I think my audio interface might be dying. One of the inputs will sputter then quit. Sometimes unplugging and re-plugging in the USB connection fixes it. Sometimes unplugging and re-plugging-in that one input fixes it. Either way it's a pain.

Considering the cost to replace this (it's a Scarlett 2i4, now discontinued so I'd have to go with a 2i2 or a 4i4), and the fact that I never record more than one instrument at a time (I don't need the multi-channel USB capabilities), and the setup I'm using (see below) could I slip a small inexpensive USB mixer into this setup in place of the audio interface? The two I'm looking at are $150-$250 so about the same ballpark as a replacement audio interface. Note that everything in my music room is routed through this, whether I'm just listening to music or podcasts via either headphones or the monitors, or laying down my own track over backing tracks loaded into my DAW.

Thanks!

Of course I bought a Mackie mixer BEFORE they started adding USB. I can run it thru my ZOOM H2 for USB. Find a mixer w/ quality mic preamps if you intend to record anything w/ a mic. Mackie's are great.

One that I’m looking at is a Mackie. Not sure if the USB is bi-directional. The other one I’m looking at (a Behringer) is bi-directional, but unfortunately is unavailable for the foreseeable future (Sweetwater is saying “months” before they expect to get them). It seems it should do the job admirably and expand on the capabilities of my bare-bones interface.

I should add that in the case of the Behringer that I'm looking at, I must have watched a half-dozen YouTube reviews before I found one that even mentioned the bi-directional USB issue. That's the kind of thing I was uncertain about in fitting a mixer into my setup in place of the audio interface. That is critical, as without that, existing tracks in a DAW can't be routed back to the mixer and thence to the monitors/headphones. I think the Mackie I'm considering (ProFX6v3) is bi-directional - 2 x 4 - which I think means 2 channels (L/R stereo) into the DAW from the mixer, 4 channels out from the DAW back to the mixer, which I believe is the same as the Behringer that is on back-order.

I've sent an email to my rep at Sweetwater to confirm that my understanding of the capabilities is correct.

Okay - did a lot of research on this, and decided to pull the trigger on a mixer. It'll be here Wednesday. So much advice out there says you don't need a mixer, yet I looked at my setup and all the patch cords, adaptors, y-connectors, A/B audio switches etc., the fact that I've never been able (without swapping out a bunch of components/cables) to listen to or record the stereo output of either my modeler or my drums other than through headphones, then considering that things are going to get a little more complex once my Railboard arrives, a small mixer seemed to be a good way to tie everything together.

I think I have everything worked out on paper as shown in the block diagram below. The only question I have (and I can play with it both ways, but someone may have some wisdom to share) is whether to connect my powered FRFR cabinet to the Alt 3-4 output, or the main mix output of the mixer. It would seem that the ability to divert the signal away from the main mix and to the Alt 3-4 outputs seems to be logical; if I'm playing without headphones and want to use the powered cab, I mute the channels and the signal is directed to the Alt 3-4 and the powered cab. If I'm recording, then I un-mute those channels, which turns off output to Alt 3-4 and the powered cab, and directs the signal to the main mix and the USB connection to my DAW.

Other than that, I think this is going to work just super, and I haven't even touched on the ability to add effects, compression and EQ to the signals as needed. Also, since I'm going to be using the FX-Return on my Gigboard for one of the two channels from the Railboard, I can still take advantage of the FX loop on the mixer if I want to try putting my Strymon Lex into the chain.

BTW - Thanks and a tip-o-the-hat to @CaptainStrings for the advice on cabling components. Thanks to that advice, I was able to whip up all the new cables (with the correct lengths) to wire all this up!

Sounds like it'll work. The Mackie Alt 3/4 are pretty useful.

Yeah. At first I was scratching my head, then I saw the utility. In some ways, better than trying to use the Aux bus. That's useful, but for different purposes.