Rolls RM65B 6 x 4 Mixer

Feature:
Again, apples to apples ... Mic pre's are really decent. Plenty of gain. Balanced I/O's. Phantom power (switchable per channel). FX loop. Aux-In. Headphone out. Stereo Outs. Mono monitor send. Pan per channnel. ALL in a single rack-space! WISH LIST: More functional meter(s) WHINE LIST: Mid EQ. Truly not MISSING it per se (maybe it's the Mackie's), but would like it. SPOIL-ME LIST: separate Tape (RCA) I/O's (stereo, of course ...)and/or 2 more channels.

Quality:
- Not quite as tight as, say, a Yamaha product. Mechanicals all seem solid. Contols are really small & fragile-looking. However, I've had it on the road for almost a year in New England shizo-weather; So far so good.

Value:
I'm a fairly meticulous guy re; gear/performance. I'll pay more $$ for gear if it delivers. So far, - and at the risk of sounding hyperbolous - RM65 is worth double what it costs. (in fact, the relatively small price tag was a big part of my initial apprehension a.k.a. "it can't be that good for that price") It's small, it does alot per sq. inch, it sounds good, and it's reliable. BIG bang for the buck here.

Desirability:
In fairness, it should be stated that this reviewer is absolutely a function-OVER-fashion guy. Hence, the raves above. Sex Appeal? What sex appeal? This piece has none. (For the record, in this reviewer's opinion, the whole "silver"-ness thing in comtempo gear design is haneous ...) Ergonomically, it is a nightmare. (BUT, that's ALOT of stuff on the face of ONE rack-space). Seriously, though, to me RM65's features-per-inch and bang-for-buck far outweigh any aesthetic short-coming.

Sound:
Apples to Apples, this thing sounds great! It is what it is; over-all sound is good, but, considering the price/convenience - phenomenal! I use the RM65B w/ TCElectronics M300 (ALSO recommended!) Multi FX to mix my solo Vox/Keez/MIDI-back-trax LIVE (haven't tried w/ recording) w/ pair of Mackie SRM450's (ALSO recommended!!)having scaled down from a Promix 01V mixer. Sound-wise, it's not really possible to compare the Rolls w/ 01V. That said, I bought the Rolls in hopes of downsizing w/ little or no compromise in live sound. If you know the 01V, you know what kind of a leap we're talking about, here, and can probably imagine my guarded "sounds good on paper" optimism. BOTTOM LINE: I couldn't be more pleased.

Support:
Called Rolls w/ many-a-question before I took the dive. Easy enough to reach. Tech guy was a little terse. However, problems solved, Q's answered. Haven't needed repair or service.

Overall:
Again, I'm very pleased. There's always a thing or two you'd like to have additionally, but you just can't beat this piece. I literally scoured the internet looking for something like this (small, feature-ful, not a million dollars, SOUNDS GOOD) and I kept coming back to and eventually bought this one. It's been almost a year and I keep finding myself really glad I have it. Many of my peers inquire about gear after hearing "the show" that has resulted in at least two of them purchasing one for themselves. I'm set up and ready to rock in 20 minutes AND I can fit the whole rig in the back of a Subaru Legacy (stands, keyboard & all). - All due - in large part - to the RM65.

Feature:
For its size, it can't be beat, at least so far as I've seen. My only real complaint was that the effects return was not stereo, but the new models not only remedied that, but also include a headphone out, which makes recording directly from the unit a breeze!

Quality:
I've used mine constantly for about ten years, with no problems ever....

Value:
An INCREDIBLE VALUE! I'm amazed more players don't have these, but I guess that's because I don't ever see them in music stores, or even in many of their catalogs. You've got to either see someone using one, or find it online.....

Desirability:
Not "sexy", but it's bang for the price (& size) sure makes it quite desirable!

Sound:
I've been using the RM65 (I have two) ever since I found out it existed, which has been probably 10yrs or so. Of course, due to packing so much in a single rack space size, some things are not optimal, as more EQ control would be ideal, but it's sufficient for live gigs.

Ease of Use:
What's to know? It's as easy to use as any mixer, the only difference is again, the size, so the controls are a bit on the tiny side. However, even with my large hands, I've not had a problem with that. The one complaint I had is that the unity "notch" on the knobs was invisible, so I had to paint a white line at midpoint, to see it.....

Support:
Never needed servicing, and the couple questions I've ever had were answered....

Overall:
I'm always on the lookout for the best & the most compact tools, but the only other unit I've seen that compares, requires more juggling of settings & trade-offs, that just make the Rolls unit still the winner. I have it in my rack, and use it for solo gigs (I play sax/flute, w/tracks), small ensemble work, or as my personal submixer for larger shows & festivals, with a feed to the soundman (which allows me to have the exact sound I want)....