AUG. 2020: NEW FOLLOW-UP VIDEO (Setup, Sweet Spot and Samples)
https://youtu.be/QRsNOuQykuo

ORIGINAL REVIEW…

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos and reviews on the Yamaha MG series of mixers. If you've found this video, you should have a good idea of the general features, pros, cons, and specifications, so I won't bore you with more information.

This is a great little mixer for singer/songwriters, duos, and 3-5 piece bands. I paired mine with a Turbosound iP2000 tower array speaker to get a portable and super clean sounding live sound system for $1500. It's perfect for rehearsals and gigs in smaller venues (say, up to 100 people), not to mention a great audio interface.

For the sake of simplicity, we'll assume that all the basic things you'd reasonably expect (in terms of specs and features for the price you're paying) are present and accounted for (at least to some degree) on any of the mixers in this category. So what sets THIS mixer apart from similar units from Behringer, Mackie, Harbinger, Soundcraft, etc. – and why did I choose the Yamaha???

Here are the 7 reasons why the MG10XU got my vote and my purchase…

1. It's a Yamaha (everything feels solid and professional)
2. The MG line has very clean preamps (especially for this size/price range)
3. Balanced XLR stereo output (not only 6.35 mm jack sockets)
4. Each of the (4) XLR input channels has HPF and 26 dB pad buttons with 48V phantom power
5. 1-knob inline compressor (only on the first two channels, but high quality)
6. Integrated effects (no combo effects, but high sound quality, with 1-knob parameter control)
7. Custom microphone stand adapter (brings the mixer to your fingertips as an artist)

(For setup, sweet spot and examples, see the following video: https://youtu.be/QRsNOuQykuo)

AUDIO INTERFACE: Although originally purchased for live sound mixing, this unit is an excellent 2-in/2-out (ie /"L/R stereo in/out/") USB audio interface with (up to) 192 kHz / 24-bit conversion. Hence, you will also find numerous /"home studio/" videos using this mixer.

Honestly, there are a few things about this mixer that I don't like so much. First, there are no combination effects — no chorus + reverb, for example, just one or the other. Second, I prefer sliders for quicker reading and adjusting channel send levels, and sliders are available on the (slightly larger) $259 MG10XUF board, but there's no way to mount that board to a mic stand. It would have been great to have 1-knob compressors on all (4) XLR channels, and pivoting mid-level EQs would have been incredible. If this unit had those features, it might have gone down in history as one of Yamaha's defining small form factor mixers — maybe even one of the defining small form factor mixers of all time — and I certainly would have paid $100 more for it. But that's not the case, so life goes on.

Finally, and just FYI, I first purchased a 12-channel Harbinger mixer. (Bought on sale, thought it was a bargain, returned it a few days later.) Then I personally tried all the other boards in this category that I could get my hands on before purchasing the MG10XU. Yamaha is on the higher end of the pack in terms of price, and in my opinion you get what you pay for; however, in many situations you could get by with a cheaper board and most people wouldn't know or care. Still, these are the reasons I chose the Yamaha MG10XU mixer over the others.

I hope this review was helpful to you. Here are several purchase links with additional written reviews for your consideration…

AMAZON
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IBIVL42/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_ggPqCb9ZHMZFP

GUITAR SEPARATION CENTER
https://www.guitarcenter.com/MG10XU-10-Channel-Mixer-with-Effects.gc
https://www.guitarcenter.com/Yamaha/MG10XUF-10-Channel-Analog-Mixer.gc (the slider version)

FRESHWATER
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MG10XU–yamaha-mg10xu-mixer-with-usb-and-fx

BRA
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1026876-REG/yamaha_mg10xu_10_in_stereo.html

Microphone stand adapter/mount
Model number BMS10A: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/BMS10A–yamaha-bms10a

FOLLOW-UP VIDEO: https://youtu.be/QRsNOuQykuo

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