#10

Short note about the TC-Helicon Blender: With the one knob you can control all 6 inputs, you only have to press the corresponding channel button. The device has 4 headphone outputs (which I also use as line outputs). For each headphone output, it is possible to create a different mix of the inputs. It is actually intended for bands. And: There is an app that does all this via bluetooth (iphone/ipad). You can also connect the device directly to your iPad, use it as a soundcard or route all the inputs through iOS apps (keyword: effects). :wink:

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#11

Thanks a lot for the info! That does sound interesting indeed. I don’t think I’d use use any iDevices attached to it, because I’m too fed up with them, but that’s another topic entierly.
Do the headphone outputs have a bit of hiss when you record from them, or are they nice and quiet? I find that sometimes headphone outputs are a bit noisy when you feed them into a line input.

#12

image

these are usually cheap and pretty clean, battery powered.

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#13

So if you want to control particular input you just press button and move the knob or this is possible only in app?

#14

@alexeydemidov Pressing the associated input button causes the button to flash blue, indicating that the level of that input can be adjusted for the currently-selected headphone channel using the big knob (no app needed).

@papernoise The device costs almost 110€. For this price, the sound is absolutely ok, but so don’t expect a high-end product. I like this mixer for small sessions with Digitakt, Model:Cycles, Eurorack, and Norns. I sometimes do multitrack recordings on the Ipad.

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#15

Thanks, looks like really nice device really and no alternatives for that price (or for any price?). Was thinking to buy Zoom h6 for that purpose as well but too pricey just for that.

#16

for $40 you can buy a ticket to Sound Town


two stereo line channels and four mic channels w/ the added bonus of karaoke efects :slight_smile:

edit: oh i thought it was battery powered but it looks like maybe it isn’t. you could use a myvolts ripcord to power it from USB or hack a 9v battery to DC jack cable

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#17

The photo is a bit small so I can’t quite make out the brand/model name, what is it?

That would likely be a solution to make many small mixers mobile… Which is starting to seem one of the best ways to go.

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#18

It is a Realistic mixer. Realistic was the in-house brand of Radio Shack. Often they were licensed designs from bigger companies made more inexpensively. Like their Concertmate 500 that was a copy of the Casio SK-1.
Realistic tape recorders are some of my favorites not to mention the (moog) MG-1 which was my first analog synthesizer.

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#19

Oh thanks! Yes I know Realistic! I had one of those Concertmate 500!

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#20

Three dudes and a passive summing box like DIYRE and record/play LCR instead of stereo. :sunglasses:

Since you mentioned battery in the original post I want to say that I’ve run my entire 3u+1u x 19” modular from a Jackery power bank. I’m sure it could handle whatever backpack-sized mixer you like. This was recorded that way, including powering the camera:

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#21

Looks a lot like a small Nady mixer, without the effects.

image

This one runs on a 9V battery, the compartment’s on the bottom. Which makes me wonder if the Sound Town has one too.

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#22

There is also the popular Zoom R16 mixer/recorder/interface, which runs on USB power or batteries. It’s surprisingly light weight and flat and works great as a stand-alone mixer and eight track recorder. I’ve been using mine for years :slight_smile:

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/zoom-r16

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#23

Good point! In fact That’s what I’m currently looking into. Unfortunately most of the power solutions I can find online are pretty hard to find here in Italy.

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#24

This one (mentioned also in the minimal mixers thread) should work with a 9v battery:

https://en.uraltone.com/uraltone-tube-sounding-micro-mixer-rakennussarja-15515.html?___store=english

My bandmate has one, I like the design! Not what you would call a transparent sound though.

#25

Now that I think of it, the TC Helicon Blender basically has 3 stereo AUX busses, hmm… that is starting to sound like a very interesting thing to me!!!

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#26

I’m giving this little “cheap and cheerful” box a chance: “Moukey Ultra Low-Noise 4-Channel Line Mixer” (Amazon) (Aliexpress). For power it asks for 5V/1A over micro USB.

For a quick and dirty 4-channel stereo-capable “mixer” it’s …fine. Utilitarian, that’s it. Haven’t pushed it to see where it really falls apart, but all I wanted was an option smaller than a K-Mix, 3 line-level instruments in stereo, battery-powered as an option (not passive), and in stock (at the time). If I’ll need proper balanced inputs, metering, etc, then I’ll need the K-Mix or larger anyways.

#27

But it’s filled with metal!!!

Screenshot 2020-09-23 at 18.02.12
Screenshot 2020-09-23 at 18.02.12736×484 170 KB

But yeah, it does seem like an option! Let us know how it works out!

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#28

I have one of these and haven’t really used it because the dang thing doesn’t have a headphone out. which you wouldn’t think would be such a problem, but who wants to have to adapter out of the LR outs and into a BT speaker or whatever. it’s not like nady didn’t have a headphone amp circuit floating around.

#29

I’ve owned the Behringer Xenyx 1002B for a few years now and it’s served me well. I personally haven’t used it with batteries so I can’t attest to the battery life, but (I think) Luss is running it on batteries in this jam video. I believe it takes 3 9V batteries.

Cool little mixer. I also have the Nady one mentioned above, I wouldn’t recommend it based on mine, which starts to self oscillate after about 20 minutes of use.

Correction - The Nady mixer I have is a different model, I have the MM-141