My new companion for the Elektrons (+ mixer suggestions?)

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

After nine months of sourcing parts from around the world and several nights of soldering (and desoldering), I’ve finally finished building an MB-6582 with six 8580 SID chips in it (two more are on their way). It’s my first working diy synth after a not-so-successful attempt at building a Shruthi XT, and I’m extremely happy with the results. This thing is a wee beast!

IMG_0335.JPG4032×3024 2.3 MB

IMG_0354.JPG4032×3024 2.33 MB

Except now I have a happy problem of having too much hardware for the input selections of the OT, which I’d like to keep as a hub. I’m scratching my head trying to think of ways to route the audio from the MB-6582, MNM, MD, AR, A4, and PO-24 into the OT, and with a couple of outboard effects as well, a mixer seems like the logical solution.
Can anyone suggest a cheapish mixer that would be sufficient?

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#2

I use a little Phonic 3-channel in my live rig and a bigger Mackie on my desk. Neither of them have what I would call a “pristine” sound quality, but the Mackie is used & has taken a beating from previous owners and still works fine. The Phonic might not be as tough, but it is well built and is very lightweight.

You can spend as much money as you want on a mixer (like stupid amounts). The most import factors for me are size, weight, eq, noise floor, number of sends / returns.

BTW that MB looks like a beast! 8 chips total?! Insanity man!

#3

I use a Mackie 802VLZ3. It’s solid, sounds great and is quite compact.

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#4

Yes, I think something like a used Mackie 802VLZ4 might be what I’m after. Thanks for the suggestions.

Man, that International Karate tune brings back some good memories. I’ve been a fan of the C64 sound since I was a kid, and more recently the sound of Jahtari aka Disrupt, who uses a similar SID-based synth in his productions.

https://youtu.be/m_1miUy9TeQ

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#5

Love me some Jahtari! I made a mix of a lot of Jahtari stuff along with some other reggae / dub on mixcloud.

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#6

Nice work building a synth!
Here’s a thread with a lot of info mostly on the 1202vlz4 but also the other vlz’s are brought up, I have the 1202 and can highly recommend it…

#7

Hmm, now I’m thinking that my setup could really benefit from the inclusion of a 1202vlz4. Can I justify the cost to myself or should I try to make do with the limited options I already have? Questions I constantly ask myself. Thanks for the suggestions again.

I still consider myself a novice at electronics and the mb-6582 was a relatively advanced project to take on. Although I made a few mistakes along the way, I managed to fix them, and I’m incredibly happy with how it’s turned out. I recommend giving diy synths a go, but it’s probably safest to start with something like a Shruthi.

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#8

I think, as a general rule, it’s always better to get a mixer that has more inputs than you currently need, if you have the cash and the space.

I have loads of respect for anyone who builds synths from DIY. That takes concentration and patience. Just looking at resistor color codes gives me a headache.

The first / last synth project I made was the Maplin Syntom when I was about 11 and New Wave was relatively new. :wink:

1 Like
#9

I ended up buying a 1202 VLZ4 and I love it. It’s greatly expanded my options, but I’m still greedy for more inputs. Perhaps if I were to simplify my setup by selling the five Elektron boxes to fund the imminent MK2 “grey” trinity… Would that be worth it, I wonder?