Looking for a simple, quality mixer

[WildcatMatt]

I'm looking to improve the way I'm handling audio for my video digitization workflow, particularly for VHS and EIAJ open-reel formats where the audio levels are nowhere near where I want them when they hit my capture rig.

To that end, I want to add a mixer in between to adjust the L and R channels independently. I have a Tascam M208 but I don't need the effects/EQ and I do need a smaller footprint. I'd like the ability to handle multiple attenuations and VU meters are a must. (VUs would be preferred.)

From poking around on eBay this looks like a pretty narrow set of requirements. Some of the old Sony portable mixers look interesting (MX-12, MX-14, MX-16) and the Realistic 32-1210 might be workable. I had a 32-1200 at one time which seemed decent for what it was. The other thing I've seen suggested is to get a pair of Shure M267s (one for L, one for R).

Does anyone here have better suggestions of what to consider?

 

[Mrv8q]

VU meter requirement is going to limit you. LEDs have been ubiquitous for 30+ years.

 

[WildcatMatt]

VU meter requirement is going to limit you. LEDs have been ubiquitous for 30+ years.

Fair enough, point taken. LEDs will be fine, then, but some kind of metering on the board.

Thanks for the reply, I've updated my post.

 

[KentTeffeteller]

I'm looking to improve the way I'm handling audio for my video digitization workflow, particularly for VHS and EIAJ open-reel formats where the audio levels are nowhere near where I want them when they hit my capture
rig.

To that end, I want to add a mixer in between to adjust the L and R channels independently. I have a Tascam M208 but I don't need the effects/EQ and I do need a smaller footprint. I'd like the ability to handle multiple attenuations and VU meters are a must. (VUs would be preferred.)

From poking around on eBay this looks like a pretty narrow set of requirements. Some of the old Sony portable mixers look interesting (MX-12, MX-14, MX-16) and the Realistic 32-1210 might be workable. I had a 32-1200 at one time which seemed decent for what it was. The other thing I've seen suggested is to get a pair of Shure M267s (one for L, one for R).

Does anyone here have better suggestions of what to consider?

A pair of Shure M267 or the Stereo equivalent. Best simple mixer you can buy. Many times more common than the Sony mixers. Can be had at reasonable prices. Very excellent quality.

 

[gadget73]

if you don't mind me asking, what are you using for the capture part of it? I have a real cheapie USB thing that seems to work OK, but I was using VLC to actually encode it. For reasons I don't understand the audio seems to get out of sync the longer things run. I did a couple of Laserdiscs and it starts out fine, but by about 10 minutes in the video and audio are out by a second or more. These are old car dealership promotional things so the total run time is only about 20 minutes. If I just run VLC in capture mode to display whats coming out of the card it works absolutely fine so I think its something with the ecoding process.

 

[WildcatMatt]

if you don't mind me asking, what are you using for the capture part of it?

For capture I'm currently using a Matrox MX-O2 to feed VirtualDub using the Lagarith lossless codec. After that I trim it up in Premiere and if I need it compressed I export it out to H.264.

In the past I've used a Pinnacle DV-500 and a Sony DVMC-DA2 for capture using a DV codec. I always thought that looked decent but the MX-O2/Lagarith combo blows me away.

 

[WildcatMatt]

A pair of Shure M267 or the Stereo equivalent. Best simple mixer you can buy. Many times more common than the Sony mixers.

Thanks. I'm also seeing SCM268s at very good prices with unbalanced inputs which would be useful. Are they any good or are they cost-reduced past the point of decency?

 

[KentTeffeteller]

SCM 268 has transformer balanced inputs. I like the older models better, but the SCM 268 is still very good. You'd like the meters on the older Shure mixers better.

 

[blownsi]

The Mackie ProFXV3 is current and readily available at Guitar center. I've really liked in the applications I've used one.

 

[gadget73]

For capture I'm currently using a Matrox MX-O2 to feed VirtualDub using the Lagarith lossless codec. After that I trim it up in Premiere and if I need it compressed I export it out to H.264.

In the past I've used a Pinnacle DV-500 and a Sony DVMC-DA2 for capture using a DV codec. I always thought that looked decent but the MX-O2/Lagarith combo blows me away.

Thanks. Looks like VirtualDub is free, so I'll give that a go and see if that takes care of my sync issues. The fact that my capture device is something from Amazon that cost like 20 bucks clearly makes it of the highest possible quality so it definitely can't be that