New Digital Mixer from Alto

[Phil Starr]

 

I've just stumbled upon this and it might interest people looking for a new mixer. I stress that I've not seen one yet or tried it out but it looks like a really useful addition to what is available and has a very different approach to what is already available. It skips on the touch screen and everything is 'physical' controls; note the parenthesis. You can control it with an app but that is via bluetooth not via a router. To me it is set up for live work more than a studio it only seems to allow two channel recording and it has a very physical, practical set of facilities. Andertons have it in for £499

 

So basically it is a 12/16 channel mixer with 10 XLR/mixed inputs and a couple of stereo inputs, standard stuff. Four main outputs, four submix outputs and three Aux outs.

Mixing is via 6 capacitative touch faders, effectively a separate touch screen for each channel, No more problems with dirt in the faders I suppose.

Faders are arranged in two banks

Everything else is accessed by touch switches and rotary knobs at the side of the screen, which is not touch sensitive it is just a display.

Eq is fully parametric with three bands and HPF on every channel.

Compression is available on each channel as is phantom power

FX is a comprehensive collection of reverb and delay, again with all the parameters adjustable by the rotary controls.

 

To me the facilities are pretty much all you need for a typical pub band and very similar to the offering I have on my RCF mixer. This is going to be much less flexible than the Behringer X18's but so much more intuitive than any of the current stagebox mixers. The use of physical switches and rotaries is going to be completely comfortable for anyone who has used an analogue mixer and much better/simpler for anyone mixing from on stage. All the channel fx are available with one click and completely flexible, you can do as little or as much as you want.

 

I have to say that this might be a game changer for many bands, physical controls are so much simpler when you are also playing. Alto have clearly looked hard at the shortcomings of other budget mixers and this looks to have come up with fixes that make sense. I've no idea of the build quality or long term reliability of all those knobs and buttons but Alto have been producing reliable and well loved speakers for a while so no reason to doubt them. I haven't found a manual yet so there are many questions I couldn't answer, primarily if you can save scenes and waht is on the app but this looks promising

 

 

[Chienmortbb]

https://www.altoprofessional.com/products/tmd-16

 

A brief look says it is as you say @Phil Starr.  I have only had a cursory look at the Operating Instructions, but it has one drawback that I can see, like the Flow 8 has control via Bluetooth but not Wi-Fi/Ethernet. Not really a big deal for a pub band, but where folks want control for a sound check or musicians want some control of their own monitor mix, you cannot do it. It also has only 8 mic/line inputs, and I am not sure that 3 stereo pairs is really needed on this size of mixer. None of these would be a deal-breaker if you were transitioning from an Analogue mixer. I would not swap it for my A&H CQ20, but if I had never used a digital mixer, It would be an option.

 

I do commend Alto for doing something different, though. 

 

Edited yesterday at 19:20 by Chienmortbb
edited after being updated by @tauzero

[tauzero]

3 hours ago, Chienmortbb said:

https://www.altoprofessional.com/products/tmd-16

 

A brief look says it is as you say @Phil Starr.  I have only had a cursory look at the Operating Instructions, but it has one drawback that I can see, there is no remote possibility. Even the Flow 8 has control via Bluetooth. Not really a big deal for a pub band, but where folks want control for a sound check or musicians want some control of their own monitor mix, you cannot do it. It also has only 8 mic/line inputs, and I am not sure that 3 stereo pairs is really needed on this size of mixer. None of these would be a deal-breaker if you were transitioning from an Analogue mixer. I would not swap it for my A&H CQ20, but if I had never used a digital mixer, It would be an option.

 

I do commend Alto for doing something different, though. 

 

 

The product description on that very page includes "Integrated Bluetooth allows effortless audio streaming and remote mix tweaks via the Alto Mix Control App." (third paragraph).

[Chienmortbb]

30 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

The product description on that very page includes "Integrated Bluetooth allows effortless audio streaming and remote mix tweaks via the Alto Mix Control App." (third paragraph).

Missed that I will modify my post. 

[Phil Starr]

I wonder if bluetooth that works consistently is a better idea than wifi that is so inconsistent that you have to take a separate router? As it happens I have a Flow 8 sitting next to me which I use at home. to date I've had zero problems with the Bluetooth even in the next room. Using this mixer I think I'd only need the remote option when setting up just to check FOH once the gig started I'd have the physical controls on stage with me.

 

You wouldn't expect it to compete with A&H the CQ12 is £150 more expensive and the physical controls more limited. Yamaha do mixers with a similar ability to do everything with Physical controls but these are way more than double the price of the Alto. Price wise it fits into the Behringer X18 sort of bracket and a few other stagebox mixers.