Inexpensive, quiet small mixer

  • Thread starter Thread starter HeyHeyMyMy
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i got my MG12/4 less than a week ago. i spent about 2 hours effectively competely changing my recording setup with it, and i have to say, i am a) saving a lot more time, and b) getting much better quality recordings.

before i got it i was using a big ol' powered mixer which i 'borrowed without asking' from my elder brothers :D... not ideal. like yourself, im a one man band (just no harmonica... and probably not as good vocals... :p) and i find it absolutely ideal. ive put the headphones through the normal headphone out (obviously) used the subouts on the mixer to go to my speaker amplifier, and used one of the stereo inputs to take sound from my sound card (putting it onto the group 1-2 outputs) and its made everything a lot Lot easier. before i was having to unplug my headphones from the speaker amp every time i wanted to listen through the speakers rather than through the headphones.

if i had a choice between getting a mixer, and not getting a mixer, i'd get a mixer :D :p
 
dxl said:
Yamaha MG10/2
is the mot useless mixer from yamaha
you cant monitor thru headphone while turn the main speakers output off
the main out puts and phone out are connected..... the....
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have the tapco 6306 ( or new tapco blend 6 ) same problem ?

than i would by the soundcraft compact 4

did read that this is not as clean as the yamaha. Is the soundcraft not an good solution for someone who only records with an studio projects 1 vocals and want to hear the analog outputs from an emu 0404 over the headphone amp from the mixer ?

Have an AV receiver here to but don´t know how to connect them to use my monitors & headphones with this. When i buy only an mic preamp like studio projects VTB1 i have to use this receiver. Then i could connect digital & analog outputs from to emu and have only the problem where i could connect my monitors ? Receiver is an Sherwood RD-6106R with 24 bit 96 hz converters / toslink & coaxial inputs but no outputs. Could i connect the active wharfedales to tape out ?
 
soundcraft looks like a superior solution for 130 bucks. the most accurate sound you can get would be to run the emu 0404 directly to the wharfedales. does the reciever have aux ins? run a signal there too. use 2 cable splitters running from the 1 and 2 outputs of the emu. then connect one of the cables from output 1 and one of the cables from output 2 into the wharfedales and take the other pair and run them to the reciever.
when you're recording vocals, turn the monitors off so you dont have to worry about them bleeding into the mix. if you are wanting volume control over your monitors instead of having to get up and turn them off, then yes you can run them through the tape outs on the reciever but running them the reciever lessens the idea of getting a flat response from your monitors. and if you dont already know, the idea is to hear an accurate portrait from what you recorded without adding eq to your monitors. running it through the reciever is essentially adding eq to the monitors
 
thanks distortedrumble

yes the sherwood have aux in´s. And have an TONE DIRECT button which i have on always. So the signal doesn´t go through the EQ.

First i wanted to connect them with an Y cable like you described but then i did heared it would be better to connect them to my receiver or an little mixer.

Yesterday i did connect the emu 0404 analog & digital outputs to the sherwood aux & coax inputs and the monitors with an RCA connection to the tape out. It´s ok but i have no volume control over the monitors with the receiver. When i select radio the output is to loud ?!? here are more infos about the sherwood.

Did hear the analog & digital sound of the emu and can´t hear a difference !!!

Now i am using the receiver as control center. Can records now only with my onboard audio ( abit av8 ) and have to buy an micro preamp or an little mixer.

I am recording vocals very rare. With an studio projects VTB1 micro preamp ( cheaper alternatives without tube ? ) i would have better quality but with an mixer ( soundcraft compact 4 ) more opportunitys.
 
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Here is my list of small mixers. The best is a 1-st one, the worst is last one. It is compared mostly in terms of sound quality. This is my opinion, I am sure estimations of others can vary.

1. Soundcraft
2. Allen & Heatz
3. Mackie
4. Tapco
5. Yamaha
6. Behringer
7. Phonic

Right now I have Behringer UB series, my next goal as for mix is Soundcraft Spirit.
 
fova said:
Here is my list of small mixers. The best is a 1-st one, the worst is last one. It is compared mostly in terms of sound quality. This is my opinion, I am sure estimations of others can vary.

1. Soundcraft
2. Allen & Heatz
3. Mackie
4. Tapco
5. Yamaha
6. Behringer
7. Phonic

Right now I have Behringer UB series, my next goal as for mix is Soundcraft Spirit.
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i will go with soundcraft tooo. Did talk with an friend and he recommended me soundcraft too, but he would put phonic in your list above behringer :-) and yamaha above tapco.

soundcraft compact 4 -- 115 €

good buy ;-)
 
fernandoesmaron said:
Did talk with an friend and he recommended me soundcraft too, but he would put phonic in your list above behringer :-) and yamaha above tapco.



;-)
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Well that sorts that out then (for fux sake).

Tony
 
is it possible to use balanced stereo cables with the soundcraft compact 4 & emu 0404 ?

have to buy cables now again to connect the soundcard with the mixer and don´t want to buy unbalanced, cause i will update my soundcard en of this year with an balanced emu 1212m.

Don´t want to buy new cables then again. Is it ok or must i use unbalanced TRS mono cables ?

----

How would you connect emu 0404 - monitors & receiver with the soundcraft compact 4 mixer ?

- > playback & record with the comp
-> monitor out to the active wharfedales
-> mixer out to receiver ??

i have no other output - is it possible to select between monitor & mixer out with this mixer ? Don´t wan´t to close the monitors or receiver always !!
 
phonic mixers have a lot better gain stage than behringers. I bought one when I was in audio engineering school at SAE. They aren't so bad for something so cheap. Much better than behringer. I still use it along with a mackie 1202 for sub mixing stuff and for generally stupid efx stuff.

If you get into the recording very much you will immediately begin to crave a quality preamp though.

I mean like next week.

Or perhaps tommorrow.
 
I'm pretty happy with my Behringer UB. I use a Mackie also, but for the money, the Behringer is just as good. A lot of the Mackie stuff is being made over seas now, and the quailty is really only very slightly better. Not better enough to justify the price difference. However, I am upgrading to the SoundCraft. Really, really nice board. I love direct outs on every channel. EVERY other small mixer should take some notes on that! Other than the SoundCraft, none of these small mixers really seem like they are built for recording (why would I want 16 inputs, and only 8 direct outs?), yet none really seem "road worthy" either.
 
Toker41 said:
I'm pretty happy with my Behringer UB. I use a Mackie also, but for the money, the Behringer is just as good.
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I have also Behringer UB which is great for life performance but not so suitable to studio because of its hiss and preamps. The price of UB is awesome, it is good gear to start with but the higher level of sound requires a different products.
 
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