Mixer Recommendation Needed

[billk]

We need a smaller powered mixer for speech only for our church. The two best choices in our price range seem to be Yamaha MG206C and Samson TXM16. What are the experiences and recommendations on these or are others a better choice in the low price range?

[Frank DeWitt]

The Yamaha MG206C is not powered.
Could you tell us some more about your needs.

Frank

[waynehoskins]

Also, is there a reason a powered mixer is preferred over separate mixer and system processing and amplifiers?

[churchtech007]

imho, if you are just wanting to forgo the amps you'll have better luck with powered speakers than a powered board.

[bradneal]

Originally Posted by churchtech007

imho, if you are just wanting to forgo the amps you'll have better luck with powered speakers than a powered board.

+1 on that.

[billk]

Originally Posted by Frank DeWitt

The Yamaha MG206C is not powered.
Could you tell us some more about your needs.

Frank

Oops on the Yamaha. That leaves only Samson. (We're at the top the budget on this.) We are replacing a Samson TM300 because 5 of 6 channels are gone due to poor operator procedures. Use is podium mike, announcer mike, wireless mike, table mike, two huge speakers in front of auditorium.

[daver2]

First of all Bill - welcome to CMN!

Frank is correct - the Yamaha MG206 does not contain a power amplifier. Yamaha do powered mixers (e.g. the EMX5016CF which is a 16 channel + dual 500 W portable mixer). The Yamaha EMX5016CF retails for approximately GBP 700 in the UK - but I have no experience of it. We have some Yamaha kit and I am very happy with the build quality and reliability.

My information is that the Samson TXM16 is discontinued. If this is true - there could be some bargains to be picked up (for instance, I have seen some 'B stock' for sale in the UK for GBP 300) but you will be buying kit which may have a limited lifetime support.

As have been said before - if you could give us a bit more info. about your particular situation - and what limitations you have - then CMN members may be able to suggest some further alternatives.

We have gone down the powered speaker route for our mobile venues for the reasons given above. Powered speakers are more easily obtained than powered mixers - and if they fail, I loose one channel and can replace it with a number of other powered speaker kit I have. But if the powered mixer fails - I am dead in the water!

Dave

[billk]

Originally Posted by waynehoskins

Also, is there a reason a powered mixer is preferred over separate mixer and system processing and amplifiers?

Was assuming powered mixer would be cheaper & simpler for novices than your recommendation. E.g., the Samson TXM16 is $650 at zZounds which is tops for us (small church/small budget).

[billk]

Originally Posted by churchtech007

imho, if you are just wanting to forgo the amps you'll have better luck with powered speakers than a powered board.

We already have these monster speakers (2) and no budget for replacements.

[billk]

Originally Posted by daver2

First of all Bill - welcome to CMN!

Frank is correct - the Yamaha MG206 does not contain a power amplifier. Yamaha do powered mixers (e.g. the EMX5016CF which is a 16 channel + dual 500 W portable mixer). The Yamaha EMX5016CF retails for approximately GBP 700 in the UK - but I have no experience of it. We have some Yamaha kit and I am very happy with the build quality and reliability.

My information is that the Samson TXM16 is discontinued. If this is true - there could be some bargains to be picked up (for instance, I have seen some 'B stock' for sale in the UK for GBP 300) but you will be buying kit which may have a limited lifetime support.

As have been said before - if you could give us a bit more info. about your particular situation - and what limitations you have - then CMN members may be able to suggest some further alternatives.

We have gone down the powered speaker route for our mobile venues for the reasons given above. Powered speakers are more easily obtained than powered mixers - and if they fail, I loose one channel and can replace it with a number of other powered speaker kit I have. But if the powered mixer fails - I am dead in the water!

Dave

Thanks for recommendation but $1000 tag puts it out of our league. I spoke with Samson one month ago, and they recommended the TXM16 as a replacement to our TM300. It's probably still current unless something happened in recent past.

[waynehoskins]

I don't know of anything of quality that's that inexpensive. Samson is in the cheapest-of-the-cheap (cheap = poorly designed and made) category. Powered mixers themselves tend to be found only in the lowest classes (bar band) of gear.

I wouldn't recommend anything lower than Yamaha's EM line in terms of box mixers. I'd also highly recommend a conventional system design approach with separate console, amplifiers, and processing; with that, you can scale the console with the stage I/O requirements, which are independent of the main PA requirements. My first thoughts would be an A&H Mixwizard console (or even a Soundcraft EPM) and an appropriate number and size of Crown XTI amplifiers.

[waynehoskins]

Originally Posted by billk

We already have these monster speakers (2) and no budget for replacements.

Do you have a model number on those speakers?