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Mackie 1202VLZ3 12-Channel Mixer

Sure it's cute, but the Mackie 1202VLZ3 is a serious professional compact mixer, with features that belie its small footprint. The ideal compact mixer for home and project studios, the 1202VLZ3 is equally at home on the road, on the stage, or in the recording studio. At Mackie, they can never leave "well enough" alone. After all, the VLZ Pros are the best-selling mixers of all time, so we knew it would be tough to improve on what many devoted owners already consider perfection... and yet they were driven to do it anyway. Learn More...

    • New $299.95
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Overall User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Individual User Ratings

Overall:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Features:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
Quality:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Value:
* * * * * * * * * . 9 out of 10
I Want It:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Sound:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Ease of Use:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10
Support:
* * * * * * * * * * 10 out of 10

Feature:
One of the only 12 channel mixers with 2 aux sends, which is a very big thing for me. I do alot of unconventional routing and feedback loops, so having 2 aux - one pre/post switch, one post - is great. They also made the control room out an ad-hoc 3-4 bus. All the jacks are balanced, and there's a built-in power supply with switchable 110-120-220 voltage. Both are not often seen in small mixers. I only give this a 9 because the headphone out shares the 3-4 bus. And I would really really like to see some manufacturer wise up to what people are using these small mixers for, and include 2 or more pre aux sends. But that's just me...

Quality:
This thing is a tank. Knobs travel very smooth but have no wobble. Jacks are very well seated. I hesitate to test it's stage diving capabilities, but trust me I don't doubt them.

Value:
The 1202 VLZ3 is almost twice as much as 12 channel mixers from Yamaha and Behringer, but after owning this I will never go back. The price vs sound and features is too great.

Sound:
I've owned an older Mackie 1604 VLZ before and was not very impressed. The mic pre's were a bit tinny, and the EQ never quite cut it in the high end. I could always tell when I heard something recorded using the old Mackie's. I'm very pleased that in the VLZ3 they seemed to have completely turned everything around. The pre's are very full and detailed, and the EQ is very musical. Also the headroom so terribly beats the pants off my poor Behringer that I felt the urge to throw it out.

Ease of Use:
Everything is well laid out and clearly marked on the front panel. Can't get easier.

Support:
Never used them.

Overall:
I'm going to run this thing into the ground and then buy another one. Unless Mackie comes out with a USB or Firewire model.

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