Every professional and hobby has its seemingly-dull essentials.
But there are several good reasons to use one, even alongside a computer.
juanma hache / Getty Images
The first is the most obvious.
OTO
A mixer lets you plug several sources into the same box and adjust their levels with knobs or sliders.
This might be a keyboard, a microphone, or an electric guitar.
Turn the knob, and the corresponding source gets quieter or louder, letting you balance things perfectly.
juanma hache / Getty Images
you’ve got the option to glance at the knobs or sliders to see their current state.
The next reason to use an analog mixer is the sound quality.
It’s not necessarily better or worse, but it acts differently in one crucial case.
Strauss/Curtis / Getty images
On a digital mixer or audio interface, this distortion sounds just terrible.
… there are so very few mixers aimed at electronic musicians.
And especially not ones that look as cool as this.
This sweet distortion, and the hands-on nature of an analog mixer, are both reasons to use one.
But there’s a problem with most mixers for electronic musicians.
Electronic Musicians Are Different
Most analog mixers are built for live music.
You have lots of mono microphone inputs and just a few stereo inputs.
Electronic musicians dont need those mic inputs, so they sit unused.
Equally, they need lots of stereo inputs, and even big mixers have only a few.
OTOs Bebe Cherie is all stereo.
It has six stereo inputs, enough for a bunch of fancy synths and drum machines.
This last one is maybe the Bebe Cheries best feature.
And all for $665.
My mind is already brainstorming about possible setups where this could be the main mixer :).
It sets some limitations in place which I actually enjoy.
The level of excitement here is partly down to this box itself.
OTO Machines, the French maker behind the Bebe Cherie, has a reputation for excellent quality.
But it is also down to the fact that there are so very few mixers aimed at electronic musicians.
And especially not ones that look as cool as this.
