For some odd reason, I’m really fond of the Fostex “light grey plastic and rounded corners” era design that VM04 is part of - the D-, FD- and VR-series multitrack recorders and so on, even the (later?) DMTs.
(Plus “True Studio Quality” - can’t be beat!)
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I’m a big fan of this look also, though for me I think it’s cus it brings up fuzzy nostalgic feels of the og Sony Playstation.
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Blueboy
1635
I’m thinking of getting one of these, what is the output like, is it reduced at all ?
Edit: second comment on this mixer video which suffers from signal reduction says that the mickxer suffers from significant bass loss, so not great, I suppose that’s the nature of a passive design, looks like I might have to get one powered by a USB bank.
Looks like this one should do it.
https://idonner.eu/products/moukey-ultra-low-noise-4-channel-line-mixer-for-sub-mixing-dc-5v-4-stereo-mini-audio-mixer-as-guitars-bass-keyboards-or-stage-mixer-mamx1?utm_source=affiliate&utm_medium=tradetracker
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Yep it reduce everything.
It’s a toy mixer but is so useful when you travel.
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I purchased the Moukey and it works really well in a portable setup. I mixed a Norns and a Microfreak thru it using a USB bank. A teeny bit of noise floor when output through a portable JBL bluetooth speaker but not annoying. Price can’t be beat for what it achieves…
Blueboy
1638
Yeah I’ve ordered one from Amazon £18, bargain, and another powerbank, some decent 3.5mm to 6.35mm leads, some other bits and bobs, microfreak was meant to come this Saturday but I’ve got to wait till Feb 4, something to look forward to.
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If you can solder a little you could build one yourself for about $15. Here’s a schematic and explanation of this exact thing, minus the master volume:
The hardest part would be the encolsure.
If there was low end loss, it was probably related to a specific piece of hardware that was picky about the impedence of whatever it was patched into. Ingneral, a passive mixer should be about as transparent as a mixer can be, other than the overall loss of volume.
I’ve never tried one, but the Nady MM-242 looks pretty cool. 1/4" i/o, dedicated volume controls for the left and right inputs on each channel. Suspiciously cheap ($30 USD).
For that price I’m proably going to pick one up in the next couple months, I’d never actually heard of it before. As long as it’s not too noisy the worst case scenario is that it’s 8 chanels of cheap distortion.
Blueboy
1640
I have a soldering iron for simple repairs, guitar inputs and jacks usually, but you know what, life’s too short, and £18 with a metal enclosure, Amazon Prime free postage next day delivery, somethings I order when j wake up and there here by 6pm, yeah decadent capitalist luxury 
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I took a vow a few years ago that if I want new gear I have to build it myself, but it’s a vow I routinely break. Especially for mixers.
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rvense
1642
A real mixer seems like an incredibly tedious thing to DIY, with a lot of opportunity to mess up, for not much benefit… Except when you get into something like a matrix mixer which is hardto find commercially.
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Speaking of which, I think I never saw anybody here mention Matrise: MATRISE | PLADASK ELEKTRISK
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Nice, but a bit expensive. There is also this guy selling passive Matrix mixers on Etsy. 4x4 Matrix Mixer - Etsy
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Maybe my Google-fu hasn’t been up to task but it feels like there isn’t too much “competition” if you specifically want an active, standalone matrix mixer, besides Matrise, some even more “built to order” type things, and larger obsolete ones like Shure Auxpander that you have to hunt used.
I’ve thought about drawing one myself for ages (something like a 4x4 active matrix mixer with reasonable fidelity is so simple even I have been able to design one properly) but it’s always easier to be a slacker… Plus if 1/4" jacks weren’t a hard requirement, it would probably be even easier just to get a Doepfer Matrix Mixer and put that to a purpose-made case with a tiny Euro PSU 
(And if one needed 1/4" I/O, well, flying wires…)
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CaneMan
1646
That piqued my curiosity. So I looked around a bit. Looks like the options outside of eurorack and botique you end up finding digital mixing consoles and used products from companies like Lectrosonics. Fortunately, I already have to matrix mixers to keep my gear cravings at bay.
GrantB
1647
For DIY you could start with the Ken Stone CGS33 Matrix Mixer
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There is also this one from low gain
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gcode
1649
got the 8 channel one, considering its price, small size and low-noise profile this is just a no-brainer, works perfectly as a pre-mixer
Blueboy
1650
I looked at the 8ch one but I think 4ch is gonna do me fine, came today, nice little thing, Microfreak Ordered, estimated to be in stock: Feb 13, getting things set up for the IRL mobile Acid House Experience, when the weather picks up a bit. Got the location sorted.
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Is that some kind of military bunker?
Can you access the inside?
