Finding dedicated monitor mix mixing consoles is getting more difficult as time goes by. Sure the new digital console offerings have reasonably good flexibility, and the higher-end analog consoles have enough auxiliary sends to get the job done. But what about the market that needs inexpensive and simple-to-use monitor mixing gear? With every musician stealing two mixes for stereo in-ear monitoring, where are you going to get a dozen aux sends per channel and enough channels to handle modern music bands? Well, Allen and Heath’s new MixWizard line has just expanded to solve this dilemma.
The Gear
The Allen and Heath MixWizard 12M monitor mixing console provides a lot of capability in a rack-mount form factor. Normally, I would start with the front side and work to the back panel, but this time the reverse makes sense. Most up-and-coming sound persons start by mixing monitors from front-of-house. They purchase that monitor mixer, but the next dilemma comes in the form of upgrading the snake for a monitor split. The 12M allows you to belay this purchase by providing the passive split on its 16 input channels. So, all you have to purchase is a short 16-channel or more patch snake/sub-snake to go from the 12M to your existing front-of-house snake. Voila, you have just saved hundreds to thousands of dollars in snake upgrades by purchasing this console.
Besides the 16 channels of split inputs, the 12 channels of XLR outputs for individual mono outs or six stereo mixes are plenty for most applications. All the inputs and outputs have associated TRS insert jacks for inserting effects, dynamic processing (comps, gates, etc.) or equalizers. For the monitor mix person, there are additional TRS and XLR stereo outputs for cue wedges besides the headphone jacks on the front panel as well as a pair of phone jacks for external signal inputs in case you desire other operator communication like talkback or intercom usage. Finishing off the rear panel is an IEC AC power inlet (100 to 240 VAC switcher PSU) and an on/off switch for power control. In addition, there is a multi-pin connector for an external MPS12 rack supply for backup.
Front Panel
All the glory is in the front panel of the Allen & Heath MixWizard 12M. Up top, you have the ultra-quiet 10- to 60-dB preamp with a 20-dB pad that can be switched in. Each channel also gets its own phantom power switch plus an 80-Hz high-pass filter switch to selectively knock out rumble from channels not providing extended bass response. Following the preamp section is a modestly capable 4-band equalizer section that can be switched in as desired. The low and high bands are shelving filters at 80 Hz and 12 kHz, respectively, with +/-15 dB of amplitude adjustment. The two remaining swept mid-range semi-parametric filters are fixed-Q (Q=1.8) with ranges of 35 Hz to 1 kHz, and 500 Hz to 15 kHz; also with +/-15 dB of amplitude adjustment. The controls are light blue knobs with green knob frequency sweep and well legended for precise filter adjustment.
After the equalizers, the aux send section has the 12 sends grouped in a 4+8 system with the first four sends switch assignable to pre/post channel fader/trim selection. The last eight aux sends are just post fader/trim as typical monitoring practice allows. The knobs are color coded in pairs of aux sends, so that the sends can be paired off as mono sends or stereo sends with the second control used for panning the stereo image. Each even-numbered aux send even gets a center detent for the pan function just to have a tactile center for feedback.
At the bottom of each channel strip, there is little room in the 10-rackspace-tall console for faders, so rotary fader/trim controls replace the slide faders. The 3 o’clock position is 0 dB (unity) gain, leaving plenty of room for boost and most likely precise cuts for loud sources. Surrounding the trim control is the red LED mute switch, and a round PFL (pre-fader-listen) switch with two LEDs for signal present (-12 dB) and clip (+16 dB). When the PFL switch is down, the red clip LED stays on as a friendly reminder and the master PFL LED lights as well, plus the master section stereo 12-LED bar-graphs take over for precise level indication.
In the master section, the 12 60-mm faders dominate the landscape with colored fader caps matching the corresponding aux sends in the channels. With the faders as aux send masters, they are grouped with red LED mute switches and yellow LED AFL (after-fader-listen) switches for mix monitoring. Again red and green LEDs are beside each master, but are set for -30 dB and +16 dB points for signal present and clip levels. In the far top, the dual 12-LED bar-graph displays have a monitor master level control for AFL/PFL volume to the headphone jacks and rear panel monitor output jacks. Also, switches for mono/stereo operation of the monitor outputs and a switch to selectively switch in the rear external monitor inputs. When in stereo mode, the “even” numbered aux sends turn into pan pots with center detents.
To finish off the console, the Allen & Heath engineers were thinking out of the box by providing both ¼-inch and 3-mm headphone jacks for us personal-monitor-wearing mix persons. Also, a very nice pin XLR jack is provided for gooseneck 12-volt console lamps, which is a mark of a professional console.
The Gig
For a compact mixer, the Allen & Heath MixWizard 12M packs just about everything you could imagine in the 10-rackspace form. And, of course, you can rotate the rear panel from front to rear to bottom as needed for you transport and installation needs demand. Of course, this will take you up to 12 rack spaces in the table top configuration. In testing, I found the channel and master section circuits very quiet and reasonably high fidelity for the critical listening task. The real key to monitor mixing is dealing with the likely feedback scenarios and to become trained to quickly hit the correct mute control to squelch the offending mix or mic source.
In gigging, the MixWizard 12M performed very well and would be an excellent console for bands that have personal monitors, so they could dial-in their own monitor mix, much like grazing at a buffet. From my perspective, I found few shortcomings within the confines of the compact size. Given a bit more real estate on the rear panel, I would have liked TRS line input jacks for the occasional direct source, but that is what direct boxes are for. Also, I would have loved a soft-mute-all or diminish-all emergency anti-feedback button or mute group that would drop in 10 dB to 20 dB of attenuation to each channel in case of the severe squeal scenario. Overall, the 12M is a lot of bang for the buck and could make a nice backup console when good consoles go bad.
Allen & Heath MixWizard 12M
What It Is: Monitor mixing console in rack-mount form.
Pros: Great Value for the Capability, Compact, Clean Sounding.
Cons: Just a touch of a learning curve finding the right mute.
How Much: $2,399 MSRP
Web site: www.allen-heath.co.uk.
