I (Still) need a mixing console!

[jbsegal]

During a normal day at work, I expect to receive audio input from:
iPod, personal cell, work cell (==desk phone), work PC (VOIP is popular here), and personal laptop.
I expect to send audio (speak in to. :) the middle 3 of those, and maybe all of the last 4.

WHY is there no desktop mixing console that deals with the proliferation of devices - more so, that handles both input AND output?

(If I'm wrong, PLEASE let me know.)

(I could deal with a 4-way mixer, if need be.)

(I thought I'd posted about this here before, but going over my last year of posts (<90) seems to show that I haven't.)

Comments

[charleshaynes.livejournal.com]

Edirol used to make a nice little 8 channel (4 stereo) mixer. Lemme look. Ah it's been upgraded to 10 channel. Check out the Edirol M-10MX should be available for <$150.

I used to use it as a desktop mixer, and a mixer for my streaming audio server.

[charleshaynes.livejournal.com]

That link looks funny now. Try this link to the Edirol M-10MX

[whuffle.livejournal.com]

According to my dad, who's sitting here beside me, you're incorrect. Nearly every digital audio workstation software packaged has a built in mixing panel or plugin available. Here's some names:

Logic, Reason, Sonar, Cubase

Go look for digital recording software.

(Brace yourself, it's expensive unless you're okay pirating and know where to find a Bit-Torrent.)

[gravitrue.livejournal.com]

um, I don't think jb is looking for software here. Having the PC do the mixing is probably a pretty poor solution. Let's say you have tech support on the phone for a problem, and they tell you to reboot... I think he's looking for a physical box with knobs and stuff on it. One which maybe has sliders to set the relative volume of five things headed to a headphone jack, and toggles to allow audio from a headset mic to be routed or not routed to about four things, bonus points if you don't need a splitter on every bidirectional cable. I wanted one of these ten years ago (though I didn't need so many channels).

[jbsegal.livejournal.com]

Yes. This.

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

I think what you want is a box with push buttons to switch audio sources, except that you essentially have three audio channels per source.

I wonder if a KVM switch would work? Or would it be too intelligent and skip the devices that don't have video.

http://www.blackbox.com/Store/Detail.aspx/ServSwitch-DT-Pro-with-Audio-Kit-4-Port/KV7011A-K
http://www.blackbox.com/Store/Detail.aspx/ServSwitch-DT-Basic-KVM-Switch-with-Audio-4-Port/KV7005A-K

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

Or something like this and you make a couple of DB9 to stereo headphone and mic adapters.

http://www.electronicplus.com/content/ProductPage.asp?maincat=CS&subcat=CSB (last item on page).