Mixers

There is an element of magic in any audio design, but the Allen & Heath MixWizard series may have more than most.

We all know there are lots of compact mixers on the market — but then lots of people need a compact mixer, and SoundTech's 16-channel Quantum Mix is priced for mass appeal. Mike Crofts looks before he leaps.

You might think you can't afford 32 inputs and eight busses — but a look at this cost-effective console might just change your mind. Derek Johnson goes on the busses...

Andy Keir casts a critical ear over the new Alesis rack mixer and discovers that he's in for a quiet time.

After a spell away from project studio consoles, Allen & Heath return with a magical new contender. Martin Walker conjures up some thoughts on the WZ20:8:2.

Yamaha brought the price of an automated digital mixer crashing to below £2000 with the release of the ProMix 01. They then followed up with the fully-featured 02R, but at over £7000, it wasn't cheap. Now there's the 03D, which seeks to combine the features of the 02R with the amazing value of the 01. Hugh Robjohns checks out the 03D's zeros and ones...

Another 8-bus console hits the streets, as Tascam release an ideal partner for their digital 8-track recorders. Dominic Hawken takes a listen.

Steve Brodie checks out Soundtracs' latest addition to the increasingly-crowded compact mixer market.

Though digital technology has transformed the nature of synths, effects, and even multitracks, project studio mixers have largely remained steadfastly analogue, breaking the chain which, if complete, would allow your music to remain in the digital domain from sequencer to master.Korg's 168RC forms the heart of a system designed to all but eliminate the analogue signal path, and Paul Wiffen wonders where it's been all his life...

Employing the same surface mount technology and 100 millimetre faders featured on the larger Folio SX, the stylish new F1 Continues the progressive Folio tradition of offering more features for the same price or less. Man of taste Paul Hedges decides whether he likes the cut of the F1's jib...

We've all heard of a modular mixing desks - &mdash but perhaps not where all the modules are rackmounting and can be mixed and matched to form a custom console, or used alone. Hugh Robjohns makes all the right connections.

Yet another ultra-compact mixer emerges from R&D, to fierce competition from similar models by other manufacturers. David Mellor does a spot of channel-hopping...

After months of curiosity-arousing, X-Files-style advertising, Soundcraft's Ghost is here, offering the project studio owner automated 8-buss mixing at a highly competitive price. David Mellor deliberately avoids all jokes about EQ and haunting sound quality.

After finally discovering this little mixer almost lost amongst its own packaging, Paul White puts it to work.

Tascam are known for the quality and reliability of their larger consoles: now they've turned their hands to a super-mini mixer, which will have to slug it out with similar models already on the market. Paul White assesses its chances.

Mackie's enormously successful 1604 and 1202 mixers have inspired a fleet of imitations, all keen to get a slice of the action. Sound Engineer Steve Brodie checks out Peavey's take on the compact mixer concept...

As Mackie's new 1402 VLZ goes a long way to bridging the gap between their original 1202 and 1604, it comes as no surprise that the new 1604 VLZ has evolved a whole new range of features. Paul White checks out the update of this steel-clad classic...

First observed by the SOS team at the bottom of an aquarium at this year's Frankfurt Musikmesse, Spirit by Soundcraft's new Folio SX mixer has now arrived. Paul White dries it off and removes the goldfish droppings from the insert points.

Prefer a Mackie compact mixer with faders? then the 1402VLZ could be just what you're looking for. Paul White checks it out.

Inquisitor-General Paul White puts Samson on the rack, but finds few guilty secrets.

Studiomaster's new desk joins the long list of other contenders in the crowded 8-buss mixer market. Unlike many of its competitors, however, the Classic 8 is a split console, and includes MIDI muting and a meter bridge as standard. Is this enough to encourage musicians to settle for Studiomaster? Paul White finds out.