Severin SM 3734 Glass Jug Blender Mixer

I am on the lookout for a new mixer cum blender and this Severin SM 3734 Glass Jug Blender Mixer caught my eye while doing a search on the Internet. For about $80 approximately, I can get something like this. These are the features of this blender cum mixer:

• Wattage : 500 W
• Capacity : 1 L Glass Jug
• Brushed stainless steel
• Glass blender – suitable for crushing ice
• 2 speed settings with pulse function
• up to 22,000 rpm
• Removable stainless steel blades for easy cleaning
• Thermal safety cut-out
• Cable storage
• Non-slip rubber feet
• Recipes available online via QR code

The thing which I like about it is that it has removable stainless steel blades. I have always hated some blenders because the blades are not removable for cleaning. One thing I like about it as well is that they give some recipes that we can access via a QR code. While this may seem as a novelty to many, this is thoughtful gesture from them. Gonna look out for this online

Mini XLR Mixer from AVLifesavers

I was browsing the Internet a couple of days back and I came across this little XLR mixer from AVLifesavers.com. I for one would think that this is a great addition to many an audio person’s toolkit. I for one am using something like this which is the Extron MIX 301 which works very well. What this device does better than that Extron MIX 301 is the fact that it requires no power. It is totally passive. Plus, it uses Bourns potentiometers. If you are in the audio industry, you would know about Bourns and what great products they make. Also, this device uses big pots to control the volume whereas for the Extron MIX 301, I have to use a tweaker or small screwdriver to do so. So far, I do not think I have a need for something like this as the Extron MIX 301 is serving me just fine. But as I said, this would be a great addition to your toolbox.

Kramer amplifiers and a Mackie mixer

This was a rather strange install that I had to do for a client. Picture this. Two rooms. One room with a Poly Studio x70 and the other room with a Poly Studio x50. The two rooms have a removable divider between them. Clear so far?

Anyway, both rooms have ceiling speakers. The bigger room with the x70 has 4 Kramer Galil 6-CO speakers and the smaller room with the Poly Studio x50 has two Kramer Galil 6-CO speakers. The room with the x70 is connected to the mixer via a radial TX-J2. The master outs go to one of the two Kramer amplifier powering the 4 Kramer ceiling speakers. Now when the room divider is opened, the two Kramer ceiling speakers in the smaller room (connected to the second Kramer amplifier) will be used as they are controlled by the Control Room out of the mixer. The x50 in that small room will not be used.

Strange setup eh? There are many ways to handle divisible rooms like these but so far, this was the most economical way we could think of.

Extron MIX 301 three Channel Line Level Mixer

While stripping a client’s place of his old equipment, I happened to come across two of these Extron MIX 301 three-channel line-level mixers. According to Extron, The Extron MIX 301 Three Channel Audio Mixer combines three line level mono audio sources into a single line level mono output. It accepts balanced or unbalanced input signals, and provides a balanced or unbalanced output. The MIX 301 accommodates input sources with various impedances. Three recessed input gain controls on the front panel enable adjustment of mix levels from -80 dB to +20 dB. This will be very useful if I need to combine three inputs into one…like what I require for my Yamaha MG82cx mixer. There are 4 XLR inputs but after I use two for my stereo input from my DJ controller, use up one for my microphone, there is only one balanced input left to use. This is where this one will come in and I bet that it will work just fine. Plus its small size makes it very portable indeed!

Mackie 402VLZ4 analogue mixer

I have not ruled out the possibility of getting this tiny Mackie 402VLZ4 mixer for my arsenal of tools. It is small and it will be very handy for shows. For one, it looks like it is more sturdily built than the Yamaha MG06, it’s almost direct competitor. Also, the stereo inputs look like they can take balanced or unbalanced inputs, which is perfect for those smaller controllers. In any case, it’s most notable features are:

• Amazingly rugged analog mixer with two microphone preamplifiers and one stereo channel
• Onyx mic preamps offer up to 60dB of gain for great performance with any mic
• Ultra-low-noise performance gives you clean, clear sound
• High-resolution stereo meters give you fast, easy visual indication of your signal levels
• Sealed rotary controls resist dust and grime

The thing I like about this are the input knobs. As described in the features above, they are less likely to be contaminated by dust and grime that are the bane of linear faders. But the thing that is a bit of a turn-off for me is the LOW and HI equalization knobs because there are no mids. But then again, this rather inexpensive mixer needs to sacrifice something for cost and real estate space so that is not really much of a choice there. There is no EQ for the solitary stereo input channel either. But what this mixer lacks, it makes up in portability. I am toying with the idea of getting one but I already have my Yamaha MG82cx. And like the MG82cx, the outputs are TRS balanced.

So will I get it? Probably not. But it is a great little mixer and all DJs and emcees should have one of these in their arsenal.

Soundcraft Notepad 5

This is the Soundcraft Notepad 5. Looks like they took a leaf out of the Yamaha book when it comes to small, personal mixers. This looks exactly like the Yamaha MG06 that I reviewed some time back. Only difference is this one only has one XLR input instead of two like the Yamaha. the rest of the info is all self-explanatory. You can check it out here or watch the video below

Mackie 802VLZ4

I am seriously thinking of getting this mixer to replace my old Yamaha MG82cx. There is nothing wrong with my Yamaha mixer but I feel that this Mackie 802VLZ4 has got more options when it comes to the number of balanced inputs that I require for some shows. I realised that when I did a show fairly recently and I found that the sound was lacking and also the lack of balanced inputs were causing me issues. This Mackie 802VLZ4 has got more options and I think that it will serve me better. I did a post some time back on the previous generation of this mixer and the specs are pretty much the same. This mixer is gonna cost me about $300 but I think it will be worth it

Horlicks mixer

In my younger years, when my mum and dad wanted to go out or used to go to dinners, they used to drop my sisters and I off at my grandparents’s place. At night, before bed, Grandma used to make us a hot drink of Horlicks. She used to make it with this mixer shown in the picture above. I do not know what happened to it but I bet that it would be a collectors item if it was found.

Yamaha MG16XU as house mixer for an event

I was doing an event a couple of days back and the lounge that I set up my equipment was using this Yamaha MG16XU as their main house mixer. I am no stranger to the Yamaha MG-series of mixers and this one held the fort very well and I was very pleased with the sound. The lounge has a live band and this mixer is more than sufficient for them to handle the inputs of their equipment as they are an acoustic band. Specifications and features of the mixer are:

• D-PRE mic preamps deliver clean, transparent, and natural sound
• 3-band EQ on all mono channels for sound-shaping
• 1-knob compressors provide straightforward dynamics control
• Class-compliant USB 2.0 for recording and playback with computers and tablets
• SPX effect processors provide you with a comprehensive suite of 24 effects
• Pad switch on mono inputs for managing loud sources
• Metal chassis for durability

Good , reliable and basic analogue mixer that does the job well. What more can you ask for?

Sound-system for a small pub

One of my friends opened up a small pub in the Katong area and I went down to it a couple of weeks back to check it out. It was a small pub with a moderately good sound-system. He had settled for the Delta Audio brand for his pub. Now that brand is pretty famous in Singapore. Many small event companies here in Singapore use their speakers and sound-systems because they are relatively inexpensive, and do the job. But many sound suppliers are lamenting the fact that Delta Audio speakers are trash and their speakers are copies of the Nexo PS series speakers.

In any case, the only thing I could see as far the sound system was concerned, besides the two 12″ speakers fastened to the corners of the pub near the ceiling, was this Delta Audio mixer below:

 

Now I am very particular about my mixers. Mixers are the heart of the system. Mixers can be the difference between what sounds good and what sounds bad in the system. I had used Delta Audio speakers and amplifiers before but I had never used their mixers so I cannot really speak up for them. But then again, all my friend was using of this mixer was hooking up an old iPad to the mixer, using a Y-cable. Spotify was playing all the songs and I must say that the $10 subscription fee he pays to Spotify each month seems pretty worth it. I finally managed to see the amplifier that was powering his speakers. It was a Delta Audio A-series amplifier and it was stacked under the mixer in a cabinet. The sound? Well, all I can say that it sounded very clear and I was very pleased with it. You do get extra bass when you place your speakers in corners and I think that my friend took advantage of that.

If I had advice to give to any other people who are setting up a small bar, and want a sound-system that will not break the bank, check out the Wharfedale Pro one that I posted above. It costs less than $900 and it includes a powered mixer and two 12″ speakers. It should do the job with more than enough music power to drive the place.