Topic: TSKB: Mixer Advice - who knows a good mixer?

[boojum]

I am looking for a good mixer to feed my SD 722.  The SD pre's are good, so it need not have pre's.  4 > 2 is the minimum, but more channels in is OK, too, so long as I am not getting a second mortgage.  Battery powered would be nice, but I do not know if it would be practical.  What's the experience out there?  No, I do not know what I want to spend other than as little as I can and get as much as I can.  The usual impossible parameters.

Thanks   

[George2]

I think you are going to want preamps. Unless you are using it just for line level sources.

[boojum]

Good point.  I will amend the original post.

[George2]

This one is good bang for the buck. Doesn't have pad for really loud sound soures. I think the pan control is just L-C-R.

http://www.signvideo.com/fpamxr.htm

Rolls ok. No pad for really loud sources. Not sure if you will like the metering. Has variable pan.

http://www.audiomidi.com/MX422-Field-Mixer--P9164.aspx

Both run on battery.


This is what you should get!!

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/442master.htm

[easy jim]

Neil, esteyes, has a really nice Sony 4>2 mixer w/ A>D in the Yard Sale: http://taperssection.com/index.php/topic,90213.0.html

[oleg]

I am looking for a good mixer to feed my SD 722.  The SD pre's are good, so it need not have pre's.  4 > 2 is the minimum, but more channels in is OK, too, so long as I am not getting a second mortgage.  Battery powered would be nice, but I do not know if it would be practical.  What's the experience out there?  No, I do not know what I want to spend other than as little as I can and get as much as I can.  The usual impossible parameters.

Thanks   

i have  used wendt 4 (psc m4+) + 200usd impovements -1350 shipped

[oleg]

by the way dont touch signvideo or rolls both are piece of shit

[boojum]

This one is good bang for the buck. Doesn't have pad for really loud sound soures. I think the pan control is just L-C-R.

http://www.signvideo.com/fpamxr.htm

Rolls ok. No pad for really loud sources. Not sure if you will like the metering. Has variable pan.

http://www.audiomidi.com/MX422-Field-Mixer--P9164.aspx

Both run on battery.


This is what you should get!!

http://www.sounddevices.com/products/442master.htm

Uh, yeah, right.  For the same price as the SD 422 I can get an SD 722, and it records!     That's the rub with the 422.

[George2]

SD 722 doesn't mix, though. And you said you wanted cheap!

[boojum]

SD 722 doesn't mix, though. And you said you wanted cheap!

Right on both counts.  I was just emphasizing that for the price of a 422 I can get  722.  The mix would be later in SAM8.  It can be fine tuned very nicely in the editor.  However, as a pro pointed out, you get paid to do the mix when it is live.   

[Teen Wolf Blitzer]

Mackie 1202 VLZ is what you want.

[boojum]

Mackie 1202 VLZ is what you want.

The 1402 is not too shabby, either.   

[Roving Sign]

Check this one out - these have me curious...

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M10DX/

[TNJazz]

The mix would be later in SAM8.  It can be fine tuned very nicely in the editor.  However, as a pro pointed out, you get paid to do the mix when it is live.   

I don't understand this?  Are you wanting to mix multiple channels down to 2 on the fly (that was my initial assumption) or are you wanting more channels?  You can't really "mix later in Samplitude" if you do an on the fly mix with a mixer going into the 722.

Anyway, Oleg has given you the right answer already.

[Brian Skalinder]

I don't understand this?  Are you wanting to mix multiple channels down to 2 on the fly (that was my initial assumption) or are you wanting more channels?  You can't really "mix later in Samplitude" if you do an on the fly mix with a mixer going into the 722.

I think the "mix later in SAM" comment was in response to the suggestion of the 442, which was too expensive and for which price he could get another 722 - thereby running 2 x 722 - and simply mix in post.  But, really, he wants to mix from 4-ch > 2-ch live at a more affordable price. That's my take, anyway.

[boojum]

Brian has it right; what a guy!   With the two 722's that is just what I would do and as Brian has pointed out, synching in SAM8 is not very hard.  The Mackie 1202 is nice and offers a lot of flexibility.  I think it is a slightly dumbed-down version of the 1402 VLZ3, though.  I had originally just wanted a 4 > 2 solution but the Mackie 1402 offers a lot for not much green stuff.  If I want to do a local rock band I can run all their gear through the Mackie and run ORTF/DIN plus flanking omnis and if it is possible to get that crap all balanced out, have a nice sound.  Basically it would be just for a 4 > 2.  And I think the 1402 is the puppy.  I saw one for a good price and free shipping and three mic cables, too.  Pretty good deal.

Tapermark knows!

Cheers

[boojum]

Check this one out - these have me curious...

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/M10DX/

Yeah, it looks nice but only two balanced lines in.  I need four at least.  ;o)

[Todd R]

I really liked the Marenius MM-4210 4ch compact mixer I had.  Sounded great, small, AA battery powered, 4 channels in, each with total panning from L-R, phantom power for each channel, 3 gain ranges for each channel, 0-74db continuous gain.  Great stuff!

http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=MM%2D4210&off=0&sort=prod

www.marenius.se/mm4210.htm  [I'm not getting this page to load right now, but it used to work.  Perhaps googling to get a cache'd page.]

I sold the one I had for about half of retail to someone at ts.com, forgetting who just now.  If you think you're interested, maybe you can post an ISO in the yardsale and see if he wants to part with it.

[boojum]

I really liked the Marenius MM-4210 4ch compact mixer I had.  Sounded great, small, AA battery powered, 4 channels in, each with total panning from L-R, phantom power for each channel, 3 gain ranges for each channel, 0-74db continuous gain.  Great stuff!

http://www.markertek.com/SearchProduct.asp?item=MM%2D4210&off=0&sort=prod

www.marenius.se/mm4210.htm  [I'm not getting this page to load right now, but it used to work.  Perhaps googling to get a cache'd page.]

I sold the one I had for about half of retail to someone at ts.com, forgetting who just now.  If you think you're interested, maybe you can post an ISO in the yardsale and see if he wants to part with it.

Todd, I found the Marenius in a scan through the world on mixers on the Internet.  It looks very good, and compact and well made.  But I think for what I want to tend to, classical and jazz, I need a box marked off in dB so I can note the positions of the controls and go back to what worked.  I have the Marenius manual, a contact with a fellow on the board who has one, and the price at Markertek here in the states.  The Marenius does look good, but for ease of use rather than compactness I kind of favor the Mackie 1402 for the reason it is designed for music work while the Marenius is designed for ENG.  I know that the SD is an ENG box, too, but also excellent for music.  It is not easy and I have not ordered anything yet.

Thanks for reminding me and bringing it to the attention of the other on the board.

Cheers

[esteyes]

best sounding mixer i have used as well as the easiest to use. still for sale, btw. went to a korg mr1000.

http://www.sonybiz.net/res/attachment/file/25/1133797562525.pdf

neil

[bluegrass_brad]

The Mackie 1202 is nice and offers a lot of flexibility.  I think it is a slightly dumbed-down version of the 1402 VLZ3, though.  I had originally just wanted a 4 > 2 solution but the Mackie 1402 offers a lot for not much green stuff.  If I want to do a local rock band I can run all their gear through the Mackie and run ORTF/DIN plus flanking omnis and if it is possible to get that crap all balanced out, have a nice sound.

There is a reason it doesnt cost alot.  For running live sound in small clubs they are fine.  But since it looks like you do alot of classical and jazz , and your going to be using at least a couple of the preamps on the mixer, I would stay away from Mackie.  The Mackie preamps in their mixers are weak and noisy. Set the gain up loud enough for classical and in between movements or whenever the dynamics go up and down in jazz your gonna hear alot of this:
sssssssssssssssssssssssss.

I have used just about every brand of mixer available at one time or the other and Mackie is down near the bottom.  If you are using one to run a small club PA system then it would be fine, but for critical recording in quiet settings I wouldnt even consider it if you are going to use it's preamps. Just my opinion, but it is based on alot of experience with mixers in both live and studio settings. for what you are wanting to use it for,  Have you considered something like this?

http://www.studioprojectsusa.com/sp828.html

easier to haul around, much higher quality pres, mixes 8 channels down to a stereo mix, solo capability on each channel, great meters, signal and clip lights on each channel,  phase reverse on each channel (a big plus if you are mixing a bunch of mics onstage). For what you are describing, this sounds like it would fit your needs much better.  Also down the road if you wanted to get into multi-tracking you could use it as a front end, as it has directs on each channel. Just a thought.