As you may know, there have been two
conventional categories of live sound mixers for quite a while: powered and
unpowered analog mixers. Now there is also a new generation of digital consoles
designed for studio and live sound applications that bring the added benefits
of total recall mixing and on-board effects. In order to help you choose which
is best for you, powered, unpowered or digital, it is important to accurately
assess the size of your ensemble and the places you intend to play.
I'm assuming that you have
the typical rock band setup, one or two guitars, keyboard, bass, drums, a lead
singer, and a few members singing backup. In this scenario, a traditional
unpowered analog mixer would not only provide ease of set-up, but will also
allow you to grow into a larger system by adding larger speakers, etc. without
having to start from scratch. Many analog mixers now include digital effects
processors so you don't have to carry additional outboard gear to the gig.
If you want to know of a specific analog mixer that would be good for you I'm afraid I can't help you there. You may want to research into it and get customer reviews from the internet to help you make a good choice.
