Live PA Mixer Recommendations

[NSP]

Both my bands have Allen & Heath boards, Fennario has some huge number of channels, I have the 16:2 Mix Wizard and it's great. Cost like $1,000 but if you keep it in a rack case, should last forever.

Yep, totally agree. I've owned the A&H MixWiz 16:2 for about 3 years now and love it. Compact, versatile, individual monitor mixes, and the on-board effects are decent. I have a Gator case where the unit lays flat for transport and ratchets up when in use.

[Cmnaround]

Excellent advice all around - thanks! I ended up scoring an Allen and Heath PA 12-CP that has two 500 W amps built in. It has the same internal components and build as mix wizard series and up - which was the main selling point for me. It has a lot of flexibility with respect to the ins and pre / post LR fader sends for two monitor mixes and also an Aux that I can use as a direct out to a 2 track into a digital recorder. I am able to run the vocals through the mains and then also feed some drum mics and direct line ins from the guitar and bass amps and get a nice direct mix out but only hear the vocals in the mains. The digital onboard effects sound fine and plenty of power for what I need. I just need to score some rack rails and a case so it doesn't get banged up while going back and forth. It's awesome too for setting up at home and streaming shows from the archive with the 2 track in from my iphone and playing along in the mix with guitar or keys and vocals.

[strumminsix]

Nice, if you find you need more power you can also use the onboard poweramps for the monitors and powered mains to add into the mix! Of course then you'd use the sliders and knobs different but I've done it and plenty of others have too!

[Cmnaround]

Exactly - flexibility and scalability - will be cool for practicing and small gigs - and can expand it as needed. I would like to get a powered sub next and also run a mic from the kick drum through the mix.

[myoung6923]

Both my bands have Allen & Heath boards, Fennario has some huge number of channels, I have the 16:2 Mix Wizard and it's great. Cost like $1,000 but if you keep it in a rack case, should last forever. I have it mounted in a rack with a 6 or 8 space effects, and the snake just stays plugged in and gets coiled up in the back of the unit for storage/transport. Very quick and easy, we can be up and running in about an hour even if my 5'8" office-worker self is the only one there without a bad back.

Yeah, for Fennario we have an Allen & Heath GL2400-24 channel board and it has served us very well with absolutely no issues. It may be bigger than you might need though - but pretty much everyone that has experience with AH boards are very happy with its quality. Ours has 6 aux sends - 4 for monitor mixes and 2 for reverb and delay which we send back into 2 channels. This way we can add in whatever amount of effects mixed into the monitors and it gives you easy master mix volumes for them into the FOH. It has easily taken everything that we have thrown AT&T so far!