Compact desktop line mixer?

[MidnightArrakis]

Yes, they are directly on opposite sides of the board. I didn’t go so far as to check if the footprints overlap (yet). They might need to be offset. The layout was all preliminary - like I said before, just a POC. I have done this with other project before, and while it is a pain, it can be done…as long as you solder the correct side first!

These are the rotary switches I spec’d. I used them once before and they seemed fine: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Alpha-Taiwan/SR10010F-0204-20F0B-C7-N-0027?qs=8%2Br4Hz5Xir/fy%2Bqxa0GVpg==

[ALPHA -- SR10010F-0204-20F0B-C7-N-0027] -- See below:



>> Have you determined what your PCB-outline dimensions are yet? If so, can you let me know what they are??? THANKS!!!.....

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[MidnightArrakis]

These are the rotary switches I spec’d. I used them once before and they seemed fine:

[These are the rotary switches I spec’d] -- Here's a really spiffy idea!!! How about providing a list of all of the LED's, potentiometers, switches and other electro-mechanical components' Part Numbers that go through your FPD-panel? I've got an idea!!!.....

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[MidnightArrakis]

One interesting aspect of Schaeffer's front panel service is that they can use customer provided material so, rather than buy a complete enclosure like the Takachi and have to replace some of its panels with custom ones you can send the blank panels to Schaeffer for them to use on your design.

[One interesting aspect of Schaeffer's front panel service is that they can use customer provided material] -- So.....you're saying that if you send SCHAEFFER your own panels, they will then punch them out to your own specifications??? I've never heard of or have known of any sheet-metal shop ever willing to do something like that. That's a really interesting piece of information to know.

However, I suppose "the catch" is.....is that with you supplying the material, you also end up paying for the shipping cost twice!!!

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[ruffrecords]

Yes, they are directly on opposite sides of the board. I didn’t go so far as to check if the footprints overlap (yet). They might need to be offset. The layout was all preliminary - like I said before, just a POC. I have done this with other project before, and while it is a pain, it can be done…as long as you solder the correct side first!

Absolutely!

These are the rotary switches I spec’d. I used them once before and they seemed fine: https://www.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Alpha-Taiwan/SR10010F-0204-20F0B-C7-N-0027?qs=8%2Br4Hz5Xir/fy%2Bqxa0GVpg==

I thought I had found every small rotary switch known to mankind but that is a new one for me. Very interesting.

Cheers

Ian

 

[Bebert81]

Hi OP
No, you're definitely not alone! I've been tearing my hair out for such a mixer.

I also think it's a nice project. I can confirm that designing a good, simple and useful mixer can be very exciting.

2 suggestions :
- As far as the ability to become a summing tool 16 is concerned, it might be possible to add 2 switches to allow the 2-track return and the ext input to be assigned to the main bus ? 8 input + 2 stereo FX return + 2track + ext input = 16

- In my personal workflow, a second main bus with insert is also very useful, for example to send a premix or stem to a hardware effect (glue compression or saturator or other treatment).

But maybe not usefull in your case.

Ten years ago, I was lucky enough to buy a very nice, ultra-compact mixer designed in the 80s by Jacques Sax (Sonosax) at a reasonable price.
50cm x 50cm with 10 mono inputs, 2 stereo inputs, 4 aux, very complete monitoring, pfl/solo and monitoring section, pream, eq and comp on the mono input, etc. If I wasn't the happy owner of this jewel, I would like o build something like your project and I will get an eye on it until the end.

 

[OneRoomStudio]

[These are the rotary switches I spec’d] -- Here's a really spiffy idea!!! How about providing a list of all of the LED's, potentiometers, switches and other electro-mechanical components' Part Numbers that go through your FPD-panel? I've got an idea!!!.....

/

Here are the parts I was thinking of, but none of this is finalized yet. I haven't even finished the actual circuits yet, so we're still very much in proof-of-concept mode.

Pan Pots
Level Pots
DPDT Switches
4PDT Switches (for the stereo I/O channels)
Switch Caps (available in other colors and from other vendors)
Rotary Switches (as mentioned above)
Channel Faders
Mix Bus Fader
LED Bar Graph (just one option I found that looked promising)

 

[OneRoomStudio]

2 suggestions :
- As far as the ability to become a summing tool 16 is concerned, it might be possible to add 2 switches to allow the 2-track return and the ext input to be assigned to the main bus ? 8 input + 2 stereo FX return + 2track + ext input = 16

- In my personal workflow, a second main bus with insert is also very useful, for example to send a premix or stem to a hardware effect (glue compression or saturator or other treatment).

Good suggestions. The first one is already (mostly) part of the design. The 2track return has a "to mix" button that sends it to the mix buss. The "external input" was intended to be an ⅛" jack on the front for plugging in a phone or other source, so it didn't seem to make sense to send that to mix bus (it can be selected as a source to monitor separately though). As-is, there are 15 channels for mix down - 8 regular channels, 5 FX returns (1 mono, 2 stereo), and the 2track returns.

I don't know that there would be enough room in the box for a second mix bus though...at least, not a discrete one. It's going to be tight to fit 4 discrete opamps and a pair of transformers back there as it is.

 

[inkster]

[One interesting aspect of Schaeffer's front panel service is that they can use customer provided material] -- So.....you're saying that if you send SCHAEFFER your own panels, they will then punch them out to your own specifications??? I've never heard of or have known of any sheet-metal shop ever willing to do something like that. That's a really interesting piece of information to know.

However, I suppose "the catch" is.....is that with you supplying the material, you also end up paying for the shipping cost twice!!!

/

I send them material often with excellent results, especially useful when you need a color match...which they don't do.