Mackie Analog Mixers

This is a 12 channel small format mixer with 4 of the new Mackie Onyx preamps, 4 stereo line level inputs, harware eq bypass, 60mm faders, DB-25 direct outs, instrument direct inputs with no DI box necessary. I've been playing multiple instruments for years and have recently started building a small project studio for myself in my office. I'm more of a tweaker and gear head than an accomplished musician, but I play well enough to create musical ideas and write songs, just not very technical and accomplished. I paid $579 for this mixer at Sweetwater online. The project studio I mentioned earlier needed a central unit to control all of my instruments, inputs and the like and run them direct in to my PC for recording purposes. I ordered the unit on a Monday and it was there on Saturday, so Sweetwater rocks in my book. I figured 12 channels would be enough considering there were 4 mic preamps and two instrument level inputs on the first two channels. With 12 channels in all, I should be good to go for a long, long time. Wow, let's start with the built in Firewire I/O card. Something that could easily cost a few hundred bucks and you'd have to buy extra is built in. Nice touch Mackie. I'm also a huge fan of the mic preamps. Mackie calls these their Onyx preamps, wasn't sure what the significance of that is, but they are crystal clear with very high headroom. Totally crisp. The faders are incredible quality as well. The rest of the unit is exactly what you'd come to expect from the folks at Mackie. I've been a fan of them for a long time and finally have one of my own. There's nothing I have found that isn't absolutely great yet. Build like a brick $hithouse - ever hear that phrase? The 1220 has a thick, almost armored shell, is built heavy and all the controls are tight, not flimsy like you'll sometimes see on cheaper models. First class all the way. Overall, I would say this unit was price competitive with other 12 channel mixers, but totally blows everything else away as far as features are concerned. The built in Firewire I/O and the excellent preamps are probably some of my favorite features, but the high-end EQ's aren't far behind. Just a super unit for under $600. I actually stretched a little to get this, originally, I was looking in the $400 range for an 8 channel, but I'm glad I upped my range a bit, because I really have nothing but good things to say about this unit and it has the capability to last me for a long, long, time. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com