Yamaha MG10/2

The Yamaha MG series 10/ 2 is a very affordable analog mixer that can be used for a bunch of different scenarios. One of the great things about this 10 channel mixer is that it has phantom power for all of your mics that need phantom power . It has it right on board, also this thing couldn’t be any easier to use. There really aren't any bells and whistle with it. Its pretty simple installation and getting it up and running is very easy with almost no knowledge of how mixers work you will have no problems at all.


UTILIZATION

Very easy to get started with and it is very well built. I haven't seen many mixers that are built this well for less than 100 dollars. For someone who has used software as a mixer you should give this a shot , its just a little investment and you will eliminate so many headaches that software’s bring about. Most mixers that are this good cost at least twice as much as the Yamaha MG 102c and the great thing about it is, depending on where you get it at it may come with a lifetime warranty like mind did. I am not sure if that is just a local store thing or a Yamaha thing but I have a lifetime warranty on it if anything fails or breaks and its not our fault then it will get fixed and if they cant fix it they will replace it with a new one . Even if they don’t have any more because it isn’t manufactured anymore they will replace it with the newest yamaha closest model that they have. Which is great because it makes using the MG 102c worry free.


SOUNDS

sounds great, no hiss

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, it’s a great analog mixer at a cheap price. I will continue to use this mixer for years to come.

I've been playing drums since 1998, guitar since 2000, and synthesizers since 2001. I enjoy composing all sorts of music, from acoustic to funk to trance.

I paid $100 for this unit at CV Lloyd's in Champaign, Illinois. I needed a mixer that had a variety of inputs and outputs, but still fit my budget.

The best thing about this mixer is the quality you get for your money. This unit has virtually no noise and is priced with shoe-string musicians in mind. It has plenty of inputs and outputs, and even has channel inserts on the first two channels, which are great for adding effects. The first four channels have a built-in, switchable high-pass filter at 80Hz to cut unwanted low frequencies that often get added by external hardware. Each channel has a three-band EQ, balance, and pre/post auxilliary sends. There are four low-noise mic preamps, both RCA and 1/4" inputs/outputs, and even a phantom power switch for your condenser mics. All of these features combine to make one heck of a machine that you would expect to pay alot more for. I have never had a single problem with the unit and it sounds incredible with a good set of monitors.

The only thing I dislike is that four of the channels have both a mic (XLR) input and a 1/4" input, which isn't bad by itself, but you can't use both inputs at the same time. I know that's asking alot, so it's really not a problem.

This mixer is solid as a rock. It is sturdy, the paint is tough, the knobs are not slippery, and the sound is clear and crisp. I've left the unit on all night and it hasn't overheated once. It's got a good weight to it and could probably stand to be dropped afew times without consequence, though I wouldn't dare do it on purpose to such a great piece of equipment.

If you're looking for a top-quality mixer at a fraction of the price, this is the mixer for you. This line of mixers is even available with built-in effects and up to 32 channels, so you can handle even big jobs. This should be the first mixer you look at in your search because it might just be the last one you'll ever have to look at.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Here are the features of Yamaha's little beast:

Analog console with 4 mic inputs (2 with insert)
2 line inputs
4 stereo inputs
3-band EQ per channel + HPF on the mic inputs
2 auxiliary sends
1 stereo return
Possibility of mounting it on the optional BMS10A mic stand

Simple and comprehensive for an entry-level product, every inch is well used.

It's non-rackable. And it should also be noted that all cables are on top, except for the power chord, which is on the rear panel, so its use is more horizontal than vertical.

Everything is facing you and easy to understand.

If you are looking for something simple, reliable and compact, go for it!

UTILIZATION

The mixer is somewhat basic in terms of usability, but it does its job. Even if you have Hulk-like fingers, you can turn buttons without the need to do a choreography with the others. Very practical for giants!

Next...Setup is simple and solid, the buttons don't pop like Champagne. Beginners and pros alike will easily understand more or less everything, more or less right away.

The manual is very hard to understand for an illiterate person, for all others it's OK.

I use it as a complement of a Gemini EX-26 mixer to which I have connected one cd and one vinyl turntable each. That way I only need one track via RCA to listen and/or sample a sound.

The other ones I use for:

1 track for a mic (XLR)
1 track for an ASR10 sampler (stereo jack)
1 track for my MPC 1000 (stereo jack)
1 track for a Roland Jv1080 (stereo jack) / Mp3 Walkman (rca)
1 track for another expander (stereo jack) / Gemini EX-26 (rca)

The advantage of this mixer is that you can connect several devices to the same track.

You only need to keep track of the cable.

i can also use it to sample, re-sample, listen to sounds, to hear my productions and record my masterpieces on MD.

It is stable and perfect for what I do!

SOUNDS

HAHAAAA!!!! The main point!!! The sound of the device!!!! How does it sound???

Well, it's certainly not something you'd use to mix or master an album, that's true. But that's not something you'd expect from it.

It spits out whatever you give it.

The equalizer is more than effective!!! It overloads the lows, distorts the highs and squeezes the mids. It's better not to fiddle too much with it. It is very sensitive.

In normal mode it's OK. If you move the knobs slightly it's all right. But it really loses its temper if you turn them all the way, and if you like the sound of its rage then you have a major auditory problem.

I looked into the noise issue. Is it true or not? The sequel in the next sentence!

With the mixer turned on and all pots cranked all the way up... Yes. There's a bit of noise.

Using the knobs in "normal" mode, the noise is barely audible, if at all.

But once my other gear is on, I can't hear anything. My gemini EX-26 makes more noise than the Yamaha... But its EQ is more effective. So there!

For an entry-level mixer, it sounds quite all right. It's a pity that the EQ is not at the same level.

OVERALL OPINION

I've used it since 2005 and it suits me perfectly.

I bought it new for $99 (and yes, it always pays to bargain with the salesman ). I had the choice of a Phonic, Behringer and some others of the like. I tested the other ones, they were pretty decent, but not sturdy nor reliable enough.

Yamaha has the advantage of manufacturing good pro gear at fair prices. So I decided to spend a bit more and get something better rather than get a subscription to the After-Sales Service Club of my local store.

The electronic components are sturdy enough, like the soldering and I think it can work fine both live and in a home studio.

Practical and reliable, it does the job all right.

Excellent value for money. It's a good compromise between the after-sale-service products and the very high-end ones.

If you don't have the money for a Mackie or an Alesis (very, very expensive), you'd better go straight to Yamaha, even if its EQ is not the best, it's reliable and it works!!!

The console is not rackable but you can put it on a stand.
10 channels, 4 mono with XLR/Jack inputs and 3 stereo (2 on jacks and 1 on RCA).
3-band equalizer
No effects

UTILIZATION

Simple setup, easy installation.
The manual is well done, without being too technical.

SOUNDS

It's a $100 mixer, so don't expect too much from it. My setup is pretty simple:
1 stereo input: 1 revox tape recorder
1 mono input: 1 grundig tape recorder
2 mono inputs: different mics, cd players...
1 jack output going into an Edirol UA 25
1 return from the Edirol via jacks
1 output for my active monitors

No noise, unless you crank it all the way up, but who does that, anyway?
Very sensitive equalizer, which can distort sound quite rapidly. Be careful.

OVERALL OPINION

I've used it for two and a half years.
Stereo channel 8 deteriorated after one year and I started hearing noise from the left speaker. That meant two months of after-sales service — very annoying!
Two weeks later and with an interval of one year, same problem, same track!
I am not too violent with the console, I only turn the pots.
Decent value for money, but apparently the reliability leaves a lot to be desired.
I hesitated between the soundcraft compact 4 and the small Tapco... My review could've been different!... I would certainly not buy this mixer again (especially two years later, now that there are consoles that double as audio interfaces).