Looking for a Mixer to be able to record multitrack!

[HRPprod]

Hi Guys,

I am looking for a good mixer (12channels ~ minimum 8 mono) that could record multi track in every daw! Fully digital.or hybrid , i am open to suggestions.

Budget max 1k usd!

Thanks

[BertKoor]

Recording microphones or line?
Have you looked at audio interfaces?
(stupid question, I looked recently and there were more affordable 4 & 8 ch interfaces on the market 20 years ago)

Watch out for mixers with USB: most cheap ones can only send the master mix to your DAW.

[thecontrolcentre]

I have a Yamaha 01V96i ... can record/play 12 channel multi-track over USB and sounds really good too. Bit of a learning curve if you're not familier with digital mixers. See 'em go for a few hundred quid these days. https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/proau ... index.html

[kritikon]

I was looking at mixers very recently, and Tascam & Soundcraft were the only multitrack USB analogue mixers that I could find for sensible money (though I ended up getting a more common stereo channel USB mixer, a lot cheaper too). Tascam Model 12 & 16 would fit the bill - I used to quite like Tascam, not sure what they're like nowadays though. Soundcraft Signature MTK series and likely they're better quality than Tascam. Apparently have Lexicon FX onboard - though I suspect they're the cheap and crappy more recent Harman Lexicon, not real Lexicon, but Soundcraft always used to have reasonable Eq etc onboard. MTK12 has 8 pres, so would fit the bill and can multitrack 14 channels, though looks a bit small - MTK22 probably more versatile and is full sized (100mm faders rather than usual budget 60mm) but price likely too much for stated budget. DBX limiters on channels too - nice bonus. It's what I'd call on the top end of budget/affordable. You'll have to check out the full specs though - most USB mixers seem to be 44.1kHz and mostly 16bit, though some can be 24bit. Almost all interfaces will have far better options than 44.1/16 so that enters into your equation of mixer vs interface upgrade. For $1k you're realistically limited to the 12 channel jobbies (new). Well worth checking out 2nd hand to see what you can get.
I considered Studiomaster Club series - 16 channel looks good but no direct outs, very limited for aux etc. I used to have a P7 24 channel back in the day - nice mixer, but their recent offerings are limited in features though good in channels. Very good price though.

You have far more choice of digital mixers, but price goes considerably upwards for similar channel numbers as analogue. Not sure anything is in that range that isn't too small. Behringer Wings are getting very good ratings but way above $1k. Yamaha, even Zoom do smaller digital mixers. I suspect for number of channels needed for multitrack you're going to have to look 2nd hand for digital.

And consider direct outs - if you want to multitrack from the mixer then direct outs are extremely useful - not essential depending on busses/inserts etc but difficult without them and not all budget mixers even have inserts! Even on midrange analogues, not that many have direct outs. For less than NZ$1k I was limited pretty well to Behringer Xenyx for direct outs. I'm assuming you have 8 ins on your interface?

I reckon your main choices are between:
1. Behringer Xenyx - lots more channels for the money + direct outs + groups (way more than others for the price)
2. Souncraft Signature MTK 12 or Tascam Model12 (Soundcraft 22 and Tascam 16 likely over budget)
3. 2nd hand - you might be able to score a decent digital?

[kritikon]

EDIT - you have a bit of choice with Behringer. There's the QX2442 which has newer Klark-Teknik FX, or the X2442 which is older and Behringer FX. Also QX2222 or somesuch, which is what I bought - couldn't get hold of the QX 24channel in NZ at all. However the 2222 has only 3 aux, not 4 like the 2442s. Behringer sell smaller mixers than that - e.g. 18 channels but look carefully - you don't get 18 mono channels and they include returns and all kinds of stuff that technically are channels, but not what real people actually call channels. I think the 18 has 8 proper channels with mic pres, and a couple or more cut-down stereo channels though. Their Xenyx mixers are all a little different in format from each other. Not sure if they all have direct outs, or just the larger ones. That was the biggest limitation I found - I could buy Soundcraft, Mackie, A&H mixers etc but none in that price range had direct outs or were too small.