Mackie Mixer-Unpowered, 16 Channel (PROFX16V2)

Very very happy with this. Good mackie sound, complete with effects.I use this to sub mix my drums, vocal, and send it to the main PA mixer. Here's how I do it and why this mixer works well for me:My vocal is in channel 1, and I take a tap off the insert jack (1st click doesn't interfere with the signal flow through the mixer channel, just a send) to send to the "My vocal" channel over there. The drums, are Kick snare tom 1 tom 2 and tom 3 in that order in channels 2-6. I use the MONITOR mix to send to the main PA. I can do this because the monitor mix is POST-EQ, AND I can return FX to the monitor send. I also use the nine band eq to notch just a little bit of 250hz out of the low end, with the EQ set to MONITOR.Read that again if you need to.I get a monitor mix FROM the main PA with everything I want to hear MINUS my vocal, and my drums, and return it to the stereo return. THUS, I can control my vocal mic into my headphone mix via the channel one slider, independent of the other vocals, guitar, piano, etc. I can put any drums I want, into my headphones, all with the easy-to-manipulate big sliders across the bottom.Read that again if you want.This mixer provides all the signal path-work I need to sub mix myself, hear my vocal, adjust my monitor mix separately, send a quality drum sound to the mains, hear the effects in my monitor, everything I need.The only oddity I've found is that the headphone amp is independent from the MAIN output slider. I don't use the main output, so I have to use the headphone volume knob for my overall volume to my ears. Works fine, I just assumed I would have the big slider to use. Not a problem. Also, the built in effects are NON-adjustable, which I knew going in. Not to big a problem either, I pick two or three settings, and adjust the send. If I ever get tired of this, and want an adjustable effect unit, I have the inputs to do this.In retrospect, I COULD reverse the situation, use the Monitor for my headphone mix, use the mains to send the sub mix to the PA, but I'm a fat-fingered oaf when I'm playing drums with one hand, adjusting a volume with the other. Big sliders make it easy to do.All in all, it's a great little mixer with enough inputs, outputs to fit my needs. Recommended! Good value.

As a commercial FM broadcaster in a Top 60 US market, I needed a small board on the cheap to send on a trip to NYC that the talent could interface with their laptop via USB. After reading the reviews, I was wary of this board because it seemed that everyone that loved it was using the analog I/O, and everyone that used the USB I/O complained about background noise.That's completely understandable for a board that costs less than $200 which includes a USB sound card. I'm used to paying $500+ for a USB sound card ALONE, and this one includes an 8 channel Mackie mixer?!? They simply had to have cut some corners somewhere. So with all the complaints, I initially bought a different brand, but that one seemed to have a technical issue (or maybe a design flaw). In any case, I returned in and at the last minute came back to Amazon for the Mackie PROFX8V2.First thing I noted: It was plug and play on all 3 machines I tried it on. (Windows 7 and Windows 10). I didn't need any drivers at all, unlike the first board I tried. That's a big plus.But the big question was that USB noise. All those reviews that complained about it never gave it in a quantifiable amount: There is noise. But how MUCH noise? I was about to find out.Connecting it to a laptop, I fired up Adobe Audition. I quickly had audio in and out. I set levels, then I turned all the pots to zero, which should leave me with dead silence. The headphone jack gets pretty loud on this board, and at full volume I could easily hear the noise they were complaining about. But the input meters on Adobe Audition showed a level of about -63 dB. That's the noise floor. I'd expect much better in a $500 sound card. But -63 dB is something I can work with.To put it in perspective, the noise floor requirement for FM broadcasters imposed years ago by the FCC is -60 dB. This board beat that requirement by 3 dB. I have professional broadcast studios that aren't quite that good. So I sent the board out on the trip to NYC and didn't worry about it.The broadcast lasted 3 days. The group came back and raved about the board. "It's a FANTASTIC board!". Not one word about any noise. I'm very happy with this!

I do not know a lot about or have much experience with A/V equipment, studio recording/mixing or podcasting. I have had to learn on the fly. For podcasting, this mixer has a mix-minus, a great benefit if interviewing using Skype or similar. Each pot has an individual mute. I love this too. It is great for interviewing multiple people. You do not have to turn down their levels. The special FX seem fine, but I do not use them. I love the USB plug and play feature. Because of this, I can use the mixer for both podcast type applications as well as setting up a PA system for a public meeting. The only downside is that the gain seems to be somewhat lacking. I have to have it cranked to almost full (40 or 45 out of 50db). This seems to create minor unwanted background noise. If I am recording to a computer, I have to use boost the gain as far as I dare on the board, boost the pot level on the board as far as a dare, and boost the main mix above Unity. I also have to use the DAW I am recording with to boost the gain and use post editing to enhance further. However, with minor post editing, I can still get a really good end product for an amateur. The phantom power works well with condenser mics. I do not have the same problems as with dynamic mics. Also, turn the headphone level knob to zero when starting. If you turn it up past about 20% or so you may blow your eardrums out. It is powerful and sensitive. Lastly, I have hooked my cellphone into the mixer easily using a 3.5 mm cable with a 1/4 inch adapter. It worked flawlessly.