Members sue Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Ok, I know very, very little about sound. I started to do some reading here and have bought some "basic sound" books. I have a Ultrasound amp AG-50DS4, (2 channel acoustic amp) and I mostly play "worship music", for groups no larger than about 50 people. I would like to add a mixer so other people can sing, play, or if I have 2 guitars I can have the both plugged in etc. Something just to mess around with. (I know the amp is made for solo playing, one person, one guitar, but I,m not going to invest in a portable PA system right now, but may if things take off). Cost is important, I only play out about once a month, I don't have a studio or do any recording, no youtube for me etc..But I would like something that I would be able to use if I got a small PA system. Someone suggested a Behringer Eurorack UB1202, I was also looking at a behringer Xenyx 1204, Yamaha MG102c, Mackie 802 VZ3. Besides the obvious $$ and amount of channels, whats the difference? Do I need effects?Which one should I get, if any. Please don't turn this into a behringer bashing thread, I read all the bad vs good comments Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaBender Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Please don't turn this into a behringer bashing thread, I read all the bad vs good comments Thanks What, you don't want any replies? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Honestly, I think these pocket mixers have kind of become almost commodity type objects, with not a lot of differentiation across various makes/models. That said, I like the Peavey PV line, as they seem to come in pretty tidy packages, and are made by a company that has been historically solid in supporting their M.I. product lines. They also have the best warranty of the bunch -- 5 years with registration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Oh, and for what it's worth, my Behr 1604 "shop mixer" has a dead channel and XLR out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Gregidon Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Who just came out with the tiny mixer with onboard reverb? That would be what i would vote for, a couple of mic inputs and onboard reverb will get you started. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted November 20, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 A Peavey PV series or Yamaha MG will do the job and not cause you any grief. You ask what the difference is among the mixers you listed. The Features are obviously slightly different. The quality is as well. Behringer has a bad reputation for dead channels. So does Mackie, and Mackie is also in grave danger of going out of business completely, thanks to its parent company LOUD Tech's financial quagmire. I've heard very few failure issues with the PV line, and virtually never heard of an MG mixer failure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chip Stewart Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 A Peavey PV series or Yamaha MG will do the job and not cause you any grief.You ask what the difference is among the mixers you listed. The Features are obviously slightly different. The quality is as well. Behringer has a bad reputation for dead channels. So does Mackie, and Mackie is also in grave danger of going out of business completely, thanks to its parent company LOUD Tech's financial quagmire. I've heard very few failure issues with the PV line, and virtually never heard of an MG mixer failure. +1 to the Peavey PV series and the Yamaha MG series. I use a Peavey PV14, and it works very well. Very reliable and very quiet (no noise or hiss). The Yamaha MG series is also a good option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soul-x Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Who just came out with the tiny mixer with onboard reverb? That would be what i would vote for, a couple of mic inputs and onboard reverb will get you started. There's quite a few of them. Alesis, Phonic have been selling them for years. Maybe Soundcraft is the one your talking about? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted November 20, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted November 20, 2009 There's lots of them. Alesis, Phonic have been making them for years. Maybe Soundcraft is the one your talking about? Folio? Bueller? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Hi Sue, I'm very much in a similar situation. I've also been shopping for an easily transportable mixer, that will allow expansion for my 2 channel AER Compact 60/2. I wanted something small enough that I could grab with 1 hand, and go, without sacrificing sound quality. I won't even look at something that is incapable of producing clean gain, or has scratchy pots, hiss, etc. I elected to go with the now discontinued Soundcraft Compact 4, which can be had for $99. if you shop around. It has 2 XLR mono channels, one of which has a Hi-Z switch, allowing you to plug in your guitar. (D.I. in) The unit has no FX however. All inputs/outputs are balanced, steel chassis, twin headphone outs (artist/engineer), twin stereo channels (balanced, and unbalanced). Balanced monitor out as well. At the time of purchase, I couldn't find a satisfactory 4 XLR mono-channel mixer, but since then, Soundcraft has announced the release of their new Notepad series mixers. I'll be picking up the Soundcraft 124-FX as soon as it's available at my local dealer. It's even more compact than the Compact 4 (roughly 9"x9"). Some dealers are currently selling it at $219. Looks like a very promising solution for me, as I often have friends who'll join in unexpectedly. I can fit either of those mixers in an accessory pocket of my Compact 60's shoulder-bag, and I've also purchased a small Gator G-Mix 12"x12" padded shoulder-bag. The amp weighs 18 3/4 lbs, and the mixer is roughly 3 lbs. If I know in advance that more friends will join in, I can grab my Soundcraft EFX-8, which has eight XLR mono channel inputs. I have a G-mix 15"x15" padded shoulder-bag for that unit, and the accessory pocket can hold a 2-channel D.I. box from EWI. I also have a 2-channel Radial Tonebone PZ-pre. http://www.soundcraft.com/products/product.aspx?pid=173 Good luck with your search, and when making your selection, remember that things don't always necessarily operate "as advertised". A compact mixer that introduces a lot of noise, or has low gain-before-feedback, would be a real pain to use, if not completely useless. Try to read as many reviews as possible, and when you see a common thread of problems appearing, well, that should send up the warning flags. You have to ask yourself, "Is it worth saving a few bucks, only to have to live longterm with an unreliable and noisey piece of junk?" You have a pretty good amp there by all accounts, so my tendancy would be to build on that quality. Cheers, Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaBender Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 Another happy PV14 user here, and I use the reverb. It's worth noting that the major difference between the PV and similar Yamahas is that the Yammis use an external power supply, while the PVs simply have a removable cord. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cappttenron Posted November 20, 2009 Members Share Posted November 20, 2009 You might want to look at the new mackie product coming out soon. http://www.mackie.com/products/profx8/ I had the earlier version and it was great and my friend still uses it. Has decent effects, an EQ and I never had a problem with my older one. I also recently got the little 402 mackie the little brother to the 802. I like mine a lot and it seems very well made. I think the 802 would be a much better choice if you want to use it for a PA later. For just a little more you could look at the 1202 or even an old one on ebay for probably around a hundred bucks. I prefer having an internal power supply. If your looking at the 802 I think that would be a good choice for size capability and if its built as well as its little brother should last a very long time. Even the 402 would allow you to add another guitarist and singer for 99 bucks and you can put that mixer in your purse.:blah: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ir0-ed Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 I can't really recommend it as I have not tried it yet but I just bought the Soundcraft MFXi 8. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TimmyP Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 I'd take an old used version 1 MixWiz ($500) over anything else that's available for under $1000 (except for a Version 3 MixWiz). If I didn't need that many channels, I'd still get one instead of a smaller, cheaper mixer. The superior EQ and repairability make it worth spending the extra money.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sue Posted November 21, 2009 Author Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 Thanks for all the replies. After reviewing suggestions, my needs, price range etc. Looks like I should get a higher quality/dependable mixer with less channels. Never considered peavey, seems well thought of here. Anyone use Alesis how about Tapco by Mackie? Want to stay under $200 Thought Soundcraft maybe out of my price range, A few places still have the compact 4 available (not for $99) and the new 124 notepad looks interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ir0-ed Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 Edirol M10-DX... been using it for over a year with very good results both home studio projects and small events. http://www.rolandus.com/products/productdetails.php?ProductId=861&ParentId=114 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CMS Author Craig Vecchione Posted November 21, 2009 CMS Author Share Posted November 21, 2009 Thanks for all the replies. After reviewing suggestions, my needs, price range etc. Looks like I should get a higher quality/dependable mixer with less channels. Never considered peavey, seems well thought of here. Anyone use Alesis how about Tapco by Mackie?Want to stay under $200Thought Soundcraft maybe out of my price range, A few places still have the compact 4 available (not for $99) and the new 124 notepad looks interesting. Alesis has some decent stuff. Tapco is a lower line by Mackie. It also suffers the same issues as to their future as Mackie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Barry Inger Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 I just picked up a used Behringer EuroRack UB2442FX-PRO off Ebay. It's had the original Users Manual which is dated July 2002... Excellent condition and have been using it regularly practicing and playing out. One fabulous mixer for the bucks! I've said it before, I'll say it again: I own and have bought/sold alot of Behringer gear and have NEVER had a problem with a piece. Granted, I take very good care of my gear. Alot of guys will claim Behringer steals ideas and has them made in China. Really? Sounds to me like Behringer is beating China at it's own game. Show me something that is totally original that a competitor hasn't made something similiar or what you may as well consider a clone. Show me other gear manufacturers that haven't sued their competitors over issues? Behringer is the only one? Right... Hey, there's alot of good gear out there. When I was looking for a cheap mixer that had alot of features, I looked at 'em all. I'm very happy with my purchase. Ok, you can start stoning me now! Barry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ir0-ed Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 Good job with those Behringers but having bought and then sell them alot of times raises the big question... WHY??? Anyway... going back to topic... there's a few under $200 nice ultra compact mixers out there that are good and the Edirol M-10DX is one of them and can be had for under $150 brand new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bobby1Note Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 Sue, I'll look around to see if I can find you a Soundcraft Compact 4 at a reasonable price. It appears the EBay retailer where I bought mine, has no more in stock, but so far, I've found this unit at Axe Music, for $119. Canadian.($113. U.S.) http://www.axemusic.com/product.asp?numRecordPosition=3&P_ID=8428&PT_ID=226 That said, if you're looking to plug in two guitars and two vocal mics, this may not be the unit for you. You'd have to output the mixer into one of your amps' inputs, so you'd have two available inputs on the mixer, and one on your amp. That would allow you to plug in two two guitars/one mic. That works ok for me,,, sometimes. Both artists gather around one mic-stand, so you're playing standing up. If you're in a relaxed setting, just jamming with friends atc, and want to play seated, you'd probably want at least 4 XLR/mono inputs (2 mics/2guitars). The Soundcraft Compact 10 may be the better choice for that scenario, but it's obviously not as compact. (18" long I believe) Of the 4 XLR/mono channel mixers, my personal preference is the Soundcraft Notepad 124FX, and that's mainly due to the very small footprint (9"x9", and fits in an accessory pocket of my amps' gig-bag), and the built-in FX (Lexicon) The disadvantage of the 124FX, is that it doesn't have the built-in D.I. function, found on the Compact 4 and Compact 10. I'd probably want to use an external D.I. box. The EWI 2-channel passive D.I. I linked to earlier, would probably be a great solution device. While you're at EWI, you definitely want to check out their instrument cables. Superb value for money spent. OK, here's a Compact 4 at $99. http://www.digitalproaudio.com/blowout--Soundcraft--Compact4.html Here's a Compact 10 at $210. w/free shipping. http://www.spectrumaudio.com/soundcraft-compact-10-channel.html Here's a Soundcraft Notepad 124 (no FX) at FullCompass for $189. They also have the 124 FX at $219. Note; these are "special order" items at FullCompass, probably due to market availability (new/just released). I'd be very surprised if the Notepad series are not readily available in time for the Christmas rush. http://www.fullcompass.com/product/377614.html http://www.fullcompass.com/product/377615.html Bob EWI 2 channel passive D.I. http://www.audiopile.net/products/DI_Boxes/FDB-202/FDB-202_cutsheet.shtml EWI instrument cables http://www.audiopile.net/products/Mic_Instr_Cables/UCGP-TW/UCGP-TW_Series.shtml Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cappttenron Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 On the tapco mixers my friend got one at Guitar center for 99 bucks. While it is not pro quality it seems to do the job and has effects that are decent. She hauls hers around to band practice and it seems to be holding up fine. At 99 bucks you cant go but so wrong. If you need to upgrade later just put in on craigs list for 50 bucks or something. One of the models had swept mids and more routing options for a little more. Swepts mids are nice in a board costing less than 170 bucks. Imo opinion it seemed better made than the beheringer unit we were also looking at. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members agedhorse Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 The race to the bottom has multiple competitors... so, does the one who hits bottom first win or lose? It's like a rat race... even if you win, you are still a rat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cappttenron Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 The race to the bottom has multiple competitors... so, does the one who hits bottom first win or lose? It's like a rat race... even if you win, you are still a rat. You know you have hit bottom when you look up and all you can see is whale {censored}!:lol::poke::poke::cop: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cappttenron Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 by the way I thought nady had the bottom sewed up? or are beheringer and nady both made in prison labor camps in china? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted November 21, 2009 Members Share Posted November 21, 2009 The race to the bottom has multiple competitors... so, does the one who hits bottom first win or lose?It's like a rat race... even if you win, you are still a rat. Two sig worthy quotes in one post, good one! As to the Edirol mixer, I've used a similar model a couple of times and found that it wasn't really set up for a walk in. In other words there's a wee bit of a learning curve. I found myself scrolling through menus and wishing I didn't have to. Of course this does mean they can pack in more features. Maybe the linked model is easier to operate than the one I used. Personally, I would want a small format mixer to be dead simple to operate, sound good, and be built like a tank. Maybe a Soundcraft EFX series, or the Peavey PV series. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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