Best Mixer brand?

J

jokerone

Guest
I'm looking for a good studio analog mixer. 12 to 16 channel.

Is there a brand like allen and heath or someone who makes a very good quality with good capacitors and other components that everybody points to as the best brand?

thanks.
 
Best brand? You'd be talking something like Rupert Neve or SSL...but I don't think they do mixers as small the ones you're talking about (and you need to be sitting down when you check the price).

However, depending on your budget, the two companies that (in my opinion) do a pretty good job on quality and reliability are Allen and Heath and Soundcraft. Note that both make a range of gear at varying prices (and varying facilities) so you'll have to analyse what you need and what you can afford.
 
jokerone said:
I'm looking for a good studio analog mixer. 12 to 16 channel.

Is there a brand like allen and heath or someone who makes a very good quality with good capacitors and other components that everybody points to as the best brand?

thanks.
Click to expand...

I have a Behringer SX4882 console. I know everyone throws rocks at Behringer as did I 20 years ago. This console has awesome pre amps, is super quite and also has a B mix for each channel for 48 total inputs. each channel has a direct out and has a built in talk back system, it has routing options out the ass. I love it. I can do 6 headphone mixes at once. you can get it for 1000.00.
 
APB ProRack is probably one of the best mixers with anything like that channel count, but it's a live board. Not that you can't put it to studio use, but it doesn't quite have the features I'd want.
 
Atkron205 said:
I have a Behringer SX4882 console. I know everyone throws rocks at Behringer as did I 20 years ago. This console has awesome pre amps, is super quite and also has a B mix for each channel for 48 total inputs. each channel has a direct out and has a built in talk back system, it has routing options out the ass. I love it. I can do 6 headphone mixes at once. you can get it for 1000.00.
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Whoa there!

I'm not a Behringer basher--I own some of their gear and am very happy with it--but the question was "what's the BEST brand". While Behringer represent good value for money and pack a lot of feature in for the money, they hardly make the BEST analogue mixers.

I certainly wouldn't describe their pre-amps as "awesome"...more like adequate with a tendency to noise when pushed hard.

I certainly wouldn't discount the Behri if it's what the OP's budget dictates but he shouldn't buy it thinking it's "best".
 
Bobbsy said:
Whoa there!

I'm not a Behringer basher--I own some of their gear and am very happy with it--but the question was "what's the BEST brand". While Behringer represent good value for money and pack a lot of feature in for the money, they hardly make the BEST analogue mixers.

I certainly wouldn't describe their pre-amps as "awesome"...more like adequate with a tendency to noise when pushed hard.

I certainly wouldn't discount the Behri if it's what the OP's budget dictates but he shouldn't buy it thinking it's "best".
Click to expand...

The VERY latest Behringer pre amps might stand up against A&H etc but yes, generally a bit behind the best.

Note too that mixers have different internal levels (and hence noise and headroom figures) depending upon usage. A "broadcast" mixer will be noisier than one designed for studio recording. Most budget mixers are really aimed at live band work. So, as has been said, make very sure what you need the mixer for and that you get that! Think on also about such things as monitoring, groups and sends. Do you need inserts or/and direct outs? Do you REALLY need linear faders and if so can you make do with 60mm jobbies?

A separate "line lump" power supply has its advantages and disadvantages but if you find a mixer that has one, check out a replacement cost and again, be sitting down!

Dave.
 
SSL or Audient are great boards. Considering you're looking at $30Gs or better, it's kinda hard to swallow that they're that much better, I mean this is HOME recording.
Depending on your budget, Toft makes some really fabulous equipment (well, when I was in studio years ago). Quick look on Sweetwater showed me ATB1600 for $5500.
Drop down from there to the $2-3k range and you run into the high end A&H Zeds and Soundcraft's GB4 Series, which are supposed to be live boards, but have 8 buses and nice pres...
Other Zed series are even fairly inexpensive. But also don't discount Mackie the 1640i is a great board. Have worked on that one before as well (well, from the microphone side :)).
 
ido1957 said:
Alesis is pretty good if you get the sweeping mid version. Not SSL but works for me.
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I have an alesis. I was debating about re capping it. thanks.

---------- Update ----------

Bobbsy said:
Best brand? You'd be talking something like Rupert Neve or SSL...but I don't think they do mixers as small the ones you're talking about (and you need to be sitting down when you check the price).

However, depending on your budget, the two companies that (in my opinion) do a pretty good job on quality and reliability are Allen and Heath and Soundcraft. Note that both make a range of gear at varying prices (and varying facilities) so you'll have to analyse what you need and what you can afford.
Click to expand...

thanks I assumed Allen and Heath and Soundcraft would be about what I would want.
 
Bobbsy said:
Whoa there!

I'm not a Behringer basher--I own some of their gear and am very happy with it--but the question was "what's the BEST brand". While Behringer represent good value for money and pack a lot of feature in for the money, they hardly make the BEST analogue mixers.

I certainly wouldn't describe their pre-amps as "awesome"...more like adequate with a tendency to noise when pushed hard.

I certainly wouldn't discount the Behri if it's what the OP's budget dictates but he shouldn't buy it thinking it's "best".
Click to expand...

I think a Behringer would be about like my current alesis. thanks.
 
BroKen_H said:
SSL or Audient are great boards. Considering you're looking at $30Gs or better, it's kinda hard to swallow that they're that much better, I mean this is HOME recording.
Depending on your budget, Toft makes some really fabulous equipment (well, when I was in studio years ago). Quick look on Sweetwater showed me ATB1600 for $5500.
Drop down from there to the $2-3k range and you run into the high end A&H Zeds and Soundcraft's GB4 Series, which are supposed to be live boards, but have 8 buses and nice pres...
Other Zed series are even fairly inexpensive. But also don't discount Mackie the 1640i is a great board. Have worked on that one before as well (well, from the microphone side :)).
Click to expand...

yeah, I doubt the human ear could hear the extra $28K ...:laughings:
 
I used my Studio 24/ADAT for all the vocals and a lot of the guitars in my sig. I downloaded the ADAT tracks thru an Alesis IO16 to my computer.
The power supply died (I think) on my mixer and my friend who is a tech said the thing was too hard to fix. I only paid 200 for it so I tossed it and got a used Multimix 16USB 2.0. for 300
Now I use the Alesis mixer for practicing in the basement so I can leave everything plugged in. I use my Lexicon U42S + pre to go to the DAW now for all my recording.
My ME said the Alesis tracks sounded better than the U42S tracks so whatever....
 
ido1957 said:
I used my Studio 24/ADAT for all the vocals and a lot of the guitars in my sig. I downloaded the ADAT tracks thru an Alesis IO16 to my computer.
The power supply died (I think) on my mixer and my friend who is a tech said the thing was too hard to fix. I only paid 200 for it so I tossed it and got a used Multimix 16USB 2.0. for 300
Now I use the Alesis mixer for practicing in the basement so I can leave everything plugged in. I use my Lexicon U42S + pre to go to the DAW now for all my recording.
My ME said the Alesis tracks sounded better than the U42S tracks so whatever....
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actually we have the same mixer. I'm wondering if I should re cap it. it blew a capacitor about a year ago, and I found some very high quality caps for it, but only replaced the one that was blown. There are about 14 or so on the board. I made a short tutorial with a parts list and posted it in the Alesis section. The blown one produced a really loud hum. it sounded fine after replacing but now its getting noisy again. The caps they have in it are not the best for sure.
 
If you enjoy soldering, replacing leaky electrolytics can make a difference--they do make things noisy as they go. However, it's still an Alesis at the end of the day.

You haven't mentioned budget but if it's quality you're after (at something slightly more realistic than the SSL!) have a look at the Allen and Heath Mix Wizard 4, either the 14:4:2 or the 16:2 depending on your needs. They sell for about $1000 (just checked Sweetwater) and are genuine professional bits of gear: excellent pre amps, channel EQ that's actually useful and not just a toy, 6 Aux channels for setting up monitor mixes, direct outs, etc. etc. For another $300 or so you can fit an optional USB interface that feeds 16 channels into your computer...probably cheaper than a 16 channel stand alone interface.

I've gone to a digital mixer but, if I hadn't, it'd be the MixWiz that I'd probably choose.
 
Bobbsy said:
If you enjoy soldering, replacing leaky electrolytics can make a difference--they do make things noisy as they go. However, it's still an Alesis at the end of the day.

You haven't mentioned budget but if it's quality you're after (at something slightly more realistic than the SSL!) have a look at the Allen and Heath Mix Wizard 4, either the 14:4:2 or the 16:2 depending on your needs. They sell for about $1000 (just checked Sweetwater) and are genuine professional bits of gear: excellent pre amps, channel EQ that's actually useful and not just a toy, 6 Aux channels for setting up monitor mixes, direct outs, etc. etc. For another $300 or so you can fit an optional USB interface that feeds 16 channels into your computer...probably cheaper than a 16 channel stand alone interface.

I've gone to a digital mixer but, if I hadn't, it'd be the MixWiz that I'd probably choose.
Click to expand...

yes, still an alesis. I got a great deal on it and other stuff in a bundle at the time. the only reason I would want a 16 is it would fit into the rack where the alesis is. I actually looked at the MixWizard4 and its on my short list.

My only question with a lot of these is they keep advertising them as for "Live" which makes me think noise is not first on their mind. I don't know if this is the marketing dept. at these audio companies trying to spin sales. The Mix wizard says "general purpose" mixer. I assume this true, but I would feel better if they said "designed for studio, but you can use it for live as well" or something.
 
General purpose or not, the Mix wiz is in a different league in terms of quality than most of the other mixers discussed so far, hence the price. Note features like the direct outs and optional USB card which have little or no live sound application.
 
Wouls not have a problem recommending an Allen-Heath for under $3000, $2000, or $1000. I have not had the opportunity to use any of the Mackie-Line6-QSC-Behringer iPad stuff.

Paj
8^)
 
The Mix Wiz 4 speccs residual output noise at -95dBu, add a conservative headroom of +20dBu and you have a dynamic range of 115dB. That is only bettered by Lynx, Benchmark and similar exotic converters.

Note however, as has come up in these pages before, the MWZ operates at "pro" levels and so to get the best DR it should feed a comparable interface or be attenuated to match a lesser one.

Dave.
 
ecc83 said:
Note however, as has come up in these pages before, the MWZ operates at "pro" levels and so to get the best DR it should feed a comparable interface or be attenuated to match a lesser one.

Dave.
Click to expand...

...or use the dedicated A&H USB interface. Sixteen channels for $300 (in the US of course) is a hard price to beat.

Seriously though, how many interfaces of even average quality operate at less than +4dBu reference level these days? Some still have extra RCA/Phono inputs or outputs for people that need them but most are using balanced TRS connectors at +4dBu for line level stuff. The only ones I can think of that use only phonos are the super cheap Behringer UCAs and older things like your 2496.

I only posted about the Mix Wizard to illustrate that there IS a difference between the huge number of "prosumer" mixers on the market--Behringer, Alesis, the cheap Soundcraft and A&H, etc. etc. and real professional gear. The Mix Wiz is at the bottom end of truly pro gear and it's not just the basic specs that cause me to say this. It's also built like the proverbial brick ****house, has various functions like the auxes that can be switched depending on what you're doing, has very usable EQ, is built so maintenance is easy, etc. etc.

Whether any/all of this is necessary or practical for a home studio is up to personal tastes and budgets...but there IS a difference (and it's a real difference that can be measured, not just audiophile "it sounds warmer" type stuff).
 
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