Hi folks! I’m mostly a traditional musician trying to get more into electronic music and looking for advice on a desk setup. The idea is to have a Zynthian, 1-2 MIDI controllers, and maybe other small DIY synths. I’m looking for recommendations on a device that I can plug these outputs into, and maybe plug in some speakers, and headphones. If I can input my PC audio output as well, that would be golden.
P.S.: Searching for mixers has led me to huge expensive devices, or USB DJ/interface combos, which I don’t need at this time.
I think the first question is of you’re aiming at a live performance rig or a recording solution?
Anyway, I’d aim at a multiple input audio interface with standalone functionality plus active monitors, that way your computer audio would be already inside the function as an audio interface, and recording would be easy. If only live/home performance is the idea, any mixer will do. But you’d need some D/A conversion (so an audio interface) anyway to get your computer sound out to the rig.
I use a Focusrite Scarlett 18i20 1st Gen with JBL LSR 305 monitors, which I bought used for under 300 total. But this is a home recording setup capable of doing “home performances”, other situations might require another setup.
I agree with @hannesmenzel that using a multiple input (and output) soundcard is advantageous. You can use zynthian as a mixer so don’t need an outboard mixer. This can offset the cost, i.e. don’t spend money on a mixer and spend that saving on the soundcard. The lowest cost option tends to be Behringer, like the UMC-1820 which gives lots of inputs and outputs. It’s price fluctuates and looks very low at the moment. I have one and it works well. If you need fewer inputs and outputs the the smaller UMC-404 is even cheaper.
I also have the Tascam US-16x08 which is better in many ways. It has built-in DSP providing compression and 4 x EQ on every input which is all controllable by zynthian without using zynthian resources. This would be my recommendation if you can afford it.
The stuff from Focusrite is highly regarded but tends to be a bit more expensive.
A pair of powered speakers simplifies the outboard setup. Some of the cheaper ones tend to hum. JBL did some good budget powered speakers but I think they may be discontinued. Behringer do some that may be okay but I have no experience with them. I bought some cheap Behringer headphones and an disappointed.
I also have had the Tascam Us 16x08 for many years. Around christmas last year Riban wrote the zynthian driver for it, and i’ve been using it since with great satisfaction and grattitude!
Yes - Christmas does provide a time for receiving and giving gifts. Last year I received a Tascam US-16x08 and I gave you all its integration with zynthian. Who knows what Santa may faciltate this year…
As far as price/performance ratio goes, I warmly recommend the whole Presonus active speakers range.
Specifically, the Eris Studio 8 unleash up to 140 W per unit, have silk-dome tweeters and generous 8” mid-low woven composite cones, which descend as deep as 35 Hz. Overall, they provide more than enough power for even a small rehearsal gig, sound balanced and detailed, and are well built and fairly affordable. Lately, they have been given for attractive discounted fares during cyberweek.
Be aware that these are sold as individual speakers which means you need to order 2 if you want stereo and speak to the supplier to ensure you get a matched pair. I see there is also a “Pro” version which costs more but I don’t know the difference.
Yes indeed @riban, in fact I actually purchased them during the recent discount period, and obviously had to buy a pair of them. The Pros were attractive specs-wise, but a tad over my planned studio refurbishment budget.
It’s mostly for in-home use, jamming etc, but I hadn’t really thought about recording. I didn’t know audio interfaces with standalone mode. Thank you for the pointers, it definitely makes it easier to search for stuff.
My in-progress Zynthian build uses a Hifiberry ADC+DAC, which only has one stereo input, so using it as a mixer doesn’t seem very feasible.
The UMC-1820 seems really nice, but it’s $400+ where I live, a bit more than the Tascam, which looks really nice for when I upgrade the setup. Thank you!
These look great, even if a bit on the pricier side. I might be able to get a locally manufactured alternative with similar specs to avoid the import tax, thank you!
Hi! Don’t overlook the Studio 5s either: you could spare quite a few coins, and the main difference you would probably notice would be a slightly less defined bass region, but still with a respectable 48 hertz (declared) lowest frequency threshold. As far as volume coverage goes, you would still get a robust amplification for a studio or rehearsal room. Your choice clearly depends on your expectations of richness in the mid-low range, and the genre of music you do.
Have you considered, for a future upgrade, a combination of Hifiberry DAC and ADC 8X, lodged in a bespoke 3D-printed case? That would afford you four stereo ins and outs, with up to 8+8 mono channels, for a fraction of the price of the Tascam.
Obviously, do not expect the same degree of performance, built-in DSP operation, technical audio refinement and straightforward system integration: you get what you pay for .
Using zynthian as the mixer using these 8X in and out hats is a quite interesting idea. The reason I recommended a (standalone ready) audio interface is that you said, you would like to use your computer audio as well. Therefore you need an audio interface anyway to route your computer audio to your mixer. So it would need two devices anyway.
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