Don’t Ditch Analog

Don’t ditch that Analog mixer just yet!

If you are in the market for a new mixer, chances are pretty good that it will be a digital mixer.  Digital consoles have a lot to offer and can solve a number of problems that we run into in church sound. The price of entry level digital boards is extremely low, and high end consoles provide a dizzying number of options.

In the next post, we will explore what to look for when buying a digital console.  This post is primarily about the advantages of analog. Why would you stick with your analog mixer instead of going digital?

If you’re a small organization or rely on a lot of volunteers, analog mixers may still be the best bet. Consider the following before deciding to recycle that analog mixer:

Analog mixers are easy to use

Non-professionals and volunteers can be distracted and confused by the myriad of switches and controls that mixers offer. In comparison to digital mixers, analog mixers are straightforward. There is one button/knob/switch for every function and each is clearly labeled. On a digital mixer, you’re operating a unique piece of software using menus and buttons – one button could be solo in one instance, and mute in another. “Soft keys” allow digital mixers to do a lot with little real estate, but they pay for it in complexity.

Analog mixers are the same from system to system

If you learn on one kind of mixer, you mostly know how to use any other mixer – regardless of the size. This is important when training your volunteer staff, especially if you are training youth. People trained on the “youth” system can make a leap to the main service and fill in, or join the audio team rotation.

Analog mixers present quick access to critical controls

This is an often-overlooked benefit to analog, especially with volunteer staff.  If, for example, a mic begins to feedback, on an analog mixer, the user can quickly access the EQ controls to tame the offending frequencies. In a digital system, you may have to press through multiple pages and functions to find what you are looking for—much to the chagrin of the audience.

Analog mixers are easy to train with

When training volunteers, I prefer to use an analog mixer because it is easy to teach the basics of how sound works without the distractions of having to teach how a digital mixer works—grab this fader, adjust this EQ, press this mute, hear the difference. On a digital mixer, the amount of information the user needs to retain is much greater. Your people will have to know both about sound, AND, how to get to the EQ, how to recall a mix, how to switch fader banks, etc.

Analog mixers are easier

Analog mixers allow you to help volunteers and non-professionals build a foundation that they can take with them to other systems, yes, even digital mixers. When people learn the basics of making good mixes, they will be able to do the same on bigger and more complex systems. Learning to mix on an analog mixer forces you to use your ears for mixing; on a digital mixer people tend to rely on what their eyes see (like what an EQ is doing, for instance), and not enough on what their ears hear.

Digital mixers have a lot to offer, but so do analog consoles. One of the key things is ease of use for the volunteer. Once you move to digital, you will need to train a lot more and have a smaller pool of volunteer resources. You will have fewer people who can “fill in” and “jump in and help”.  Make sure you consider the volunteer burden before making any jump into new technology. It may make some things easier, but what is the total cost when you factor in time, resource, and stress?