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[OM15.2]

*sigh* sorry to go into this... yeah reallyreallysorry... but...

I'm looking for a small mixer (8 - 12 channels), there is so much posible crap on the market with "ultraclearTM micpres, goldplated XLRs, super-low-signal-to-noise-ratioTM, superaccurate 'MUSICAL' eq" and whatever else.
And I'm looking at all this stuff offering '12 channels of proaudio quality for under $400', and I'm thinking isn't it weird that a good quality single channel mic-pre can be well over a grand?...

(on this point- a sales guy was explaining to me that an Alto mixer he was pushing was made in China and the labours were more or less indentured and given only food and board and that's why he could import them so cheap)

So obviously there is totally the other end of the market of exclusive/vintage/handmade mixers but I don't have zillions to spend. However is there a middle ground? Can someone help me separate myself from the marketing quagmire?

- My market is maybe a $1000 - $1500 or so.
- I want nice micpres and eq (good good, not marketing good)
- I want analogue not digital
- Good headroom (mostly acuostic music some drums & rock)
- And quiet as a little church mouse.

Now that doesn't seem a lot to ask, so is there anything in the low end that actually does what I says? (eg yamaha, soundcraft, beringer*sigh* mackie?) because low end stuff seems to be all anyone wants to stock these days! Or can someone sugest something around my price mark that I might be missing?

[Family Hoof]

If you want to buy new, can I recommend an Allen & Heath Mixwizard, anyone? I've only heard good things and lusted after one but haven't owned.
Stay away from Crackie and Bare Ringer. Yamaha MG series ain't much better and I've not heard good things about the newer soundcrafts (i.e. spirit, M8, E8 ) but haven't used them.
If buying used, I'd go for older Soundcraft, Allen & Heath, Soundtracs, Studiomaster. Although older and used consoles probably aren't going to be as quiet as you want.
--> You should not have to spend $1000 for 8 inputs from any of these companies.
Oh yeah, and while I don't think they make them in such small sizes, there has been talk about the A&H GL series as well as Midas Venice live sound boards sounding very nice for low $.

[tubemonkey35]

Check out the little NeoTek on ebay right now. It's a 12 channel series 1.

[texlop]

Yeah, I guess the Yamaha MG's aren't the icing on the cake. I own the MG16/4 and it is the first mixer I've owned. The thing that gets me is it seems to overload the Pre amps quite easily. It is a pain when trying to record drums like a snare. I only turn the trim 1/4 of the way anything past that starts distorting. I don't know if other mixers cause the same thing also. Plus there is no Solo button. I have no idea what genius did not think of adding a solo to the mixer. I guess for the money it is not a bad mixer.
I'll probably buy something else and use this for live situations.
I'd really like to try one of those allen & heath or a soundcraft but until then Yamaha is the way for me.

[Rick Hunter]

If you want to buy new, can I recommend an Allen & Heath Mixwizard, anyone? I've only heard good things and lusted after one but haven't owned.

I love my mixwizard. I have heard some bad things about their Pre's but I lovem. It was 800 bucks, affordible, nice sounding, good looking, rackmountable, deskmountable, direct outs on every channel.

[flatcat]

I'll third the MixWizard. I bought a MixWizard 20:8:2 on eBay for less than $600. It was designed as the front end for an 8-track studio (the cover shot of the user guide is actually pretty funny). There's a separate tape return mixer where you can send the signal to the 8 main channels with a button - singly or all at once. 100mm faders; the EQ is hi and lo shelf plus two sweepable mids that overlap each other and the shelves. Inserts on the channels, plus inserts on the master mix. 8 buss (well, OK, they're 8 mono, 4 stereo). The preamps sound really good for a small mixer.

The only thing about it I wish it had was a separate volume knob for the headphones.

[Rick Hunter]

the 16:2 has one.
by the way thats a great price for your mixer flatcat. Score!


Justin

[trodden]

the 16:2 has one.
by the way thats a great price for your mixer flatcat. Score!


Justin

Do you find yourself limited without much of an option on busses??? I've heard good things about the board, but feel i need at least a four buss to do the fun stuff i like.

[Rick Hunter]

No not at all, well sort of. It can be a hassle during the mixdown, but I pretty much record myself so I can do things one at a time and I dont really need to use them that much.

[drumsound]

I rented a MixWizard to record a live record last January. It sounds pretty good and has direct out on each channel. I brought outboard for the vox, BD and SD, but the rest of the 19 inputs went through the MixWiz. Not a bad little board.

Here's a link with MP3s of the first few cuts.
Bottle of Justus [/url]

[tony moore]

i'm still baffled by all the mackie haters. just don't go crazy with adding eq, and the smaller format vlz stuff sounds just fine. no, they're never going to be neotek or a neve or whatever. but i never expected mine to be. my pals and i have used my vlz to track and mix way more than several indie releases. and i've never heard anyone say, "EEEEWWWWW! you used a mackie!". and more than a few of those have gotten good regional and beyond reviews...

also, my vlz has been seriously abused over the last 5 or so years and given me very, very little touble...

tony

[joel hamilton]

I agree with tony moore.

I have mixed records that were tracked with a mackie and a single outboard pre, so all the basics were done with mackie pre's except the kick. It sounded really good. Really. Not like, "good, for a cheap piece of shit" but, "good, really."

[JGriffin]

I agree with Joel and Tony. Mackie isn't a Neve, but for 1/50th the cost it's pretty fucking good.

[OM15.2]

Cheers everyone.

[Slider]

I second the Mackie as a great cheap console.
I don't get all the Mackie bashing.
For the price the pre's sound fine.
I was Just talking on another topic about a scratch guitar track that was going to be re-recorded with an API.
When we patched the same mic and cable to the API it wasn't working in the track as well as the mackie.
So we continued using the Mackie.
I've heard some really good records tracked through these things.
You don't need tons of stuff to make a great record.