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[Frank von Ohain]

I have loudspeakers I want to provide clients to demo.  I am providing the pair of passive speakers and an amplifier.  Most of the clients will have their own mixer and sources, but if they want to hear the speakers without re-cabling or they just want to hear a playback from a phone I want to provide something that can bring the level of their stereo source up +4dBu to nominal 1.23VAC.

Not surprisingly, I've found that a lot of phones and consumer music player's headphone output is quite a bit lower than pro audio line level.  The -10dBu or lower headphone level won't drive the amp sufficiently by itself.

I'm not wanting to loan a mixer that is needlessly complex or costly.  I could just use a cheap analog mini mixer, but I'm wanting to provide a high-quality impression.

I would appreciate the flexibility to use a microphone or a guitar besides the stereo-in which could be used for music players and keyboards, but I don't need more than 2 channels total.

The favorite right now is an Audient iD14.  I don't really need the USB interface, but I appreciate the quality preamps and the DI feature.

Essentially, I am looking for a high-quality 2-channel mixer.  Can anyone recommend another solution I might not have thought or heard of?

[Keith Broughton]

I have loudspeakers I want to provide clients to demo.  I am providing the pair of passive speakers and an amplifier.  Most of the clients will have their own mixer and sources, but if they want to hear the speakers without re-cabling or they just want to hear a playback from a phone I want to provide something that can bring the level of their stereo source up +4dBu to nominal 1.23VAC.

Not surprisingly, I've found that a lot of phones and consumer music player's headphone output is quite a bit lower than pro audio line level.  The -10dBu or lower headphone level won't drive the amp sufficiently by itself.

I'm not wanting to loan a mixer that is needlessly complex or costly.  I could just use a cheap analog mini mixer, but I'm wanting to provide a high-quality impression.

I would appreciate the flexibility to use a microphone or a guitar besides the stereo-in which could be used for music players and keyboards, but I don't need more than 2 channels total.

The favorite right now is an Audient iD14.  I don't really need the USB interface, but I appreciate the quality preamps and the DI feature.

Essentially, I am looking for a high-quality 2-channel mixer.  Can anyone recommend another solution I might not have thought or heard of?

If the source might be an unknown file from someones phone, this Behringer unit would work well at a fraction of the cost.

http://www.music-group.com/Categories/Behringer/Computer-Audio/Audio-Interfaces/UMC202HD/p/P0BJZ#

[Jordan Wolf]

Sound Devices MP-1 is nice if you’re OK on battery power.

Though, I am a big fan of a laptop and a Radial USB-Pre.

[Frank von Ohain]

Sound Devices MP-1 is nice if you’re OK on battery power.

Though, I am a big fan of a laptop and a Radial USB-Pre.

The Sound Devices products look nice but a bit costly for my needs.  The MP1 is only a single channel and two of them are quite costly.  The MixPre-D has all the features I need but I'm not sure what benefit I would get from the substantial cost.

The Radial "Presenter" looks like a great solution but I wasn't able to find it in stock or for sale.

I do not need a USB interface, I need only one or two good mic pre's and at least two channels line in with balanced line out at +4dBu/1.23V to drive a power amp.  This is not for recording, but for loudspeaker demo.

[Dave Garoutte]

A&H zed?
Soundcraft Notepad?

[Andrew Henderson]

I do not need a USB interface, I need only one or two good mic pre's and at least two channels line in with balanced line out at +4dBu/1.23V to drive a power amp.  This is not for recording, but for loudspeaker demo.

FYI: I own the Audient iD14, which you mentioned you were looking at earlier. It is an audio interface and requires a USB connection to a computer. It’s not a standalone mixer.

Edit (for clarification): you can send inputs directly to outputs to use it as a mixer, but you have to have it connected to the computer the whole time you’re using it.

[Mark Wilkinson]

If the source might be an unknown file from someones phone, this Behringer unit would work well at a fraction of the cost.

http://www.music-group.com/Categories/Behringer/Computer-Audio/Audio-Interfaces/UMC202HD/p/P0BJZ#

Second this recommendation...even if files are of high quality...the simple cheap unit works IMO

[Tim McCulloch]

Shure SCM262.  Will drive the lowest-sensitivity amplifier to Full Tilt Boogie.  Outputs are 1/4" TRS balanced (real transformer), has 2 mic inputs with 12v. phantom, 3 sets of stereo inputs on RCA connectors.  Streets new for about $215 or so, used on FleaBay for ~$100.

[Frank von Ohain]

Thank you for all the suggestions.

The Shure SCM262 looks like a good fit.  I had been looking at some similar rack-mount line-level mixers but they lacked preamps and had more channels than I need, but the Shure is spot on.

I appreciate knowing the Audient iD14 won't send the mix to the line-outs without going through a computer's USB bus.  That won't work for me.  I wonder if that is also the case with a Focusrite Scarlett or the Behringer UMC202HD.  It makes sense that being USB interfaces their purpose would be to send the channels via USB and any mixing would be done by the DAW software or whatever and that they wouldn't have an analog mixer for standalone use.  But it didn't occur to me that they inputs wouldn't even go to the outputs without the PC in there.  I just hadn't thought of that.

I definitely considered the Zeds.  If I get a bigger one, I might as well have a QuSB or MR18, so it only makes sense to consider the smallest Zeds.

I think I prefer the rack form factor though because I can put it in a case with the amp and have one box, and I prefer not to give the impression to a client that I'm trying to persuade them to replace their TF5 with a Zed 6.  I could lose credibility with some clients that are not sophisticated enough to overlook that.  My clients are often not audio professionals and neither am I per se (I have a niche).

[Helge A Bentsen]

Look for a used Midas XL42.

[Keith Broughton]

I wonder if that is also the case with a Focusrite Scarlett or the Behringer UMC202HD.

I just tested my Behringer UMC404HD and it will work as a stand alone mixer with the supplied AC adapter.

[Kevin Maxwell]

If the source might be an unknown file from someones phone, this Behringer unit would work well at a fraction of the cost.

http://www.music-group.com/Categories/Behringer/Computer-Audio/Audio-Interfaces/UMC202HD/p/P0BJZ#

Just curious will the UMC202HD work without a computer. Can you just power it with a USB charger like you use for a phone?

[Marc Sibilia]

Just curious will the UMC202HD work without a computer. Can you just power it with a USB charger like you use for a phone?

I can't tell you about the UMC202HD, but I tried my Tascam US-144, which is pretty similar, and when plugged into a charger, the MIDI IN light comes on, but it won't power the phantom supply or the preamp circuits without USB handshaking.  So I wouldn't gamble without direct evidence that it will work.

Marc

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