A mixer and an audio interface look like they do the same job: microphone inputs, gain knobs, a USB port. The difference is what goes into the computer. An audio interface sends every input as its own track, so you can fix the balance, the EQ and the mistakes later. A typical small USB mixer sends one stereo mix: whatever you set on the faders is what you record.
| Audio interface | Small USB mixer | Mixer with multitrack USB | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tracks to the computer | One per input | Usually 2, the stereo mix | One per input |
| Works without a computer | No | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in effects | Rarely | Often | Yes |
| Feeds a PA at a gig | No | Yes | Yes |
| Price at Thomann | median $271 | median $333 with USB | from $267 (ZEDi-10) |
On October 31, 2026, Thomann had 145 analogue mixers in stock, 81 of them with USB, and 220 digital mixers. The digital median is $2,309 because it includes large stage consoles; the small ones start far lower.
Recording at home: get an audio interface
Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 4th Gen, $212
Two mic preamps, two separate tracks, and a loopback function for streaming, which sends the computer's own sound back in alongside your mic. #12 of 205 USB audio interfaces.
Need more inputs, say for a drum kit or a band in one room? The Behringer UMC1820 at $178 has eight mic preamps and 18 inputs in total, and the Scarlett 18i20 4th Gen at $714 is the eight-preamp model from the same family as the 2i2.
Gigs and rehearsals: a USB mixer
Yamaha MG10XUF, $324
Ten channels, faders, one-button compressors and 24 SPX effects, so it runs a small PA on its own. Its USB interface has 2 inputs and 2 outputs: the computer receives the finished stereo mix. #1 of 110 analogue mixers.
That's fine for a reference recording of a rehearsal or a live stream of a gig. It isn't fine if you want to remix the vocal later, because the vocal is already baked into the mix. The Mackie ProFX10v3 at $254 works the same way with a 2x4 USB interface.
Both at once: mixers that send every channel
Allen & Heath ZEDi-10, $268
A compact analogue mixer with a 4-in, 4-out USB interface, so four channels reach the computer instead of one stereo mix. #19 of 110 analogue mixers.
Behringer X Air XR18, $421
Sixteen mic inputs, a multichannel USB interface and four effects processors in a box with no faders: you mix on a tablet or phone over its built-in Wi-Fi. For a band that wants to play live and record every show track by track, it does both jobs in one box. #19 of 85 digital mixers.
If you'd rather have real faders and no computer at all, the Tascam Model 12 at $702 records 12 tracks straight to an SD card and also works as a 12-channel USB interface.
Podcasts are their own case
Podcast mixers combine a mixer, an interface and sound pads for jingles. The Rode RodeCaster Pro II at $557 has two USB interfaces, so two computers can connect at once, plus Bluetooth for phone guests. The Zoom LiveTrak L-8 at $475 records up to 12 tracks to an SD card, runs on batteries and has four headphone outputs, one for each person at the table.
Which one for what
- One or two mics at home, music or voice-over: an audio interface.
- Streaming with game or computer sound: an interface with loopback.
- A whole band or drum kit, recorded track by track: an eight-preamp interface, or a mixer with multitrack USB.
- Rehearsals and small gigs, with a quick recording of the night: a small USB mixer.
- Live gigs where every show gets recorded for mixing later: a multitrack mixer like the XR18 or Model 12.
- A podcast with two or more people: a podcast mixer.
Where the numbers come from. Every analogue mixer, digital mixer and USB audio interface Thomann had in stock on October 31, 2026, from its partner feed. Channel counts and features are from Thomann's product descriptions. Prices are Thomann's US-dollar prices.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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