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These terms will let you talk about mixers. They will help you compare the features of the boards you see.

What does a Mixer actually do?
A mixer allows you to balance, position, effect and equalize its different audio channels into a good sounding sonic image that we call a mix. You can add effects to some channels but not others, position instruments to a location in the stereo field, route channels to outboard gear that produces an interesting effect and "sculpt" the sound of each channel with a dedicated equalizer where you can vary the bass, treble and mid range in such a way that the whole song "gels" into a work of beauty.

What's a Bus?
A bus is a major pathway to a single fader. You can take everything going to that fader out of the mixer where you can send it to another piece (or rack) of gear. You can also bring the signal back in to the mixer on spare channels.

On mixers with busses, there is a switch on each channel that lets you route the whole signal to one of the busses. The Main bus is often called the L/R bus. Other busses are sometimes grouped in pairs, like the 1-2 bus, 3-4 bus, etc. There is also a switch, usually, that lets you route these bus faders to the Master fader. Typical uses of busses are to send a track or groups of tracks to a digital multitrack, or to a soundcard or audio interface. Yet you can also be very creative with them, such as sending them to samplers, grooveboxes with analog inputs, surround encoders, separate compressors and more.

What's a Send and Return?
A send is a major audio path that goes out of the mixer. On each channel, ideally, there is a knob for each send so you can direct variable amounts of the channel to the pathway. This can function as a separate monitor mix if you are doing a live show, where every player has a monitor in front of them. Or in the recording situation, the send typically goes to an effects unit. The signal is brought back to the mixer by the returns, then is added to the main signal. Creatively speaking, a send is a submix, do with it what you want. You don't have to bring back the sends to their returns. You can bring them back to an empty channel where you can continue to process with EQ, or to a bus fader if you want. You can use the returns like any other line input, patching in synths, other mixers, computer soundcards even your cd player, turntables, TV whatever.

What is a channel insert?
An insert is a pathway out and then back into a single fader. You use it to patch in an external piece of gear that only affects that one channel. Typical uses of inserts are patching compressors, outboard EQs, exciters, pedals, multi-track recorder i/o, and FX boxes. Lots of people route channel inserts to a patchbay where they can plug in various devices conveniently. We are talking Hardware plugins here. On a well featured mixer, there are inserts on individual channels, buses and the master fader.

You should be getting a sense that there is no one way to set up a mixer. Its really just a matrix of audio pathways that can be used to build up a sculpture of sound that is called a mix.

What is "In-Line Monitoring"
In line monitoring is a feature on some recording consoles, like the Mackie 24-8 or Behringer MX900 and Alesis Studio 32 that allows each channel strip to have 2 separate inputs, with a switch that sends either input to the fader on that channel. Usually, the input that is not selected goes to a knob on that channel where it can be turned up and be "monitored" on one of the busses. This is how 16 channel boards can have 32 inputs at mixdown. This is sometimes called a "Mix B" feature.

"Balanced" ins and outs.
A mixer with balanced inputs and outputs allows you to connect gear that is balanced with XLR or 1/4 inch TRS cables. This essentially allows you to run cables in greater lengths, even to the next room, and not pick up hum or noise. Mixers with unbalanced ins and outs require shorter cable runs, and use 1/4 inch TS cables or RCA jacks. More on cables. If your audio interface has balanced inputs and outputs you may want a mixer with balanced inputs and outputs. Most mixers with balanced inputs will accept unbalanced cables too. So if you are using a soundcard with unbalanced RCAs you can still use a mixer with balanced inputs most of the time.


Courtesy of TweakHeadz (http://www.tweakheadz.com)