Need help finding audio mixer..

N

NeonOmega

Weaksauce
Joined
Sep 30, 2010
Messages
103
Howdy Hardforum experts!

I need a solution, and I figured someone on this fine gathering of Hardware geeks is someone who knows what I'm asking for.

I am a fairly advanced technician, and have owned my own technology consulting business for quite awhile now, so that is why I am so irked by being stumped by this problem.

I have several audio sources in my office (at least 5) and often work (or play) late into the night, and need to be quiet. And what I would like to do is take all those sources (stereo 1/8th inch, RCA, SPDIF, Optical, from my server, gaming rig, receiver, ipod dock, etc), and output to a single headphone jack OR to another source, so I can have all my audio routed to just 1 source.

I have searched google, musicians friend, monoprice, etc and I cannot find a single appliance that I can sit on my desk and have access to all of my audio outputs.

My end goal is to have all of my sources available to me from one set of phones. A normal home receiver you would think could accomplish this, but I would like access to ALL sources at once, and have a controller that lets me adjust and tweak volume and sources to my hearts content. Having a graphic EQ to monitor levels, etc would be awesome too.

Ideas??
 
What do you mean that you would like access to ALL sources at once? Do you want to be able to listen to independent sources simultaneously?

Would you just want to press a button and change between your sources? That's kind of how a receiver works.
 
Yes, I would like to mix independent sources simultaneously. for example:

Playing a game on one computer, pandora running on another computer, laptop hosting Ventrilo/skype. All sources are routed through a mixer of some type, then I can adjust volume levels independently from the mixer, then output to a headphone jack. Something like that.
 
What's your budget? Do you need room for expansion?

If you don't plan on messing with it too much you could go cheap with a Behringer Xenyx mixer but in my experience the faders in their mixers develop noise over time with any decent amount of adjustments.

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.co...YX-X1222USB-USB-Mixer-with-Effects?sku=485371

Personally though I find that when it comes to mixers you're best to buy quality if you plan to use it for a while. You could get a lower end mackie unit such as this:

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Mackie-ProFX12-Professional-Compact-Mixer?sku=500317

If you have the budget available and since you will probably be adjusting it frequently I would splash out and buy an Allen&Heath Zed series mixer:

http://pro-audio.musiciansfriend.com/product/Allen-&-Heath-ZED14-USB-Mixing-Console?sku=630271

Any of the mixers listed above will meet your needs it's just a question of what level of build quality you want to shell out for really.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top