Yamaha MG-XU Studio Ready Mixing Desks

If you’re looking for a home or studio recording setup, then you might want to check out the Yamaha MG-XU range of mixers. Like with many traditional recording interfaces, these are all equipped with a USB output, so you can link them directly to your computer to take advantage of all the modern benefits of digital recording. Recording via a desk is great, as you’ve got many of your options laid out in front of you, and rids the need to constantly scroll through menus on a screen. 

There are a number of different options available, depending on how many inputs and outputs you need.

The Yamaha MG-UX mixers first and foremost, sound really good. Each mic channel on these mixers features a class-A D-PRE preamp, which basically help make whatever you’re running through it sound great. These preamps are really transparent, with a good frequency range so you’ll hear every part of your audio signal, without any one part being amplified too much (or too little). A good mic preamp, like the D-PRE will mean that you get the most out of your microphone, or if you’re DI’ing a guitar for example, you’ve then got a clean audio signal to alter, after recording.

Having a mixer like the Yamaha MG series means that you can tweak your sound quickly, easily and on the fly. Each channel has a three-band EQ so you can add presence or bass to your vocals, simply by turning a knob - no menu scrolling required, plus there’s a high-pass filter so you can get rid of unwanted low-end background noise. Each mic channel has a compression knob too - this is incredibly handy for a range of uses, and having it on the mixer means it’s one less thing to burden your CPU with. If you’re recording music then a spot of compression will help level out your dynamics. It’s also great for podcasting and streaming too as it will even out the peaks and dips in volume, making it sound more consistent and more professional. 

On top of all of this, the MG-UX mixers also feature a great range of on-board effects that are easily accessible and adjustable. Each mixer has Yamaha’s acclaimed SPX digital effects, with 24 different ones to choose from; from various reverbs, to distortion, chorus and more.

Each Yamaha MG-UX mixer comes with a free downloadable version of Cubase AI. This is a DAW (digital audio workstation) and is a great software programme for recording - whether that’s music, or just talking for podcasts. This freebie means you’ve got one less thing to buy!

These mixers also feature plenty of inputs and outputs for linking up external gear - from monitor speakers, to musical instruments, to MP3 players and more.