Hey everyone, I’m an electronic music producer with a deep love for samplers, grooveboxes, and synthesizers. Lately, I’ve been thinking about adding a mixer to my setup, but I’ve never owned one before. I see the potential benefits—better preamps, improved sound, and a smoother workflow—so I’d love to hear your recommendations!
Here’s what I’m looking for:
• Minimal built-in FX (I don’t need a ton of effects)
• Direct outs and insert functionality
• Currently in production (I want to buy new, as I’ve had bad experiences with used gear)
Would love to hear what you guys are using and what you’d recommend. Thanks in advance, and happy music-making!
Hi, there’s quite an in-depth mixer discussion going on here:
maybe you can browse some of the existing posts for information to supplement your recommendations. I don’t know if it’s relevant to your interests or not, but there’s only one way to find out.
Just my two cents (jm2c) - if you exclude second hand items, you are going to be missing out on a lot of choice. Older designs had direct outs much more often than more modern takes. You’ll end up paying much more as well
I personally have great experiences with A&H Mixwizard series. They are great sounding boards, and they come in many configurations (if you dont skip second hand options)
@lipoo I’d want to know more about your requirements to make any recommendations:
Channel count requirements (now and in the future)
EQ requirements - do you need 2 swept mid bands? I.e will you be using the EQ on the desk much?
Does it also need to be an audio interface?
Space limitations/portability/rack mount needed?
Aux sends needed and if so how many?
All mono channels ok or do you want stereo channels too and if so how many?
MixWizard series are excellent so +1 for @jm2c suggestion if they fit your needs.
And I’d advise to get something that will cover your potential future needs so you have space to expand later.
i really like mixwizard . it has all the options that i need but what about preamps ? on the other hand i really like Midas venice or f16 but they are all 2nd handed on market and its hard to repair as i did research so i dont want to get in trouble . i really like mixeizzard series but only from Reddit and youtube videos . setup wise it fits really good on my setup
Having had two MixWizards, I think they’re all great options for rack sized mixers and great value especially second hand. Sound wise they’re comparable to the much respected Xone DJ mixers but at a lower prize per channel. Suitable for rack and desktop. I moved on to a much bigger APB desk when I discovered how much fun I have tinkering with mixers. You can get incredibly great deals on older analogue consoles if you have the space, but not without risks as they’re getting older.
For synth use I think the WZ20S is the best equipped MixWizard ever made. 4 Mono, 8 stereo ins (with dual inputs you can blend, so 16 effectively). Only the mono ins have inserts and direct out though. Has 6 Aux sends (may be an alternative for your direct out/insert needs), 2 stereo buses with inserts, a pair of ext ins etcetera. No longer being made unfortunately (there is a WZ3 later version but I think the original is spec’d just right).
The Mixwizard WZ4 14:4:2 is still in production (I had the WZ3 version for a bit) and ticks your boxes: 10 mono channels with insert and direct outs and 2 dual stereo without. But less channels in total. And up to 5 times more expensive than a decent used Mix wizard sells for.
Money-no-object option: APB H1020. Is available new, created by former Crest engineers. And based on the Crest rack mixers, the X20 or X24 rack mixers could be possible (used) options too. But I really think the H1020 is the pinnacle of compact analogue mixer design and engineering and a clear upgrade from Allen & Heath.
+1 for everything @jeroen020 has said. I’d definitely be considering 2nd hand because you’ll get so much more for your money - you can always send a 2nd hand unit for a service to a tech to ensure it’s working properly and depending on what unit you choose it could still be cheaper than buying an equivalent feature set unit new.
@jeroen020 's mention of the Crest and APB gear reminded me of the Speck range - expensive but high grade.
If you can accept not having fx in exchange for a very high quality audio path, and you need maximum channel count in a small rack space you could also consider these - direct outs and 8 groups with stereo inserts and auxes (not sure if they’re mono or stereo groups actually):