Yamaha Mixing Desk

[Adam Taylor]

it all depends on what you already have connected to your mac (ie-what video card, what tape decks, etc) and what you actually want to use the mixing desk for.

I don’t ever remember seeing a mixing desk actually used for mixing on a non linear system – thats either done in the box or sent over to Protools (or some other audio package.

Usually its to provide flexible audio monitoring, and occasionally to allow levels to be set with a fader when digitizing off or laying back to tape. However, that is also dependant on the signal you are sending or receiving….if analogue, then your desk is fine, whereas if its a digital signal such as from a digibeta then you would be better leaving the audio signal embedded within the sdi video and letting a decent video card (such as the Kona’s) handle the audio.

This is what i do – the kona 3 handles all the audio from digibeta, and all the monitoring is done by taking an analogue feed from the stereo rca plugs on the kona breakout box into the Mackie Big Knob (essentially its a small mixer without all the faders). As the mackie has several inputs I can also feed my Protools rig into it and monitor through the same loudspeakers.

Tell us what you have and what you want to achieve and you’ll probably get some useful suggestions.

adam

Editor/Mixer
Character Options Ltd
Oldham, UK