Jump to content


Please note: You can easily log in to MPN using your Facebook account!

Line Mixers


Recommended Posts

Keyboard guys - nobody needs line mixers like we do, right? :idea:

 

I've used a bunch of them, and many are either too limited or too noisy for my needs. A bunch of years ago, settled on an old Mackie LM3204 and a Speck xsum. As some of you may know, I just finished redoing my studio, and in the process I became aware of the Mackie's age and sonic limitations compared to the xsum. I looked around to see what was a vailable...and ended up getting a second xsum. The thing is simply noiseless - nothing else I've ever had in here comes close in that respect. Cost an arm and a leg...but ity really is worth it, IMO.

 

What are the rest of you using?

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Replies 33
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

All software at home so no mixer at all.

 

Live, I've never used a line mixer per se, but I've used various small mixers from Mackie, Soundcraft etc. At certain stages I have used a keyboard or module as a "mixer" (Emu Proteus, Nord Electro 6, Yamaha Modx all can do it). Ended up getting a Key Largo since I no longer need a pre-fader send to mix my monitor feed back in (which severely limited choices).

 

(shout-out to Radial who sent me a few extra little washers that had somehow come off the output jacks. Really nice of them.)

 

I've gotten so close over the years to buying one--I remember debating whether to get a Roland something-or-other decades ago. The latest I considered was a Samson sm-10. I think for home studio use I'd be a bit more finicky than live and probably shell out more.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Keyboard guys - nobody needs line mixers like we do, right? :idea:

 

I've used a bunch of them, and many are either too limited or too noisy for my needs. A bunch of years ago, settled on an old Mackie LM3204 and a Speck xsum. As some of you may know, I just finished redoing my studio, and in the process I became aware of the Mackie's age and sonic limitations compared to the xsum. I looked around to see what was a vailable...and ended up getting a second xsum. The thing is simply noiseless - nothing else I've ever had in here comes close in that respect. Cost an arm and a leg...but ity really is worth it, IMO.

 

dB

 

Exactly what I would do if I didn't have the Xtramix. Did you get the little module that lets you tie them together?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did you get the little module that lets you tie them together?

Yep - it comes stock now!

 

dB

 

Cool! From an architecture standpoint that line mixer is probably as clean as theoretically possible. There's just not much electronics in each channel path to get in the way. What little there is is super high quality.

 

I've said it before but happy to repeat: Vince goes out on a limb with customer service which matches up with his products ultra-high quality. "Schematics? Sure, what's your email? Spare parts? What do you need?"

 

:allhail:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, just saw a $2100 MSRP on the unit. I'm sure it sounds phenomenal but I equate it to purchasing a Hammond clone; the single manual XK5 for $3600 or a dual manual Mojo for nearly 1/2 that cost. I would love to purchase an XK5 (and actually could afford to purchase it if I chose to) but consciously would not do that. Probably the same for this mixer; the mixer I'm using does an adequate job at 1/10 the price.

57 Hammond B3; 69 Hammond L100P; 68 Leslie 122; Kurzweil Forte7 & PC3; M-Audio Code 61; Voce V5+; Neo Vent; EV ELX112P; GSI Gemini & Burn

Delaware Dave

Exit93band

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a Sampson SM10 for a while which was great for routing but a bit noisy for my taste. Nowadays I use a Scarlett 18i20 as both an interface and a programmable mixer which works really well. It seems like there's a huge gulf in price between the lower quality rack mixers like these Samson and the top drawer Radial gear, and without going down the full digital desk route, the Focusrite fits the bill on price and features nicely.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow, just saw a $2100 MSRP on the unit. I'm sure it sounds phenomenal but I equate it to purchasing a Hammond clone; the single manual XK5 for $3600 or a dual manual Mojo for nearly 1/2 that cost. I would love to purchase an XK5 (and actually could afford to purchase it if I chose to) but consciously would not do that. Probably the same for this mixer; the mixer I'm using does an adequate job at 1/10 the price.

I do a bunch of recording, and the Speck mixers are simply noiseless. Overkill for live, to be sure...but in the studio, that's invaluable to me.

 

For perspective, you're talking to a guy who paid to get isolated individually earthed circuits on three out of the four walls in the room. :cool:

 

dB

:snax:

 

:keys:==> David Bryce Music • Funky Young Monks <==:rawk:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For perspective, you're talking to a guy who paid to get isolated individually earthed circuits on three out of the four walls in the room. :cool:

 

dB

 

Oh man - now we're talk'n. Fortunately my grounding configuration is pretty good from when I had my basement redone although I could improve it some. However electrocution is the least of my worries if my wife catches me messing with this stuff again. I just completed installing a manual transfer switch for a generator and a new whole house surge suppressor.

 

fxD7Q2Km.jpg

MNoA0s8m.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For perspective, you're talking to a guy who paid to get isolated individually earthed circuits on three out of the four walls in the room. :cool:

 

dB

 

Oh man - now we're talk'n. Fortunately my grounding configuration is pretty good from when I had my basement redone although I could improve it some. However electrocution is the least of my worries if my wife catches me messing with this stuff again. I just completed installing a manual transfer switch for a generator and a new whole house surge suppressor.

Um... I think I'm gonna need to do a consult with you two when we start doing more work in the home studio... sounds like you have some first-hand experience with the stuff I've been thinking "hmm, I wonder if we could..."

 

Right now, I have a 24-channel analog Mackie 8-Bus console that I got for free sitting on top of my Leslie, so I can run lines from the Wurlitzer, Gibson combo organ, Clav, Novation synth, and laptop (the latter two in stereo), and mic lines from the Leslie and the acoustic piano. But even I, looking upon the Mackie's plasticky girth pouring over the edges of the 147, think to myself "this might be a little much." And a bunch of the channel inputs are, shall we say, hairy. So let's just say I'll be following this thread with interest.

 

Though honestly, when I get to the point where I'm ready to spend more money on this kind of gear, I'll probably just get an expander for our 16-channel interface that I can completely hog with keyboard lines all the time. "No, no, I just really like a nice Glyn Johns mic setup on the drums! You don't need all that close mic shit! I'm sorry, what was that? Didn't hear you over Hammond... don't you love how big it sounds with the stereo spread plus the low rotor mic'ed up?"

Samuel B. Lupowitz

Musician. Songwriter. Food Enthusiast. Bad Pun Aficionado.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don"t do studio recording - only play live. Which kind of means I don"t play at all at the moment!

 

Big rig - Ashly LX308B

 

Small rig - Radial Key Largo (I Velcro it to my top 'board). David Holloway sold this to me at 'mate"s rates'.

 

Both whisper quiet. The mixers, not David.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was thinking exactly to start a thread about this. I really need a new synth mixer. The 32/8/2 Behringer that I have used for many years (don't say anything, please) is long gone. During the last years of its life it was spending more time in repair than at home....

 

For live - assuming that live music will come back - I have a couple of small mixers, as I usually don't need more than 6-8 channels. But at home, I have many sound sources, and I really dislike to continually connect and disconnect things.

 

It seems that the choices are few. Ideally, I would love a Mackie LM3204, but with better s/n ratio and *eq defeat*. The Xsum would be perfect, but really expensive and non-existent on the used market, especially in Europe. Plus, I could really use a couple of effect sends, to connect my hardware effects and to record on-the-fly multi-synth performances.

 

Mackie, Soundcraft, and other brands of 32-channel analog mixers are now cheaper on the used market, but really big and quite old.

 

Looks like the more reasonable solution would be a Behringer X32, or one of its little brothers. I am a little wary about going digital, especially with Behringer, but it seems that they have their quality control together now, and I'd really like to have 16 faders, each driving a stereo input, just like on the LM and the Xsum. Of course, at that point I would also use it as a recording mixer - even though I wouldn't need the effects, eq, mic preamps, or even patch memory...

 

So, I would like to know, too, if there are other solutions for a summing/synth mixer, without spending that much for a Speck (much more expensive here than in the USA). Possibly analog, and with stereo channel strips....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I"m still using the Samson SM-10. It has the channels and the buss routings I need. It"s a little noisy but considering the noisy floors of the guitars and other environmental factors it"s meaningless. If I needed to use it for recording it would be a no go.

"It doesn't have to be difficult to be cool" - Mitch Towne

 

"A great musician can bring tears to your eyes!!!

So can a auto Mechanic." - Stokes Hunt

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, I would like to know, too, if there are other solutions for a summing/synth mixer, without spending that much for a Speck (much more expensive here than in the USA). Possibly analog, and with stereo channel strips....

 

Have you considered an audio interface instead of a mixer? Something like this?

 

Many other similar type models on their site that may match up better with your specific needs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, I would like to know, too, if there are other solutions for a summing/synth mixer, without spending that much for a Speck (much more expensive here than in the USA). Possibly analog, and with stereo channel strips....

 

Have you considered an audio interface instead of a mixer? Something like this?

 

Many other similar type models on their site that may match up better with your specific needs.

 

Thanks Mark, I have thought about something like that, but I would really prefer a mixer which stays separated from the computer. Also, the cost of such an interface plus the hardware to control it would easily exceed the price of an Xmix!

 

I've also been asking around about getting an analog summing mixer custom-built for me... but with the use of high-quality components, it would be expensive as well...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I also had an Ashly LX-308B, and it was great- like DJ says it is quiet, reasonably priced, simple to operate. I used it in conjunction with an Apogee Duet. Since then for better or worse I now use a Focusrite Clarett 8Pre, and it also works very well and my analog gear sounds good thru it. From my perspective it is just easier to have everything going digital.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being the geek that I am I like looking at specs - especially on high end equipment. Specs are just one factor to consider but still useful; more so if they provide the test conditions. Unfortunately neither manufacturer gives an entire picture and they are difficult to compare in some respects.

 

Still the LX-308B looks very respectable. The X.Sum on the other hand is just plain SICK, with a price difference to match. But keep in mind it also provides double the channel count which accounts for a big chunk of that price differential.

 

Ashley LX-308B Specs

 

Speck X.Sum Specs

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's the difference between a "line mixer" and a "mixer"?

 

I think generally a line mixer is designed without Mic pres-

 

-dj

iMac i7 13.5.2

Studio One 5.5.2

Nord Stage 3

Nord Wave 2

Nektar T4

Drawmer DL 241

Focusrite ISA Two

Focusrite Clarett 8 Pre

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Live I (used to) use a Key Largo (2 keyboards, so relatively simple). In my studio I have lots of line-level sources. I used to use a Berhinger X32 together with about five RX1602 mixers. I've now replaced that with four times a (still) Behringer XR-18. That gives me 72 line-inputs which are converted to digital, and I can record via USB, I made my own (passive) summing mixer. So now all my keyboards in my studio are connected. If I play anything, I can hear it (I don't have to patch anything, so nothing stands in the way of creativity). With the noise-gates on the XR-18's, my studio is also silent. I'm very happy with this solution.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For perspective, you're talking to a guy who paid to get isolated individually earthed circuits on three out of the four walls in the room. :cool: dB

 

High End audio trick: Depending on what you're running on those lines, you might consider running each outlet to a separate breaker, preferably 30A. For little stuff like keyboards (10-30W) or mixers (what...5W?), it's not worth it, but if you've got power amplifiers on the line, it can make a difference. Heavy current draw on the line can lead to a drop in line voltage. Also, it used to be that the design of breakers meant they used a coil to drive a solenoid to trip the breaker (probably still true, but I haven't looked into it in a while and things may have changed), and high current causes a drop there, too. This is seriously tweaky, guilding the lily stuff, but if your head's in that space it's worth considering.

 

Grey

I'm not interested in someone's ability to program. I'm interested in their ability to compose and play.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...