What is the best mixer I can get for $300 or less?

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i want a mixer for christmas but i dont have any idea which one to get. i plan on using it to complement my garage band recordings and have a budget of about $300. recommendations for what i shouldnt get are also appreciated. thanks!

― buyabiznatch (buyabiznatch), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 18:59 (twenty years ago)

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00004SGF0.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

― Jordan (Jordan), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 19:03 (twenty years ago)

This one's pretty good:

http://www.samedaymusic.com/product--MAC1202VLZPRO

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

You can't get a better mixer than the Mackie for under $300.

― jeffery (jeffery), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 20:53 (twenty years ago)

yup!

beware the behringers

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:05 (twenty years ago)

behtingers are cheap and sound ok, but they break.

― detoxyDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

Now Ill be the idiot, what is a mixer for? Do you run all the instruments and the vocals into it, and it makes sure they're all at the right levels?

― Anothr man!, Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:10 (twenty years ago)

No, you have to make sure they're at the right levels.

― detoxyDancer (sexyDancer), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

I bought that Mackie model used through Craigslist for $100. One side of the LED meter comes in and out, but otherwise it seems to work fine, and it sounds great.

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:21 (twenty years ago)

I mean, you know, you can change the levels of it. How is it different from an equalizer? An equalizer just manipulates the sounds of different frequencies?

― DDD, Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

Mixer = "mixes" together sound from different inputs

― o. nate (onate), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:26 (twenty years ago)

go for the 1402vlz. It's a bit better then the 1202 and has sexy faders instead of knobs.

― Dan Selzer (Dan Selzer), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:28 (twenty years ago)

behringers are the walmart of audio gear, they're almost too cheap to refuse but:

they break easily, regardless of how you treat them but especially on tours -- they also clip when you breathe on them - pops & distortion w/ simultaneous bass dropouts, long before the meters peak red. they ruin your recordings. also, bad low frequency summing, and the clunky outboard power transformer is a hassle if you're setting up a lot. these things really make you pay.

mackies, on the other hand, sound really cool when they're overdriven. they're the company that understood that mixers are the new guitars.

― milton parker (Jon L), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:29 (twenty years ago)

How are Alesis's mixers?

― T. Weiss (Timmy), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 21:33 (twenty years ago)

Stick with Mackie first, Soundcraft second in the sub-300 dollar range. I haven't heard anything about Alesis mixers. And everyone will tell you the Behringers have a poor build and poor mic pre-amps.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 23:41 (twenty years ago)

i was going to recommend allen & heath til i saw that they're a little more spendy than $300

― jim p. irrelevant (electricsound), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 23:46 (twenty years ago)

Important: how many instruments/tracks do you want to individually record at the same time? The mixer needs to have enough outs to handle that.

― Good Dog (Good Dog), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 23:51 (twenty years ago)

I would recommend the Soundcraft COMPACT 4. It only has four inputs but it's ridiculously versatile. Two headphone outputs, zero-latency monitoring, true monitoring, direct-ins, phantom power, etc. The biggest con that people are quick to jump on is their power-supply's, which tend to go bad. Here's an idea: don't leave your mixer on all day for three months straight while you're tripping on peyote trying to "jam."
http://www.soundcraft.com/product_sheet.asp?product_id=121

Mackie sucks so bad. So bad. But I guess if you don't give a crap about fidelity, you could be like the rest of the world's half-ass bands and get a simple Mackie POS 1202-VLZ Pro and finally you can have that hot as lava, bright, trebeley sound you always dreamed of.
http://www.mackie.com/products/1202vlzpro/index.html

Can't really suggest Allen & Heath for your application.

Can't comment on Alesis mixers. I have a 94' DAT that's pretty awesome.

― earinfections (Nick Twisp), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 00:15 (twenty years ago)

let me cast another vote against behringer

― astroblaster (astroblaster), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 00:39 (twenty years ago)

I have a Soundcraft Compact 10, and I like it a lot. The only annoying this is the lack of a power switch. You have to unplug the power supply to power it down. That's ridonkulous.

― Brooker Buckingham (Brooker B), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 01:00 (twenty years ago)

I don't know how many tracks you want to record at once, but you might do better sonically getting a low end tube mic preamp and a compressor instead of a mixing board, if you are primarily going to use it for recording.

― Earl Nash (earlnash), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 01:25 (twenty years ago)

You can get a KitchenAid mixer with a six-quart bowl for $285 or so.

― Paul Eater (eater), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 05:39 (twenty years ago)

seven years pass...

anyone use this one?

http://www.decks.co.uk/products/mixers/allen_heath/Xone22#.UVLUQhxSjN4

thinking about purchasing it, reviews seem good.

― Tioc Norris (LocalGarda), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 11:13 (thirteen years ago)

The A&H mixers all sound great- I'd go for it.

― JLB Credit (Jack BS), Wednesday, 27 March 2013 11:50 (thirteen years ago)

^ yup decent bit of kit

― Crackle Box, Wednesday, 27 March 2013 12:10 (thirteen years ago)

I've quite enjoyed my former xone 32 and current 42, but then again the only other mixers I've used have been like, a behringer I got for £30 and an entry level Numark.

It'll be better than a £30 behringer if that's what you're worried about.

― formerly EDB (ed.b), Friday, 29 March 2013 05:02 (thirteen years ago)

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