WHY USE A MIXER?
You may ask yourself: “Why would anyone ever want to use a mixer when the camera already has two XLR mic inputs and audio level control?” Ask no more . . .
Separate Sound from Camera
A mixer serves as an extension of the camera’s audio controls by allowing a sound person to monitor and adjust audio without having to touch (i.e., shake) the camera or get in the camera person’s way during shooting. It thus preserves the delicate relationship between the sound department and the camera department.
Use Multiple Mics/Devices
Mixers allow you to use and power multiple microphones or other sound sources, usually three or four, at the same time. Using a DV camera alone you are limited to just two sound sources and audio is much trickier to monitor and adjust using camera controls, which often cause you to shake the camera during shooting!
Control Over Sound Quality
A field mixer will give you control of the volume (gain) of each mic or sound source that you feed into it, and it may also permit you to pan the sound to the left or right channels, fi lter out background noises, use a limiter to prevent distortion, and hook up a second set of headphones for a boom operator. Most DV cameras don’t offer any of these options, because cameras were made to record great images. Mixers, on the other hand, were made to help you record great sound.
