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You are already ahead of the race if you have one of the best audio mixers. This is because there is a fierce race among artists and performers to obtain the most immersive and quality audio.
When recording or listening to different noises at a performance, it can be chaos that might leave you feeling incredibly uneasy or unsure of where to focus.
Audio mixers can help with those uncomfortable situations since they can creatively rework numerous sound sources.
Audio mixers are not only the best friends of music engineers; they may also be beloved by music enthusiasts who enjoy playing with the controls of sound, speech, and music for nearby listeners or guests.
The 11 Best Audio Mixers
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Zoom LiveTrak L-12 Digital Mixer
Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 3 x 11 inches.
Positive: Custom Scene Settings, Five Custom Monitor Mixes, Features USB Connectivity.
Negative: Not User Friendly.
The Zoom LiveTrak L-12 Digital Mixer takes your audio recording to the next level with its impressive features. Featuring 12 discrete channels (eight mono plus two stereos) with both XLR or 1/4-inch connectivity, you’re guaranteed nothing but crystal-clear sounds! You also get 14-track recording and 12-track playback functionalities.
For added convenience, the digital mixer is outfitted with five powered headphone outputs, each of which allows a customizable and savable mix of your work. Plus, you can connect via a 14-in/4-out USB audio interface. And because convenience counts, the soundboard comes complete with a scene-saving function that lets you store up to 9 scenes at any time.
Customer Review For Zoom LiveTrak L-12 Digital Mixer
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Mackie VLZ4 Series Mixer
Product Dimensions: 20.71 x 21.34 x 9.29 inches.
Positive: Features 16 Channel Mixing, Improved RF rejection, Provide Phantom Power.
Negative: Switches Don’t Work Properly.
If you need to mix in various settings and applications, the Mackie VLZ4 Series Mixer is a perfect choice. It features 16-channel mixing with Mackie’s signature high-headroom/low-noise design, so your signal remains clear and distortion-free. Its sixteen boutique-quality Onyx mic preamps make it an ideal solution for low-signal environments.
At the same time, its improved RF rejection ensures that broadcast signals are clear of interference or background hum. With its Phantom power for condenser mics and sixteen +4/-10 operation control inputs, your sounds stay warm and natural no matter what type of mix you create.
Customer Review For Mackie VLZ4 Series Mixer
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Fineshine Audio Mixer
Product Dimensions: 22.2 x 17.1 x 4.2 inches.
Positive: Features 3 Stage Equalization, Includes 6 Music Modes, LED Indicator Lights Available.
Negative: Mute Button Not Included.
Fineshine Audio Mixer is the perfect tool for creating professional-level audio recordings and mixes. It has 3-stage equalization regulation and adjustable reverb depth and delays effect, making it easy to control your sound. Plus, it has a +48v phantom power supply to ensure it can handle wired/wireless/capacitive microphone inputs without issue. With six music modes, from natural to country, you’ll be able to find the perfect sound for whatever project you’re working on.
As if that’s not enough, this recording mixer also boasts LED indicator lights and rotary adjustment knobs that make adjusting volume levels, input selection and more a breeze. But best of all, you can use this mixer in tremendous or small settings by connecting it to any electronic equipment with an audio input interface – now that’s versatile!
Customer Review For Fineshine Audio Mixer
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Pyle Professional Audio Mixer
Product Dimensions: 2.56 x 10.83 x 9.26 inches.
Positive: Built-in Digital Effects, Bluetooth Wireless Streaming, LCD Digital Display.
Negative: Bad Power Supply.
The Pyle Professional Audio Mixer is the perfect tool for any sound connoisseur. It includes intuitive controls like play/pause, skipping tracks, and switching between modes. It also features Bluetooth wireless music streaming for seamless connection when on the go. This mixer goes further with XLR and unbalanced 1/4″ plugs complete with plus 48V phantom buttons and highly accurate LED peak level indicators.
To top it off, the ultra-musical three-band EQ on all channels provides optimum dynamic control to ensure the ultimate punch and clarity. Each piece of this pro audio set-up is impressively crafted. Its sealed rotary controls resist dust and grime to a compact DJ mixer that packs powerful features into a tiny package.
Customer Review For Pyle Professional Audio Mixer
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FULUODE CT-80S Audio Mixer
Product Dimensions: 15.63 x 13.31 x 2.36 inches.
Positive: Includes High-quality Metal Jack, Large LED Display, Features A Protective Film.
Negative: Doesn’t Include Driver Software.
The FULUODE CT-80S Audio Mixer is built for flexibility, offering 8-channel, 6-channel and 12-channel monocular input options. Each channel has three segments and provides a 48V phantom power supply to get the most out of your setup. The advantage of this mixer doesn’t stop there; it also includes a 1.57-inch ultra-thin design and an integrated 5.0 Bluetooth wireless connection with a song name display.
Additionally, you can connect peripheral digital effects equipment to the large LED display that can be easily modified with a protective film if needed. This combination of features makes it one of the most versatile recording equipment available today.
Customer Review For FULUODE CT-80S Audio Mixer
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Weymic Professional Mixer
Product Dimensions: 13.39 x 1.97 x 9.45 inches.
Positive: Comes With Audio USB Interface, Features 7 Channels, and Provides 48V Phantom Power.
Negative: Doesn’t Connect Properly.
For those who need something that can handle both the audio and mixing needs from rehearsals to performances, the Weymic Professional Mixer is the perfect tool. With its two mic/line input channels, studio-level audio quality, and 7-channel mixing capabilities, this powerful device can meet and exceed your needs.
Its power adapter allows it to be used anywhere with a 110v power source. In contrast, its audio USB interface lets it quickly connect to laptops and computers, both PC and Mac compatible.
Customer Review For Weymic Professional Mixer
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EMB MX06BT Audio Mixer
Product Dimensions: 9.84 x 8.07 x 3.43 inches.
Positive: Includes 99 Preset Effects, Compatible with Bluetooth, LED Screen Display.
Negative: Sound Has Too Much Interface.
With the EMB MX06BT Audio Mixer, your setup for music production is easily expanded with plenty of options. This mixer has several impressive features, including 99 preset digital effect programs, a sound processor and musical instrument input switch, Bluetooth compatibility, a headphone and microphone jack with a 3.5mm plug, an LED screen display and more.
It also includes an XLR 48v power supply for increased reliability during the performance. Arguably the pinnacle of next-generation audio mixers on the market today, it is designed to make getting professional results easy and enjoyable.
Customer Review For EMB MX06BT Audio Mixer
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DYRABREST Professional Audio Mixer
Product Dimensions: 17.5 x 16.8 x 4.25 inches.
Positive: Built-in Digital Effector, Compatible With Multi Devices, Provide Wireless Bluetooth Streaming.
Negative: Cheap Build Quality.
The DYRABREST Professional Audio Mixer is an essential piece of equipment for any music enthusiast looking for a dependable modern audio mixer. The device features a built-in digital effector and single-channel 3-segment equalization, which means you can create the perfect mix for any situation. Its sealed rotary controls are dust-resistant, giving you total dynamic control.
The mixer offers conveniences such as a USB socket and cable-free music streaming directly from Spotify or Pandora to the console. Plus, with built-in play/pause and track-skipping controls, it’s never been easier to enjoy your favorite tunes in perfection. Its ultra-low noise mix head amp design allows for flawless sound reproduction, and its dedicated stereo and peak-retaining monitor meters ensure you can make precise adjustments in volume with ease.
Customer Review For DYRABREST Professional Audio Mixer
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Depusheng DT8 Professional Mixer
Product Dimensions: 17.87 x 17.64 x 4.25 inches.
Positive: Features Blu-ray LCD Screen, Powerful Compatibility, and 3-band EQ Adjustment.
Negative: Not Works Professionally Well.
The Depusheng DT8 Professional Mixer features multi-device compatibility and built-in controls, ensuring a user-friendly experience in playing/pausing, skipping tracks, and switching between modes. Its 1.4-inch thin design boasts sealed rotary controls designed to resist dust for an enjoyable, tactile experience.
This technology offers total dynamic control and high-quality on-stage performance, plus crystal clear studio-level quality audio playback without the need for cables streaming from separate devices directly to the consoles. Additionally, this mixer provides an ultra-musical three-band EQ with all channels for extra customization, ultra-low noise capability, and a high headroom level for any desired professional vocal and instrumental sounds.
Customer Review For Depusheng DT8 Professional Mixer
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CofeLife Professional Audio Mixer
Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 7.44 x 2.4 inches.
Positive: Offers Multiple Device Connections, Features Noise Reduction Technology, and Includes LED Luminous Button.
Negative: Low-Quality Construction.
The CofeLife Professional Audio Mixer is a unique sound equipment that ensures your audio mix hits all the right notes. It features a multifunctional live sound card and audio mixer soundboard card, and seven different colors of breathing lights for dramatic effect. It has a tuning knob design with 12 kinds of electricity sounds and 20 warming-up sound effects to customize your audio experience.
Two microphones can be connected simultaneously, allowing you to adjust the high-pitch, alto-voice and low-pitch independently. This impressive hardware is fully compatible with most mainstream operating systems and devices, ensuring you get all the details when mixing your next hit song.
Customer Review For CofeLife Professional Audio Mixer
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BOMGE Audio Mini Mixer
Product Dimensions: 7.2 x 6.1 x 1.73 inches.
Positive: DSP Effects Capable, Features Built-in Recording Control, Wireless Connectivity.
Negative: Terrible Sound Quality.
The BOMGE Audio Mini Mixer is an incredibly versatile tool for creating unique audio mixes. With four channels, a built-in sound card and audio interface, and various built-in controllers, this mixer provides everything an artist needs to create a great mix. It has two mono inputs boasting both XLR and an unbalanced 1/4” Plug with 48V phantom power, making it compatible with virtually any microphone or studio setup.
The mixer also features a 16 DSP Echo/Delayed sound effect processor. At the same time, its USB port allows users to wirelessly stream music from their tablet, phone, or computer to mix in with the produced sounds. Professional DJs can produce incredible mixes thanks to the Play/Pause/Switch songs and modes built into the product.
Customer Review For BOMGE Audio Mini Mixer
What Is An Audio Mixer?
An audio mixer could be considered an actual handler of various audio sources like microphones and musical instruments. It helps collect and combine them to give a pleasant audio output and listening experience.
An audio mixer or mixing board tweaks or pinches down effects like volume levels, tonal adjustments, and various other dynamics and transmits the polished version of these signals to various output sources like recorders, amplifiers, or speakers.
The audio mixer combines sound signals from different channels into one or two audio channels.
Whatever the audio source may be, the audio mixer impacts or improves various frequency levels within an audio signal and may also assist in enhancing the pan position of the audio source as well.
The analog processing of audio signal dispersion into a stereo or multichannel audio field, known as panoramic positioning or pan positioning, can be controlled by pan controllers on audio mixers.
When these audio mixers are used in professional setups, they are often called sound mixing consoles or soundboards.
What Does An Audio Mixer Do?
A recording console or an audio mixer could be used at liver concerts, recording studios, and other workplaces.
An audio mixer alters volume controls across numerous inputs and shapes and tones them so that they play nicely together and sound friendly and pleasant to the listeners or whoever is listening to them.
An audio mixer’s use is advantageous when you have to regulate the sound of various channels that could overpower each other if not accurately revised.
What an audio mixer does could be understood by using an example. There could be an event where the presenter is trying to deliver a crucial speech, and the music is played in the background. There could be chances that the music might get too loud.
This is where a good-quality audio mixer comes into action. It could help modify the frequency levels of music so that the listeners hear what the presenter says while the music plays in the background without disturbing the audio quality.
How Do Audio Mixers Work?
The audio mixer’s work starts when two signals are accepted by the mixer and then checked by the audio engineer so that he can modify it by adjusting the volume and the output of the mixer audio does the result.
Audio mixers work in the following ways-
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Input Stage
The primary stage of audio mixing is done via inputs. You could find most of the mixers with XLR inputs where you get 3-pronged microphone connectors and a standard jack connector.
With recent technology advancements, there are digital inputs to connect audio sound mixers; such inputs are optical or S/PDIF, which could help connect the inputs via digital interfaces.
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Second Stage
The secondary stage is the mixing stage. Again, every input is allocated to a different channel.
There are a few mixers with 48 or more channels. Furthermore, you’ll get a few channels if you go for a cheaper version. Each channel has its volume fader, equalization control feature, and other effects.
They can be adjusted according to your channel choice, allowing various channels to accept different kinds and degrees of customization.
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Output Stage
The speaker, audio recording devices, and mixers are connected in the end stage of output. This could allow the audio engineers to make various customized sounds.
Audio mixers are used mainly for live music, and these applications typically contain XLR and RCA ( phono) and have a jack output.
Mixers are designed to record audio and easily connect to computers and more old-school outputs.
Most of the mixers are designed to be connected to at least one speaker source. If you go for a higher price range, you’ll have more options to connect the output to more than one source.
What Are The Types Of Audio Mixers?
When it comes to audio mixing, it’s a very vast topic to explore, and we have a lot of options when we look for audio mixers. Every type of mixer has its pros and cons.
There are different types of audio mixers available on the market, but our main focus should be on three of them-
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Analog Audio Mixers
Analog mixers are simple audio mixers that work on analog circuits and are used to record live sounds from instruments and mix them with sound from microphones. They may deliver quality music or speech or both.
These audio mixers have been around for quite a long time and are more rooted or traditional than digital ones.
Analog audio mixers are comparatively lesser expensive than digital mixers and can be easily accessed by beginners as they are manufactured using single circuits or single transmitters.
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Digital Audio Mixers
These compact mixers may provide a more sophisticated and less noisy experience compared to analog mixers. In addition, these are lesser bulkier than analog mixers.
A digital mixer controls digital audio and delivers it into a crisp sound, pleasing to the ear. This device can combine multiple audio signals generated from different audio origins.
Mixing, routing, and monitoring is the primary function of digital mixers. It could process data from dual sources, analog, and digital sources.
These analog sound data are immediately converted into digital sound data through these digital mixers while eliminating the unnecessary buzzing and ticking that could be made during recording sessions.
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Powered Audio Mixers
Powered audio mixers are a blend of analog mixers that also have added built-in amplifiers within them that easily enable an audio mixer to play audio or music straight from the speakers without much hassle.
There are various options for powered mixers that may be available with two amp channels that could be easily connected to two speakers or, sometimes, to a single speaker with one monitor attached.
It’s easier to set up powered audio mixers. They are small in size, so it’s easier to transport them. They have line-level outputs to add more powered speakers and monitors and run smoothly without any significant issues.
Frequently Asked Questions/FAQs
An audio mixer might affect the sound quality in general and give you a command over controlling various audio channels. You might be able to decide on your personal preference of how you want your sound or music to be.
While choosing an audio mixer, you could look for the connectivity options that could offer as to how many channels these audio mixers could be connected to and through these to the audio sources, along with proper access over control to deliver likable sound music to the listeners.
An audio mixer is required to manage various sounds from musical instruments or microphones while developing a mix. As an audio mixer can control the sounds, frequencies, and sound quality, you could forget to bother about different sounds messing up and ruining the listening experience.
With an amplifier, you can only adjust the volume and may regulate the size of the sound signal. In contrast, audio mixers could come in handy when mixing sounds from different audio and video sources. Thus, an audio mixer and an amplifier or amp are two other things.
No, a digital audio mixer could fall short of the benefits of DAW or a digital audio workstation. DAW is meant for more professional editing and recording, while digital audio mixers may have limited features and restricted few functions to handle a liver event or some broadcasting arrangement.
Conclusion
For any live concert or other type of event, audio mixers have the potential to be a real game changer. Simply hunt for the one that meets your requirements and is reasonably priced.
When you work as a professional music engineer, you should have a solid understanding of how audio mixers operate. However, for someone who is new to using these tools, learning everything there is to know about them beforehand can be incredibly helpful.
It won’t be a good idea to invest before learning about the characteristics and capabilities these various sorts of audio mixers may provide.
Knowing their functions and types will help you distinguish yourself from others when picking between beginner and professional audio mixers.
Having said all that, purchasing one of the audio mixers is not the final step; it is just the first step when it comes to mixing music like a pro. In addition, you might want to note that audio mixing is an art and cannot be learned in a day.