Wow, what a beautiful configuration. If I could afford it, this could be the one.
One big difference is that the OPTX is not DC-Coupled, so it’s not good for CV input. This can be a deal-breaker depending on your use case.
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On the topic of mixers with audio interfaces built in, does anyone know of any good multitrack ones?
I like the look the Mackie Onyx 1220i, it’s decently compact, but you can only stream one stereo track to the mixer over Firewire.
I mean, the Integra 8 mixer @Hovercraft mentions is off-the-charts-dope and you can fit it with an interface… but it’s got a mighty price tag.
For a less mighty, but still relatively painful price tag, I choose the SSL BigSix. Insane features in a modest footprint and built-in interface. It sounds fantastic, the A2D’s sound great! SSL G-series Comp on the bus… the list goes on!!
Lines folk talking about it bunches in this thread.
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It is definitely mighty. SSL hit on something with those mixers, they look like fantastic pieces of kit. I’m looking for something a bit more middle of the road to gig with personally, the SSLs are a little too nice to take out I think. Currently I’m using a Mackie VLZ4 (which I love) with signals fed in from a computer via audio interface, but it would be nice to cut out the middle man so to speak.
Thanks for the link, looks like a cool thread, I’m gunna read through now.
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I’ve got the Big Six as well and no way I’d take it out of my studio for playing out. There’s the Tascam 12/24 although I just played a set at Knobcon and the digital section of a Tascam 24 completely failed. Interestingly, it was still usable as an analog mixer.
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That’s not very reasurring to hear about the Tascam, what happened? Just wouldn’t connect to your computer? They almost look a little too precious to take out as well with the wooden sides, although I suppose you could take them off.
The BigSix fails SPECTACULARLY in high heat (Not SSL’s fault, I was WAY above the recommended temp).
I (unfortunately?) like the way the BigSix sounds so much that I have been taking it out to play:)
I would love to find a more robust and maybe more modest solution for gig’ing, but I’m literally in the middle of a ‘depth year’ (no buying anything) that was brought on 100% because of what I paid for the BigSix:). I’m not sure if there is irony involved, but it sorta feels like it.
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The entire digital section failed while just sitting on the table at the (inside) show. Not my unit, it was the sound engineer’s and he wasn’t a happy camper. Obviously it can happen to any piece of gear, but it was stressful because it was being used for two of the three Saturday shows and was set to mix and record the quad performances. I thought it was great the analog section was still useable, though.
I bet he wasn’t. I’m glad it didn’t derail your show.
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The zoom mixer/recorders have multitrack interfaces (R8/R16/R24), they’re kinda plasticky, but cheap.
There’s always the TX-6 
or the TC Helicon Blender, or even the Go:Mixer, for portability/minimalism.
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I have a 1220i. Handy analog mixer, awful driver support; I gave up on trying to get it to work with recent macOS versions, let alone M1 (although YMMV). If you do pick one up, I can send you the troubleshooting resources I found, with the caveat that they didn’t work for me
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Thanks for that, I’m keeping an eye out for one so I’ll keep you in mind. Which macOS were you trying on? I’m on Mojave.
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That was High Sierra, though from memory driver support didn’t seem any better for newer versions when I looked 12 months ago. This could have changed! Serial numbers starting with 204 may have a chance of working, my model is a 003 so it now sits before my Clarett.
Edited to add: here’s a useful Mackie Onyx driver support thread on the SoS forum.
I love this mixer a lot (it’s the same spring tank as the RE-201) and there’s a few folks around here that have one. It can be the much bigger brother of the Tilde Elektriske Fjaerlett - #119 by Laubmoos with feedback patching (be warned though, the headphone jack is really hot).
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I recently purchased a Motu m4 and am struggling to get a loud enough signal into the 3/4 line inputs on the back, even when I boost the signal with an external preamp. I can get it to about -16db but if I push the signal higher than that, it starts to distort. I don’t know if I have a dud or if the m4 just has lower than consumer line level, but it’s put a bad taste in my mouth, so I think I might replace it with something else.
I’m considering the Steinberger UR44c but I don’t see much talk about it. On paper, it looks pretty great and shares a lot of similar features to the m4, with the addition of two extra gained inputs. Does anyone here have experience using one?
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What do the gain level meters look like on the front?
Some questions/ideas:
What are you feeding those inputs and where is it not loud enough? The manual says that it can handle up to +18 dBu so maybe the monitoring is the issue and your preamp is pushing it up to that limit. Do you have the monitor button engaged for 3-4? Results any different with the input/playback monitoring knob?
The gain meter on the front is where it’s showing about -16db, which matches the playback meter in my daw. I’m sending a cue output from my Octatrack (with the the cue gain maxed out) going into a Norns. I’m having the input levels in the Norns turned up enough to where the output is regularly hitting 0db. The signal is then going through a umc404hd’s front inputs with the gain turned up just enough to peak every once in a while. The output from this interface is cranked all the way, which then goes into the m4’s line inputs.
Btw, I’ve checked the umc404hd’s signal through its headphone out and everything sounds fine at 12 o’clock (loud and full, without any distortion.)