Setting up 2 keyboards - what mixer?

[Coler]

Hi all,

I'm about to have 2 keyboards in my life for the first time, being a Vox Continental and a Nord Electro 6 HP. I don't know if I'll keep them both but if I wanted to use them together I'd need something like a Yamaha MG10 to mix them - is that right?

Can anyone comment or suggest alternatives to look at? I don't mind spending more for better sound. At home I play through 'phones. Gigs I either play through the PA or if it's no good I bring a couple of QSC 12.2's.

Thanks for your help,

Eoghan

[cphollis]

Yes, if you have two boards and want to play in stereo, you'll want a mixer. Technically speaking, you can avoid one by connecting the L channel from both boards to one QSC K12.2 and then doing the same with R to the other one. Although that's really fiddly.

If budget is not a concern, take a look at the Key Largo from Radial Engineering. It's a nice piece of kit that sounds great.

Other than that, all the budget small mixers seem to work well: Yamaha MG6 etc.

[Coler]

That's super helpful - thanks so much.

That Key Largo looks like a really solid bit of stuff - thanks for pointing me towards it. Can I ask you, should I expect the sonic result to be better if I drop the extra money on something like that? Or am I paying more for its particular feature set, build quality etc.?

edit : So I actually found your thread on the Key Largo and it seems the answer is that what you pay for is what you get - subject to the quality of your amplification of course.

[ericL]

I can also vouch for the Key Largo. It is excellent and gives you a compact form factor with separate monitor and FOH XLR sends. I’m a big fan.

[Coler]

Thanks for your reply.

I have ordered a Key Largo - seems to tick all the boxes. The USB channel was the icing on the cake. I like the small footprint too. Buy once, cry once.

[Petesr]

Reading this thread I couldn't help but wonder is there an electrical or quality reason why you shouldn't take the headphone output from the 1st keyboard and use that as monitor input to the nord then use the headphone output of the nord to amplification. Thereby avoiding any external box. Sorry if there is an elementary reason not to do this. I am not that knowledgable in the electronic realm. Thanks.p.

[NoDirection]

If you like to sometimes record your playing. Why not use a Steinberg UR44 - Then you have both a mixer and a good sound card for Logic or other DAW's. I use mine every day...

[sus_4]

Meet my new baby...
https://www.allen-heath.com/ahproducts/zed-6/
Fits in my gear bag.. Clean, XLRs out, and NO WALL WART!

[cphollis]

Reading this thread I couldn't help but wonder is there an electrical or quality reason why you shouldn't take the headphone output from the 1st keyboard and use that as monitor input to the nord then use the headphone output of the nord to amplification. Thereby avoiding any external box. Sorry if there is an elementary reason not to do this. I am not that knowledgable in the electronic realm. Thanks.p.

That would work as well, but very fiddly. There is no monitor input control on the 2nd board, so you'd be challenged in balancing levels between the two. For example, if you wanted more volume on the 2nd board, you'd twist the knob and BOTH keyboards would get louder, not just the second one.

Again, lots of approaches are possible. But most of us end up with some form of mixer between our boards and amplification.

[Petesr]

Thanks cphollis. In my case I have 2 Nords. A C2D and a Stage3. I think there should be enough control on each to handle the output.