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Recommendations On Small Desk


Sound In Gloucestershire

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Hello, im looking to buy a new desk in the next week or two, its only got to be a little one! Itll initially be used for Karaoke, so ill be plugging in 4 mics (3 vocal, one for me) a laptop (via line input) and one other line input. As far as Karaoke is concerned, I will NEVER be exceeding this!!

 

now thinking ahead, id like something thats capable of doing basic vocal PA's as well, although I cant see the requirements being that much different (aside from quality). I wont be using sends/returns/aux right now, but could be using them in the future, but on board effects is required (just a basic decent reverb)

 

One product that has caught my eye is the Alesis Multimix 8 USB

http://www.alesis.com/multimix8usb20

Its got 4 mic channels, 2 stereo channels and built in effects, so it will do the job...for £97

however from looking at this mixer, I see things which I dont like and things I will miss

1) Sliders! - karaoke singers need to be kept on a short leash volume wise and a slider is much easier to grab at short notice than a knob

2) Very easy to accidentally switch the Phanton Power button

3) Odd power cable, not good for backups etc

4) Runs on Jackoutput, everything I have it XLR, means I have to carry spares of a "different cable" as opposed to having a big pile of XLR to XLR cable

 

 

now the peeve list are merely peeves and I could "make do" but id like to address some of them of course. The budget isnt £97, it can be higher, but only upto approx £200. I understand this isnt the usual high level of blue-room stuff, but I want professional opinions!

 

Any help is appreciated, thanks

 

 

Just to add what ive been looking at so far

 

Obvoiusly the Alesis number above, although ive managed to talk myself out of that one I think!

Ive gone down the brandnames that I know do this sort of price range, if ive missed any out, please let me know?

 

Mackie

http://www.reverb-store.co.uk/product-detail.asp?prod=3161

Mackie 1402 VLZ3 Mixer £229

 

http://www.mackie.com/products/dfx12/index.html

Mackie DFX12 Below £200 but doesnt appear to be in the country just yet?

if im honest this looks a great little desk

Peavey

Peavey PV10

http://www.peavey-eu.com/pop_product.php?f...UK&key=1738

£145

Seems to fulfil the requirements, but not so sure about the quality? Anyone got experience of this range of desks?

 

Allen and Heath, bit out of price range for now

 

Behringer - im afraid to look? Or is it worth considering?

 

Samson??

http://www.playrecord.net/recording-equipm...r.p1020189.html

Looks too good to be true, but I know NOTHING about this company, anyone had experience?

 

 

 

OK I THINK IVE FOUND ONE

Alesis Multimix 12R £155

 

Its all the benefits of their 12U model but squeezed into a 3U Rackmount, ideal as I can put this into a traditional "mixer" style case and have easy access to the back!

 

thoughts???

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I borrowed a Behringer ub 1204fx from a mate of mine, to do a karaoke in a house, (my mixer was too big) it was perfect.

Not sure if you can still get 'em though.

 

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d174/977stinkytinky/UB1204FX_P0160_Right_web.jpg

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

Looks like a thomann copy here.

 

http://www.thomann.de/gb/the_tmix_mix_1204_fx.htm

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I borrowed a Behringer ub 1204fx from a mate of mine, to do a karaoke in a house, (my mixer was too big) it was perfect.

Not sure if you can still get 'em though.

 

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d174/977stinkytinky/UB1204FX_P0160_Right_web.jpg

 

That was the mixing desk in the "recording studio" when I went to High School ;).

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The small behringers aren't bad. Not amazing, bit noisy if you crank the gain. EQ is often 3 band fixed mid and can be a bit useless tbh.

However, you've paid £100 for it...

 

You might be better off looking on ebay for a second hand soundcraft or perhaps at a push a mixwiz, though I doubt you'll find one for under £200.

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TBH SIG it was ok.

I mounted two full range cabs (peavey impulse 200's) on sticks, and ran it off an ax 2500.

 

The eq is only 3 band off pots on each channel, but it did the job well.

Nice smooth faders for a Behringer.

 

What mics have you got for the ahem, singers?

Karaoke sound does not have to be as good as a live band, just keep your finger on the mic fader, ready to drop it if you get some plank shouting, "JOHN, JOHN, GET US A PINT IN MATE!"

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the mics are the next purchase, but they will be decent ones, as I said earlier, half the singers are semi pro theatre types who know how to hold a microphone and make the system sound good, we dont talk about the other half ** laughs out loud **

 

I have 11 years experience of presenting karaoke, however I was working for another company, so now getting my own kit! (and want to do it properly). Hence why I want faders and not knobs!

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ive made so many edits to the first post, its getting confusing ** laughs out loud **

 

basically the one that caused me to go AHA BINGO was the Alesis Multimix 12R for £155

 

its a 12 channel desk compacted into a 3U Mixer with the inputs on the rear

8 mic inputs

2 stereo line inputs

its got sliders

its got effects

its got XLR out

2 aux

no stupidly placed phantom switch

iec euro power input, so pretty standard with lots of my other kit

 

only disadvantage is the lack of eq (only hi/low)

 

with being 3U mixer, I can probably put it into an 8 U mixer style case (desktop) and leave the karaoke mics and cables in the back for ease of setup!

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Sorry, not trying to patronise you SIG, just my attempt at humour.

 

Recommend the above, a nice little mixer, much better pre amps than the behringer, and if my memory serves it has built in lexicon effects.

 

What mics are you going to get SIG?

I recently bought 3 sennheiser e825's for £50 each from maplin, the semi pro singers seem to like their warmth.

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What mics are you going to get SIG?

I recently bought 3 sennheiser e825's for £50 each from maplin, the semi pro singers seem to like their warmth.

 

Do you want me to get your coat? ;)

 

I already have it on and am halfway through the door.....

 

Do you mean to say these mics are no good tolley?

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I've seen the smaller soundcraft consoles go on ebay for well under £200 sometimes - F1's and perhaps even a smaller SX if you're lucky. The sound quality will be much better than the behringers. I've used some of Samson's stuff (not the desks though), it's not an unheard of company but like Behringer it's pretty firmly at the budget end of the spectrum. Can't comment on the Alesis desks as I've never come into contact with one.

 

That said, it's not really the sound quality of the B's that worries me, for what you're using them for I wouldn't have thought it'd be too much of an issue. They can be a bit hissy if pushed and cold sounding, but they'd do the job fine. What does worry me more with them is the reliability - I've had more than one give up on me - one got so hot inside it just gave up, and the other gave out absolutely nothing but hiss after a while. Neither was the model shown, but I've been a bit weary of using them without backup since for anything that's vaguely important. On the contrary, I've never had an issue with the soundcraft desks I've used.

 

So on a practical level, if you do go for a cheap Behringer, perhaps it'd be worth getting a second just in case it gives up? The price is probably at the point where you can ;)

 

EDIT: Hate to break it to you John, but the e835's are cheaper than that here!

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