Quality Small mixer with Audio interface

[PorkPieGuy]

Originally Posted by Wengr

I'd get a Mackie 1202 vlz4 or similiar for my practice needs, and for spare pres, and then investigate separate components dedicated to my specific recording needs.

I second this motion!

I have a Mackie 1202 that I absolutely love. Super quiet. I've recorded three projects with it. I have it going into an M-Audio mobilePre. Works great!

You can get the same one I have for about $20: https://reverb.com/item/3948102-m-au...ace-and-preamp

Here's the same Mackie 1202 I have. Looks like Reverb has them for about $150:
https://reverb.com/item/3966746-mack...ixer-2003-gray


I use Reaper with this set up. It's PERFECT for what I do.

[midwinter]

Originally Posted by PorkPieGuy

Here's the same Mackie 1202 I have. Looks like Reverb has them for about $150:
https://reverb.com/item/3966746-mack...ixer-2003-gray

I bought one of those old Mackie 1202s in the mid/late-1990s. I just sold it last year—simply because I needed a bigger mixer. Great piece of kit.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Northward

Presonus Studio One is a solid product. I have little faith in their hardware with their cheepo quality. Probably ok for live venues though.

That Neve 5060 looks the part, but doesn't seem to offer what I'm after.

Humm I am still confused about what does the Neve not offer that you want other than onboard file storage?: If you're talking about on board recording capability in the same box, but the PortaStudio type offerings are not up to the quality you are looking for, then I'm guessing you will have to have something custom made

[Northward]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Humm I am still confused about what does the Neve not offer that you want other than onboard file storage?: If you're talking about on board recording capability in the same box, but the PortaStudio type offerings are not up to the quality you are looking for, then I'm guessing you will have to have something custom made

Neither this Neve nor the Toft Audio suggestion have an built in audio interface. I was hoping to discover an option of a unit I never knew about, that offers a combo of a smaller quality mixer and a soundcard and/or wav files storage. The PortaStudio example is merly an example of a old but focused method of recording. I used one back in the 80s and know it's sound quality.. but also it's efficancy.

The new Presonus StudioLive does offer what I'm after, so my way of thinking can't be quite as funny as some have pointed out ironically. The problem is that Personus is not known as a maker of great preamps. The Soundcraft Signature MTK lacks hardware inserts on the channels and has no audio Interface.

Others in here have been jumping through these hoops before and concuded that I should give this way of thinking a miss... And you may well be right. Though,I have been reading quite a few forum posts from people who are more pleased with a hands on approach in their workflow. But if this comes at a cost of workarounds and e.g. setting levels twice, then I fully agree that it's not a good solution.

Thank you for your suggestions. It's a jungle out there in audio solutions for home/project studios. Surely it's better to ask around a bit before making a wrong purchase based on an online "review".

[midwinter]

If I'm reading the product page correctly, in its recording mode, that PreSonus unit functions basically as a control surface and interface for a DAW (and the PreSonus DAW isn't very good).

In other words, I'm not sure that what you want exists—simply because the quality pres will be part of a decent interface and the quality DAW will be a separate software package (ProTools or Logic or Reaper, etc) and the control surface will be something else (which is really just an extension of the DAW).

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Northward

Neither this Neve nor the Toft Audio suggestion have an built in audio interface. I was hoping to discover an option of a unit I never knew about, that offers a combo of a smaller quality mixer and a soundcard and/or wav files storage. The PortaStudio example is merly an example of a old but focused method of recording. I used one back in the 80s and know it's sound quality.. but also it's efficancy.

The new Presonus StudioLive does offer what I'm after, so my way of thinking can't be quite as funny as some have pointed out ironically. The problem is that Personus is not known as a maker of great preamps. The Soundcraft Signature MTK lacks hardware inserts on the channels and has no audio Interface.

Others in here have been jumping through these hoops before and concuded that I should give this way of thinking a miss... And you may well be right. Though,I have been reading quite a few forum posts from people who are more pleased with a hands on approach in their workflow. But if this comes at a cost of workarounds and e.g. setting levels twice, then I fully agree that it's not a good solution.

Thank you for your suggestions. It's a jungle out there in audio solutions for home/project studios. Surely it's better to ask around a bit before making a wrong purchase based on an online "review".

Oh asking around is what this forum is all about so that is not a problem at all.
And as you suggest there is obviously some demand for "all in one box" solutions as they are still being produced. But it would appear that by the time the consumer demand gets to the point of also demanding higher quality analog and digital conversion sections, that the interest is in component solutions as opposed to all in one. Otherwise the units would most likely be offered, not to mention obviously very expensive .

Not to mention that even if such a box existed by the time you attach multiple outboard hardware units and or plug into a computer for Mastering etc., you are back to a much more complex solution in terms of setting levels and matching gain structures etc which more or less defeats the notion of "turn it on and go".
And may simply be seeking a solution in search of a problem. Particularly since since fader and touch screen based controllers are after.

And perhaps it should be noted also the idea that physical faders is "more hands on" is somewhat misleading it is in reality simply a different hands on. One is hands on a mouse or touch screen, and one on physical faders, they are all hands on, just a different feel.

[Northward]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Oh asking around is what this forum is all about so that is not a problem at all.
And as you suggest there is obviously some demand for "all in one box" solutions as they are still being produced. But it would appear that by the time the consumer demand gets to the point of also demanding higher quality analog and digital conversion sections, that the interest is in component solutions as opposed to all in one. Otherwise the units would most likely be offered, not to mention obviously very expensive .

Not to mention that even if such a box existed by the time you attach multiple outboard hardware units and or plug into a computer for Mastering etc., you are back to a much more complex solution in terms of setting levels and matching gain structures etc which more or less defeats the notion of "turn it on and go".
And may simply be seeking a solution in search of a problem. Particularly since since fader and touch screen based controllers are after.

And perhaps it should be noted also the idea that physical faders is "more hands on" is somewhat misleading it is in reality simply a different hands on. One is hands on a mouse or touch screen, and one on physical faders, they are all hands on, just a different feel.

You are quite right (and as others in this thread has pointed out), I think I've been a bit naive to what is in fact real options with "all included". I have since starting this thread reconcidered and decided to go with a futureproof option like RME, and a nice sounding preamp (like millions of others I guess). The preamps build in audio interfaces/mixers mostly seem to be just adequate. A dedicated preamp and a A/D converter seems the best way to go for top sound quality. Even if this means geeking around in yet another software I was hoping to avoid this as I spend so much time in graphic software allready (the Adobe package). But like Mick Jagger sings...You can't allways get what you want.

If anyone wants to recommend me a great sounding preamp/channel strip, please do :-)

[GerryTB]

What you might want is the now discontinued AKAI DPS24 ---- the best of the "stand alone" 24 track recorders. It's not exactly small and I don't know that you'd like to necessarily like that around to gigs, but it had a better than average preamps and the ability to record either 12 or 24 tracks simultaneously depending on the resolution you wanted.

It was able to offload tracks to the computer over USB one, so not exactly fast. There are still some of them running out there and you could probably purchase one for about $800-$1000 (maybe even less).

It was quite a beast but AKAI soon found out that there was not a large enough profitable market for a professional level standalone recording device. Computer recording was becoming easier and less expensive and these types of machines disappeared except for lesser quality, less expensive much more limited standalones. Even the more popular Roland 2480 track machine died out.

It could be used as a standalone mixer if you wanted to. Then if you decided you wanted to record just hit the buttons. It had motorized touch sensitive faders and some digital editing capability.

I have one and keep it around to use the 12 preamps into another digital interface via light pipe then into ProTools.

I agree with others and think you'll find that you'll want better quality pre amps into a good interface / Daw for recording. It looks like you're already heading in that direction.

Best of luck!