Ask A Sound Guy

I recently dealt with a client that was in need of a 12 channel mixer for use with hybrid live and recording situations. They were looking at either the Soundcraft M12 or the Allen & Heath MixWizard WZ3 12:2. I wasn’t sure what to tell them. I’ve used the 16 channel MixWizard and, as far as smaller format live mixers, I loved it. I’ve never used anything from the M series, but I do know Soundcraft makes solid (and great sounding) gear. So what do I suggest? I had to do a comparison for them, and why not share it with you?

Soundcraft M12

First up is the M12, the largest desk in the Soundcraft M series. Twelve mono inputs, four stereo inputs, and four stereo returns.

Looking at the raw specs, this is a nice sized mixer for small churches, smaller home/project studios, and anything that might need less than 16/32 channels.

S/PDIF I/O is available on all the M12 which makes this desk very studio friendly. The pres are low noise, low distortion, and also include RF rejection inside of them. Souncraft also boasts “great sounding British EQs,” which is something we see on just about every mixer on the market (including the Behringer line of mixers). I’m sure the EQs sound good regardless of where they come from. The EQs are three-band and, also included, is a HPF (at 100Hz) on all the mono channels.

The M12 has four available aux sends making outboard effects processors possible to include while also giving you the option for a couple (or more) monitor mixes.

100mm fader throw means you’ll have precise control over each individual channel. Direct outputs (pre or post-fader) are available on all mono channels which makes this board extremely viable for recording. Mute/PFL controls are present, as well as metering on every channel and the master bus.

The M12 isn’t lacking much (it’s even rackmountable), but it is missing a couple of things.

• No onboard FX. For me, this wouldn’t be a big deal. I prefer to use outboard processors anyhow. However, for someone running sound at a church or smaller venue, this could be a problem and could prompt a potential buyer to walk on by. While external effects are great, most consumer level engineers don’t have the budget for outboard effects and don’t want to deal with hooking up and running separate reverbs, delays, etc. Obviously for recording onboard effects aren’t typically used, so this mainly confronts people buying an M12 for live sound purposes.
• No groups. In my opinion, this is not a viable desk for larger sized clubs, bars, or churches. Mixing drums, vocals, horns, to a group keeps you from having too much gear and is also flat out convenient. Again, most entry/mid level engineers probably aren’t worried about mixing to subgroups, but your more experience engineers will worry about that.

Allen & Heath MizWizard WZ3 12:2

I’m a bit of an Allen & Heath fanboy. I’ve used the MixWizard enough to know I like it, and I drool weekly over their Xone DJ mixers. So how does the WZ3 12:2 stack up against the M12?

Eight mono channels and two stereo channels are available. The 12:2 has a four-band EQ (as opposed to the M12’s three) as well as a HPF on all the mono channels. The 12:2 also has mute switches and metering on the individual channels and the master bus, just like the M12. However, the 12:2 has two additional auxes compared to the M12 – six in total making it a little more live friendly. The 12:2 also has 100mm faders.

Where the MixWizard separates itself from the M12 is the onboard effects and computer friendly editing option that’s available with it. The MixWizard can talk to your laptop via MIDI making the effects tweaking a little more customizable. Once again, the 12:2 lends itself slightly more to live applications than the M12.

Conclusion

Both desks are plenty capable for studio or live settings. They’re both made from companies with solid reputations for sound quality and build quality. However, the major deciding factor for most people is price. The WZ3 12:2 sells for around $900 while the M12 sells for around $850 – once again proving that you pay for the Allen & Heath name. It’s not much of a price difference, but to most people $50 is enough to make a decision for them.

My personal opinion is go with the M12 for recording and the WZ3 12:2 for live applications. That being said, both mixers are solid and would do well in either application.