Soundcraft Compact 4 Mixer

Several features have been specifically incorporated for this. Firstly, it's simple to route an input straight to the record output simply by selecting the RECORD button on the channel. Secondly, a wide variety of input sources are catered for on this simple 4-input mixer. These include microphone, line, and a special 'DI' or 'Direct' input for guitars and keyboards, plus stereo inputs for keyboards, CD/tape, or turntable (with RIAA equalisation). This DI input matches the input impedance of the mixer to the output impedance of the instrument, ensuring optimum professional-quality audio capture. Thirdly, listening while recording is made easier thanks to a special blend control that allows you to control the mix of the computer playback mix and the signal of the track being recorded which are blended for the Artist headphone output.

Using an external analogue mixer for computer recording means zero-latency monitoring. That is that you can listen to your track being recorded simultaneously with the playback from the computer, without the inherent signal delay of the computer soundcard and host processor. Other standard features on the COMPACT include 3 band EQ on the inputs, along with professional 48V phantom power for condenser microphones, dedicated balanced and unbalanced Record and Playback connections, independent engineer & artist headphone outputs, and monitor outputs. The dual headphone feeds provide a level of monitoring normally found in large commercial studios. All monitoring is in true stereo, rather than the mono-summed monitoring found on competitive products. This means that what you hear is always as it will be in your final master.

Soundcraft Compact - A Fresh Approach to Mixing
COMPACT mixers have been designed to make the job of recording easy. The often-confusing industry terms which appear on coventional small mixing consoles have been replaced with easy to understand legending, while controls are organised to give clear and intuitive access to all functions.

Hassle-free Instrument Connection
It's easy to plug instruments straight into COMPACT (Direct Injection) and this cuts down on other equipment. A DI switch on channel 4 adjusts the input impedance to achieve optimum performance levels from guitars, basses and keyboards.

Overdubs Made Easy
If you've ever tried to record using a sequencer, you've probably experienced latency - an irritating delay that occurs between playing a sound and hearing it reproduced. COMPACT mixers feature zero-latency monitoring, which means you can mix your live sound with the playback sound from a computer and hear your overdubs at the same time as you play them.

Total Peace of Mind
With other small mixers, it's easy to leave more channels open than are being used, resulting in unwanted background noise.Worse still, if the wrong channels are selected, you could miss recording the perfect performance.With COMPACT's failsafe recording feature, you can be certain that you've only recorded the channels you intended.

Seperate Mix, Monitor and Record Outputs
COMPACT is a great live mixer for any medium-sized band.With separate Mix, Monitors and Record outputs, you can create perfect mixes for the band and your audience, while simultaneously recording the performance on DAT or CD.

Engineer and Artist Headphone Outputs
It's often useful to have different mixes in the studio. COMPACT provides headphone feeds for engineer and artist so the engineer can listen to the overall performance while the artist has a mix tailored to their specific requirements. Essential in overdub situations, this means that the artist can precisely control how much of themself they hear in the mix, helping them to give their best possible performance.