringer+1202

Alto Professional ZMX122FX
http://www.amazon.com/Alto-Professional-ZMX122FX-8-Channel-Preamps/dp/B004TM31FG/ref=sr_1_2?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1421430794&sr=1-2

Mackie 802VLZ4
http://www.amazon.com/Mackie-802VLZ4-8-channel-Compact-Quality/dp/B00EDHWLFI/ref=sr_1_33?ie=UTF8&qid=1421430841&sr=8-33&keywords=audio+mixer

Yamaha MG10XU
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-MG10XU-10-Input-Stereo-Mixer/dp/B00IBIVL42/ref=sr_1_61?ie=UTF8&qid=1421430887&sr=8-61&keywords=audio+mixer

For a really inexpensive 2-bus mixer with a sub-group, maybe the Behringer Eurorack UB1204. You get 2 aux sends + a 3-4 submix. I've not heard anything about these mixers - so I can't tell you if the mic pres are at all acceptable. Anyone will tell you if you're serious to stay away from Behringer.
http://www.amazon.com/Behringer-UB1204-PRO-BEHRINGER-EURORACK/dp/B00551VDIM/ref=sr_1_sc_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1421430950&sr=8-2-spell&keywords=behringer+euroack

You could just use a y-cable, but you should really use a mixer. The y-cable cuts the signal in half from each of the input devices, and allows one device to back-feed into the other. I've never seen problems with this, but you should really use a mixer.

Simple 4-channel un-powered mixers like this one will allow you to adjust the relative levels of each input. These are still not amplified, though, so you can't get more out of them than you put in.

On the other hand I have one of these on my desk. It would be perfect for mixing your computer and a Dot, and still have an extra port for your phone and tablet. This one is amplified, too, so it doesn't crush down the signal to nothing.

Use a mixer like this just an older version. and a headphone amp like this again just an older version. We've been rehearsing like this for years.

You should be able to solve your problem for around $50.

I did a lot of research on this a while back for my desk setup. Ended up passing, but I found both of these came pretty highly reviewed:

• Rolls MX42
  
• Rolls MX41b
  
  Let me know how it goes!

Playing the devils advocate here.

Image I were to take back the interface. And input the microphones with Cloudlifters directly to BEHRINGER XENYX X2222USB so they each have individual pre-amps > Then I run dual xlr's from the main out into the single xlr of the DBX > Then TRS from output into A solo interface > DAW

I want to remove any post production and be able to provide clear live feed. Which is why id like to keep the DBX in the loop.

Or would it still be better to run directly into the interface with cloudlifters?

I looked at reviews for your mixer, seems like some models have the fuzz sound that you usually get for low quality mixers. Try this out and see if it helps you.

If you listened to raw vocals of famous artists, your current setup won't come close to it. Try to do as trees said and either change some settings, or find a better environment (one with less echo). Hang up some sheets if you need to. Anyway, your question is answered (no), and I told you things that go into making high quality raw vocals, so it's up to you to search or ask away I guess.

Option 1

Option 2

You can buy one or more of either of these and pair them with the appropriate 1/8" extension(s) (e.g., m to m or m to f depending on what cables you already have)

If you'd like to take a more proper approach to this, then here's option 3. An upside to this mixer is that it's passive (requires no power).

Option 4 is another approach that has some professional features (e.g., xlr input).

I hope this helps!

I use one of these:

https://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-MG12XU-12-Input-4-Bus-Effects/dp/B00IBIVLKQ/

There's also:

https://www.amazon.com/Mackie-PROFX12V2-12-Channel-Compact-Effects/dp/B00VUU7B7E/

https://www.amazon.com/Alto-Professional-Live-1202-12-Channel/dp/B00HG8WGU6/

Etc.

The biggest difference would probably be a better mic preamp in something with a bit larger $tag. You're still not getting premium preamps or plugs, but they're generally going to be better than what a basic, el-cheapo mixer offers.

Here's a copy/paste from a thread a while ago. This setup is kind of expensive, but it's a good setup if you plan on podcasting for a long time. If you're looking at running a show with multiple hosts/guests in-studio and via Skype, this is a good setup to have.

Also, I had bad experiences with Behringer mixers. They're fairly cheap but they don't last long. I had one for maybe three days and hated it. There was a loud hissing noise every time we'd record. I've heard other people have the same problem. I've also heard the reason Behringer is so cheap is they're assembled with the cheapest components. So that's why they don't last very long.

"First off, I wouldn't recommend garageband for recording or editing. It's a resource hog that eats up your ram. I've had it freeze up in the middle of recording before and while editing. I recommend going with Audacity. It's not as user friendly as garageband but it's reliable. I recorded for 2.5 hours in one sitting with no problems.

As for a mixer, I highly recommend the Alesis MultiMix 8 USB. You just plug it into the USB of your laptop, adjust the sound settings on whatever program your recording into and you're set. You can use it to pull audio from the laptop (ie Skype call or YouTube video) into the mix.

There's also the Alesis MultiMix 4 USB. It's cheaper, has less bells and whistles but it works just as well. Though, you'll need this cord if you want to pull audio from the laptop.

In order to hook up multiple Headphones with these mixers, you'll need a headphone amp.

As for mics, the Audio-Technica ATR2100 is a great mic for the price. And it's got xlr and USB cords."

When I wrote that, the Audio Technica mics were $30 a pop. Now they're almost twice as much. I've been podcasting with mine for over a year and a half and it still works great.

Here's a link to my podcast, in case you want to gauge the audio quality of this setup.

>What is your ultimate goal. What do you want to do?

It's a podcast talking about geek stuff. Two other guys are interested in doing it with me, so I want to make sure that I can have three mics going at once.

Would this particular mixer allow me to do that? As far as I understand, 4-channel means I can have four different inputs, it could handle three microphones.

I would splurge a bit more for

http://amzn.com/B0039PPW60

I have the bigger version of this, and it had a bit of a learning curve, but once i got it all figured out, everything works great.

The usb allows you to record the output via usb instead of messing with adapters from RCA. If you want to record audio using the computer as a source ( music/videos/etc ), do not use the usb line in option, it really limits you, use a 3.5mm to double 1/4 inch and put it into one of the balanced channels past the 4 unbalanced ones. Get a good cable, otherwise there's bad hum. Also, i found a headphone amplifier was incredibly helpful when having several people on shows, they could each have headphones with independent volume control, i got this one:

http://amzn.com/B003M8NVFS

I noticed, you could not just use a stereo 1/4 inch cable from headphone out to headphone amp, it wasn't coming through stereo, so i ran RCA output to 1/4 inch stereo to the headphone amplifier, and BAM worked.

I'm not an expert, so i could be wrong about all of this, just what i've done after hours of tinkering.

You want to mix the voice chat from your phone with the audio from the game. Effectively, you need a mixer, not a splitter. That would be something like this https://www.amazon.com/rolls-MX51S-Mini-Mix-Mixer/dp/B0002BG2S6

Google Voice is free. Here's my setup:

I got a used Mackie mixer off of Craigslist for less than $200. I run it into my PC with a set of stereo audio cables and I plug both the mic and headphones into the mixer. My setup works great. Here's my setup:
Microphone: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QJOZS4/ref=sr_ph_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1463590499&sr=sr-1&keywords=audio+technica+atr2100
Mixer: http://www.amazon.com/Mackie-802VLZ4-8-channel-Compact-Quality/dp/B00EDHWLFI/ref=sr_1_8?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1463590526&sr=1-8&keywords=mackie+mixer
headphones (although you don't have to spend this much): http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-Professional-Diaphragm-Headphone/dp/B000AJIF4E/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1463590609&sr=1-1&keywords=sony+headphones+mdr7506
cables: (these aren't my brand, but you need two sets of this kind of cable)
http://www.amazon.com/Hosa-CMP-153-Stereo-Breakout-Cable/dp/B000068O3C/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1463590655&sr=1-1&keywords=quarter+inch+male+to+.35mm+male

The volcas have built in speakers, so you'll be able to play and hear both at the same time with no extra equipment! But, if you need a cheap mixer to have both go into one set of headphones (if you have roommates who maybe don't want to have to listen in as you slowly learn new instruments), a lot of people are suggesting the Basil Dude, which is great. An even cheaper option is the Behringer Micromix, though it's not battery powered, and all the ins/outs are 1/4 inch mono, so you'll need to grab some of these for the inputs and one of these for the output. But, the cost of all that is still less than half of the cost of a Dude.

i use this one.

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-1002B-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B0027B41P0/

cheapest one i could find when i was looking that had faders. it's nice and solid and works well.

[This is the mixer I have for example.] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0027B41P0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1) On the top right there is a main send, phones, mon send and fx send. For this mixer you would turn down the red(mon) knobs for each channel except for channel 1, your mic, to isolate it. Then you would connect the mon send to your mic line in with a 1/4" to 3.5mm cable. Then you could either use the 1/4" or rca output to send all the sound to your pc, which is what you will be hearing through your headphones.

Edit: It looks like the mixer you linked has these features :)

Pretty sure that's a Behringer Q502USB.

You need two 1/4 inch TRS cables like these

a mixer/sound card is required, and if you're connecting to your computer A usb mixer would make everything much simpler. But, if you want balanced (XLR) connections, I'd look to get the Q802 for ~20 bucks more. If you plan on using longer cables, the balanced outputs of the Q802 could help reduce noise (which the LSR-305s already have enough of).

Then you just plug the TRS cables to the 1/4 inch "MAIN OUT" on the Q502, then connect to the 1/4 inch unbalanced input on the back of the 305s, and you're set.

This thing lets you combine audio sources into one and I love it!: Rolls MX51S Mini Mix 2 Four-Channel Stereo Line Mixer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002BG2S6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_NP2NAbASCS9VZ

I just bought a Shure SM7b and attached it to my RODE PSA1 and im getting a lot of bassy desk noises and sounds that whenever I lean on or hit against my desk even lightly it will carry through to my mic and it's really iterating. I thought the purpose of a boom arm was to reduce this. Will drilling the holder that it came with through my desk and using it that way opposed to the desk clamp make a difference? I'm having a tough time solving this issue.

Edit: If it also helps at all I am using a BEHRINGER XENYX QX1002USB
and Cathedral Pipes Ribbon/Dynamic Mic Buffer Amp

Yeah, you could get an additional set, but make sure if you do that you get the uhf set so you can change channels on the second set. Also you would likely need an external mixer for any more than one set, which isn’t a bad idea anyway but I don’t know what your budget is. If you want to record through USB this one would be okay but you would need to do a bit of adapter gymnastics to get your full 5 channels:
BEHRINGER XENYX Q1202USB https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CTKI45M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_0912AbNZ76M19

Or if you don’t need USB this one is a bit better sized:
BEHRINGER XENYX 1002B https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0027B41P0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_a912AbVWNHMKZ

Once again I’m assuming a budget of next to nothing so this is pretty much the minimum you’d want to get the job done. Another option would be to use the wired mic that you already have on one person, then wireless on everyone else into a two channel mixer such as this one:
BEHRINGER XENYX 502 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J5UEGQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_s812AbEF7EKSG
But the jankiness of that setup scares me a bit.

Oh and here’s a 2 channel mic setup as well.
GTD Audio U-35L UHF Wireless Microphone System with Headset Lavaliere Microphone https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013XVR85M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_4l22AbVB766XE

Something like this although I'm not currently using one so no idea how good this one is:
https://smile.amazon.com/Rolls-MX51S-Four-Channel-Stereo-Mixer/dp/B0002BG2S6/
or
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00102VV46/

i heard good things about this bare bones 4 input mixer for like $25 https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-Micromix-MX400-Low-Noise-4-Channel/dp/B000KGYAYQ

absolutely love my behringer usb mixer which mixes in computer audio from skype/hangouts/zencastr/cursevoice/discord/anything just fine.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0036ECH1M?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
And if you have the same hosts each week, the mixing should stay the same, too. But I've stopped editing for the most part. Doing everything front end with a mixer, and other devices, saves SOOO much timer and effort. Finish the show, and upload. More time to focus on the next show, marketing, or interactions with your listeners.

You could get a combiner like this: http://www.amazon.com/Galaxy-Audio-JIB-Jacks-Combiner/dp/B005GJCA6M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420564999&sr=8-1&keywords=audio+combiner#customerReviews

Or a mixer and have full control over the audio levels like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Rolls-MX51-Mini-Channel-Mixer/dp/B0002BG2S6/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1420565348&sr=8-5&keywords=2+channel+mixer+rca

I would probably go with the second option.

You could have used something like this for ages. Or something like this

A decent mixer will work. I've got a Behringer Xenyx X1222USB for my 4-mic setup:

https://www.amazon.com/Behringer-X1222USB-BEHRINGER-XENYX/dp/B0036ECH1M

Run each mic into a channel, IEMs/headphones via monitor out and backing track source in via RCA or 1/4" in. You can also run the USB out into your laptop if you wanna record, though it'll only record in stereo via USB (not individualized multi-channel).

I've been using this setup for about a month for practicing with backing tracks and it works great for that application.

It should just be an audio splitter to direct the mic signal to two sources, and to combine them to one you’d need a mixer. You can look up “audio splitter” and find what you need, but mixers can seem complicated and have a lot of features that you don’t need for what you’re talking about. I’d recommend this because its just a few channels to plug into. Keep in mind that it doesn’t take 3.5mm, so I’d order what Amazon says that people frequently buy with it and you’re set.