NewYorkDave
Well-known member
Some of you know about my mixer design project that's been going on mostly in my head and on paper for the past year now. This is a small ten-input line mixer for mixing down from an 8-track recorder. It's a passive mixing network followed by tube gain. There are no preamps or EQs.
I'm finally at a point where I'm about ready to heat up the iron and build this thing. Before I do, I'd love to hear some comments on the feature set I've decided upon. Although I'm designing this mixer for myself, it would be nice to know whether or not the features are useful to others, in case I ever decide to build more mixers using the same circuit.
So, here's the rundown:
8 mono channels with level controls, mute and PFL pushbuttons, pan, and two aux sends, switchable pre/post.
1 stereo channel with level and balance, mute and PFL, but no aux sends. This channel can also be used as a ninth mono input channel with the balance control acting as a pan.
1 Aux send expansion input to allow a small external mixer to act as a "sidecar" of sorts when more input channels are needed. The external mixer's program outputs would go to the stereo input of the main mixer, and the aux sends would connect to the aux send expansion inputs.
2 stereo aux returns with PFL buttons.
Switchable monitor output with level control. The available sources are stereo program, split (mono program on left speaker, PFL on right speaker), PFL only, mono only, and stereo tape return.
Note that the PFLs in this mixer do not override the setting of the monitor selector. Pressing a channel's PFL only assigns its prefader signal to the PFL buss; you must manually select "split" or "PFL" on the monitor selector in order to hear it. Really, I'm not sure if I should call this function "PFL" or "Cue" or something else altogether...
And, of course, there are send level controls for the auxes and a master program fader, and two program VU meters.
Some of the seemingly arbitrary choices, like the number of input channels and the lack of aux sends on the stereo input channel, were dictated by the fact that I want this to fit on a 19" wide panel.
So, for those of you who record on 8 tracks or fewer, and who don't need onboard preamps and EQ, is this something you could use?
I'm finally at a point where I'm about ready to heat up the iron and build this thing. Before I do, I'd love to hear some comments on the feature set I've decided upon. Although I'm designing this mixer for myself, it would be nice to know whether or not the features are useful to others, in case I ever decide to build more mixers using the same circuit.
So, here's the rundown:
8 mono channels with level controls, mute and PFL pushbuttons, pan, and two aux sends, switchable pre/post.
1 stereo channel with level and balance, mute and PFL, but no aux sends. This channel can also be used as a ninth mono input channel with the balance control acting as a pan.
1 Aux send expansion input to allow a small external mixer to act as a "sidecar" of sorts when more input channels are needed. The external mixer's program outputs would go to the stereo input of the main mixer, and the aux sends would connect to the aux send expansion inputs.
2 stereo aux returns with PFL buttons.
Switchable monitor output with level control. The available sources are stereo program, split (mono program on left speaker, PFL on right speaker), PFL only, mono only, and stereo tape return.
Note that the PFLs in this mixer do not override the setting of the monitor selector. Pressing a channel's PFL only assigns its prefader signal to the PFL buss; you must manually select "split" or "PFL" on the monitor selector in order to hear it. Really, I'm not sure if I should call this function "PFL" or "Cue" or something else altogether...
And, of course, there are send level controls for the auxes and a master program fader, and two program VU meters.
Some of the seemingly arbitrary choices, like the number of input channels and the lack of aux sends on the stereo input channel, were dictated by the fact that I want this to fit on a 19" wide panel.
So, for those of you who record on 8 tracks or fewer, and who don't need onboard preamps and EQ, is this something you could use?