Do whatever you like and don't ask others what is "better".
If you want to make music, use whatever is most useful for you.
If you want to kill time for nostalgia using old hardware, it's perfectly fine.
If you think old hardware and (cheap or expensive) analog mixers are fun for you, just use it.

People (like me) who had to work like that 30 years ago are happy that it's a thing of the past.

I don't like The Beatles and such analogies very much, but they surely would have ditched every tape machine or analog gear if they had the possibilities one has today with a simple laptop and software and get creative instead of dreaming about tape formulas or EQ curves that have to be the magic to get the next best selling hit.

 

I own the 802 which is the 8 channel version of this mixer. Its a handy little mixer, when you need to do a submix and bring into another device its great. The eq is average for a mixer in this price range. A daw has a better eq in that you can get a much finer frequency range to adjust, also you can use plugins like fabfilter to do eq over an envelope etc, these are things you can't do with analog mixer.

But its a great learning tool, I had a 5 channel tape echo (1 channel for each tape head, and a dry signal) that I wanted to be able to add in different amounts of echo from each head, while playing guitar, an analog mixer worked great for this application. It teaches you about routing and cabling and signal processing so I think it was worth it.

Haven't used much in the last few years, but haven't sold it, its sure to come in handy in the future when I want to patch something else into the loop temporarily. Its good to learn about these things when you have the time so when you encounter one in the wild it doesn't scare or intidimate you..

 

I don't want anybody to think I'm a Gearslutty dysfunctional poshysist. I love digital and in the box work and loved it since late 90s. it's just that I also love to have plenty of different options for dirtying up the sound with various hardware when I need it, and I always do somehow, it's my personal use-case. That's also why I have plenty of guitar pedals, and various weird things set up in the studio, too. However, I did buy this mixer solely to be able to mix all my hardware synths/samplers into my 8 input audio interface that had only 2 free inputs left. But this mixer grew on me with time... like its preamps, too. Creative options. Noise is good. Noise is nice. Noise is life. :love: :chilli beans: :dope:

Cheers! :D

 

Last edited: Oct 17, 2024 at 3:33 AM

I'm using a+h GL2400 I got for next to nothing, and a little mackie as a line mixer in one rack. It gets my external audio sources to the computer. The seller had 2 2400s so the one I took had been their backup and was never used. Or as lightly used as it gets, and missing a zero from the retail price of that board. A lot of analog mixers can be found for great prices now, but especially the ones that are not compact size. People will gladly ship some little board. If you wait for a good deal, chances are you will have to go pick it up. Almost like a used piano.

 

is ok...but i have a xenyx mixer
https://www.thomann.de/intl/behringer_xenyx_x1204_usb.htm

i would not even dare to sell it for 50 it so bad ....

hum and noise and what not....

but could be that te knob ones are a bit better , faders where jittering or however its called too ...

tere were big ones , one i kind find anymore right now and this one
https://www.musikhaus-korn.de/en/behringer-xenyx-xl3200/pd/35355
these are another story...not compareable

 

Last edited: Oct 17, 2024 at 4:36 AM

For value for money you can't beat the Behringer RX1602 line mixer.
16 line inputs (or 8 stereo) in a tiny rack unit for under 100 squids.
I have three, one of which is about 20 years old.
No EQ, but you can do that in the box.
Perfect for connecting up loads of synths.

Behringer RX1602 V2 | DV247 (musicstore.com)

 

i had that mixer and returned it
the preamps are both noisy and lack low end
couldnt even handle my big hollowbody guitar
do not recommend

 

But that isn't the intended use, is it?
The little Behringers are handy little things, they are clean enough
Eq is nothing to fancy, i like them driven, on single sounds like Kick & Bass
Can give you some ideas about where a mix could go, just by
Virtue of it being a different experience (sometimes) & it sounding different sometimes
Loads of big records where made with cheap gear
it's just another tool in your arsenal

 

naw..

The Beatles worked in one of the best, most cutting edge studios EMI, they had loads of staff, a tea boy, etc. John never had to look at the vu meters while recording his stuff. he had an engineer, and a mix down engineer. Its a lot easier to record a hit when you can concentrate on playing your instrument and not also being your own engineer and mixer (and tea boy)

Im sure McCartney uses a DAW etc these days when recording, I haven't heard any monster hits from him since Wings, band on the run.
its not the gear, its the headspace and the environment and the people around you and luck and practice.

Pink Floyd made Dark Side of the Moon in the same studios at EMI. Tape didn't stop people, though it may have made them more creative in their processes - which is a good thing.

 

The difference to today's generation is that each of the Beatles mastered an instrument. The drummer played the drums, the bassist played the bass, the guitarist played the electric guitar and the lead guitarist played the lead guitar. It takes about 7 - 9 years to fully master an instrument.

There are also talented people who, if they work hard, practice for several hours every day and have a love of music, i.e. their passion burns for music, then something good and useful will come out of it.

Many people buy devices that do the work for them, such as drum machines, which of course also require learning to program. Add to that ready-made samples or ready-made presets and then the song is finished and can be heard on YouTube or Spotify etc.!

In general, the majority of music is getting worse and worse, which is also due to a lack of education and an overload of media. In short, 90% is rubbish and for the trash can. Making music is per se better than hanging out on the streets.

In other words, it was so easy to produce songs alone and at home, but it's the quality that counts in the end.

 

I'm coming to the conclusion that it is fucking impossible to discuss anything in this forum without the threads becoming moaning about the old days.

Folks, we're talking about a small mixer, aren't we?

Anyway, Xenyxes are fine mixers, the "initial return rate" is of course higher than others' with Beer Ringer, but when you get a working one (even used), they're solid.

And having small mixers at one's disposal is always fun, it's the fastest way to create fucked up feedback FX chains with some pedals. Instant drone noise heaven!

 

all knowledge requires context to become wisdom, and knowledge without wisdom is useless. We discuss the past because it is germane to the present. Never dismiss the past, it creates the future.

We can entertain more than one thought in an area or topic, that is what after all discussion is. A piece gear by its nature has to be compared to other gear, and other gear will naturally beget a discussion regarding other techniques, etc..

Shall we sterilize all discussions so only approved thoughts and paths of understanding are presented. What do we call a sterile world,,,, Dead......

 

as i said the knob ones might be better and i dont think
shinyzen would like a fader one ....the thread title is beringer xenyx so i told my experience as a owner of a fader xenyx although op posted a knob xenyx .
fader ones suck from a -z ,im lo-fi guy and have nothing against cheap gear but if want throw your money out the window for straight trash go for a fader xenyx ...i also like behringer and know their good stuff....
2 people owning it and 1 of a shitload of negative qoutes told you but you .....

further if op not telling for what purpose she want a mixer this thread is useless....
i took my funny rating back shinyzen , the knob xenyx came later on the market anyway...

 

The analogue, i.e. your hardware devices, come via the mixer into the digital audio workstation for recording and further processing.

Roland - JV-1080 Synthesizer Module --> 2x 6.3 jack
Rear connections: Mix Out 1 L/R, Output 2 L/R, MIDI In/Out/Thru

Korg - Triton Rack --> 2x 6.3 jack
Outputs: Main= L/MONO,R,

Yamaha - Motif XS --> 2x 6.3 jack
OUTPUT L/MONO, R (standard phone jack)

Forget the equalizers, edit your recordings in the DAW itself, you'll get better results that way.

I've attached a picture with the connections.

 

It made everything take longer. But the myth of these great artists using "old technology" goes way too far for some people. They were not operating on a shoestring, or rubbing sticks together to start the fire to light the cave they were recording in. It meant those legendary records were made and took way longer to make, and were extremely expensive. They had enormous budgets and adequate staff to make everything happen. Do one track worth of editing using tape and razor blade, and you will know the common misconception those studio albums were so easily done is not reality.

It's like comparing some massive Hollywood movie production of a film in 1970s, to you shooting and editing a film with your iPhone.