In the market for a new mixer.

My old analog mixer recently bit the dust. It wasn’t unexpected and it certainly wasn’t untimely. It had provided me with many years of faithful service in smoky bars and nightclubs—it just finally wore out. I’d been thinking about replacing it for some time and had already done a bit of research on what’s available, so it was just a matter of taking the next step and going for a ‘test-drive.’

The prep work.

Over the years I’ve learned to take my time when it comes to buying new gear. Mind you, I’ve done my share of impulse buying, but I don’t buy a new mixer every day, so I wanted to get this right. I started the process by comparing features and making a list of what I consider necessary for the applications I run.

•First, I’ll be using the mixer mainly for live performance, so it has to be roadworthy.

•Second, I’d also like to record the band, both live and for demo projects, so it has to be versatile.

•Lastly, and I’m not the least bit flexible on the final two points; it has to sound great, and has to be affordable!

That narrows it down.

I’ve always been a Mackie fan, so it came as no surprise that one of the products that made my list was from Mackie. The model I test drove was the Mackie Onyx 32.4 premium 32-channel/4-bus mid-format live sound console. It has 32 channels, 28 with Mackie’s new Onyx mic preamps, and two stereo channels, which are ideal for drum machines and synth modules. The first 28 channels also feature the new 4-band Perkins EQ, with sweepable Lo- and High-midrange controls—much more control versus my old mixer.

These new Onyx mic preamps sound great! They are quiet, clean and virtually invisible—I never knew my studio mics could sound so good. And talk about dynamic range, these preamps can handle anything from a whisper to a scream. The Onyx pres sound as good as many of the stand-alone mic preamps I’ve tried out, even some priced at over a thousand bucks.

Recording just got easier.

Although designed as a superb live sound console, the Onyx 32.4 has a variety of primo options for creating live recordings. All of the Auxes and Groups feature inserts, so you can add effects at almost any point in the signal chain. The Matrix Mixer, which is a real plus if you plan to use the 32.4 for front-of-house and monitor mixing, provides two additional independent monitor sends, or mixes for recording. If you prefer to multi-track to tape or hard disk recorder, there are direct out for all channels via DB-25 jacks on the rear of the unit, pre-configured in Tascam® format.)

Built-in Compressor/Limiter.

An assignable compressor/limiter is something I didn’t expect to find on a console in this price range. Mackie really thought this one out—you can assign the compressor to the Groups or to the Main outputs. They also provide exceptional metering and controls that make sense.

I often use compression on the background vocals or to balance the drums—and if I’m pushing my system to the max, I use the limiter to protect my loudspeakers. There’s nothing quite like a blown horn-driver to take all the fun out of a show!

So, you don’t need 32 channels.

The Mackie Onyx 24.4 (24-channels) offers the same features as the Onyx 32.4: premium Onyx preamps, assignable compressor/limiter, Ma-trix Mixer, direct outs, Aux and Group inserts, and much more—just in a smaller footprint. Mackie has an Onyx mixer just your size.