[Elecraft] This mixer may interest some

[k4wtf@enterzone.net]

On Mon, 24 Feb 2003, John wrote:

> How does the 602 or 802 handle the speaker level input?  I have also
> been thinking about using one speaker that is driven by all of my rigs
> but I would rather not have to modify the rigs that don't have a line
> level output so I would prefer to drive the mixer with the speaker
> output from each rig.
> 
> John   K7SVV


John,

Make a pad.  Do *NOT* drive a line input, let alone a mic input with
speaker level.  Beyond the fact that you lose a TON of dynamic range, you
run a serious risk of simply toasting the input of the mixer
channel.  Also consider the fact that the input impedence of the channel
is nowhere near 8-Ohms so, in most cases, you won't be loading the audio
output of your rig(s) properly.

Behringer also happens to make an interface to do just this task.  I don't
remember the model number of the box and don't have my Behringer catalog
in front of me but, I know they make one, as do pretty much every other
pro audio outfit.  You can go to your local pro audio shop or guitar
center, etc and I'm pretty sure they'll have them as well.

Using a mixer (any of the behringer models mentioned will do), you can
drive one speaker with 4 radios or one radio in one side of your
headphones, 3 in the other, 3 radios in one side, 13 in the other,
etc.  It all depends on the mixer you get and how creative you are.

For example, I run the outputs of all of my rigs (properly matched with
"direct boxes") into individual channels on my mixer.  The computer
soundcard output goes into its own stereo channel pair and I plug my Heil
Goldline directly into its own channel on the mixer as well.

I drive the "line input" of a rigblaster pro with one of the aux bus
outputs from the board to go into the mic input of whichever radio I
happen to be using at the time.

Any channel (or combo) that I select to go to that bus will appear at the
input of the transceiver so, I can patch one radio to the other, the
computer to a radio, my heil mic to any radio, etc.

I can select any channel, or combo of channels to listen in either side
(of both) of the headphones or monitor speakers.  I can pipe any channel
or combo to either L or R input of my computer as well.  It's as simple as
pushing a bus select button and sliding a fader up.

  When I have friends over to the shack, I don't have to give up my comfy
chair and we don't have to huddle around one mic.  I just hand them their
own microphone on a 16ft cord and they can sit anywhere in the shack.

Having a mixer (with inserts especially) also makes it much easier to
experiment with outboard audio processing as well. (Both for TX and RX
audio.) 

Depending on the features of the board you select, you are only limited by
your imagination.


For most stations, a 602 or 802 will do fine.  I needed the extra channels
(and busses) on the 1604 and I like having faders vs knobs also so, that's
what I opted for.  The 1604 is about the size of 4 602's and I opted to
rack mount it ( you can see it at http://www.k4wtf.com/ ) because I
didn't want to give up the desk space for it but, that is all simply
personal preference.

73 de John - K4WTF