ART MX822

If you want to save space then an 19" rack mixer does the job and there are not too many choices on the market. The ART MX822 is a stereo 8 channel mixer with an effects send, pan and individual level control and for just over £150. On paper this mixer had what I wanted in features. Set up is easy if mono (L) then sound appears L+R. 8 stereo inputs give the mixer a lot of flexibility with channel 1 being XLR Mic with 48v phantom power.

Now to the bad points; turning up the main volume brings with it an a lot of noise. In fact at higher volumes the buzz would make this unit unusable. I tested with just my KRK Rokit speakers, 1m of XRL speaker cable, and nothing on the inputs and you can physically hear a lot of noise. I assume this noise is due to cheap circuitry on the mixers output stage. At lower volumes it is just workable. As I'd already thrown the box away and set up my studio I decided to keep although I think spending more money on something like the Tascam LM8 ST will give you better results and later on I will change. Personally, I cant really recommend the MX822. If ART had got produced a noise free mixer this would have been a nice little unit.

These kind of 19” rackmount mixers are mainly used as keyboard submixer, to manage several sound sources with ease.
And in my home/project studio it happened that way, because the number of synthesizers, expanders and sound sources, in general, are continuously increasing. By the way MX-822 is a submixer of a submixer (Yamaha 01v96i maxed to 32 channels with MY8-AD24 and a MotU 8PRE) which is slaved to a MotU 828k3 via SPDIF and WC.
All that said, MX-822 does neatly its job even though to see its led meter moving I had to raise almost all keyboards output by +6dB.
Headphone output (used a Sony MDR-7506) is crisp, clear and line output must not be excessively increased in order to keep normal background noise too evident.
When powered up MX-822 produces a slight hum that is more evident if listened very close to the place where the power supply resides.
Overall I consider ART MX-822 a good product suitable for several uses.