Would you recommend buying this product for phantom power?

  • Thread starter Thread starter porkplan
  • Start date Start date
P

porkplan

New member
I couldn't get my condenser mic to work because my interface (ZOOM G3)

I'm planning to purchase this mixer (Behringer: EURORACK MXB1002) since I saw it cheap on ebay. Would it work? And would it be a good idea?

Or should I just buy a new interface with phantom power? Thanks! :)
 
Let me third that. Buy a basic interface with phantom power.
 
Actually the zoom g3 also has an audio interface feature :)

thanks for your answers guys. Another question, the mxb1002 that i found is really cheap. Wouldnt it be helpful to have a mixer as well and stick to my zoom g3?
 
porkplan said:
Actually the zoom g3 also has an audio interface feature :)
Click to expand...

If it was a fully featured audio interface, you wouldn't be here asking the question, would you?

Read the sticky threads above about mixers and recording.
 
Have a read of THIS FAQ by one of HR's boring old gits. It explains the pros and cons of mixers.

Basically though, if the mixer is really cheap, go for it. It's always useful to have a small mixer in the studio to do headphones mixes or control levels to monitors or whatever. Similarly, if you have a specific need for one of the features, go for it. However, the sad truth is that, as a main production tool, cheap mixers are rarely worth much. They lack the routing options that can make them useful for headphone mixes and the like and, because you're paying for a lot of stuff you don't need, corners are cut in vital areas like pre amp quality.

As for your G3, the interface feature is for instruments, not microphones and (lacking a proper pre amp) it'll not be doing your mic quality any favours. Adding a cheap and nasty mixer as an input is just taking you farther down the wrong road. It might work but, in the long run, you'll be much better of with an interface including proper mic pre amps, ASIO drivers and direct hardware monitoring for low latency.
 
I shall "fourth" this thread and go along with Bobbsy et al.

Yes, a small mixer CAN be useful as B said but as an addition to a decent AI, not instead of.

Then, I know that some of the Eurorack range had rather feeble power supply units (not saying THIS one) which died after a couple of years. This is not like a PSU for an AI such as my latest addition, a Scarlet 8i6 (works fine on this P4 Xphome BTW) which is just a basic 12 volts at an amp of which I found two pretty quickly and would in any event cost me about a tenner on the bay...No, the Bellringer PSUs are specials with an odd (PSE-like) connector and you would likely only get one thru a dealer and loose a limb.

If you want some AI suggestions.
at £100ish: Steinberg UR22
At £150ish Native Instruments KA6

Dave.
 
porkplan said:
Actually the zoom g3 also has an audio interface feature :)

thanks for your answers guys. Another question, the mxb1002 that i found is really cheap. Wouldnt it be helpful to have a mixer as well and stick to my zoom g3?
Click to expand...

If you just want a mixer to say you've got a mixer then go for it.
If you want phantom power buy a phantom power supply, or better yet, a decent interface with phantom power.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top