It all depends on the gear. If the console is an actual mixing console, chances are it is a quality piece of gear. There shouldn't be any quality issues. It may also be that the console is merely a control surface. It is possible that either they are rerouting the audio back into the console to mix to an external recorder or that the console is both a mixer as well as a control surface IE: ICON or [="http://www.avid.com/US/products/C24"]C24[/]="http://www.avid.com…"]C24[/].

In a home studio where you don't need more than 8 channels of simultaneous input at a time, a mixer isn't really necessary. In fact a mixer is an option that in most cases for less than 32 channels at a time is un-necessary. Money would be better spent on a good interface(s) and quality preamps. If you need the tactile functions of a mixer, a control surface would serve you better.

A quality mixer is a large investment. There are few mixers that are worth the expense that are less than several tens of thousands of dollars. Hundreds of thousands for that matter.

With that being said, there are some quality interfaces that are also mixers(though not necessarily control surfaces as well). The Allan and [[url=http://="http://www.allen-he…"]Heath Zed R-16[/]="http://www.allen-he…"]Heath Zed R-16[/] comes to mind or the [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.mackie.c…"]Mackie Onyx 1640i[/]="http://www.mackie.c…"]Mackie Onyx 1640i[/]. These are however, nowhere in the same league as some of the ones you will see in major studios.

Exactly as hueseph say's...

I just posted this announcement on the Audient Zen console's this morning: http://recording.org/content/475-audient-zen-console.html

And then there is the hybrid DAW solutions using an analog summing amp(s). Do some research on this. It took me a bit to get my head around it all but once you understand why some of us are doing this, the world becomes clearer either way you go. IMHO, the best of both worlds and where I'm heading after 10 years with ITB (in the box) recording. Analog summing is the best way to achieve a warmer higher end sound unique to the analog world for the least amount of cash put out.

After much deliberation and research my current hybrid rig is the MixDream and Dangerous Master with a selected group of outboard gear. My next addition will be a controller.

I like having a mixer (Soundcraft digital) as the hub of my studio. It allows me to quickly route signals, outboard gear, etc. anywhere I want and having four monitor sends available makes it nice for the musicians who want individual mixes in their monitors. It also gives me 16 fairly nice preamps, automated faders, scene save, etc., and enough inputs for 16 mics plus five stereo line sources.

Being old school, I have always had a mixer as the center of my studio.

Sweet this is very informative! I see a lot of research in my future...
Does any one have pics of videos of sets up of theres or others that they have taken ideas from?

Braydon

GZ: Can you explain how you are using the console, which console you are using and how much you paid for the console?

I started out using a mixer as well but the practicality of one in a home setting is very minimal at best. Not without spending on a lot of features. Most mixers do NOT function as a control surface. Preamps can be had without all the extra circuitry. The Firestudio already has it's own preamps and the line level inputs are not true line level input afaik.